Terms we use in America that don't make sense

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sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,868
6,397
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Football---a game where the Foot only touches the Ball approx < 1% of the time.

Trailer Park----undoubtedly a Marketing ploy to get people to pay Rent and Live on a Tornado Magnet
 

lein

Senior member
Mar 8, 2005
620
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About the parkway thing, I remember someone saying that a parkway was designed as a road between parks way back when. Not sure if it's true though.
 

Joemonkey

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2001
8,859
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Originally posted by: UncleWai
Big Mac, it should be royale with cheese.

a big mac is a big mac... a quarter pounder with cheese is a royale with cheese due to the metric system...
 

torpid

Lifer
Sep 14, 2003
11,631
11
76
Try working in the public sector of any IT project. 99.9% of the terms either overlap with a well-established term that means something completely different, or they just flat out make no sense at all.
 

HammerCurl

Senior member
Apr 3, 2007
651
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Regardless/irregardless and flammable/inflammable. But as far as taking a shit is concerned, I've decided I'm goin to take it as "I'm taking a shit[break]". Makes sense to me now, even if it wasn't meant that way.
 

AnitaPeterson

Diamond Member
Apr 24, 2001
6,048
624
126
Things that don't make sense in North American English:

1) saying "Gesundheit" when someone sneezes... Why use a German word?... in England, they say/used to say "Bless you", which at least was English.
2) There's no English equivalent for the expression "Bon appetit" when you start a meal.
 

MrDudeMan

Lifer
Jan 15, 2001
15,069
94
91
We say "I'm going to the hospital" and "I'm going to school". Why don't we say "the" school? It makes no sense. You aren't really distinguishing which school in the same way you aren't really distinguishing which hospital, but it definitely doesn't sound natural to say I'm going to the school, but it's the same thing as saying I'm going to the hospital.
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,868
6,397
126
Originally posted by: AnitaPeterson
Things that don't make sense in North American English:

1) saying "Gesundheit" when someone sneezes... Why use a German word?... in England, they say/used to say "Bless you", which at least was English.
2) There's no English equivalent for the expression "Bon appetit" when you start a meal.

#2) These days, "Good luck" might be appropriate! :D
 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,162
126
I have, in my house, a "hot water heater". Shouldn't I have a cold water heater?
 

Toasthead

Diamond Member
Aug 27, 2001
6,621
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Originally posted by: mjuszczak
I'll start.

Emergency Room = Usually not just one room, but multiple multiple rooms, yet its called an Emergency Room .... COULD be called "Emergency Rooms" or "Emergency Center", but we don't say that - we say we're going to the Emergency Room.

Others?

Well Emergency Room makes Sense to me. When you have an emergency you go to the main 'room' and check in.
 
Jun 4, 2005
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Originally posted by: mjuszczak
Emergency Room = Usually not just one room, but multiple multiple rooms, yet its called an Emergency Room .... COULD be called "Emergency Rooms" or "Emergency Center", but we don't say that - we say we're going to the Emergency Room.

Room
a portion of space within a building or other structure, separated by walls or partitions from other parts
 

anxi80

Lifer
Jul 7, 2002
12,294
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Originally posted by: Joemonkey
Originally posted by: UncleWai
Big Mac, it should be royale with cheese.
a big mac is a big mac... a quarter pounder with cheese is a royale with cheese due to the metric system...
check out the big brain on brett!
 

torpid

Lifer
Sep 14, 2003
11,631
11
76
Originally posted by: AnitaPeterson
Things that don't make sense in North American English:

1) saying "Gesundheit" when someone sneezes... Why use a German word?... in England, they say/used to say "Bless you", which at least was English.
2) There's no English equivalent for the expression "Bon appetit" when you start a meal.

1: because english and german are both western germanic languages?

2: I've started saying the japanese word lately... mostly because I'm taking japanese but also because it's a fun word: itadakimasu!