The reason why we don't call Corn Starch Cornflower is because it's not made by simply grinding corn (as you would with wheat). It really is starch that is extracted from ground, cooked corn and made into a powder. Corn flower (in the traditional sense) is called Masa, which is whole corn that has been ground to the consistency of wheat flour.
A corn flower is a type of blue flower so called because it thrives in the same conditions as maize and therefore - before the widespread use of herbicides - was commonly seen in corn fields. Masa is one variety of flour made from corn and used in Mexican cuisine. Corn flour is flour made from maize. We do have it in the U.S., but it isn't in common use. It is more finely ground than corn meal. Corn starch is in more common use. Corn meal is used to make corn bread.
I was really confused by the corn flour one because I live in Utah, and there's a lot of Hispanic people, so corn flour is very common, but I don't think corn flour and corn starch are quite the same thing.
I'm Irish, married to an American lady. When we lived in Ireland 🇮🇪, she sent me to TESCO for poppy seeds. I thought it was odd that we were gonna grow potatoes. Needless to say I came home empty handed. The TESCO worker had no idea what she wanted. Now that I think of it.....I'm still clueless. Thanks for the great videos. So long, cheerio for now.
What? Don't you have seeds from the poppy flowers [papaver somniferum] ? They're used in Hungarian cakes and strudel,.... very tasty. Don't eat 3 pieces of poppy seed cake and then have a drug test, you may show as positive, even though opioid level would be low.
On the other hand, I have always heard "doddle" used in the US meaning "lag behind" or "taking too much time", primarily towards children... as in "Don't doddle" to a toddler who is getting distracted and not keeping up. (Edit: Someone else actually pointed out it's spelled "dawdle" in this context... but it is a homophone)
I've used and heard of dawdle like the OP mentioned as lagging or to me, wasting time. The oddest word ive ever heard with the same meaning is Pussyfooting.
I think "amongst" is still pretty common in the South. But I seem to mostly encounter it when dealing with groups of people. "Lost amongst the crowd", "amongst my friends", etc. When speaking of inanimate objects it is often replaced with "among".
alright this makes sense, when i heard him bring amongst up i thought nah we definitely use that, as a southner however i could agree with your theory lol
I cannot think of any examples at the moment because it happens to be 4:00 a.m. (don't ask) and I need to get back to bed but from a British family living in the states for a third of my life I have noticed that there are more similarities between the south, specifically the southeast of the US and England ... or at least the south of England.. amongst is one of those. If I think of any before dawn I'll jot them down and add them, or a quick addendum.. But even cultural habits in dining, and dancing, chaperones, I didn't stick out amongst my southern friends but northern friends would query.. okay query is not one of those words but I still use it more often than question it!
@@IntriguedLioness I’m American and I knew what query means. Not super common in every day language but not unheard of in the USA. And I usually hear it used in professional settings and used more as a noun rather than a verb.
Okay, a piece of cake: Easy peasy, Easy as ABC, easy as pie, a cakewalk, a walk in the park, child's play, like stealing candy from a baby, like falling off a log, like shooting fish in a barrel, a breeze, a cinch, a snap, no sweat, and when it is an easy decision it would be a no-brainer. It's not rocket science. I could do it with my eyes shut (or my hands behind my back) There's nothing to it. Oh, and Simple Simon.
A lesser-used variation on "It's not rocket science" exists in the form of "It's not brain surgery." However my favorite is when people mix the two together, giving us "It's not rocket surgery."
This is weird. Not only did I watch this episode today for the first time, I also made cornbread for the first time. And instead of using cornmeal, I bought Bob's Red Mill corn flour to use in it's place. Of course, corn flour is just a finer type of ground corn than cornmeal... at least on this side of the pond. But I do use cornstarch to thicken sauces etc...
I'm from the Midwest, Missouri specifically if that makes a difference, but I think Bob's your uncle is probably more of a generational thing. I used to hear it commonly when I was a kiddo but not so much anymore.
To most Americans, the only denotation of "Cheerio" is the General Mills breakfast oat cereal, each bit fitly alliteratively shaped into the letter "o." (New product idea for pets: "Ciao.")
Can't remember the last time I heard someone say cheerio and I have lived in the UK for all of my 62 years. I don't think it is used very often at all now, much more likely we would say 'see ya later' or just 'bye'
When I lived in Australia (Brisbane) there was a small chain of Mexican restaurants called "Montezuma's" . . . Since it was locally popular we eventually had to explain to all of our local friends why we couldn't eat there.
I love Montezuma's in Brisbane... it's probably the closest you get to authentic, even now in 2022... but yea, I always think of Montezuma's Revenge, LOL
@@justinking765 Mexico's water supply is less purified than in the USA, so people who aren't locals often succumb to severe diarrhea during their visits until they become accustomed.
