Thanks to this site....

[Merriweather]

While I am familiar with this and the other Britishisms brought up so far (other than vest/waistcoat--that one was new to me), I have to ask, how do Brits react when they meet someone whose NAME is Fanny? Is that the equivalent of Americans snickering when they meet someone named Dick or Peter?

Yep, a Brit meeting an American named Fanny would have to struggle not to giggle.

Oh, and the comments made on the radio when the movie Free Willy came out were hilarious, they absolutely should have renamed that one for the UK audience - think of the field day over here if they released a movie about a captured animal and named it "Free Dick".

Just as over here the name Dick gets a few snickers even though lots of people do have that name, in the UK a guy named Roger gets a few giggles, though it's more a verb than a noun. When my mother in law visited us in England, we watched Ascot on TV simply to see the outrageous ladies' hats, and to hear the names of the horses. But it really was difficult to explain to this sweet little old devout Catholic lady why I was laughing so hard about a horse named Roger the Butler (Once I managed to hem and haw and delicately explain it, to her credit, she laughed as well

Oh, and I was very grateful I'd read plenty of British books so I didn't go into shock when my 12 year old daughter came home from school yelling "I need a rubber".

[Merriweather]

my mother's middle name is Joan....and I have met a few Joans, but can't think of any I know at the moment.

Me. Well, my middle name, anyway. And I'm not old fashioned - just old

[Rapscallion]

I have a photo somewhere of a book on Ree's shelves by Fannie Farmer. I may have the spelling a little off, but it was a Kodak moment.

Rapscallion

[BroSCFischer]

Being a fan of British Literature (From Chaucer to Conan Doyle, and many in between), I am familiar with more than a few British terms and phrases, though many may be a touch out of date (don't read that much from this or last century from over their).

I did once try to get my sisters to speak in Elizabethan English (along with me), simply to drive my step-mother up the wall (still can't stand the woman, and I haven't seen her in 15+ years). Didn't actually work the way I hoped, or really, at all.

SC

[DeltaSierra]

This thread makes me laugh. I can remember when I attended university in NY, and my teachers would deduct points on my essays if I used the Canadian/British spelling of words like the op suggested - colour, odour, flavour, etc. Drove me batty.

[MoonCat]

Canadians use the term "bloody," too. I picked it up from my cousin who married a Canadian.

When I visited London back in the 80's I had a fun time picking out all the different ways words were used...from "crisps" (potato chips) to "biscuits" (cookies) to "takeaway" (take-out) to "To let" (for rent). My favorite, though, was a big sign I passed every day that read "Beware bollards"

[wolfie]

"Chips" are "fries", and "to knock someone up" has VERY different meanings depending on which side of "the pond" you're on.

A "fender" is associated with a fireplace, not a car, and cars have "bonnets" and "wings".

[BroSCFischer]

A "fender" is associated with a fireplace, not a car, and cars have "bonnets" and "wings".

I thought a Fender was a guitar.



SC

[DeltaSierra]

Canadians use the term "bloody," too. I picked it up from my cousin who married a Canadian.

When I visited London back in the 80's I had a fun time picking out all the different ways words were used...from "crisps" (potato chips) to "biscuits" (cookies) to "takeaway" (take-out) to "To let" (for rent). My favorite, though, was a big sign I passed every day that read "Beware bollards"

Those bollards can seriously damage your vehicle if you aren't careful!!!

As these idiots discovered:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_Cw0QJU8ro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0wY-hvMC44

[Merriweather]

My favorite, though, was a big sign I passed every day that read "Beware bollards"

I used to laugh at signs on roads that said "Heavy plant crossing" (it means there might be construction work, with things like tractors and large roadwork type machines going across the road).

But for some reason my mind just kept seeing something like a cross between Day of the Triffids and huge cartoon sunflowers dancing on their roots

[dalesys]

..."Heavy plant crossing"... Day of the Triffids and huge cartoon sunflowers dancing on their roots

Or Led Zeppelin's singer...

(beware of the lemon squeezin's)

[Lace Neil Singer]

Lol, I always had a giggle at "heavy plant crossing" XD

[SongsOfDragons]

I've been giggling at this entire thread.