Strange words

"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse)
08/12/2015 at 17:55 • Filed to: Strange, American

I’ve been compiling a list of strange words the Yanks Americans use:

Veterinarian

Realtor

Attorney

E brake

Semi truck

Miata

I’m sure there are many more.

DISCUSSION (50)

Skamanda > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 17:58

Out of curiosity, what do you call the doctor that works solely on animals?

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 17:59

Veterinarian Animal Doctor

Realtor House seller person

Attorney Crook

E brake panty remover

Semi truck 18 wheeler

Miata Miata

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 18:00

Wait, what do other countries call a veterinarian?

I could do a whole article just on weird words used in my home area of New England. Bubbler, quahog, packie, grinder. Lots of good, solid New England words.

duurtlang > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 18:01

Gallon!

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 18:01

I thought “semi” was a more British term since I’ve only ever heard them referred to as “Big Rigs.” Now I’m curious, what does the more civilized english speaking part of the world use for the first 3?

Cé hé sin > Skamanda
08/12/2015 at 18:01

Vet. Much easier to say!

HammerheadFistpunch > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 18:03

That’s what we say too

ttyymmnn > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 18:05

We use “vet” as a shortened form of veterinarian. Of course, context is everything, since “vet” also refers to a retired military service member.

Cé hé sin > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC
08/12/2015 at 18:05

Vet

Estate agent (derived from “real estate agent”)

Lawyer (I don’t think it’s exactly the same)

Here’s a semi (semi detached house) in Ireland or the UK:

Kinja'd!!!

Cé hé sin > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
08/12/2015 at 18:06

Depends on the country...

“Vet” in my case.

ttyymmnn > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC
08/12/2015 at 18:06

Not sure of the first two, but an attorney is often called a solicitor or, in higher courts, a barrister.

Cé hé sin > duurtlang
08/12/2015 at 18:07

...and they use their own special gallon!

And their own special ton.

Jcarr > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 18:07

Lawyer = Attorney. I’d wager that the vast majority of Americans say “lawyer”, based on my 31 years of anecdotal evidence.

ttyymmnn > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC
08/12/2015 at 18:08

Realtors are called estate agents.

PowderHound > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 18:08

Realtor is actually a trademarked or copyrighted word. Some dude makes a killing off it where they could probably just call themselves a real estate agent and be fine. Disclaimer: I'm probably making some shit up

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 18:08

Aluminum

Tractor-trailer

Eggplant

Apartment

French fries

Math

Beltway

And as a bonus.. the odd thing from Britain; First floor (it’s not the bloody first floor is it? It’s the second).

dogisbadob > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 18:10

which is short for... :p

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 18:11

Attorney and Lawyer are used interchangeably, but Attorney is only the formal name

dogisbadob > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 18:11

congress

free market (has a differnet meaning over here)

healthcare

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 18:12

Unrelated to anything in your list, but I think the phrase “loved ones” to refer to friends and family is kinda weird.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > ttyymmnn
08/12/2015 at 18:12

THERE WE GO! I knew there was a word I was forgetting. I have some friends who spent time in Hong Kong and said “Barrister” but I could not for the life of me remember that. Honestly I quite like the word barrister rather than lawyer. It just sounds more civilized.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 18:13

Hmm that’s interesting. We use the word Vet quite a lot actually although I’m sure it’s mostly out of how lazy we are.

Cé hé sin > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
08/12/2015 at 18:15

The Americans call the ground floor the first floor, though.

Interestingly Norway and Sweden use the American system, most of the rest of Europe says ground floor, first floor and so on.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 18:16

I know. We call the first floor (the one that’s actually first) first floor. :P

Cé hé sin > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC
08/12/2015 at 18:17

It’s not quite the same though. They’re all lawyers, but barristers represent clients in the higher courts and solicitors do general legal work and represent clients in the lower courts. The two guard their distinctions jealously.

Cé hé sin > dogisbadob
08/12/2015 at 18:18

Veterinary surgeon. The word “veterinarian” is unknown.

kanadanmajava1 > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 18:19

Apparently this is a car seat. It’s a seat and it works without a car. But it’s completely useless without the kid. But does it work with a truck or do you need a truck seat then?

So it should be called children’s seat, child seat or something. But not a car seat.

Kinja'd!!!

Cé hé sin > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
08/12/2015 at 18:23

Silly Scandinavians.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 18:26

Indeed :P would you like to know our name for the boot(of a car)? No? Well I’ll tell you anyway.. Luggage space cover.

Cé hé sin > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
08/12/2015 at 18:30

That’s the kind of relentless logic that leads to a pram parking area being a “barnvagnparkering”

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 18:30

Indeed... silly us for calling things what they really are :P

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > kanadanmajava1
08/12/2015 at 18:32

In Norway we call it a “barnesete (Childrens seat)“.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
08/12/2015 at 18:33

You do love them though don’t you?

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 18:36

Now that’s something new. Lawyers are so confusing.

kanadanmajava1 > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
08/12/2015 at 18:45

Our own version is the same (lastenistuin).

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > kanadanmajava1
08/12/2015 at 18:48

Ahh, yeah.. Finland :)

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
08/12/2015 at 18:51

I do but I think it’s the fact that it’s past tense. Sorta gives me a feeling that you used to love them but now don’t.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
08/12/2015 at 19:12

Ahh. Yeah, never thought about that.

dogisbadob > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 19:16

close enough

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
08/12/2015 at 19:46

The phrase isn’t going away so I’ve just got to live with it.

Funktheduck > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 21:24

What's a pram?

Nauraushaun > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 23:56

That’s not fair, it’s an abbreviation for the full word!

Nauraushaun > Cé hé sin
08/12/2015 at 23:59

Don’t forget trunk, describing the boot of a car.

Also pound, inch, gallon, foot, yard, chain, mile, league, furlong, rod, chain, ounce, quart, pint.

Some of these show up in other parts of the world for various reasons. But Americans are pretty much the only ones left using the Imperial system full-time.