Anglophile me, I tend to use most of these words. All my life really. Born and raised in the US, been to the UK several times.... 1.Amongst is a proper word in the States and is used. 2.bits and bobs IS an English expression I only use when I'm with Brits 3.Bob's your Uncle. (s/a) 4.cornflour and cornstarch. Hmmm, in the States, the former is for baking with flour ground from corn and cornstarch is a thickener in cooking 5.Doddle. Nope, you have me there. I'll just jot it down in my lexicon. Easy peasy is an expression used for something that is particularly easy... 6.I have heard and used gormless - again the context being I'm speaking with English friends 7.Never heard of The Mexican Wave (I'm not a sportie). Thank you for the history lesson tho' 8.Cheerio IS a friendly goodbye. Whilst Americans wouldn't use it themselves, I'd imagine they would understand the meaning from the context.
Lawrence I enjoyed this episode but I have to take issue with “amongst“. Growing up in Missouri teachers would tell students to speak amongst themselves whenever they had to go out of the classroom. “Amongst“ is quite common in the Midwest. I think maybe you haven’t encountered the proper cross-section of Americans in that regard. Hit me up when you get to Missouri about words foods and such
Laurence, so "Bob's your uncle" is much like our phrase "Lo and behold", and 'gormless is synonymous with phrases (and there are many more) like "not the sharpest tool in the drawer", "the lights are on, but nobody's home", and "a couple sandwiches short of a picnic".
Amongst is something I have used many times and heard often .I am 62 (VA.) And doddle I heard this way back as a saying meaning don't lag behind. Being slow. Don't doddle was said by elderly ppl when I was young
Amongst is used in the southeast and southwest. "Leave us go amongst them!" is a line from the John Wayne movie "The Searchers" Words waen and ebb like the tide.
We have a homophone for doddle with dawdle (v.), (which the google ngram viewer shows is also used in British English), so there's likely some obvious misinterpretation of that word, should it be used in the states.
@@SilvaDreams Not to sound too weird, but I used the word "dawdle" the other night when talking to my dog. He was dawdling in the woods sniffing at every branch to decide whether or not to pee on it and I told him to "quit dawdling". Finally, when he was coming back inside, I said that he was the "pokiest dog that I'd ever known".
Hah, “gormless” is a great word! I’ve never heard it before and I had to put it in quotes to get autocorrect to stop changing it to “formless”. Please keep using it, it might catch on!
A British expression that really puzzled me was hearing "poorly" used as an adjective to describe someone who's feeling ill. Not that they're feeling poorly but "they *are* poorly," which just sounds grammatically dissonant to me. Now I know we Americans do the same mixing up of adverbs and adjectives all the time, like someone "is well" when they've recovered, or "I feel good." But to "be poorly" stands out because we never hear that one.
In the Hickory Dickory Dock episode of Acorn TV’s Hercule Poirot series, there’s an English actress playing an American. Her accent nearly had me fooled until she said the word “speciality”, which Americans spell and pronounce “specialty”. Interesting no one caught that. 😁
Awesome video - thank you! I'd not even heard of a few of the words, such as "gormless" and "doddle", I do use the word "amongst", in writing, and also had to write out a short letter today and actually used the word "whilst". Your video was great and entertaining - as they always are! All the best from NYC.
Cornstarch is more correctly named maize flour in the UK given that 'corn' is either wheat, oats or rye in most of Europe ... wheat in England and oats in Scotland. Maize is either just maize or sweetcorn in the UK. Corn is whatever a country's chief cereal crop is.
Besides the more commonly used "odds and ends", we also use "bits and pieces ". (Which is also the name of a popular and catchy song from the Dave Clarke Five.)
Just to add to the confusion regarding “The Wave”, it’s creation is often attributed to “Crazy” Joe Henderson in 1981. “Crazy” Joe was a cheerleader for sporting events, and generally used a handheld drum to get the fans attention. In October 1981 at a New York Yankees vs. Oakland Athletics (A’s) baseball game in Oakland, CA, “Crazy” Joe succeeded in getting the fans to perform The Wave. Although I was not at this game, I was at several later baseball games in Oakland when “Crazy” Joe appeared and we participated in The Wave at his direction - an impressive feat given the three levels of seating within the park. Alas, gone are the glory days of “Crazy” Joe and the Oakland A’s.
Corn flower is a flower. Corn flour, corn meal , corn grits and corn starch are food products made from corn. Depends on how they are ground and processed. They have different uses.
Hello Lawrence! I enjoy your channel a lot! However; occasionally you will mention a word that you haven't heard Americans use that I and my parents and grandparents do use. My ancestors settled in the Appalachian Mountains. They came from Ireland, England & Scotland and perhaps, being isolated caused them to keep their native vocabulary in use a bit longer than other people did. Sometimes we find ancestral phrases in and amongst modern ones! It's always fun to learn that we are using those terms!
It’s funny you mention that. I’m of Irish background. Parents from NYC. Lots of “old people” sayings have filtered down to my son. It wasn’t till I watched Deadwood & heard Ian McShanes character’s way with words that I knew where I got them from.
I've always used amongst when referring to people, and among when referring to objects. He lives amongst strangers and acquaintances alike. vs, Among the various brands of dog food, Fido seems to prefer Purina. It's nothing I recall learning, just something that seemed natural to me.
