American cultural references you heard as a kid...

[Yussef Dent]

Whilst not exactly cultural references, I remember when I trained as a journalist and we started doing law and court reporting, there were quite a few terms which had no place in an English court of law and were American, which I had no idea about.

"Pressing charges" is an American term, over here the CPS make the decisions on if someone is charged. As a victim you can ask for someone not to be charged but you don't have veto power over it. The CPS will take it into account but they can still proceed regardless.

"Taking the stand" isn't a thing as there's no such witness stand, it's a box.

Gavels have never been used in an English or Welsh criminal court, there's a Twitter account and blog called "Inappropriate Gavels" that's been running for a good few years now which highlights the misuse of them.

These Americanisms do find their way into UK things, a recent example I remember was in "Quiz," the drama about Major Charles Ingram's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire scandal. As much as I enjoyed the programme, I was annoyed to see a gavel in the court case scenes, and the QC pacing up and down the floor of the court, which just doesn't happen over here.

Anyway, court stuff aside. The regular mentioning of Cable TV on American shows seemed like a mythical thing to me as the town I grew up in would never have had it (I still don't think a lot of the place can get fibre broadband nowadays), the first time I ever saw cable TV in a house was when I was 20 in Sheffield in 2004.

[Brundle-Fly]

'The whole nine yards!' . Think I first heard this expression on M*A*S*H.  The yanks equivalent of 'The Full Monty'.

*The bullets for the machine guns used in American combat planes of WW2 and since were in chains twenty-seven feet in length. Thus if a pilot was able to fire all his bullets off at one target he was said to have given his adversary 'the full nine yards'.

[Catalogue Trousers]

Heard in the TV adaptation of Stephen King's The Stand:

"Harold, I don't think I'm ever gonna get these calluses off my fanny."

I like to think that in an alternate dimension it also appears in an episode of Steptoe & Son.

In all fairness, that slang term for bottom has been around in parts of the UK for a good while. Just ask John Arden.

The Mayor: So, d'you just sit about on yer fannies in a pub, or what?

- Serjeant Musgrave's Dance, 1959

[Pimhole]

Heard in the TV adaptation of Stephen King's The Stand:

"Harold, I don't think I'm ever gonna get these calluses off my fanny."

I like to think that in an alternate dimension it also appears in an episode of Steptoe & Son.

When did you first discover that fanny meant something else in America, then? For me, it was Oprah bellowing "I don't care what anyone says MOST MEN LIKE A BIG FANNY ON A WOMAN". The opposite of what I had been led to believe.

[famethrowa]

When did you first discover that fanny meant something else in America, then? For me, it was Oprah bellowing "I don't care what anyone says MOST MEN LIKE A BIG FANNY ON A WOMAN". The opposite of what I had been led to believe.

Now that's funny!

I remember us watching an episode of Dukes of Hazzard, and the old bloke is telling a lady how to get into the car, he's like "just put your fanny on the windowsill there..."

Also ZZ Top, with "she's got hair, down to her fanny..." You can talk, you dirty old bollocks!

[famethrowa]

Didn't know they weren't a real team. I think they're prolly known over this side of the big pond they call the Atlantic Ocean because of the Saturday morning cartoon? Always thought Meadowlark was a cool name.

NEW PAGE TWAT.

I don't ever remember seeing a cartoon, or watching the Globetrotters, maybe a mention on Letterman or something. Yet, whenever I pick up a basketball, I have to attempt to spin it on my finger and whistle this tune....it's just in there somewhere.

[hamfist]

A valedictorian enters wearing a letterman jacket. At the cooler full of kool-aid he talks about junior varsity, spring break and spending the weekend at the lake.

[grainger]

What

Yep, mind blown!

[grainger]

The "Red Sox". The "Nicks". (spelling?)

The Superbowl. There's a line in Farscape where the (American) hero is incredulous that an Australian wouldn't know "who won the Superbowl". In fact, it's a plot point in the episode that the guy doesn't know.

Kind of baffling when the show is a joint US/Australian production. Maybe it's supposed to be an obvious piece of chauvinism from the main character.

Until last year, I didn't even know what sport the Superbowl was (from the name, I assumed it was Baseball). Although admittedly, I have zero interst in British sports either - in fact negative interest.

