This or that

[tcmsecretuseid]

Okay.

I'm assuming it is okay to post about the different names of everyday things. 

I couldn't remember what the Australians call a valance. It's a pelmet. I just learned that one last year. 

What else? 

Trunk-boot

cilantro-coriander

Pullover sweater- jumper? 

undershirt-vest? 

cookie-bikkie?

Do you call potato chips-crisps? 

We call rubber sandals-thongs in California. lol. Weirdly enough, we  call those string undies, thongs, too. It can get confusing. 

I once told a Scottish friend that she could borrow my thongs, if she wanted to go to the pool. She gave me a look of horror. 

[lionrose.7]

 I was called a snob by a American because I said I use the best quality flour and free range eggs, all shops in NZ sell free range eggs.

I am lucky when in America that I have my sister inlaw to translate for me.

I did find out I could not buy a flat white coffee over there.

[cherry*135]

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@tcmsecretuseid wrote:

You lot have the best slang, imho. Oh, we don't say "you lot" either. 

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Most of us here don't either!

[cherry*135]

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@j*oono wrote:

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@tcmsecretuseid wrote:

Wow. Joono, this is what the thread is all about! 

What do you call the thing that covers the bed? Doona? Is that short for Duvet? 

We call it a comforter, bedspread, or quilt. Each of those things is different. 

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A comforter here is like a doona but you can't take the insides out and wash the cover.  A comforter is more like a quilt.

A doona is a quilted comforter with an outside cover that you can take off to wash. 

We don't have duvets in this part of the world.

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I have duvet's (quilt inner, white cover filled with either poly,wool,feathers etc). Some linen stores advertise them as duvet's in Australia

Doona is a brand name isn't it? 

[cherry*135]

I say dear (for expensive).. Item was dear or cheap.

My Grandad was an Australian who moved to NZ when he was 19, so we picked up a few Australian sayings from him, or my mother did and then the next gen.

[this-one-time-at-bandcamp]

My mum, who used to work the catalog desk at Sears was once asked by a customer to say something in Australian, the customer refused to believe that 'Strines spoke English (kind of).

Another time she was asked how she liked the US, when she replied it had its good and bad points, the customer snarled, "Why don't you go back where you came from".......

[justpolls]

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@polksaladallie wrote:

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@j*oono wrote:

Thanks Polka.  Last night I was trying to remember what the old feather quilts were called in England and they were known as an eiderdown.  The down being small soft duck feathers.

They were more like a comforter than a doona.

We only had candlewick bedspreads.

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My doona has feathers in it.  Was expensive, but will last forever.

Chenille bedspreads.  If anybody has an old one in good condition, they bring good $$$.

Eider is a duck. 

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We came across a chenille bedspread not too long ago packed away in my parents garage. They have so much accumulated stuff  they don't even remember what's out there anymore. We plan on giving it a good cleaning and selling it for them.

I did notice on another thread that you all tend to use the term queues where we say lines here in the U.S.

Queues seems fancier...and I'm not even sure how it's pronounced.  

On the subject of sports, Lacrosse is becoming pretty big here also. My young nephew is very much in to that now and it seems safer than American footbalI, which he played before Lacrosse. He is only in the eighth grade, but will be playing on the varsity highschool team when he goes in to highschool next year. I'm wondering if it's a sport that's played in Australia also? 

I'm also curious as to what a flat white coffee is?

[polksaladallie]

Queue pronounced cue.

A flat white is a coffee beverage invented in Australia in the 1980s. It is prepared by pouring microfoam (steamed milk with small, fine bubbles and a glossy or velvety consistency) over a single or double shot of espresso.

I had to look that up.  I just drink coffee, I'm not a poser.

[tcmsecretuseid]

Polly thanks for asking about the flat white, I was wondering what that was also. Several months ago a poster was asking about coffee machines, and one poster didn't understand why we still use drip coffee machines in America. They called it percolated, but when I questioned what they meant, they said, you know, drip coffee makers, like Mr. coffee. LOL. They were shocked that restaurants in America actually serve that type of coffee. 

The flat white sounds like the nespresso coffee, with the frother. My step-son bought me one of those machines for Xmas. 

Like you(polks), I prefer my big 'ol mug of coffee in the morning. I have a huge box of expensive pods for the nespresso machine.....taking up room in my house. 

One of the coolest things I saw in Adelaide was all types of  big exotic birds flying around. Obviously, we have birds too, but not cockatoos, etc. 

[justpolls]

Lol.....

Do you have Starbucks there? I know they're in some countries outside the U.S.....we seem to have one pratically on every corner here on the West Coast. As big as Dunkin' Donuts on the East Coast. Tcm knows what I mean by that. It's pratically like a religion back there....lol. 

By the way, if you're on the west coast you tend to refer to the east coast as 'back east' and if you're on the east coast, you tend to say 'out west' when talking about the west coast. One never says back west or out east.

[serendipityricho]

♪♫Once our beer was frothy-now its frothy coffee♫♪

♪and things are not like they used to be♫............................................................................Richo.