We use “amongst, but it depends on the statement being made We use “odds & ends” instead of “bobs & bits” Flour is different from starch. We can’t simply grind corn and then have corn starch unlike when grinding 🌾 …so….
I binged watched a bunch of “time team” episodes and found they used the word “reckon “ a lot. In America this word is not used unless your pretending to be a cowboy from the old west. I guess we would say…”I guess” instead. Or “I figure” or “probably” ,“seems to me” etc.
I concur. My comments on most sites sees me dumbing down my English word list. It is now at a level of an 8 year old, so that the rest of the world can understand it too.
RE: Doddle- We do or did use it to men slowly, as in don't doddle while walking or doing your chores. I'd get it a lot as a kid because I hated doing chores and I was constantly being told to stop doddling
No, we literally use cornflour, to make food. Cornflour is a very common word said. Maybe only in the midwest and south I guess. The cornbelt in the US, is common for cornflour. I thought that would seem like common sense.
Corn flour Sow cornflowers from early to mid spring for early summer bloom. Also sow in fall in climates with mild winters. Plant seeds in soil or in containers about 2 inches (5 cm) apart and one-half inch (1 cm) deep. Thin to 8 inches (20 cm) apart in all directions. Within the meadow were many flowers but amongst them one stood out, the cornflower. 😊 I so wished to stay among them longer but mum told me not to doddle and move along. There bob’s your uncle. Strange I heard that phrase from an Australian first. So it must have deep roots to have crossed to that far flung continent.
Don’t remember where I heard this but Laurence saying cheerio for good bye reminded me of it kinda curious as to what it actually means “pip pip cheerio and all that rot”
Knackered! This is a word that I started using due to my affinity for BBC shows, and eople look at me like I have 3v heads! I think it's time we brought knackered to the US vernacular!
In the US a "Cheerio" was also the brand name of an ice cream bar on a stick. Vanilla ice cream with a chocolate coating. "Bob's your uncle" I've been hearing and saying my whole life (54 years). I'm from Chicago, and Central Illinois.
I had my Covid booster on Monday, so I know exactly how you felt when you were making this video. But you made it through (I was tempted to say “Bob’s your uncle, you made it through,” but that would imply making it through the booster was easy, which would not be the case).
Oh, we use the word amongst, but usually with a very special meaning usually in ridicule or a conspiracy reference to someone (or a group of someones) being unsettling, unpleasant, or nefarious, often stealthy or disguised. Usually the conversation is somewhat indirect about the person or group being referenced as I've heard it by the phrase 'They walk amongst us."
Many words like amongst, amidst, whilst, dreamt, betwixt, learnt, burnt are Old English versions of the word, which are being replaced (slowly) by the more modern among, amid, while, dreamed, etc.
Lawrence, I told you before that as an American, I didn't know the meaning of the word "dodgey". I had heard it used on British TV as "a dodgey old man" and "look out for dodgey petrol". What kind of word would apply to an old man, and also apply to petrol/gasoline?
FWIW, there have been the rare occasion where amongst works in American English. "I found the paring knife amongst the random ends in the knife drawer". It's not used often, but I use it on random occasions like that. Never once has anyone remarked upon it, probably because my American friends heard "Among" when I said that.
Gormless is used in the US, but rarely and usually only in printed form. It's rare in speech. We tend to just use a more direct approach to describing someone who is a bit of an idiot. As a side note, gormless is one of the few words I wish we would bring back into common use. Right along with words like 'bedight.'
For me, fish and chips will be called fish and chips, but a burger and fries will be a burger and fries. As for cheerio, as a child in the 70s, besides the cereal, in the upper midwest we used to refer to ice cream bars on a stick as cheerios.
Cornflour is a coarse flour made of Corn. If it's the starch on it's own, it's corn starch and potato Starch as an example. Potato flour is made of powdered starchy potatoes, as far as I'm concerned. If the cornflour is without the starch it's called coarse maize or just ground corn.
In the Southern part of the USA, we use cornmeal as a primary kitchen staple for making cornbread. I've never even heard of corn flour before. We also use corn grits to make a breakfast porridge. Cornmeal is just ground up dried corn. There is a State Park (Tannehill) in Alabama that I've been to that, during some festivals, used to make stone ground cornmeal the old-fashioned way in the water mill using the old grindstone. I've bought some of it before and it was courser than the cornmeal that we buy in the grocery store.
Yes, you can't make anything from cornstarch alone like you can with the whole corn flour. The Brits used to call all grains "corn". Hard to know what they meant in early recipes.
We call it corn starch because it is literally starch from corn, also we alreadly have a separate producted called corn flour that's made of milled corn.
We're obsessed with Bob in the states too. The words thingamabob and the activity of bobbing for apples. Whoever Bob is probably hasn't slept for years, wondering about our obsession over him.
Here's a synonym for the word doddle: dawdle: "I don't want you dawdling while you making deliveries for Mrs. Ford." Means to lollygag, waste time, procrastinate.
