blueAZNmonkey
One Too Many
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- 1,446
- Location
- San Diego, CA
Slight irrelevant drift, but wanted to share something about UK - US English difference reminded to me by this comment. No judgment or ill intent intended, I just still find what happened mildly funny.
When I came to the UK in 1990, I had to get a tux ("dinner jacket" in UK). I went to the shop and said to the really cute girl (trying to chat her up) "I need some suspenders to go with my ahem... dinner jacket" (really proud that I got the British term right). The really cute girl starts choking and when she stop trying to strangle her laughter, kindly explained to me that in the UK (I had a strong California accent back then) "suspenders" are used by women to hold up their stockings (can't remember the US term now) and "braces" (what? Those are for teeth?!?) are what men use for holding up trousers (not "pants" as this is underwear in the UK). I tried to salvage the situation, but she turned me down for a date, but I probably gave her a good story to laugh over with her friends after.
Anyway, tomato, tomahto.. [emoji3]. Have a spiffing day chaps, wot wot.
I ran into the same word dilemma when working with my UK counterparts at a recent corporate event. My US coworkers and I were in a suspenders vs. belt debate and the UK peeps couldn't stop laughing at us.