The Wide, Wide World Of Slang

[january]

When I lived in New York, we always called the piece of paper you get at the end of a restaurant meal detailing how much you need to pay a "check." I then moved to New Mexico, where they call it a "ticket." For some reason the difference is really jarring to me.

[colette]

When I was a kid I lived outside of the US for a long time. I fell into the expat habit of using "the States" to refer to the US. When I moved back to the States, Americans didn't know what I was talking about when I said, "the States." They were always asking, "Which states?" I also fell into the expat habit of incorporating foreign words into English language conversation. You get to the point where you don't even realize the words aren't English. It's very unsettling when you come back to the States and nobody can understand you.

[snacktastic]

Lemme just say about Rhode Islanders and the bubbler thing. Rhode Islanders are a breed unto themselves. Not a bad thing.

But anyway, I once had to teach British English. Of course, I am an American which made for hilariousness when I had to teach the silent r. (esp. since I am one of those Americans who tend to overpronounce my r's). Of course I abandoned it. But I remember thinking it was weird that British people called a pullover a jumper. I always a sleeveless dress that you pull over a shirt a jumper.

As far as Gyros go? In Atlantic Canada at least, they call them Donairs for some weird reason but being from way Northern Maine, I remember trying to order a donair in the US and realize that people thought I was crazy. (BTW, I love me a superDonair.)

Also in New England, we call Coca Cola "Soda", rarely Tonic--that's more of a metroBoston thing.

[valueofaloonie]

In Atlantic Canada at least, they call them Donairs for some weird reason

We call them donairs in Alberta also.

[chiqui]

In Mexico a "chi-chi" is a boob. This is funny because there is a chain of Mexican restaurants in the northeast states called "Chi-chi's." And how many Americans have named their chihuahuas or parrots that?

On the other hand, in Portugal "chi-chi" is analogous to "pee-pee."

[Malle Babbe]

So what you're saying is, that the "Hooters" franchise isn't doing anything new...

Going to Penn State was intresting since there were kids from Philly and Pittsburgh, two cities on opposite sides of the soda/pop divide, which apparently runs north-south through Altoona, PA.

[underjoyed]

We call them donairs in Alberta also.

Also in BC. Although I've heard "gyro", too. In the UK, they're "kebabs" (as opposed to what N. Americans call "shish kebobs") and are most often consumed on the way home from the pub, after several pints of beer.

tinny and stubby - can of beer and bottle of bear

I've been living out of the country for a while now, but have Canadians really started drinking bear?

[queequeg]

Ha, I'm British so I had no idea what everyone was talking about when they referred to 'gyros' and 'donairs' until now.

But someone else also said that a gyro = a sub, but in Britain a sub isn't a kebab. I'm so confused.

I find Australian slang the most confusing because it's a mixture of US and British.

ETA OK, I've done some research and kebab is indeed what we call a gyro (e.g. filled pita bread), and we also use kebab to mean 'shish kibob', but a sub is something totally different.

[dwanollah]

But someone else also said that a gyro = a sub, but in Britain a sub isn't a kebab. I'm so confused.

A gyro/YEER-o/donair is a Greek sammich made out of flatbread or pita bread, with roasted lamb and/or beef, lettuce, tomato, and a yogurt-dill sauce. It is kind of rolled into a taco-shape. I was under the impression that a sub is something else entirely.

Then again, I was under the impression that calling it a JAI-ro would get you laughed out of town....

[underjoyed]

A gyro/YEER-o/donair is a Greek sammich made out of flatbread or pita bread, with roasted lamb and/or beef, lettuce, tomato, and a yogurt-dill sauce. It is kind of rolled into a taco-shape. I was under the impression that a sub is something else entirely.

Yup, that's what I learned to call a kebab in England and most other places in the UK. Strangely enough, though, in some parts of Scotland I often heard them referred to (and spelled and pronounced) as "Donners" or "Donner kebabs".