"Bits and bobs" as i have heard it used, has more in common with "do-hickeys" difference being "Bits and bobs" the connotation to it referring to something less useful or less advanced. VS "Odds and ends" random house stuff (yes that coffee cup). The memo might be farther gone than you think.
I recently read that Bob's Your Uncle derived from a Prime Minister who appointed his nephew to a high-ranking position much to the dismay of the people. I'm sure the full story is available.
Cherrios was originally called Cherri Oats when it first came out in 1941. It only became Cheerios in 1945. Also in the 1960's Kellogg's had a similar cereal called OK's. They were basically Cherrios but shaped like O's and K's.
We use cornflour all the time. If you've ever ordered pizza from Domino's, guess what, that's made from cornflour. Also, the midwest is the cornbelt, so yea, cornflour is very common.
I never understood why there is an “among” and “amongst”. Same thing with “afterward” and “afterwards”. Apparently there is no difference. But I’ve taken it upon myself to MAKE a difference. From now on, I’ll use amongst & afterwards only when referring to singular things. And I’ll use among & afterward when referring to plural things. So… John was amongst his friends and partied all night and left afterwards. John’s friends were among another group of party goers and when the party ended, they all left afterward.
It's a doddle = - it's a snap - it's a no-brainer - easy-peasey - it's a cakewalk - it's a cinch - it's a breeze - it's child's play - it's a piece of cake - it's easy as pie and others.
I love these. I am familiar with yours that we don't use and have sort of maybe an idea what the meanings are. Kinda, not enough to explain them to someone else LOL. Thank you for explaining and I hope I will remember cuz yes I see/hear them. 😁
I grew up with grandparents & parents who would say "Quit doddling" or "lolly-gaggin'!" which meant better get your ducks in a row and get moving. What happened next if this was said was ironically an oxymoron as they side-tracked themselves to grab a belt, switch, or paddle.
"The Mexican Wave" has a controversial place of origin. Most sports experts say it originated in 1979/1980 in Seattle, Washington others say at El Estadio Azteca at the 1986 World Cup.
Maybe it's a southern thing, but I frequently use the word amongst and know a few other people who do as well. I'm not opposed to dropping the st, though: I just enjoy it and remember it from my childhood.
They just give me the 'Quit making me look stupid' look.. I never have to try very hard at it either. It's not my job to stop others from looking stupid.
I thought (see the smoke?) "Bob's your uncle" had an origin to do with someone named Bob. I think a lot of us are aware of it but don't use it although I *did* hear it used on an TV show from the nineties.
If you are an American stationed in England for awhile you do say cherrio when on the phone or leaving . I came home saying ta for thanks and my daughter who was born in England thought biscuits were all cookies !!!
The first time I had ever heard the Bob’s your uncle expression was in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie when Johnny Depp/Captain Jack said to Barbosa “ Bob’s your uncle, Fannie’s your Aunt, and there you are with two ships.” 😂
The reason why we don't call Corn Starch Cornflower is because it's not made by simply grinding corn (as you would with wheat). It really is starch that is extracted from ground, cooked corn and made into a powder. Corn flower (in the traditional sense) is called Masa, which is whole corn that has been ground to the consistency of wheat flour.
A corn flower is a type of blue flower so called because it thrives in the same conditions as maize and therefore - before the widespread use of herbicides - was commonly seen in corn fields.
Masa is one variety of flour made from corn and used in Mexican cuisine.
Corn flour is flour made from maize. We do have it in the U.S., but it isn't in common use. It is more finely ground than corn meal.
Corn starch is in more common use.
Corn meal is used to make corn bread.
Actual corn flour is called cornmeal here.
corn meal and corn flour are two different things.
It's all in the consistancy. If you keep grinding corn meal, it would become corn flour.
@@jkelley14701 this is the answer.
I am curious what that call flour made from corn in the UK if they call cornstarch cornflour.
I was really confused by the corn flour one because I live in Utah, and there's a lot of Hispanic people, so corn flour is very common, but I don't think corn flour and corn starch are quite the same thing.
They aren't.
Corn flour is a finer grind than corn meal.
And then there is cornmeal for making cornbread with and keeping pizza from sticking to the baking surface
They are.
Corn meal is the most coarse, then corn flour and corn starch is the finest.
I'm Irish, married to an American lady. When we lived in Ireland 🇮🇪, she sent me to TESCO for poppy seeds.
I thought it was odd that we were gonna grow potatoes. Needless to say I came home empty handed. The TESCO worker had no idea what she wanted.
Now that I think of it.....I'm still clueless.
Thanks for the great videos.
So long, cheerio for now.
What? Don't you have seeds from the poppy flowers [papaver somniferum] ? They're used in Hungarian cakes and strudel,.... very tasty.
Don't eat 3 pieces of poppy seed cake and then have a drug test, you may show as positive, even though opioid level would be low.
@@mer8795 yes! So good in or on many baked goodies.
@@mer8795 Lemon poppy seed muffins were all the rage in 90s. I was addicted to them. 😊
Poppy seeds are used in cakes. There’s a wonderful cake Germans make, Mohnkuchen. Poppyseed cake. Yum!
