Lost in Translation--US vs UK English words

[fluter]

US: I could care less.
UK: I couldn't care less.

I think the UK version is gramatically more correct for the implied meaning.

You are correct, except (oh dear, I'm indulging in pedantry) it's not grammar, I guess it must be syntax.

The cited US usage only seems to have evolved in the last 35 years or so. I always want to ask, "How much less could you care? "

[dfmacliam]

Since I am making a drive across the country today.. I popped in and said Hi, to Mum.. who lives in Arkansas.. and I asked her how she was feeling, today?... she replies.. she was feeling queer.. and there you go.. another word and completely different meaning... she was feeling poorly..

and a big difference in the States and UK... in the US 100 years is a long time.. in the UK 100 miles is a long distance... I drove 600 miles, today. I started out about 75 miles south west of Dallas, Texas... and at the moment I am in Mt Vernon, Illinois, about 800 miles, apart.. and tomorrow I will drive my last 200 miles.. from my home, to south of Chicago, where I will be working for the next two months.... is a 1000 miles. I have to drive, because I need to carry my tools..

[SteveB]

On following the comments on this thread the languages on both sides of the puddle have seen changes.
In the sixties living in Scotland the word Umbrella got me some blank stares until I remembered the term bumbershoot. The mechanic filled the petrol, and popped the bonnet to check the works, and the engineer fixed the ailments on the motor car.
Here I ride the trolley, in the U.K. I rode the tram.
Here my tools moved around on a cart, in the U.K. the had their own tool trolley.
In the industrial works:
In the U.K. to learn about maintaining some new machinery being brought over for use in the states:
The person applying oil and lubricants to the equipment was a mechanic.
The person diagnosing and fitting parts to the machine was called a floor engineer.
The person doing the training was called a lead engineer.

In my shop in the U.S. we had an oiler, a mechanic and a trainer as the equivalents.
UK Firm = US Company

In all European countries that I have been in, the first floor is the one ABOVE the ground floor. In the U.S. the first floor IS the ground floor.

I am dating myself with this one:
U.K. Whitworth, Imperial and standard fasteners.
U.S. Coarse thread and fine thread.
To confuse the US mechanics on the forum.
Whitworth and standard spanners (wrenches) are marked by the size of the fastener, not by the width of the opening on the spanner (wrench). Most of the machinery I worked on used these. I had no problem working with these until the metric system started being added.

The parts terminology is also subject to some differences. Made ordering parts interesting...
Ring up the firm = Phone the company.
Many more.

[KiltedCapt]

I must admit I have never heard anyone in the UK say: "I could care less", but I have heard it many times in the US and I have seen it written by Americans in forums such as this one.

When I was in the RAF and stationed all over, I heard many a fellow Brit say "I could care less" and it used to drive me nuts! Thankfully my beautiful American wife says "I couldn't care less"

Aye, she's a good lass!

[Pleater]

Whilst on the subject of words with different meanings, does anywhere in the US use 'while' interchangeably with 'until'?

It seems to be confined to the North of England, but a sign instructing motorists to 'wait while the lights flash' caused confusion as it was interpreted as not to cross when the lights were not flashing - the exact opposite of what was intended.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[NewGuise]

The venerable Oxford English Dictionary (which is of course descriptive, not prescriptive in approach) does record the use of the phrase "could care less" as a "U.S. colloq. phr." eqivalent in meaning to "couldn't care less" but "with omission of negative." But no, syntactically it makes little sense unless preceded by a negative pronoun: "Nobody could care less."

I've heard folks in Yorkshire use "while" to mean "until" but I'm curious as to how far north that usage goes. It was common in C15-16 Scots, but has anyone heard it in, say, the Borders area at all more recently?

[The Guy in the Kilt at UC]

Things like this make me long for a cottage in the English country side...why oh why was I born an American? I so don't belong here.

Nobody belongs in Fairborn, it's just where so many of us end up.... usually confused

[Jack Daw]

Based on watching recent British TV shows on BBC America, "a fortnight" and "sh'y'te" are being replaced with "two weeks" and "sh'i't".

In Scotland, I saw road signs for "trucks" and not lorries; so, do "trucks" refer to what we call "18-wheelers"? A rise in the road is called a "summit". And, "Chemist shops" seem to be called "pharmacies" more and more.

Is a sedan still called a "saloon"?

In the U.S., the cockney slang of "raspberry (tart)" is referred to as a "Bronx Cheer" - (referring to New Yankee Baseball fans reaction to team results).

Over here, "knickers" referred to as "panties".

[piperdbh]

... I have to drive, because I need to carry my tools..

...and that use of "carry" shows that you've spent considerable time in the Deep South. Folks from the southern Appalachians would say, "...I need to take my tools with me." It's more words. We like it that way.

[ccga3359]

Based on watching recent British TV shows on BBC America, "a fortnight" and "sh'y'te" are being replaced with "two weeks" and "sh'i't".

In Scotland, I saw road signs for "trucks" and not lorries; so, do "trucks" refer to what we call "18-wheelers"? A rise in the road is called a "summit". And, "Chemist shops" seem to be called "pharmacies" more and more.

Is a sedan still called a "saloon"?

In the U.S., the cockney slang of "raspberry (tart)" is referred to as a "Bronx Cheer" - (referring to New Yankee Baseball fans reaction to team results).

Over here, "knickers" referred to as "panties".

An 18 wheeler is a juggernaught, sedan is still saloon whereas a a wagon is a shooting brake. A fortnight is more fitting than bi-weekly which could either mean twice a week or every two weeks!

Also consider us Canadians even though we can spell properly (eg. neighbour, harbour, doughnut, through) we can easily understand 'Merican. How often I've had to translate for my wife what my dear old Mum and Dad say.