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What the? That's not what it means here.; what words mean in your country
Topic Started: Apr 24 2007, 05:24 PM (7,369 Views)
Lisa289
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Aleasha
Apr 25 2007, 04:02 PM
You have fizzy lemonade? I didn't know that existed.

You have no-fizzy lemonade? I didn't know that existed.
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microsofty
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Lis
Apr 25 2007, 04:48 PM
btw, this is off topic, but i was born in cape town! we moved to Oz when i was a baby so i don't remember it. i would love to return one day.

You'll like it! Cape Town is a very beautiful city, defintely one of our top 5!

I thought of another funny word. Back in the olden days (before CD roms and flash discs) we called those floppy disc stuff a "stiffy". Aparently elsewhere in the world it is slang for an erection?
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Lisa289
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:rofl I like that one, microsofty! Yes, here in the UK we (and by we, I mean generally younger people) use "stiffy" for "erection".
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Washuai
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Quote:
 
I remember meeting some Americans one Christmas time and there was a lot of confusion about the word 'cracker'. There are about 5 different meanings in Britain, e.g.

1. Savoury biscuit
2. Christmas meal essential which makes a loud bang & contains a toy, joke and paperhat
3. Really attractive woman (slang)
4. Something really good (slang)
5. Name of a TV programme

So what does it mean in America?


Here a cracker refers to
1. a thin crisp biscuit (we never call them biscuits)
2.Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a poor white person living in some rural parts of the southeastern U.S. (It doesn't just get applied to southerners, though. I've read it more than heard it. It doesn't get used much in California to my knowledge, as this part of the country tends to be less prejudice. Only time I've ever heard it used, was reverse prejudice situation and comedian stand up routines.)
3. Same as your number 2. I've only come across this meaning virtually on neopets, but I think it is in real use somewhere in this country.
4. A crazy person

I'm willing to bet definition 2 or 4, was where the confusion, since they're negative. Although, saying someone is crackers (crazy) isn't that commonly used around Cali.
(edit to add #4)

---edit---
Speaking of Biscuits, in the US biscuits doesn't refer to "crackers" or "cookies", but to 1. a kind of bread in small, soft cakes, raised with baking powder or soda, or sometimes with yeast.

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Cassandra
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Thanks Washuai. I must admit I use the word 'cracker' a lot to mean 'something really good'. But then ... that's probably just me!

Washuai
Apr 25 2007, 08:49 PM
Although, saying someone is crackers (crazy) isn't that commonly used around Cali.
Yeah, I'd forgotten about 'calling someone crackers'. Though I'm not sure if it's really used much nowadays!

Thanks for the 'biscuit' pic - looks like what we call scones over here. Confusing or what, eh?

ETA - Guess there's also fire cracker and another name for a computer hacker to add to the list ...

ETA - And don't even think of 'crack' or 'cracking' as there's probably even more slang definitions for those! ..... Anyway thanks for the crack (news/gossip)!
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ekny
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Primary meaning when attributed to another person is an ethnic slur, akin to white trash or redneck (there are fine & rather serious distinctions to be made between such slurs, btw): crackers are poor Southerners from appalachia, term was (is?) usually attributed to people from Georgia ("Florida cracker" is a sort of different term, meaning more like 'one of the original settlers' as I understand it).

http://athena.english.vt.edu/~appalach/essaysA/cracker.htm


There's also a rock band (Cracker) who I like a lot, actually. Lead singer David Lowery (formerly of Camper van Beethoven).

Maybe someone shoulda started with an easier word? :eek
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Cassandra
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Thanks for the background info, ekny.

ekny
Apr 25 2007, 09:32 PM
Maybe someone shoulda started with an easier word?  :eek
Yeah, sorry!! Well, I look forward to your word then .... :)
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abzug
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Cassandra
Apr 25 2007, 04:07 PM
Thanks for the 'biscuit' pic - looks like what we call scones over here. Confusing or what, eh?

Nope, they're not the same as scones. We have scones here too. Biscuits are something different in the US. Gosh, how to explain the difference between a scone and a biscuit. The consistency is pretty much the same. But biscuits are never ever sweet, and scones usually are, right?

Luckily, everything can be found online:
http://www.suite101.com/lesson.cfm/17731/1115
"The main difference between biscuits and scones is that scones tend to have eggs and are sweeter and more elaborate, while biscuits don’t include eggs and have simpler, more savory ingredients. That doesn’t mean a biscuit has to be plain. It’s just that biscuits are more likely to have cheese or fresh or dried herbs in them rather than, say, currants or chocolate chips. Biscuits are also more likely to be served with a meal than as a dessert or tea item, which explains their savory nature.

