Lost in Translation--US vs UK English words

[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."

[Jock Scot]

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."

We in the UK also use: "he is a good sort" meaning "he is a good fellow".

[Lachlan09]

“Sort” is also London (UK) vernacular (not cockney rhyming slang) for a type of woman who will not say no, if you get my drift - as in "Buy that Sharon a few Bacardi Breezers mate and you’ll be alright. She’s a right sort".

The sort is just slightly this moral side of her veteran counterpart (and into which the sort may herself graduate), the salty old slapper.

[SteveB]

“Deep-Fried Mars Bar” (Chocolat Martien en Croute Frite de la Crise Cardiaque).

Recipe for a heart attack.
Another one that the Cardiac Surgeon groans about:
Irish Breakfast = In parts of New England it is known as "Heart Attack on a platter"

[cessna152towser]

UK = injection; US = shot

[dfmacliam]

LOL a lost in translation from my Mum years ago.. she worked in a pub for one night, years ago... the bartender saw her searching frantically behind the bar.. when he asked her what she was looking for.... stones... she was looking for stones... It dawned on him why she was looking... an American had ordered a Scotch on the rocks, and she was looking for the stones for his drink...lol

[OC Richard]

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but I just discovered it! Sorry a forum newbie.

I'm an American who has been following English football (the sort you play with your feet) since the 1970's and there is a rather large number of terms used in English football which are puzzling to most Americans. Some simply don't exist here, while some words are used in different ways.

An excellent example is "tie". In the US it means what in the UK is called a "draw", in other words a "nil nil draw" is a "nothing nothing tie" here.

But in England "tie" refers to something else, as occurs in the phrase "Newcastle and Doncaster's Cup tie". You see, a "tie" is a one-off match scheduled between two teams, often as part of the FA Cup. There's no exact US equivalent, but "matchup" comes closest.

Then you have "fixture" and "table" which refer to things in the home in the US but have a football meaning in England.

Here goes!

England: USA

caretaker manager: interim coach
gardening leave: ?
do the double: sweep the series
top flight: the Majors
howler: error/blunder
clean sheet: shutout
kit manager: ?
catchment area: fan base ("clubs with smaller catchments should not compete in the Premiership")
presenters: broadcasters
dummies and nutmegs: ? ("a player dummies and nutmegs his way past defenders." "FIFA would order penalty-takers to shoot in the direction of the keeper's dive and prohibit dummies and nutmegs." "He showed some scintillating skills, dummies and nutmegs to the delight of the fans." "Two old masters drop dummies and nutmegs all around the midfield.")
touting: scalping
tout: scalper
administration: bankruptcy
football on the rates: taxpayer support (?)
batsmanship: shooting skill, marksmanship (in soccer)
fillip: ? ("Handed their survival hopes a much-needed fillip.")
suited & booted: in uniform, suited up
squad-players: bench
starting eleven: lineup
pitch: field
boot: shoe
shirt: jersey (a sports uniform shirt is never called a "shirt" in the US)
kit: uniform
strip: team colors/uniform/scarf (no exact US equivalent)
keeper: goalie
physio: trainer
side: team
supporter: fan
sixes and sevens: discombobulated
first team: starter
pay-as-you-play deal: ? (there may not be a US equivalent to this practice)
on loan player: (this practice isn't used in US sports)
badge: team logo embroidered on jersey (in the US a "badge" is metal)
purple patch: everything going your way, everything coming up roses
broke his duck: got off the schnide
table: standings
fixture: game, regularly scheduled game
draw: tie
tie: matchup, one-off matchup
highlight show: highlight reel
dressing room: lockers (gridiron), clubhouse (baseball)
lost the dressing room: lost the confidence of the players
wage bill: payroll
pitchside: sideline
kit clash: ? (no US equivalent, as in baseball for example every team has a white home uniform and a grey road uniform, so kit clash cannot happen.)
man of the match: MVP
hoops: stripes (in the UK "stripes" are vertical stripes, while horizonal stripes are called "hoops")
derby: subway series, freeway series (hometown rivalry)
gone all pearshaped: discombobulated

In addition to all the differing terminology, the entire structure of football in England and, say, baseball in the USA is different. Both have four professional levels (The Premiership, The Championship, League One, and League Two in English football, The Majors, Triple A, Double A, and Single A in US baseball). But in England at the end of each season the bottom three teams are dropped to the next level down and the top three in each of the three lower levels are promoted. In the USA there is no penalty for failure and the worst team in baseball's National League or American League stays up, an inconcievable notion in England. At the end of the English season there's often far more drama at the bottom end of the table than at the top, and teams struggle to stay up. Demotion means the loss of millions of pounds in TV revenue.

And, in US baseball and football the "regular season" is hermetically sealed, and no other matches are played except for the "All Star Game" at each season's midpoint. In England teams might play a regular League match on Saturday, an FA Cup tie on Tuesday, and a Chamions League match on Thursday. You see, all levels of English football play for the FA Cup each year. It would be like all four levels of American baseball playing a vast tournament each year, a tournament which occurs during the regular season. So, the Yankess might play the Angels for a three-game series Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday play a three-games series against the Single A West Virginia Power. Thus, "Cinderella stories" can happen, the mighty can fall, and unlikely small-market clubs can make more money from such a matchup as they would make all year during their regular season.

And the Champions League... it would be like in baseball having a seperate League made up from the best teams from the USA's National League and American League, plus the top teams from the leagues in Japan, Cuba, Korea, etc. So, after their series with West Virginia Power, the Yankees might fly to Japan and play their best team. The Champions League is a seperate league with its own standings, champion, etc.

[Jock Scot]

Just to interpret one expression for you: "gardening leave" is paid leave whilst usually under suspension, although it could mean, paid leave whilst more work is found. A common description used outside the football(UK) world, but for the same reasons.

[ForresterModern]

OC

As the original OP I think that was well worth the effort of bringing the tread backto life for a bit. Thanks.

j

[OC Richard]

Well "gardening leave" sure sounds better than what would be the US equivalent, "suspended" or "paid suspension" or "paid leave".

Now one thing that's not words but grammar is "verb phrase ellipsis" as in:
"I have done."
"I will do."
which sounds odd to Americans.

Here we either cut the phrase shorter, or make it longer:
"I have done that/I have done it"
or..
"I have".

The distinctive British ellipsis shows up in the Harry Potter films and books from time to time.

There's actually an entire book on the subject of different US/British vocabulary:

British Self-Taught,
With Comment In American
by Norman W Schur.