@@mer8795 I learned that fact from "Seinfeld " ( the one where Elaine eats a poppy seed muffin & fails a drug test for a new job)
On the other hand, I have always heard "doddle" used in the US meaning "lag behind" or "taking too much time", primarily towards children... as in "Don't doddle" to a toddler who is getting distracted and not keeping up.
(Edit: Someone else actually pointed out it's spelled "dawdle" in this context... but it is a homophone)
I would pronounce these two words differently, the "daw" in "dawdle" rhymes with "awe". But I think we're talking about regional pronunciation here.
Dawdle is to walk slow, aimless. That's why an easy activity is a dawdle: one is able to casually wander to competition.
Spelled "Dawdle"
I've used and heard of dawdle like the OP mentioned as lagging or to me, wasting time. The oddest word ive ever heard with the same meaning is Pussyfooting.
He's saying "doddle" meaning something easy, not "dawdle" meaning to lag behind or take your time.
I think "amongst" is still pretty common in the South. But I seem to mostly encounter it when dealing with groups of people. "Lost amongst the crowd", "amongst my friends", etc. When speaking of inanimate objects it is often replaced with "among".
alright this makes sense, when i heard him bring amongst up i thought nah we definitely use that, as a southner however i could agree with your theory lol
I’m from Ohio, but I use “amongst” occasionally. To be fair, I do have family in the south.
I cannot think of any examples at the moment because it happens to be 4:00 a.m. (don't ask) and I need to get back to bed but from a British family living in the states for a third of my life I have noticed that there are more similarities between the south, specifically the southeast of the US and England ... or at least the south of England.. amongst is one of those.
If I think of any before dawn I'll jot them down and add them, or a quick addendum..
But even cultural habits in dining, and dancing, chaperones, I didn't stick out amongst my southern friends but northern friends would query.. okay query is not one of those words but I still use it more often than question it!
I lived in the Southeast for most of my life and heard amongst a lot. Like “we divided the money amongst ourselves.” I wouldn’t say among ourselves.
@@IntriguedLioness I’m American and I knew what query means. Not super common in every day language but not unheard of in the USA. And I usually hear it used in professional settings and used more as a noun rather than a verb.
Okay, a piece of cake: Easy peasy, Easy as ABC, easy as pie, a cakewalk, a walk in the park, child's play, like stealing candy from a baby, like falling off a log, like shooting fish in a barrel, a breeze, a cinch, a snap, no sweat, and when it is an easy decision it would be a no-brainer. It's not rocket science. I could do it with my eyes shut (or my hands behind my back) There's nothing to it. Oh, and Simple Simon.
It's not rocket surgery.
A lesser-used variation on "It's not rocket science" exists in the form of "It's not brain surgery." However my favorite is when people mix the two together, giving us "It's not rocket surgery."
@@kaikaichen I like to play it the other way "it's not brain science", though that actually is a real thing.
if your a fan of baseball: "can of corn"
I do believe you covered everything. (except walkover) Well done!
Lawrence,
You might want to check out the SNL skit "Coffee Talk". When the host gets verklempt, she says " talk amongst yourselves".
Yiddish is also a big part of our everyday language in the US . Oi vey !
I’m from Texas, I’ve always said both among and amongst. Like “amongst the crowd” but also “among us” you know?
Precisely!
Same in Wa
Same in the Bama. Use a lot of these words.
Sus
Not form Texas, but I have used both interchangeably.
This is weird. Not only did I watch this episode today for the first time, I also made cornbread for the first time. And instead of using cornmeal, I bought Bob's Red Mill corn flour to use in it's place. Of course, corn flour is just a finer type of ground corn than cornmeal... at least on this side of the pond. But I do use cornstarch to thicken sauces etc...
I'm from the Midwest, Missouri specifically if that makes a difference, but I think Bob's your uncle is probably more of a generational thing. I used to hear it commonly when I was a kiddo but not so much anymore.
Bobs your uncle, Fanny’s your aunt. Still hear it my market town .
To most Americans, the only denotation of "Cheerio" is the General Mills breakfast oat cereal, each bit fitly alliteratively shaped into the letter "o." (New product idea for pets: "Ciao.")
Ta-Ta
Did he put the cheerio down on an invisible table?
Can't remember the last time I heard someone say cheerio and I have lived in the UK for all of my 62 years. I don't think it is used very often at all now, much more likely we would say 'see ya later' or just 'bye'
@@rosalynadams7006 I can only remember seeing it said in old movies like Rebecca
@@rosalynadams7006 it's pretty common in Scotland, they use it often
When I lived in Australia (Brisbane) there was a small chain of Mexican restaurants called "Montezuma's" . . . Since it was locally popular we eventually had to explain to all of our local friends why we couldn't eat there.
Why?
@@justinking765 'montezuma's revenge', basically the world will fall out of your backside.
I love Montezuma's in Brisbane... it's probably the closest you get to authentic, even now in 2022... but yea, I always think of Montezuma's Revenge, LOL
@@justinking765 Mexico's water supply is less purified than in the USA, so people who aren't locals often succumb to severe diarrhea during their visits until they become accustomed.