[grainger]

slight tangent but I hate music nerds using the term "sophomore slump". Just say shite second album or summat


needless to say it's far more egregious when it's an English person using it

"Number ten on the chart". It's "in the charts", FFS!

[grainger]

when I was travelling with my parents in the 80s there was a US 60s show on in a few countries called Gentle Ben, I think it was kind of like Lassie or Skippy but with a bear. Dunno if that was ever on in the UK.

Yes, it was shown in the UK in the 80s. ISTR they lived in a swamp, and had an air boat.

[grainger]

Anyway, court stuff aside. The regular mentioning of Cable TV on American shows seemed like a mythical thing to me as the town I grew up in would never have had it (I still don't think a lot of the place can get fibre broadband nowadays), the first time I ever saw cable TV in a house was when I was 20 in Sheffield in 2004.

I think it has (or had) a sort of cultural coolness associated with it in America, and people would pay a premium for it. You can get different types of show (e.g. HBO, until it went online). Whereas in the UK, "cable" is just something like Virgin, who just offer you the same channels everyone else has.

[kalowski]

"Number ten on the chart". It's "in the charts", FFS!

"Fill out a form? Fill out a form? You mean fill in a form!"

[Mr Trumpet]

"I never even got to third base with her!"

I still don't know what any of that means. Sustained eye contact? Fisting?

[dontpaintyourteeth]

"Number ten on the chart". It's "in the charts", FFS!

I can't tell if you're agreeing with me or making fun of me but yes I unironically hate that as well

Also saying eg "Radiohead is the greatest band!" when they actually mean "Radiohead ARE total shit"

[There Be Rumblings]

"I never even got to third base with her!"

I still don't know what any of that means. Sustained eye contact? Fisting?

First base: kiss

Second base: feel up of boob

Third base: fingering

At least I think so. I've never done any of them, obviously.

[Terry Torpid]

In Ashes to Ashes they use terms like "upstairs, inside" and "downstairs, outside" for the same thing. Is that an actual British equivalent, or just made up for the show?

[grainger]

I can't tell if you're agreeing with me or making fun of me but yes I unironically hate that as well

No, I agree with you.

[hamfist]

In back of

instead of

behind

oh and Trapper Keepers, "winos" with shopping trollies, milk duds, those cars which put the seatbelt on you automatically, bumper stickers, throwing newspapers from a bike, robbing the liqor store, drinking "forties" wrapped in a paper bag and all those things

[Terry Torpid]

off of

[famethrowa]

how bout you fix the faucet

or fetch some flowers for the vayyse

[kalowski]

A fifth of whiskey?

No thanks, a gill please.

[hamfist]

going shopping at the store, the bodega, the five and dime, the mom and pop, the 7-11 and the mall

[hamfist]

and getting all your groceries in paper bags with no handles.

Then getting a Big Brown Bag

[dontpaintyourteeth]

going shopping at the store, the bodega, the five and dime, the mom and pop, the 7-11 and the mall

Bodegas: Noo Yawkers somehow convincing themselves that the concept of a local shop is unique to their city

[Mr Vegetables]

Until two weeks ago I thought the New York Knicks were "The New York Nix"— as in "they're going to Nix your chances of winning the basketball or baseball game." I keep forgetting which of them it is.

Also, as a child I always wondered what "Moon Pie" was, because it sounded like some sort of ethereal meringue. Then when I went to America I found one, and it looked shit

[hamfist]

Noter Dayme

[idunnosomename]

When did you first discover that fanny meant something else in America, then? For me, it was Oprah bellowing "I don't care what anyone says MOST MEN LIKE A BIG FANNY ON A WOMAN". The opposite of what I had been led to believe.

"All this means is you can't wave your fanny in public."

Which would have been Monday 12 May 1997

[beanheadmcginty]

I was very surprised when my dad, who is 80 and from SE London, told me his dad took him to see the Harlem Globetrotters play a match somewhere in London when he was little, so some time around the late 1940s-early 1950s. Seems so incongruous to me for something like that to be happening in Britain way back then.

[Gurke and Hare]

Ah, I see we're doing the thing where we pretend to be astonished at the concept of linguistic and cultural drift having happened over a period of hundreds of years in two countries thousands of miles apart again. Why can't they all just speak the Queen's English as God intended damnit?