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Sunday, 15 November 2015

AMERICANISMS AND OTHER ODD WORDS WE OUGHT TO KNOW!

More brain strainers here folks. These are words we've all heard but are never really sure what they mean unless of course your'e a reader in America! Some are also non-English. So, c' mon readers from around the world, what do they mean?

  1. broil
  2. roullade
  3. jus
  4. hock
  5. short order food
  6. syndicated
  7. Pottery Barn
  8. Chow
  9. Gemutlichkeit
  10. Fugdesicle
  11. Gravy and Biscuits
  12. Grits
  13. Entrees/ Crudites/ Canapes/ Hors D'ouvres [differences?]
  14. Gumbo
  15. Franks 'n' beans
  16. Jelly roll
  17. Shucks
  18. Shuck
  19. John/Can/Bathroom [how come?]
  20. Bear Claw
  21. Bleachers
  22. Moxie
  23. Rosco
  24. Raincheck
  25. Roil
  26. Woodsy!
  27. Vig
  28. Grift
  29. Dope
  30. Taffee
  31. Shindig
  32. Boilermaker
  33. Hooch
  34. Goon/Hoodlum/Crook/Villain [differences?]
  35. Sheriff/Policeman [US: difference?]
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11 comments:

  1. Anonymous11/15/2015 6:59 pm

    Common on Woodsy... 33's easy... Hooch... 70s cop show 'Starsky and Hooch'... well that's the word on the street...

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  2. Richard11/15/2015 8:30 pm

    I could answer these but I'd be here all day! Maybe if we break it down into segments?

    Also, I notice nearly half of them are food related. Were you feeling peckish at the time? (N.B.: peckish meaning "a bit hungry" is a Britishism; I never came across it until I started reading British books and magazines.)

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    1. WOODSY11/17/2015 4:15 pm

      Peckish is a good one, a condition I always seem to be in! Another good Lancastrian term is peevish for someone being mean. As for segmenting, I'll have a go.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous11/15/2015 8:54 pm

    Is number 14 a hobo with no teeth ? Sorry Woodsy, I couldn't resist... it was staring me in the mouth :D

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    Replies
    1. WOODSY11/17/2015 4:18 pm

      ha ha, very droll. Speaking of tramps, you just don't see them anymore in the UK. They were a common sight during my childhood. Our local tramp who trudged the streets of Ashton, Preston was called Old Tramp Joe. Scared me to death!

      Delete
  4. Brian11/16/2015 12:30 am

    Continuing with the earlier Popsicle/Creamsicle subject from earlier,Fudgesicle is another trademark of the Popsicle brand.This one has a slightly creamier texture than the other "sicles" and is ,of course,chocolate flavored.A gumbo is a wonderful stew of chicken and/or seafood, onion ,garlic, tomato,and a vegetable called okra(Gumbo in African dialect,hence the name) Spicy and served over rice, this is a specialty of the southeastern U.S. A Bear Claw is a sweet pastry that I enjoy with a hot cup of coffee on cold mornings.Moxie is a soft drink (soda) that has been popular in the northeastern U.S. about as long as Coca Cola,just not as internationally known.As for Franks and beans,well, whats in a name?Sliced frankfurters(sausage) and good old canned beans!

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  5. WOODSY11/17/2015 4:50 pm

    That Bear Claw sounds lovely. never ever seen one here. A bit like another cake that's often in US shows, a Kennicki or something. I'd love a bowl of Gumbo, sounds delish! I remember the Carpenters singing about it! Never heard of Moxie as a drink. I came across it in the film Payback where the worrd Rosco came up too. I think they may have been talking about courage - moxie? and a gun - rosco? As for canned beans, one of my all time fave foods, although I'm not keen on frankfurters now I know exactly what it means. As a kid who loved Westerns I used to eat cold baked beans with tons of pepper off a metal plate just like the cowboys did round those camp fires! Never got a taste for ground black coffee though as a kid! Wonder what it was like, cowboy coffee?

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  6. Brian11/18/2015 12:39 am

    Moxie does mean exactly that-courage,bravery,strength...this term was supposed to be used by natives of Maine in connection with their fave drink,which as originally sold as a tonic to pep you up!Bear Claws are usually glazed with a honey like frosting and topped with chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans.They are shaped like a large claw(like a French Croissant)hence the name.

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  7. WOODSY11/18/2015 7:40 am

    I get it now Brian. In payback they say 'It takes a l lot of moxie to walk in here and start something with outfit guys' or similar. When I said Kernicki, I meant Kanoli. Is that a bear clear too? They do sound delicious the way you've described them!

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  8. Brian11/18/2015 1:07 pm

    Canoli has whipped cream in the center.Lots of Italian bakeries make fresh canoli here in New Jersey

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  9. WOODSY11/18/2015 3:48 pm

    Sounds fine too, Canoli! I've been to New Jersey but never got offered one! Had a Shirley Temple though, which I recall was a red drink!

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