UK/US different terminology

I know that in recent times the media have used the verb "groom" for the process of gradual winning of trust that paedophiles carry out when preparing their victims, but the first thing I think of is of somebody preparing a horse for the day's work or for a show. Brushing the mane, currycombing the coat. I might also think of a poodle being clipped, of a man trimming his moustache, then maybe some metaphorical grooming of a promising employee for a management role, or of a singer (by his agent or record company) for chart success, or a junior politician for a front bench role. The "dodgy" connotations of this very old and well established respectable word come a long way down the list. What is the matter with people nowadays? Is it ignorance? Should we blame the education system?

I used wonky back in the US before moving here, didn't know it was UK specific.

I'm not sure if it is UK specific, but the guy I said it to had never heard it before and it made him laugh ! Just looked it up in an online dictionary though, and it does say 'Chiefly British' next to the entry, so maybe it is mostly used in the UK.

Pretty sure wonky used in Western Canada, but then again, I can get my Englishes mixed up! 

What I wouldn't expect to hear is the phrase 'on the wonk' in N. America.

to give one going back the other way, when I first lived in the US, I was working for a motorcycle dealership doing tech support & office stuff.  I was asked how long a particular fairly involved task would take, and I said "It shouldn't be more than a fortnight"

The person I was talking to was mid thirties, college educated, and had no idea of what fortnight meant.

to give one going back the other way, when I first lived in the US, I was working for a motorcycle dealership doing tech support & office stuff.  I was asked how long a particular fairly involved task would take, and I said "It shouldn't be more than a fortnight"

The person I was talking to was mid thirties, college educated, and had no idea of what fortnight meant.

I'm college educated and older than that and didn't know what it was til some time after I moved to the UK.  I had to ask my hubby.  I'd come across the word in Bronte novels and Jane Austen novels (and films) but didn't know how long a time it meant.

I didn't know til I moved here either, also college educated.  It just wasn't a term ever used in my life back in the US, so no need.

Maybe it's partly the way "fortnight" is sort of slurred over?  Of course if people said "fourteen nights" we'd all know exactly what was meant! 

My favourite is "ha'p'orth" as in "daft ha'p'orth"  Took me a long time to figure that one out.

Absolutely agree!!  Piccy is the worst one for me.  *shudder*

ugh, i hadn't heard that one before!  i forgot the one i hate the most: footie! 

Maybe it's partly the way "fortnight" is sort of slurred over?  Of course if people said "fourteen nights" we'd all know exactly what was meant! 

My favourite is "ha'p'orth" as in "daft ha'p'orth"  Took me a long time to figure that one out.

Didn't even occur to me that it stood for "14 nights", even now that I know what the word means!

BostonDiner--does that mean half-penny's worth?

I hate "footie" and not fond of "owt" and "nowt" though they are used very often in Yorkshire.

BostonDiner--does that mean half-penny's worth?

Yup. In other words: totally useless!

Didn't even occur to me that it stood for "14 nights", even now that I know what the word means!

BostonDiner--does that mean half-penny's worth?

I hate "footie" and not fond of "owt" and "nowt" though they are used very often in Yorkshire.

"Owt" and "nowt" are just colloquial spellings/pronunciations of perfectly good English words - "aught" and "naught."  These words are considered archaic now, but are proper words.

Fortnight = fourteen nights, and Sennight = seven nights (i.e. one week.)  The latter is now definitely archaic, and the former on its way out I believe?  I think older people are more likely to use "fortnight" than younger people.

What about words specific to a particular job or field?  Working in UK libraries I got used to "curved" brackets (parentheses) vs. "square" brackets (brackets) and full stops (periods).  Then there was the "issues counter" (circulation desk) and so on. 
But then, libraries are hardly libraries anymore now anyway 

US - call number; UK - class mark
I work at a library in the US; I keep coming across different technical terminology when reading UK library magazines, journals & other sources, but the above is the only one I can think of just now..

US - call number; UK - class mark
I work at a library in the US; I keep coming across different technical terminology when reading UK library magazines, journals & other sources, but the above is the only one I can think of just now..

Yes, and also:

truck/cart=trolley
library card=ticket
quotation marks=inverted commas
question mark=query
forward slash /=stroke

I love owt and nowt.   
I only smile a little at the way names like Carole, Darren & Gary are shortened to Caz, Daz & Gaz.

I love owt and nowt.   

Same!

And someone called me Caz the other day - I did a double-take & had to think about it for a minute!