Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic FDK - Awaken My Heart (17/?)

Well, I suppose that's a jumper, but it's an awfully short one. In America a jumper is a dress with shoulder straps. It's designed to wear over a shirt. Think shirt and vest with skirt attached. I'm sure at least one person at the Lowell County Corn Festival is wearing one. They're considered rather countrified on a grown woman. Theyr'e more common for little girls. Very practical for the "I want to wear a dress every day" phase that some girls go through.

Here's a link: http://www.modestapparelusa.com/women/modest-dresses-and-jumpers/embroidered-denim-jumper.html

I agree. Ann's jumper is rather short. HappyGirl's is more what comes to mind when I hear the word.

Ann, I would call your picture a sweat-shirt. Is that what a jumper is to you, a sweat-shirt? Or could it be any type of jersey, or pull-over top?

On previous discussions, I thought a jumper in England was a sweater. Jumpers are loose and that jumper shown isn't an XL or XXL, it's just loose, like a muumuu.



Artemis

Well, to me a jumper would be a sweater. When I was a kid, in the sixties, "jumper" was actually the most common word used in the Swedish language for sweater. My mom would say to me, "Ta på dig jumpern", "Put on your sweater". But today "jumper" is a rather unfashionable word in Swedish. Today we would normally say "tröja" instead. (It's pronounced rather like troy-ah".)

Ann

Emmasaid
Dustbin, field, vest, sweets, cornet, wellingtons, swimsuit (togs?), poorly, woolly are English words I remember that are not really used in Australia.

Aussie equivalents - rubbish bin, paddock, singlet, lollies, cone, gum boots, bathers, sick, jumper.

Garbage can (or, trash can), field, vest, candy, cone (you're talking about ice cream cones, right?), galoshes (or, rubbers), swimsuit (or, bathing suit), sick, and sweater.

Oh yeah, there are still differences Corrina, but I still think mainly there are more words shared between Aussie English and British English than there are with both and American English.

Of the words you listed, it's only really gum boots and bathers that we never use. Though I've heard bathers used plenty in my slight addiction to Aussie soaps .

Poorly is a very British word that I think reminds people of Jane Austen etc. Though we do use it plenty, sick is used more and more now, or just unwell/ill.

As for the jumper debate, I would use jumper for any kind of sweater really, other than a cardigan which is generally woolly and buttons-up. Do you use the word 'cardigan' any of you?

Oh, and for us, lollies are on a stick, anything else really is sweets, apart from chocolates which are just chocolates!

I guess I should pop over and do some part 19 FDK now!

Em

In the US paddock is a field, but one enclosed by rails for horses.
Here's what I'd call the things on Ann's visual:
Jeans and sweater
Coffee pot (goes on a stove or campfire)
Jug
Bottles
Bottle
Canister
Bloody Mary
Pina colada
Drink
Mug
Blowl
Cup
Sifter
Tray with glasses & cookies
Cup
Large cooking pot
Straw dispenser
Spritzer
Coffee pot (perks coffee)
White tea pot
Bowl
Dish
Spatual
Paint brush
No clue
Salt and pepper
No clue2
Glass
Spoon
Cereal bowl and spoon
That's in order left to right. Some of the utensils I couldn't tell what they would possibly be used for.

Artemis

Thanks, Artemis!

Vicki, when I was a kid and we really used the word "jumper", it referred to a long-sleeved woolly or synthetic-material shirt always or usually worn over another, thinner, short- or long-sleeved shirt. The jumper usually wasn't very loose, and it was never buttoned-up like a cardigan. The shirt-under-the-jumper was usually called a "blus" (blouse).

Ann

The vest in the UK list that was translated as singlet in Australia is probably not a vest here in the US and Canada, but an undershirt.

A North American vest would be a UK waistcoat.

Kathy

A "vest" is really an undershirt? That's too funny. Emma, you're right. It's a wonder we communicate at all!

Yep, over here, a vest is traditionally worn under clothes for warmth, modesty, etc. It tends to only really be older people and children who wear them, though you can get nice lingerie versions.

Then there are 'vest-tops' though, which are basically any women's top (generally worn as the only top rather than as underwear) that is sleeveless and just has little straps. I'm sure you know the kind of tops I mean - I hope!

Yeah, your kind of vest is a waistcoat over here, though I have heard mentioned, especially in 'Friends' that you have 'sweater-vests' which we would call 'tank-tops!'

Yes Vicki, it is a wonder we're able to understand each other at all! I think it works because we know a lot of the differences and a lot of the others can be worked out when seen in context. It's just a few words that completely baffle us.

Em

Yes, I think I know what you mean by "vest-top". It sounds like what we call a tank-top!


Tank-top: [img]http://thm-a03.yimg.com/image/8106a77f330c9928[/img]

Vest: [img]http://thm-a03.yimg.com/image/3fda7a38a134db5c[/img]

Sweater-vest: [img]http://thm-a01.yimg.com/image/a0a12840d4983484[/img]

Undershirt: [img]http://thm-a01.yimg.com/image/f031a3c775b4c29a[/img]

I think we're beginning to understand each other now! And as with Lois and Kal, sometimes it's helpful to use a diagram!! - see I've managed to very vaguely keep this on topic!!

Vicki's last pic is a singlet.

The third one is a vest ... at least that's how it is in Australia.

I spent two years in England as a child - when I got back home, there were words I used that the Aussie kids did not understand.

Lorry and flannel are two others.

Aussies use truck and face-washer.

Just to add my $0.02:

The last picture in Vicki's post (the undershirt) - this type of undershirt is colloquially and vulgarly known as a "wife-beater". The stereotype of wife-beating husbands has them wearing this type of sleeveless undershirt.

Other men might wear a short-sleeved undershirt.

I remember back in the day when I went to England and I tried calling information on the phone - they could not understand me as one of the letters I was trying to say was "Z" - I pronounced it "zee" and the British used "zed".

I have heard the term 'wife-beater' used on shows, so I'm pleased you've cleared that up for me Iolanthe!! It makes sense in the context too.

I was watching 'The West Wing' last night and they used the word 'button' for what we would call a 'badge'. This was in the context of showing support for an election campaign. Do you still use the word 'button' as we do, as a clothing-fastening method, for want of a better description?! For example, at the top of jeans or on a cardigan (did we establish whether you use that word?!)? I think you do, but I'm not sure I know anymore!!

I can tell you, all the confusion over clothing is very problematic when trying to write nfic!!!

Em

Yes, Em. A button can be a pin worn on the clothing as in a political campaign. It is more commonly the clothing fastener. It can also be a switch which is activated by pressing, as in the Up button to call the elevator. By extension, a person can annoy you by 'pushing your buttons,', i.e. doing exactly the right things to get under your skin.