20 subtleties of living English that are not talked about at school

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Blue is not gay. And even gay isn't always gay.

Twitter user Alice M., who lives in Vancouver, shared some funny observations about the English language.

1. Gastronomic abbreviations

Americans are fans of acronyms. You can't just say "peanut butter jam" - definitely PBJ (Peanut butter jam). "Bacon salad, tomato and bacon" - BLT (Bacon lettuce tomato). But BJ is not bacon and jam.

2. Pronunciation of abbreviations

There are no words "ok" and "lol" in English. Abbreviations are most often spelled: "oukey", "eloel". But there are exceptions: "yolo", "asap".

3. Welcome / no problem

“Thank you” is often not answered with “Welcome”. “Welkam” can be heard in a store or when a service has been rendered to you. To a simple everyday "Thank you", when it is more logical to answer "Not at all," they say: "No problem".

4. I know

When they say something to you, and you are like: "Wow!" - this is not "Oh, yeah!", but "I know!" The expression means exactly agreement, and not an irritating "Yes, I know."

5. I'm good

If you are offered something, but you do not want, instead of “No” you can say: “I’m good”. This is a gentle and polite refusal like "I'm okay anyway", not "I'm too good for what you offer me."

6. Good for you

Good for you means well done. Without the subtext "Well, it's even better for you" or "It's good for you."

- I got an A!

- Well done. Good for you.

7. Shopping

Shopping is not only trying on louboutins in boutiques, but also going to Pyaterochka for potatoes. Just any purchases - shopping. If you need to clarify what is not for louboutins - grocery shopping.

8. Morning, afternoon, evening, night

Afternoon is "day". Literally - "afternoon". Russian "after dinner" begins later, at about 3-4 o'clock.

Night does not begin when everyone went to bed, but in the evening. “We went to a concert last night” is last night.

Everyone leaves at my work at five o'clock, and my colleagues say: "Have a good night!" At first it was strange, what a night, I don't go to bed at 5 yet. But it's like a good evening.

Alice M.

Evening is a very early night.

As you understand, morning also does not start as people do, but immediately after midnight: "Yesterday I went to bed at one in the morning."

9. Blue / gay

Blue is not only blue but also sad. And this word has nothing to do with gays. And Gay means not only "gay", but also "funny". Such is the paradox.

10. Toilet

The toilet in each country is called differently. In America - restroom, in Canada - washroom. Toylet is not spoken.

11. Number one, number two

How to culturally say that you should not just rinse your hands in the restroom? Use the expressions "number one" and "number two". "Number one" and "number two" are like our "small" and "big".

12. Do you need a lift?

This is not at all "Do you need an elevator?", But "To give you a lift?" Probably, foreigners are also surprised when they are going to be thrown up.

13. How are you?

"How are YOU?" means "How are you?" and "How ARE you?" - This is "How are you, okay?" The meaning depends on the stress. The first question is asked when no one cares how you are doing. We must answer: “Good, thanks”. The second is when something happened to you and people are worried. Then we answer: "I'm fine" ("Nothing, I'm fine").

14. What's up?

A variation of the standard phrase "How are you?" in English it will sound like "What's up?" or "Sup?" (for the very lazy). The typical answer to this is "Not much" or "Nothing". Difference from the expression "How are you?" the fact that it is about your condition, and "What's up?" - about what's going on with you.

15. Loveseat / couch

A sofa for three will be a couch, and for two - a loveseat! It may be a Canadian phenomenon, but the word is very sweet. Canadians know what sofas are for.

16. Reception

How to ask if the phone is picking up? "Do you have reception?" Reception is not only a reception in a hotel, but also a reception of anything and anywhere - even at the Queen's, at least on the phone.

17. Get out

It means not only "Get out!", But also "Yes, you go!" (in the sense of "It can't be!").

- Remember my cousin Claire from Montreal? She is dating Elon Musk. (Remember my cousin Claire from Montreal? She's dating Elon Musk.)

- Get out! (Come on!)

18. Fuck, shit

"Fak" and "shield" do not speak in a decent society, although such an impression can be formed from films. Swearing is replaced with softer counterparts, such as "damn" and "hell" with us:

• shit - shoot;
• fucking - freaking.

19. Alcohol

Alcohol is alcohol. Booze in general is booze. Spirits - liquor. The already poured portion is drink. A stack that is drunk in one gulp (one shot) - shot.

20. Subtleties of pronunciation

Suite, in the sense of "hotel room", is pronounced "suite", not "suite". Sew (to sew) - "sow", not "sue". But hell itself is the "chorus." Choir - Quire!