MetaChat - British English vs. American English.

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15 August 2012

British English vs. American English. I just learned what a "tosser" is for the first time. Nifty!→[More:]My English friend just clued me in...I never knew that's what it meant! Better late than never.

I'm always fascinated by the linguistic differences over the big pond. What's even more interesting is that I don't think Americans have an insult that is equivalent to "someone who masturbates". Maybe a "jerkoff", but that's not used nearly as often as tosser or wanker, I don't think.

post by: Melismata at: 15:44 | 9 comments

Yeah, jerk-off or jack-off covers it. I also prefer tosser or wanker. English slang/swear words are fun! Gobshite! Bugger! Bollocks!

posted by deborah 15 August | 16:34

We are tossers, all!

(or so I assume)

posted by danf 15 August | 17:56

You're a bunch of pavement licking lorry bonnet shaggers.

posted by plinth 15 August | 19:07

separated by a common language is a pretty fun blog about the linguistic differences between the two countries.

posted by octothorpe 15 August | 20:26

lorry bonnet shaggers

Dibs on that for a band name.

I especially like the way it sounds like an Americana/old-timey band, like the Canyon Mountain Bootleggers or the Purgatory Gulch Skillet Lickers.

posted by Miko 15 August | 20:37

I've always thought of gobshite as Irish... at least, it's not part of my vocabulary.

The rest, though... *feels a sudden swelling of national pride* ;-)

posted by altolinguistic 16 August | 03:37

Come to think of it, vulgarity seems to be much more commonplace over there. There was a big metatalk discussion once, I think, about the word "cunt", pointing out that here, it's the biggest insult one can imagine, but over there, not so much.

I remember as a kid hearing the word "bloody" as an adjective for the first time and being somewhat startled. What? Blood? Where? Ewww!

Now I want to visit you guys.

posted by Melismata 16 August | 10:19

And I wouldn't mind visiting The Wanker Country Store in Wanker's Corner, OR.

posted by Melismata 16 August | 10:20

I'm a Yank living in Ye Olde Countrie and having a pretty salty mouth on me, I'm always delighted to hear fun new English idioms that allow me a little latitude in how I express myself filthily.

posted by tortillathehun 16 August | 17:08

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