Americanisms that might seem strange to us

[countessalmirena]

There’s a thread in the Seller Discussion Board about new wording sent to sellers to inform them of a sale. It’s now “You made the sale for [$xxxx]”.

That’s quite bizarre wording; as has been mentioned in that thread, it doesn’t seem natural, and not the way that an Australian would express himself/herself.

What other US wording or expressions just seem a little odd to Australians?

(Of course, some of our Australianisms are equally odd to Americans…)

1. “I’ll fix you a meal.” (To me, this seems to be an admission that the steak is charcoal, the eggs are rubbery, the potatoes are burned, the sauce has separated, and the soufflé has collapsed… and the unfortunate cook is going to attempt a culinary repair.)

[papermoon.lady]

It somehow reminds me of yodelling... 😄

[imastawka]

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@domino-710 wrote:

The funny thing is - y'all - can mean only - you.

That's when you use.......all y'all

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[countessalmirena]

New proposal for plural you - yodel-all???????

I love it!

I don’t really like “I’m gonna get me some of them grits.”

[imastawka]

All y'all can keep them there doggone grits.

[rogevibe]

My impression is that historically America, particularly the northern half ,  comprises more germanic influence than Australia ( except maybe S.A. ) due to the different mix of national peoples that migrated in earlier times 

[bidicus*maximus]

Only ignorant Americans say, "I could care less"... the actual saying is, "I couldn't care less".  😉

[bidicus*maximus]

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@imastawka wrote:

All y'all can keep them there doggone grits.

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Almost that entire sentence has it's origins in the southern United States.  As a child, I'd never heard of grits until asked if I wanted some by a waitress in a southern restaurant.  Most of us don't say, "y'all", either,  unless we were born or raised in the south.  An exception might be country music singers, as an affectation to enhance their act.  As for, "them there" and, "doggone"... as far as I can recall I've never heard anyone speak that way except for on television shows such as The Beverly Hillbillies, but perhaps people did speak that way a century or so ago.

[imastawka]

We get (and have always gotten) way too many American TV shows here, and this is where I personally heard those words.

Back in the eighties, my daughter had a friend who had just moved here from the states, and the one thing she missed most of all, was grits.

And Yosemite Sam was fond of saying 'dagnabbit' and 'varmint'

Gotta love Sam - Whoa camel, when I say whoa I mean whoa!

Spoiler

[springyzone]

One thing I have noticed is kids these days see a lot of youtube and TV. Always have I guess, over the last 60 years or so, though not via the internet in the past.
But I was shocked to hear my young granddaughter, a couple of years back, say 'Oh look, candy" as we passed an aisle in the supermarket.

Since when have lollies and chocolates been candy??

And a grandson who calls biscuits cookies. I don't like it.😑

[bidicus*maximus]

What a shame that our ancestors didn't stay at home in England rather than colonizing the globe.  It would be so much easier for us to understand each other.  😃