Christian

I still say crack and pull the water for flush after a shit ... (if you wonder how that comes up, water restrictions during droughts when one is meant to leave it if only having slashed).

SultanOfSwing

Much more poetic than 'if it's yellow, let it mellow' - if you ask me!

Jerseygirl

To quote from The Fockers...if it's brown flush it down...if it's yellow let it mellow.

Christian

See though, if you shit yellow then you're screwed, whereas I'm good to go...

SultanOfSwing

Whereas if you shit red, you've been screwed.

Too much?

Christian

I'm getting visions of a Mancunian village ... and I've never even been to Manchester!

Christian

In reflecting, I seldom use N. American words in plumbing. Still say taps, s-bend, pedestal, cistern, bath and the like. (It would be different if I were a plumber, I'd want to learn the American because I'd be using it every day). In mechanics when working on my own car I've picked up a LOT of American words like drive-shaft, brake-lines, spark-plugs (when engines still had them), as one can't order or shop for parts without knowing their names here.

Bob

I've got the little one to say she needs to spend a penny, it's hilarious....I get by asking for the bog or the loo, and usually get pointed in the right direction

kimilseung

tap I know is faucet, the other I had not stoped to think what they are in Yankspeak. Now I am eagerly awaiting the missus arrival home so I can ask her. Surley a bath is a bath, though; no? (is it bathtub?)

Sally Redux

It's bathtub I think, but what's the American word for a cistern?

Also, don't we say spark plugs?

kimilseung

Yes we say spark plug, but what do I know, I thought cars still had them.

Sally Redux

so did I.

Christian

tank for cistern, and we used to call them sparking plugs but that's' probably as dated as the wireless for radio. (Remember, I left in '71). Wiki says: rarely in British English a sparking plug.

BTW My fault: I was thinking of the points that used to be used for sparking with a condenser/coil system ... it's all electronic now, but still delivered through a spark plug. (There's just no longer the need to set the mechanical points. They only last so long any way before they need to be reset).

dakota44

They do. GM has been playing with an Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition system since last year or so. That functions without sparkplugs and uses compression ignition. Might see it used extensively someday, but not yet. Diesel engines are compression ignition, and you know how noisy they can be.

wildinvirginia

When I first came to the States I inherited a 12 year old boy and his favorite show at the time - much to his now about to turn 15 yrs shame - was Icarly at 4pm and I spat my coffee when someone called some else a wanker! I made the mistake of saying "You can't say that on kids TV" before realizing the inevitable "Why?" would lead to me explaining what a wanker was. Same for tosser. They play corn hole in the Mid West and at every family gathering they give a Biggest Tosser Prize. Frankly, I have my own opinion going in but probably best not to voice it It's sad that it's the swear words that give me most joy Same at home tho - I mean even in the UK there are certain swear words that sound better in certain accents ... buggar and bastard are definitely a northerners domain but some of the worse ones definitely sound better in my South London accent I think America has definitely got the prize for the MF thing tho ... Samuel L Jackson should try to copyright it as his own even tho it predates him. My family crack up (yup that's another one I agree) when I say Oh Bloody Hell in my best Queens which is really annoying as I'm usually in a bit of a state over something when I say it. Nobody says Godammit like the Americans which is funny because in my experience, nobody is offended by it more than American's either so the numerous variations are funny. I cannot take an angry person saying Goshdarnit seriously tho - if you're able to edit yourself, you're just not mad enough are you?

The shopping online thing is a nightmare. Flat ware is cutlery? Crockery is dinnerware. Took me ages to find out a shower pole is a tension rod but I did learn a little more than I needed to about home installed poles for dancing round. Didn't know it was such a craze. Fortunately hubby takes care of the truck maintenance ... total minefield.

One of my favorite Virginia sayings tho is for babies - they're not cute, sweet or darling, they're precious. And in my mind, they are so that one I like. And I love that Dyaeatyit in one word is an invitation for food - always a good thing for me. Fixing dinner is funny in this house tho as I am such a terrible cook - I cook dinner then my hubby really does fix it