Cheerio...from the Scottish Gaelic: Tìoraidh (pronounced like "cheerie") and meaning "Good-bye". 👋
Amongst is still used in the southern states along with reckon.
Anglophile me, I tend to use most of these words. All my life really. Born and raised in the US, been to the UK several times....
1.Amongst is a proper word in the States and is used.
2.bits and bobs IS an English expression I only use when I'm with Brits
3.Bob's your Uncle. (s/a)
4.cornflour and cornstarch. Hmmm, in the States, the former is for baking with flour ground from corn and cornstarch is a thickener in cooking
5.Doddle. Nope, you have me there. I'll just jot it down in my lexicon. Easy peasy is an expression used for something that is particularly easy...
6.I have heard and used gormless - again the context being I'm speaking with English friends
7.Never heard of The Mexican Wave (I'm not a sportie). Thank you for the history lesson tho'
8.Cheerio IS a friendly goodbye. Whilst Americans wouldn't use it themselves, I'd imagine they would understand the meaning from the context.
Lawrence I enjoyed this episode but I have to take issue with “amongst“. Growing up in Missouri teachers would tell students to speak amongst themselves whenever they had to go out of the classroom. “Amongst“ is quite common in the Midwest. I think maybe you haven’t encountered the proper cross-section of Americans in that regard. Hit me up when you get to Missouri about words foods and such
Same in the South, too.
Laurence, so "Bob's your uncle" is much like our phrase "Lo and behold", and 'gormless is synonymous with phrases (and there are many more) like "not the sharpest tool in the drawer", "the lights are on, but nobody's home", and "a couple sandwiches short of a picnic".
Whhhhat! Ya'll just keep reinventing awesomeness, I'm still trying to come to terms with what I just saw. I love it.
I'm from California and Louisiana, and I use amongst all the time. I hear them all the time, both amongst and among.
Amongst is something I have used many times and heard often .I am 62 (VA.) And doddle I heard this way back as a saying meaning don't lag behind. Being slow. Don't doddle was said by elderly ppl when I was young
I still hear and use dawdle, but it has a different meaning than the English doddle.
Amongst is used in the southeast and southwest.
"Leave us go amongst them!" is a line from the John Wayne movie "The Searchers"
Words waen and ebb like the tide.
We have a homophone for doddle with dawdle (v.), (which the google ngram viewer shows is also used in British English), so there's likely some obvious misinterpretation of that word, should it be used in the states.
Yeah when he said that I was like "Wait.. I've been told not to dawdle." which is don't linger or take too long
@@SilvaDreams Not to sound too weird, but I used the word "dawdle" the other night when talking to my dog. He was dawdling in the woods sniffing at every branch to decide whether or not to pee on it and I told him to "quit dawdling". Finally, when he was coming back inside, I said that he was the "pokiest dog that I'd ever known".
It's the same word. A task being easy is the same as walking slowly in the way that easy = a walk in the park.
Hah, “gormless” is a great word! I’ve never heard it before and I had to put it in quotes to get autocorrect to stop changing it to “formless”. Please keep using it, it might catch on!
A British expression that really puzzled me was hearing "poorly" used as an adjective to describe someone who's feeling ill. Not that they're feeling poorly but "they *are* poorly," which just sounds grammatically dissonant to me. Now I know we Americans do the same mixing up of adverbs and adjectives all the time, like someone "is well" when they've recovered, or "I feel good." But to "be poorly" stands out because we never hear that one.
I have heard I’m feeling poorly, but it means I’m starting to feel I’ll, but not that ur sick
You'll hear "I'm poorly" said by older people in the American South as well as "Are you poorly?". We don't always use the "feeling" gerund.
It’s like in the American south they would say “I’m feeling puny” meaning ill and I always heard puny as an insult to mean really skinny and weak.
Lawrence just had a COVID booster meaning he is now immune to covid
Hearing about someone being "in hospital" has always been weird for me, even though Americans treat the word school the same way.
Doddle is usually a word I hear in conjunction with the elderly doddling around the house. I think of it more like puttering.
In the Hickory Dickory Dock episode of Acorn TV’s Hercule Poirot series, there’s an English actress playing an American. Her accent nearly had me fooled until she said the word “speciality”, which Americans spell and pronounce “specialty”. Interesting no one caught that. 😁
Awesome video - thank you! I'd not even heard of a few of the words, such as "gormless" and "doddle", I do use the word "amongst", in writing, and also had to write out a short letter today and actually used the word "whilst". Your video was great and entertaining - as they always are! All the best from NYC.
Cornstarch is more correctly named maize flour in the UK given that 'corn' is either wheat, oats or rye in most of Europe ... wheat in England and oats in Scotland. Maize is either just maize or sweetcorn in the UK.
Corn is whatever a country's chief cereal crop is.
Besides the more commonly used "odds and ends", we also use "bits and pieces ". (Which is also the name of a popular and catchy song from the Dave Clarke Five.)
