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Abstract

mething else about restrooms in China. Not all American Standard brand fixtures are standard American design.</p><h2 id="9dcd">My appointment clearly said 5/3/2021! Why did they say I was two months early?</h2><p id="8eff">Dates are typically written as the month, day, year in the USA. Elsewhere in the world, they usually are written as day, month, year. In the USA, <i>5/3/2021</i> would be <i>May 3, 2021</i>; elsewhere, it would be 5 March 2021.</p><p id="87e5">My favorite story of how month, day, and year became the standard for the U.S. is that our founders chose this format for the Declaration of Independence, signed July 4, 1776. I’ve heard they wrote it this way to insult England’s king, George III.</p><h2 id="00fd">I’ve been trying to get a taxi for 15 minutes. I wave, and they drive right past me.</h2><p id="124f">Hailing a taxi on the street in the U.S. is a participation sport. You have to be assertive. Wave and shout, “TAXI!”. You may also use a phone app or call for a taxi. Taxi companies now use apps like Lyft and Uber. Competition and ease of use have forced taxi companies to adapt to stay competitive.</p><p id="8db6">Don’t expect the quality of taxis of London from taxis in the U.S. Although U.S. taxi drivers usually must pass criminal background checks, they don’t have the same standards as London taxi drivers.</p><p id="9843">My home town used to have a Yellow Cab company. I liked Yellow Cabs. They were always clean, drivers were friendly, and almost always spoke at least some English. Uber and Lyft put them out of business because the rideshare apps were easier to use, and fares were less expensive.</p><h2 id="4398">Where can I get some proper spotted dick? — You might want to be careful where and to whom you ask that question.</h2><p id="2a04">You have a taste for a fantastic English dessert, but you need to understand that <i>dick</i> is American slang for penis. If you ask a taxi or rideshare driver where you can get any <i>dick</i>, you may wind up at a gay bar if you are a guy.</p><p id="5fab">My advice for finding spotted dick is to Google it or contact the closest British consulate.</p><h2 id="e6b8">Where can I buy some fags? — You might want to be careful where and to whom you ask that question.</h2><p id="fb5b">Oh, boy. Here we go again. <i>Fag</i> in American slang is a demeaning name for a homosexual man. If you intend to buy cigarettes, then say cigarettes or smokes. You can buy them at just about any convenience store (7-Eleven) or grocery store.</p><h2 id="34dc">This game isn’t football. Yanks are crazy!</h2><p id="d1c3">There is nothing quite like American football. Really! Perhaps, I should say American football is not like football in the rest of the world. Football in America is a different game. If you want to attend a football match, as you might see in Manchester, Nairobi, or Hong Kong, you want a Soccer match. Here is a list of U. S. <a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/clubs/">professional Soccer</a> (football) teams.</p><h2 id="cf88">My dear, we’ve had a wonderful evening. Shall I come by and knock you up in the morning?</h2><p id="9bd8">You’ve had a

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wonderful evening with a young lady at a conference, and you intend to ask her to breakfast. She looks at you with a shocked face, and you wonder what is wrong.</p><p id="97f0">To <i>get knocked up</i> means to get pregnant in American slang. You might want to rephrase your question, lest experience the embarrassment of a friend of mine. I would suggest you say, “May I knock on your door in the morning to go to breakfast?” Of course, if you’ve had a perfect time together this evening, you could say, Would you like to have breakfast together in the morning? If the response is affirmative, you can ask whether she prefers room service or a dining room?</p><p id="3640">I hope you enjoyed this brief introduction to American English for English speakers. Please feel free to add American peculiarities you’ve come across in the comments. If you expect to visit my <i>neck of the woods</i> (translated in <a href="https://readmedium.com/ive-been-sitting-so-long-i-can-t-stand-it-f39bc44485f5">I’ve Been Sitting So Long, I Can’t Stand It</a>), I’ll be delighted to help you to learn to speak Texan.</p><p id="2660">Disclosure: This story has been edited by Grammarly.com</p><p id="ab4d">Copyright 2021 Harold Zeitung All Rights Reserved</p><p id="05d3">If you haven’t joined Medium as a full member yet, please consider doing so. A portion of your membership fee supports the Medium authors you read at no additional cost and gives you full access to every story. You can use this [<a href="https://medium.com/@haroldzeitung/membership">link</a>].</p><p id="90ed">Click this [<a href="https://medium.com/subscribe/@haroldzeitung">link</a>] if you would like to receive my stories by email.</p><p id="5f80">Editors, please contact me if you feel my style of writing would be a good fit for your publication.</p><div id="da16" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/john-didnt-come-to-work-today-he-s-under-the-weather-d74ce5432228"> <div> <div> <h2>John Didn’t Come To Work Today. He’s Under The Weather.</h2> <div><h3>Learning these idioms will make sailing smoother for learning English.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*uoe2zoHjBrDtasZuHfcC5Q.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="6662" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/its-been-raining-cats-and-dogs-there-are-poodles-everywhere-c13eb834cde8"> <div> <div> <h2>It’s Been Raining Cats and Dogs; There Are Poodles Everywhere</h2> <div><h3>Ten more English idioms that make learning English fun</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*Ur_0ACimaQMjZVnZG0mPJw.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

Where Can I Get Some Proper Spotted Dick?

