Divided by a common language....

[Roger Kettle]

I was working on Andy Capp today and toying with a script which included the line "He's in the garden, drinking beer in his vest and pants". It suddenly dawned on me that this has a completely different meaning in the States. Vest=waistcoat and pants=trousers. "He's in the garden drinking beer in his waistcoat and trousers". Not quite what I intended. I'm sure Feather can back up what I'm saying but, Diane---do Canadians use the same terminology?

[Roger Kettle]

Anyway, I dropped the whole idea---so it's not important---but I'm still interested.

[Malc]

Yes, is the answer.

Canadians do use the same terminology, but as a nation they retained the awareness, irony and sarcasm genes which were bred out of Americans, so they would sort of know what you meant.

To get across your original imagery to the Yanks you would need to use the words 'singlet' and 'y-fronts', I reckon. Cupboards are closets, by the way. I know you didn't ask, just sayin'...

[Tom]

Do singlets come in different sizes?

[Joan]

Help me, Malc! I was okay with "vest", but when I read "pants", I pictured Andy in trousers.    I'm being Australianised.  I never, repeat, never, say "pants" when I mean "trousers".

[Diane CBPFC]

I was working on Andy Capp today and toying with a script which included the line "He's in the garden, drinking beer in his vest and pants". It suddenly dawned on me that this has a completely different meaning in the States. Vest=waistcoat and pants=trousers. "He's in the garden drinking beer in his waistcoat and trousers". Not quite what I intended. I'm sure Feather can back up what I'm saying but, Diane---do Canadians use the same terminology?

Candians do not tend to say "beer" - they say the brand of the beer such as "Bud Light" or "Canadian" - if they do say beer they say "Brewskis".

[Feather]

Most Americans would say "He's in the yard in his underwear drinking beer," or they might say "He's out in the yard in his underwear drinking beer." If you want to be specific about what type of underwear, you would write "He's in the yard in his briefs (or boxers or tighty-whiteys) and T-shirt." (or undershirt, or even 'wife-beater' if it's a sleeveless undershirt and you want to use slang).

Americans do not say "Y-fronts" or "singlets."  I am guessing "Y-fronts" are briefs. I don't know what a 'singlet' is.

"Pants" are slacks or trousers; however, some people do refer to women's panties as "pants," but it's mostly the elderly who do that.

Most Americans would say "Wanna get a beer?"   Someone might say "I'really want a Corona with lime tonight"  or they might say "I bought a case of Dos Equis, so come on over!"  Brewski is mostly used by university students or very young adults, but I don't think it really "in fashion" to say that anymore here. "Cold one" can mean beer.  Some people say "You wanna cold one?" before they hand you a beer. 

Cupboard is a rather old-fashioned word for cabinet.  "Garden" refers to something that is more formal or it is used in reference with growing vegetables. "Yard" is what you think of  as "garden."  We also use "lawn."  It would be used like this:  "Did you see that bird bath the Smiths put on the front lawn?" We don't use "lawn" to refer to the backyard.

[Diamond Lil]

That quiz site that Diane got us started on, Sporcle, has a section on meanings of words in the US and UK.....

[Joan]

Yes, Feather, I think "singlet" is quite Australian, although my Dad used to use it to refer to a sleeveless vest.  "Semmit" was another word he used, but that is definitely Scottish.  I get very confused now about what is Australian, Scottish, English, American, etc.  So I come out with a mishmash of words from different versions of English, which is, of course, what Australian English is.

[Malc]

Feather, I stand corrected. 'Singlet' is very Australian and I thought (as with everything else) they merely copied the Americans. In the US a singlet is sometimes a'tank top' or a 'wife beater"? I guess that's a reference to the type of bloke who struts around in his vest, but another reason why the guy who writes Andy Capp wouldn't use it.

[Malc]

Aye, Joan, my dad was one who said no matter how bad things got financially, he would never be reduced to 'sittin' aroon' the hoose in mah simmit'.

[Feather]

"Tank top" is not the same as a "wife-beater."  A tank top is not underwear, although you can sleep in a tank top. In fact, I am wearing a bright-pink tank top with my jeans right now.

[Malc]

Tank Top.
http://www.carniestuff.com/images/ladiesTankTop.jpg

Wife Beater
http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/images/gallery/wifebeater-wonder.jpg


Difference:  .000000002% 

[The Peepmaster]

One's got boobies in it. The other hasn't.

[Bilthehut]

One's a mannequin, and the other is a ....  No, one's a dummy, and the other is a ... No, one's a ... Oh, forget it!