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Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

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DancinJack
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 9:48 am

Mobile. Substitute for cell phone. I say it most the time already though. I hate "cell phone" or "cell."
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boing
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 9:55 am

notfred wrote:
boing wrote:
bollocks
Definitely! There is far too much use of the F word when there are so many better alternatives.

I also like the use of spanner, pillock or plonker depending on how bad the disaster is and the degree of affection for the perpetrator.

Lets not forget "wanker". :)
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 10:00 am

DancinJack wrote:
Mobile. Substitute for cell phone. I say it most the time already though. I hate "cell phone" or "cell."

I'm blowin' up ya celly!
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Captain Ned
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 10:03 am

boing wrote:
Lets not forget "wanker". :)

Bloody git. 8)
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 11:13 am

Petrol ???
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lordT
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 11:38 am

Flat
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drsauced
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 11:53 am

Dodgy.
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DancinJack
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 11:59 am

Depending on where you live these are or are not used much. Bloody and wicked. Both quality words.
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 12:17 pm

boing wrote:
bollocks


I have to disagree. The title does say US English. Let the Brits keep bollocks and wanker. I find it extremly annoying when I hear people say that, unless thier accent is thick enough to justify it. Just MHO though.
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 1:06 pm

Chun¢ wrote:
We should use pip pip tallyho more often too.
No. No, we shouldn't.
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ApockofFork
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 1:08 pm

My vote is for lollygagging though I suppose there's already enough lollygagging going on around here.
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Traz
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 1:19 pm

Wait, why do people keep posting the british version of words that the US already has?

Getting Americans to use "flat" instead of "apartment" or "petrol" instead of "gas/gasoline" is as futile a task as getting Americans to switch to the Metric system.
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 1:26 pm

Traz wrote:
Wait, why do people keep posting the british version of words that the US already has?

Getting Americans to use "flat" instead of "apartment" or "petrol" instead of "gas/gasoline" is as futile a task as getting Americans to switch to the Metric system.


Well i agree with you 50% here, but i do feel Diesel and petrol are words that should be often use than gas.

Anyone thought of quitting word called rubber ? :wink:
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Shining Arcanine
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 1:35 pm

bhtooefr wrote:
My nomination for today: chav.

It's such a useful word, wider ranging than some other words, with no racial connotations.


That is slang and it is not a word. It also does have racial connotations because it only exists within the United Kingdom. Perhaps it would be best if we restricted this conversation to words defined in the dictionary.

Anyway, I like the words inane, hooligan and thespian. I think they should be used more often.

Also, although I do not like it in particular, I would like to also mention a new word that I recently added to my vocabulary, which is lanolin.
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bhtooefr
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 1:48 pm

Except slang isn't necessarily in the dictionary, and I'm talking about common use, not in the dictionary. Besides, we can always just use UrbanDictionary. ;)

Oh, and I was under the impression that chav could apply to any race, and did not imply that someone was of a certain race (n word, white trash, etc., etc.) or was acting like someone of a certain race (w version of n word.) That's what I meant by no racial connotations.

Also, we don't use "gas" to mean "diesel."

We use it to mean gasoline, which is what we call petrol.

If we need a word that encompasses both diesel and gas/petrol, we just use "fuel."
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roont
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 2:07 pm

i also always prefered 'deity' to 'god'
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Fragnificent
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 2:17 pm

roont wrote:
i also always prefered 'deity' to 'god'


How about "multi-dimensional, energy based life form?" :)
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mdk77777
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 3:25 pm

My all time favorite:

Dingleberry

It sounds so happy, yet it describes idiots so well!
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dragmor
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 4:12 pm

Traz wrote:
Getting Americans to use "flat" instead of "apartment".

Those words are the same concept but refer to different things. In Oz with use three words, Flat, Unit and Apartment.

Flat = Single or double story either on the same block as a house (e.g. Granny Flat) or part of a small block of flats (no more than 6).
Unit = Older block with less than 30 units. Generally date back to the 50-70's, but also covers cheaper new developments.
Apartment = High Rise, normally expensive, posh, 30+
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 4:37 pm

Ods bodkins!

Zounds!

Gadzooks!
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Tue Nov 24, 2009 9:43 pm

Rapscallion!
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tanker27
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Wed Nov 25, 2009 7:43 am

ApockofFork wrote:
My vote is for lollygagging though I suppose there's already enough lollygagging going on around here.



I use lollygagging all the time!
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Wed Nov 25, 2009 8:54 am

SPOON!!!!
"...and she says, 'That's not my expansion slot.' So my friend says, 'That's not my gold plated 22-pin connector!! Ah-hahahaHA!"
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Vrock
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Wed Nov 25, 2009 9:42 am

discombobulated (great word that describes 75% of the people in any workplace.)

rabble (as in 'rabble rouser'. I want that engraved on my headstone/ash urn.)
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Common Sensei
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Wed Nov 25, 2009 12:27 pm

steelcity_ballin wrote:
persnickety.


You mean pernickety, the "s" is an unusual corruption of the Scottish word.

I'd vote for blackguard if only for its especially odd pronunciation ("blaggerd" or "blaggard").
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Shining Arcanine
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:56 pm

roont wrote:
i also always prefered 'deity' to 'god'


Perhaps we should switch to Latin. Then you can say Dei as much as you want.
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Wed Nov 25, 2009 2:05 pm

Vrock wrote:
discombobulated (great word that describes 75% of the people in any workplace.)

rabble (as in 'rabble rouser'. I want that engraved on my headstone/ash urn.)


rabble rabble rabble
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Meadows
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Fri Nov 27, 2009 2:06 am

dragmor wrote:
Flat = Single or double story

Since this thread turned into a "what's your favourite British expression" thread, you might want to say storey instead.
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Richie_G
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Fri Nov 27, 2009 4:21 am

Minging – a derogatory term used originally to describe an unpleasant smell, but which has expanded to include descriptions of insobriety (‘went out last night and got totally mingin’), or anything unclean.

Munter – A particularly unattractive person, usually a woman.

Conversely, I've borrowed the term 'white trash' over here as an alternative to the ever tiring chav. As it happens many ‘chavs’ where I come from used to use the word as a form of greeting (‘alright chavvie? Comin’ dan tan, I’ze pickin’ up some Bangladesh from a bruv’), which leads me to believe they actually invented their own label.
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Richie_G
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Re: Words that should be common use in US English, but aren't

Fri Nov 27, 2009 12:42 pm

Another couple while I think of them:

Pish-tosh - a rebuttal to a seemingly ridiculous notion.

Balderdash - describes something garbled and/or nonsensical. Often used with pish-tosh.

Codswallop – similar to pish-tosh.

Piffle – again, similar to pish-tosh or balderdash.

I think these should be used more, if only to add variety.
Last edited by Richie_G on Sat Nov 28, 2009 5:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
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