Lost in Translation--US vs UK English words

[Rob]

In the sporting field:-

UK: football US: soccer
UK: American football US: football

UK: hockey US: field hockey
UK: ice hockey US: hockey

[Lachlan09]

UK = single cream, US = light cream
UK = double cream, US = heavy cream
UK = marrow, US = squash

[Phil]

UK courgette - US zucchini

One I am surprised nobody has mentioned yet -
UK holiday - US vacation

[sydnie7]

UK = single cream, US = light cream
UK = double cream, US = heavy cream
UK = marrow, US = squash

And then there's sour cream, which has no UK equivalent! No, no, no, creme fraish (sp?) doesn't do the trick, it's just not the same stuff.

[thanmuwa]

And then there's sour cream, which has no UK equivalent! No, no, no, creme fraish (sp?) doesn't do the trick, it's just not the same stuff.

Sour cream can be bought in every supermarket I've ever looked for it in here in the UK, usually beside the crème fraîche .

Edit: While wondering what the difference was, I found:
UK----------------US
Single cream------Light cream
Double cream-----Heavy cream

[sydnie7]

Splash. . . splurge

And it's good to know you are finding sour cream, I never did. Although I confess it has been a few years since I had the opportunity to look for it in UK.

Of course, that begs the question. . . how can you tell if sour cream has gone bad?

[ForresterModern]

Of course, that begs the question. . . how can you tell if sour cream has gone bad?

Which begs further questions, such as:

In France, are they just called "fries"?
In England are they just called "muffins"?
In Canada is it just called "bacon"?
In Kentucky, is it just called "Fried Chicken?"
In France, is it just called "toast?"
In Manhattan or New England is it just called "clam chowder?"

The world wonders.

[O'Callaghan]

Which begs further questions, such as:

In France, are they just called "fries"?
In England are they just called "muffins"?
In Canada is it just called "bacon"?
In Kentucky, is it just called "Fried Chicken?"
In France, is it just called "toast?"
In Manhattan or New England is it just called "clam chowder?"

The world wonders.

What Americans call French fries are pommes frites in France, or just frites (Hint: they don't speak English). AFAIK they originate in Belgium, anyway. In the UK they would be chips, and what Americans call chips would be crisps. I can't remember right now how to say crisps in French, but this could be because they don't really eat them in France. I don't think they eat French toast either.

The French eat their frites (fries) from roadside stands and they dip them in hot sauce! The hot sauce they use is called harissa (silent H), and comes from Algeria, which used to be a French colony. I wonder what they dipped them in before they colonised Algeria? (now I'm imagining the French Foreign Legion in the desert eating frites dipped in harissa).

One of my favourite French dishes is moules frites (mussels and fries). They also do a good croque monsieur (toasted ham and cheese sandwich). Forget your haute cuisine!

Also, in France, an assiette Anglaise (English plate) is a plate of cold meats and cheeses. I wonder if there are Frenchmen online asking whether the English just call it an assiette?

There aren't any English muffins in England. They remind me of crumpets a bit, but they are different.

[Phil]

I wonder if there are Frenchmen online asking whether the English just call it an assiette?

In Scotland we call it an "ashet". Can't help with the English.

[KD Burke]

I've been impressed by the multifarious uses our British cousins find for the word "sort."

Here in the States, it carries a specific meaning: to array a set of objects in some discernible order; as by size, alphabetically, etc.

In the UK, as I understand it, "sort" is used as shorthand for "repaired" or "put to right," as in "Now the engine's sorted, we can start the car."