The origin of these breads is also different, with biscuits being associated with America and different variations cropping up all over the country, and scones originating somewhere in the British Isles, with Wales, Ireland and Scotland all laying claim to the invention, according to “The Best Quick Breads.” "

And, from
http://kitchensavvy.typepad.com/journal/fo...rink/index.html
"Q: What is the difference between Scones and Biscuits?

-- Jolene

Opinions vary on this question. Most sources avoid the question completely, referring to both as kinds of Quick Bread.

In the book Baking With Julia, based on the PBS series hosted by Julia Child, Dorie Greenspan says that "[Scones] are made in a manner similar to biscuits and, in fact, share biscuits' buttery-layered texture, but their name, their shape, and the fact that they're served with tea rather than gravy, lift them to the level of fancier fare."

A closer look, however, suggests that the difference is not quite so superficial. Scones tend to be richer, frequently including both eggs and cream in the recipe, though not always. Some recipes will enrich the dough with eggs, but use milk or buttermilk instead of cream. Scones also use a bit more liquid than regular biscuits, which should make them a bit more cake-like in their consistency. While biscuit recipes may or may not call for sugar, scones typically use sugar, but not as much as sweetened biscuits."

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Cassandra
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Wow! Thanks for your reply, abzug. You are certainly thorough with your posts!

Anyway, you'll be pleased to know that I think I've now got it!! The difference between scones and US biscuits is (almost) a specialist subject of mine. If I'm ever in the US, I'll know what to expect! :)

Gosh .... the things that you learn on this board! :rolleyes:

ETA - I've only been to the US once .... but obviously managed to avoid all contact with scones and biscuits!!! Wish I could say the same about exclamation marks though .....
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aussiebadgirl
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Wow definatley confusing.

We have both scones and biscuits.

I agree with Cassandra, that pic is what we would call a scone.
Anything that would appear to have self-raising flour, and appears to raise around an inch would be considered a scone.

Our scones tend more to be on the savoury side. In Queensland our most famous scones, are pumpkin scones. A former premiers (state governor)wife was famous for cooking them, as she had won many state show (state fair) cooking competitions with them. And whenever a reporter went to their peanut farm (true they owned a huge peanut farm) to interview her husband, thats what she served them to eat with their cup of tea or coffee.

And the lemonade thing, we have fizzy lemonade here as well. The lemonade, like you have in the USA is called simply homemade lemonade. Not very popular here.

And a stiffy is also used in the slang term for an erection.
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Cassandra
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Thanks for that, BGEp1,2&3.

BGEp1
2&3,Apr 25 2007, 10:36 PM
In Queensland our most famous scones, are pumpkin scones.
Pumpkin, eh? Sounds intriging. Not something I would have thought about making scones with .... but then I can't actually recall ever tasting pumpkin!

I'll have one more bash at a simpler word (then promise to shut up ... at least for a short while!). We use the word rubber to mean something which erases pencil marks but I think it's known as a condom in the US. I can't guarantee the US definition isn't used elsewhere in Britain as there are lots of local dialects! We call it a Durex instead (after the brand). :)

ETA - Being typical Brits, our scones tend to be sweet and full of calories!!!
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Lis
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AUSTRALIA... (just in case there's some confusion) ;)

i don't find our scones to be very sweet at all, it's what we put ON it that's sweet! usually jam and cream. i love pumpkin scones and scones with sultanas or dates in them. mmmm.

to confuse this topic even more, my grandma lives in a country town here called "Scone". hehehe. it's pronounced differently though, instead of the "on" sound in "scone", it's more like "own".

lol....yes we also use "rubber" to mean an "eraser".

it looks as though Australia and the UK are a lot more similar in their language compared to the US. fair enough too, we were discovered by England afterall :)
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Lisa289
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Yes, a lot of similarities Lis.

Our scones aren't sweet either, just what we put on them. And we use rubber for eraser too.
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abzug
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Well, the issue with biscuits is that you put salty things on them (gravy, eggs, etc), not sweet things. So even if the scones aren't themselves sweet, they participate in creating a sweet food.

As for pronunciation, in the US they are actually pronounced with the long O (as in "own") not the short O (as in "on").
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ekny
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Fanny has always been a great one in faux-pas land: we use it as a polite way of referring to your butt, of course. ;) (So polite, in fact, I can't think if any real person actually *says* it any more--as opposed to reading it in books or using the word around 5-year-olds or something...)
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