nun

I miss the adverb. When will something "work perfectly" rather than "work perfect". Of course this is as much the case in the UK as the US. Also why doe people use normalcy when normality sounds so much better.

If we could only have the same command of Englsh as Vicky on Little Britain
"no but, no but, no but......"

Englishmum

The satellite navigation system in our Volvo gives you the choice of having either a male or female voice (in an American accent) to give you directions.

The male voice (he sounds like a nice friendly chap) says 'route' as in root....but the female voice (in a bossy tone which irritates me) says route as in 'rout'....I can't bear it and always want to 'correct' her LOL!

cindyabs

I say root and ahnt but that's how we pronounce it in in New England where I grew up.However in the Midwest and South where I've lived it's rout and ant!

Tami2

I know you're speaking of the reverse, but I have to say that it took me ages to figure out what a carboot sale was. It's basically a garage/yard sale, but was originally done from the trunk of the car...correct. So, now, even though it's done on tables in a yard or garage, it's still called a carboot or boot sale.

Also, the word bonnet, as used for the hood of the car.
Another time, a woman on our compound complained that I'd sent out a flyer for an event and used the date as April 15th, 2004, for example. She came to me and said "How rediculous, you would never actually say April 15th would you, you would say 15 April." I had a very difficult time explaining to her that yes, Americans do say April 15th...she just couldn't wrap her head around it.

C'est la vie...

cindyabs

Except the US Govt uses 15 April instead of April 15. I got in the habit of dating things that way when I was an Army wife and still do it.

cindyabs

These are NOT and I repeat NOT irritating to me, but I wonder where they come from:

He's a big girl's blouse.
It's a bit parky out ( I know the phrase it's a bit King Billy and understand, but parky??)
It's rather black over Bob's mother's.

veryfunny

"How much do you make?

This really really irrates the heck out of me when I get asked this.

neil

A colleague was confused when I used boot and bonnet - his response was: "How does that make sense? A bonnet is something that goes on your head". My response: "What's a hood then?". Others in the office laughed at him for that one.

Just Jenney

When I first saw this written down somewhere last year, I remember thinking, "What does a blouse have to do with anything in this context -- and for that matter, why a BIG girl's blouse? Why not just GIRL'S blouse? Why are they picking on the fat chicks?"

Mark explained that it's sort of similar to saying to someone, "Stop being such a big baby!" It's not that you're talking about a BIG, FAT, BLUBBERLY baby -- you're calling them a big BABY. Just like saying, "He's such a big GIRL'S BLOUSE!" (all caps added for emphasis only!)

On another topic... I'm one of those people who uses "ROOT" and "ROUT" interchangeably. Sometimes it sounds strange to say one instead of the other, depending on the context.

Probably the strangest example of this is that I'll call Route 66 around the DC area "rout" 66, but if I'm talking about the infamous Route 66 that crosses the US, I'll pronounce it "root" 66. It must be a regional thing, because most people around DC, where I grew up, call the local road "rout" but the national road "root".

Also, if I use "route" as a verb (ie, "They're routing the overflow traffic onto Arlington Blvd") I always pronounce is "rout". "Rooting" is something you do at a sports event, to cheer on your favorite team or athlete.

~ Jenney

AdobePinon

More annoying than 'Hey Hon!' (as in Honey)?

How about the whole bakery-cyclery-eatery class of words. (I know Brits use a few, but they go overboard here...)

Nylon

That's like when you go to a chip shop in London and hear nothing but arabic or farsi

It's funny hearing the "other side" of the expat life from a British standpoint. I can relate on the opposite spectrum. Although I must admit to not knowing some of the annoying phases that have been mentioned here except of course the wadder thang being I'm a New Yawker

Becs

Pronouncing words like institute 'institoot' rather than the British 'instichoot'

-Becs

precise_diamond

10 till 4 instead of 10 to 4.
Fanny pack, gggrrrr
Axe me instead of ask me.
Saucer instead of side plate/tea plate.

Sorry if I have repeated any from other posters.