Just to add to the confusion regarding “The Wave”, it’s creation is often attributed to “Crazy” Joe Henderson in 1981. “Crazy” Joe was a cheerleader for sporting events, and generally used a handheld drum to get the fans attention. In October 1981 at a New York Yankees vs. Oakland Athletics (A’s) baseball game in Oakland, CA, “Crazy” Joe succeeded in getting the fans to perform The Wave. Although I was not at this game, I was at several later baseball games in Oakland when “Crazy” Joe appeared and we participated in The Wave at his direction - an impressive feat given the three levels of seating within the park. Alas, gone are the glory days of “Crazy” Joe and the Oakland A’s.
Are you talking about the Mexican wave? It signifies boredom in sport when done.
@@sandersson2813
It’s used as a cheer in the US-to get the crowd pumped up. It may be used during a really competitive game or during a boring one.
@@bethhentges It was seen at the World Cup in Mexico and also the 1968 Olympics.
Most sports fans hate it outside the US.
@@bethhentges It soon caught on in Nascar events
@@sandersson2813 true , you know when a football game is boring when you see the bloody mexican wave.
Corn flower is a flower. Corn flour, corn meal , corn grits and corn starch are food products made from corn. Depends on how they are ground and processed. They have different uses.
Hello Lawrence! I enjoy your channel a lot! However; occasionally you will mention a word that you haven't heard Americans use that I and my parents and grandparents do use. My ancestors settled in the Appalachian Mountains. They came from Ireland, England & Scotland and perhaps, being isolated caused them to keep their native vocabulary in use a bit longer than other people did.
Sometimes we find ancestral phrases in and amongst modern ones! It's always fun to learn that we are using those terms!
It’s funny you mention that. I’m of Irish background. Parents from NYC. Lots of “old people” sayings have filtered down to my son. It wasn’t till I watched Deadwood & heard Ian McShanes character’s way with words that I knew where I got them from.
Please keep saying "gormless." It's one of my favorite words and I would hate for you to lose such a fabulous word!
I've always used amongst when referring to people, and among when referring to objects.
He lives amongst strangers and acquaintances alike. vs, Among the various brands of dog food, Fido seems to prefer Purina. It's nothing I recall learning, just something that seemed natural to me.
I love the Brit's use of 'Cheers' for goodbye or thank you and have hear a lot of 'Godsmacked!' Another great video btw!
"Doddle" is used its rare but it means to wander about aimlessly or pointless work just to look busy.
I’ve used amongst, not often, but it’s used around the NY Tri-state area.
We use “amongst, but it depends on the statement being made
We use “odds & ends” instead of “bobs & bits”
Flour is different from starch. We can’t simply grind corn and then have corn starch unlike when grinding 🌾 …so….
I binged watched a bunch of “time team” episodes and found they used the word “reckon “ a lot. In America this word is not used unless your pretending to be a cowboy from the old west. I guess we would say…”I guess” instead. Or “I figure” or “probably” ,“seems to me” etc.
I concur. My comments on most sites sees me dumbing down my English word list. It is now at a level of an 8 year old, so that the rest of the world can understand it too.
RE: Doddle- We do or did use it to men slowly, as in don't doddle while walking or doing your chores. I'd get it a lot as a kid because I hated doing chores and I was constantly being told to stop doddling
I didn’t know “Bob’s you’re uncle” was a British saying. I thought that we just stopped saying it and has become a phrase only older people use.
I laughed so hard that he legit called me out when I said "he means cornstarch!" 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I graduated high school in ‘85. We didn’t the wave all the time for years before ‘86.
We use cornflower - as opposed to cornflour. Cornflower blue is a beautiful shade of blue.
And we eat Cheerios. Yeah, you said that. Love your videos.
No, we literally use cornflour, to make food. Cornflour is a very common word said. Maybe only in the midwest and south I guess.
The cornbelt in the US, is common for cornflour. I thought that would seem like common sense.
Corn flour
Sow cornflowers from early to mid spring for early summer bloom. Also sow in fall in climates with mild winters. Plant seeds in soil or in containers about 2 inches (5 cm) apart and one-half inch (1 cm) deep. Thin to 8 inches (20 cm) apart in all directions.
Within the meadow were many flowers but amongst them one stood out, the cornflower. 😊
I so wished to stay among them longer but mum told me not to doddle and move along.
There bob’s your uncle.
Strange I heard that phrase from an Australian first. So it must have deep roots to have crossed to that far flung continent.
Don’t remember where I heard this but Laurence saying cheerio for good bye reminded me of it kinda curious as to what it actually means “pip pip cheerio and all that rot”
Knackered! This is a word that I started using due to my affinity for BBC shows, and eople look at me like I have 3v heads! I think it's time we brought knackered to the US vernacular!
Golden syrup is something that seems common in British baking but unheard of in the states.
In the US a "Cheerio" was also the brand name of an ice cream bar on a stick. Vanilla ice cream with a chocolate coating.
"Bob's your uncle" I've been hearing and saying my whole life (54 years). I'm from Chicago, and Central Illinois.
"Irregardless" is one non-word used over here (Canada) that drives me nuts!
