Week 3 Supplementary - US to Oz Translation
After a few blank looks from people here, I have come to realise that there are slightly different terms to some common objects and phases used here comparing to back home. For example (in no particular order):
Cell phone - Mobile (and mobile is pronounced as Mo-ble, not Mo-bile)
Soda - Any carbonated soft drinks
Sac - Plastic bag, for takeaway
Wireless - Most likely referring to a mobile, unless in context of a PC
PC - A laptop, the chunky desk versions are called desktops
To go - Takeaway (when at an eatery ordering)
Can't miss it - O Yes you can!
Wrench - Spanner (use spanner and you will be accused of talking like a Brit)
Candies - Lollies, sweets
A couple of miles - 2 miles is roughly like 3.22km
Biscuit - A kind of cheese scone (but much nicer), not a cracker type biscuit like Ritz. I have been told the best ones are the ones at Popeye
Popeye - Not referring to the sailor; It is a fastfood place that serves the best fried chicken (so I have been told)
Checkin' in - Contacting someone via phone or email to see how they are going
Hey what's up - the US equivalent of "Hey mate, howzit going". The correct respone is "what's up", not "nothing is happening..."
Shrimp - What we call Prawns. No one knows what prawns are out here (just remember Forrest Gump - Babba Shrimps)
So here is a sample convesation:
[B calls A on his cell phone]
A: Hey bro, what's up.
B: What's up man, just checkin' in.
A: Hey, I am starvin'. You wanna go grab some popeye to go?
B: Oh yeeeeah, I love those biscuits. There is one a quarter mile down the road from me.
See? Easy.
Oh and here are pictures of a Popeye meal consisting of Cajun butterfly shrimps and a biscuit (sorry couldn't resist and took a bite... too hungry). Next time I will try the famous fried chicken.
posted by Chinese Cowgirl @ 1:47 AM
10 Comments:
This is funny. So, are you really from China?
Try asking an American if they have seen a rubbish bin? :P
Howdy Shawn. If you want proof, go to my 1st post on the blog. That's me - 100% Chinese!! :)
But I have been living in Australia for a while now (hence Oz reference).
Oh yeah, dumpsters...
Well actually I will check it out with the boys at the office tomorrow about the "rubbish bin" - hadn't notice that one.
Wazzzzz up C! Yo, learning the lingo. One other thing, they don't have takeaway. They have Take Out.
ultraman
You're supposed to kind of roll your "what's up" together. As in wasssssup!
We know what a rubbish bin is, they're called trash cans ... unless you mean a dumpster.
So ...
did Quinn have dimond studs embedded into his gold teeth?
how was Popeye's?
try going to the midwest or the south. Pops are what they call sodas out there. Other places refer everything to be Cokes.
biscuits are savory, fluffy scones; crackers are baked, kind of hard, and have salt in them; cookies are sweet.
ok ok ok... Wasssssup y'all.
Better?
The "Takeaway" was the Oz translation, Ultraman!! "To Go" and "dine in" are the only 2 choices I get at the counter.
And thanks W for the explanation between biscuits, crackers and cookies. I feel well equipped to go face the bakery staff now.
When speaking to a friend in oz, we say "Let's have takeaway?" In US they say "Let's have take out?"
Ultraman, "take out" is the result of food "to go" - as in "you went and got take out?" or "let's go grab some food to go!"
minor diff.
In other words it's the same thing. One is a past tense and the other is present tense.
No diff, I see. :)
Post a Comment
<< Home