English speakers from abroad may need some help translating their English

Source: http://www.paulnoll.com/Oregon/Inspiration/humor3-restrooms-63.html

There can be no dispute of the British empire’s effect in spreading the English language worldwide over the last 400 years. The saying used to be that the sun never set upon the British Empire. The meaning is that the sun was always shining on Britain or one of its colonies. The spread of English at the end of the last millennia may rival the spread of Latin in the first millennia.

Yet, there are differences for all the countries in which English is widely spoken.

This guide is an introduction to some differences a Queen’s-English speaking visitor may encounter when visiting the United States of America.

I need to pee, and I haven’t seen W.C. since I got on the plane!

You are likely to need to relieve yourself when away from your lodging at some time or another. Finding a W.C. (Water Closet), C.R. (Comfort Room), or asking someone where the loo is will likely be a frustrating experience. Fortunately, public places use internationally recognized signs depicting a person wearing pants (male) or wearing a skirt (female) to indicate public toilet facilities for men and women. However, you are not likely to find W.C. or C.R. anywhere in the states.

In the USA, public toilets are called restrooms. (Wikipedia). The term’s origin comes from “up-scale restaurants, theatres, and performing facilities” having comfortable chairs in outer lobbies adjacent to a public toilet.

I recall a time when I was traveling in China with family. We were staying at a new Hilton Hotel. The hotel had been open only a week, and we were quite possibly the first American guests. We were about to board a minibus for a 3-hour ride when I realized I should go to the restroom before boarding. I did not know what facilities would be available along the way. I asked the desk manager if there was a restroom on the ground floor. He looked confused then waved his hand toward the lobby full of couches and easy chairs. I thanked him and took the elevator back up to my room.

I also learned something else about restrooms in China. Not all American Standard brand fixtures are standard American design.

My appointment clearly said 5/3/2021! Why did they say I was two months early?

Dates are typically written as the month, day, year in the USA. Elsewhere in the world, they usually are written as day, month, year. In the USA, 5/3/2021 would be May 3, 2021; elsewhere, it would be 5 March 2021.

My favorite story of how month, day, and year became the standard for the U.S. is that our founders chose this format for the Declaration of Independence, signed July 4, 1776. I’ve heard they wrote it this way to insult England’s king, George III.

I’ve been trying to get a taxi for 15 minutes. I wave, and they drive right past me.

Hailing a taxi on the street in the U.S. is a participation sport. You have to be assertive. Wave and shout, “TAXI!”. You may also use a phone app or call for a taxi. Taxi companies now use apps like Lyft and Uber. Competition and ease of use have forced taxi companies to adapt to stay competitive.

Don’t expect the quality of taxis of London from taxis in the U.S. Although U.S. taxi drivers usually must pass criminal background checks, they don’t have the same standards as London taxi drivers.

My home town used to have a Yellow Cab company. I liked Yellow Cabs. They were always clean, drivers were friendly, and almost always spoke at least some English. Uber and Lyft put them out of business because the rideshare apps were easier to use, and fares were less expensive.

Where can I get some proper spotted dick? — You might want to be careful where and to whom you ask that question.

You have a taste for a fantastic English dessert, but you need to understand that dick is American slang for penis. If you ask a taxi or rideshare driver where you can get any dick, you may wind up at a gay bar if you are a guy.

My advice for finding spotted dick is to Google it or contact the closest British consulate.

Where can I buy some fags? — You might want to be careful where and to whom you ask that question.

Oh, boy. Here we go again. Fag in American slang is a demeaning name for a homosexual man. If you intend to buy cigarettes, then say cigarettes or smokes. You can buy them at just about any convenience store (7-Eleven) or grocery store.

This game isn’t football. Yanks are crazy!

There is nothing quite like American football. Really! Perhaps, I should say American football is not like football in the rest of the world. Football in America is a different game. If you want to attend a football match, as you might see in Manchester, Nairobi, or Hong Kong, you want a Soccer match. Here is a list of U. S. professional Soccer (football) teams.

My dear, we’ve had a wonderful evening. Shall I come by and knock you up in the morning?

You’ve had a wonderful evening with a young lady at a conference, and you intend to ask her to breakfast. She looks at you with a shocked face, and you wonder what is wrong.

To get knocked up means to get pregnant in American slang. You might want to rephrase your question, lest experience the embarrassment of a friend of mine. I would suggest you say, “May I knock on your door in the morning to go to breakfast?” Of course, if you’ve had a perfect time together this evening, you could say, Would you like to have breakfast together in the morning? If the response is affirmative, you can ask whether she prefers room service or a dining room?

I hope you enjoyed this brief introduction to American English for English speakers. Please feel free to add American peculiarities you’ve come across in the comments. If you expect to visit my neck of the woods (translated in I’ve Been Sitting So Long, I Can’t Stand It), I’ll be delighted to help you to learn to speak Texan.

Disclosure: This story has been edited by Grammarly.com

If you haven’t joined Medium as a full member yet, please consider doing so. A portion of your membership fee supports the Medium authors you read at no additional cost and gives you full access to every story. You can use this [link].

Click this [link] if you would like to receive my stories by email.

Editors, please contact me if you feel my style of writing would be a good fit for your publication.