For example, when Americans use the word “homework”, it sounds so childish to me. I don't want to offend you, of course, but here, the term homework is mostly used for small children. So when a university student says he has homework to do tonight, I laugh a little, but I understand that it's different.


44 comments

  1. Something about “rubbish” and “fanny” make me think everyone in England is 12.

  3. Squirty cream = canned whipped cream in the UK. I cannot say squirty cream with a straight face.

    Edit because apparently my wording confused people…

    UK: squirty cream

    USA: whipped cream (canned)

  7. A lot of british slang sounds like something a child would say to me. Just two off the top of my head.

    I’ll take a wee

    Tickety-boo

  8. I giggle a little inside every time I hear a British adult say they need to “have a wee.”

  14. An Aussie I met at a hostel asked me about getting “breakie” one morning. That sounded very childish to me. 

  16. A lot of UK and Aussie slang sounds a bit childish to me.

    The UK seems toddler-ish – wee, nappy, tele, etc.

    While Aussies sound more like some surly preteen with words like evs, arvo. Although brekkie sounds toddler-ish too.

  17. I am American living in the UK. British English sounds so childish to me. “Washing up liquid?” It’s dish soap. “Zebra crossing” sounds like something someone made up in kindergarten (it’s a crosswalk). And don’t get me started on “lollipop lady” (what Brits call a crossing guard at a school).

  18. In university, we literally have frequent graded homework on a daily/weekly basis. Do you not?

  20. A lot (not all, of course) of the diminutives the British and Aussies use that end in vowels. For example, Australians would call a member of a motorcycle gang a “bikie” whereas to Americans that sounds like what a child would call a bicycle. The American term is “biker”.

  22. In Germany we say Hausaufgaben, which basically means homework. So that terms is not at all silly.

  24. The use of “fancy” as a verb sounds childish and old-fashioned to me. British people saying they “fancy that girl/guy” or that they “fancy some ice cream” sounds very silly. I’ve never heard Americans saying that.

  26. Apparently Americans are often referred to as “Yanks” by much of the rest of the Anglophone world. We don’t really call ourselves that or use that term here, at least not to mean Americans in general. So when I hear a non-American use the word “Yank”, it comes across to me as a silly name children would use instead of the proper term (“Americans”).

    edit – fixed typo

  27. Another Britishism that sounds like something a toddler would say: “wheelie bin” for a garbage can with wheels.

  29. The British calling a lollipop a “lolly” — and, hilariously, calling a popsicle an “ice lolly” — sounds extremely infantile to me.

  30. “Macas” for “McDonalds.” Sounds like something a child would say who hasn’t learned how to pronounce long words yet.

  32. Using the word tummy in medical discussions with adults – it sounds like speaking to a toddler to me.

  33. Arse instead of Ass is like saying frick

    (But I think it’s opposite for Brits.. Ass is the toned down version of Arse for them)?

  34. Australians call a playground slide a “slippery dip” it’s ridiculous, but I suppose it is meant for children

  36. “He’s poorly” instead of “he’s sick” it sounds like baby talk to me

  37. The -y and -ie suffixes added by Brits and Aussies (and others) always make me smile.

    The first time I heard a traffic cone called a “witch’s hat” I had to stifle a laugh because the man was giving me parking instructions and I needed to pay attention.

  38. Boffin.

    The actual fuck, guys?

    It wouldn’t bother me if it wasn’t used by journalists.

  39. i dont know about most americans, but i despise the way australians seem to have a compulsive need to shorten every other word. sounds like baby talk to me

  40. Nearly all UK terms. Telly, loo, rubbish, quid, fiver, tenner, etc. Maybe its because Harry Potter was a big thing in my childhood that I stopped having interest in as soon as I was in middle school, so I built the association that they were juvenile terms. Even wanker has a playful sound to it.

    Any time I hear them I’m just picturing Draco and Harry getting into an argument on the playground.

  42. I feel like new zealanders calling McDonald’s “Maca’s” sounds like a toddler that can’t say McDonald’s

  44. A lot of Australian and British names for things:

    * sunnies – sunglasses
    * swimming costume – swimsuit
    * tele – TV
    * squirty cream – whipped cream
    * zebra crossing – crosswalk
    * Lollipop lady- crossing guard
    * lollies – candy

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