I had my Covid booster on Monday, so I know exactly how you felt when you were making this video. But you made it through (I was tempted to say “Bob’s your uncle, you made it through,” but that would imply making it through the booster was easy, which would not be the case).
Happy clotting!🍝
Oh, we use the word amongst, but usually with a very special meaning usually in ridicule or a conspiracy reference to someone (or a group of someones) being unsettling, unpleasant, or nefarious, often stealthy or disguised. Usually the conversation is somewhat indirect about the person or group being referenced as I've heard it by the phrase 'They walk amongst us."
Whilst! We don’t say whilst either, although I quite like it, and may start using it.
I LOVE "BOB'S YOUR UNCLE!!" I tried really hard to use it every time I could when we went to England🤣
You've been in the states this long and never heard a soul say, "easy peasy lemon squeezy?" I'm appalled.
In the US, cornflower is a blue wild flower. Not the same word, but pronounced the same as corn flour.
Many words like amongst, amidst, whilst, dreamt, betwixt, learnt, burnt are Old English versions of the word, which are being replaced (slowly) by the more modern among, amid, while, dreamed, etc.
I live in Northern KY (Cincy area). I use amongst.
Lawrence, I told you before that as an American, I didn't know the meaning of the word "dodgey". I had heard it used on British TV as "a dodgey old man" and "look out for dodgey petrol". What kind of word would apply to an old man, and also apply to petrol/gasoline?
5:05 In GB there is _feckless_ but no _feck_ , but in Ireland they have kept the feck.
Oh I love that you used the word Voila! You should have spelled it out on the screen because a lot of Americans think the word is Walla 🤣
FWIW, there have been the rare occasion where amongst works in American English. "I found the paring knife amongst the random ends in the knife drawer". It's not used often, but I use it on random occasions like that. Never once has anyone remarked upon it, probably because my American friends heard "Among" when I said that.
Gormless is used in the US, but rarely and usually only in printed form. It's rare in speech. We tend to just use a more direct approach to describing someone who is a bit of an idiot.
As a side note, gormless is one of the few words I wish we would bring back into common use. Right along with words like 'bedight.'
For me, fish and chips will be called fish and chips, but a burger and fries will be a burger and fries. As for cheerio, as a child in the 70s, besides the cereal, in the upper midwest we used to refer to ice cream bars on a stick as cheerios.
Lost in the Pond making Americans smirk and snicker like adolescent boys since 2015!
Cornflour is a coarse flour made of Corn. If it's the starch on it's own, it's corn starch and potato Starch as an example. Potato flour is made of powdered starchy potatoes, as far as I'm concerned.
If the cornflour is without the starch it's called coarse maize or just ground corn.
In the Southern part of the USA, we use cornmeal as a primary kitchen staple for making cornbread. I've never even heard of corn flour before. We also use corn grits to make a breakfast porridge. Cornmeal is just ground up dried corn. There is a State Park (Tannehill) in Alabama that I've been to that, during some festivals, used to make stone ground cornmeal the old-fashioned way in the water mill using the old grindstone. I've bought some of it before and it was courser than the cornmeal that we buy in the grocery store.
Yes, you can't make anything from cornstarch alone like you can with the whole corn flour. The Brits used to call all grains "corn". Hard to know what they meant in early recipes.
We call it corn starch because it is literally starch from corn, also we alreadly have a separate producted called corn flour that's made of milled corn.
We're obsessed with Bob in the states too. The words thingamabob and the activity of bobbing for apples. Whoever Bob is probably hasn't slept for years, wondering about our obsession over him.
There’s a hamburger stand in Inglewood, CA called the Brolly Hut with a sign shaped like an umbrella. ☂
Here's a synonym for the word doddle: dawdle: "I don't want you dawdling while you making deliveries for Mrs. Ford." Means to lollygag, waste time, procrastinate.
"Bits and bobs" as i have heard it used, has more in common with "do-hickeys" difference being "Bits and bobs" the connotation to it referring to something less useful or less advanced. VS "Odds and ends" random house stuff (yes that coffee cup). The memo might be farther gone than you think.
I recently read that Bob's Your Uncle derived from a Prime Minister who appointed his nephew to a high-ranking position much to the dismay of the people. I'm sure the full story is available.
I read that too, years ago when I looked up the meaning. So I've always figured it meant, "a sure thing".
Cherrios was originally called Cherri Oats when it first came out in 1941. It only became Cheerios in 1945. Also in the 1960's Kellogg's had a similar cereal called OK's. They were basically Cherrios but shaped like O's and K's.
I use doddle as in “We’re just doddling around”. Same as “We’re just messing around”, or “Wasting time “.
"Amongst" is actually used, but it's considered "Bad English" by most journalists and writing manuals/style guides so I avoid it irregardless.
We use cornflour all the time.
If you've ever ordered pizza from Domino's, guess what, that's made from cornflour.
Also, the midwest is the cornbelt, so yea, cornflour is very common.
I never understood why there is an “among” and “amongst”. Same thing with “afterward” and “afterwards”. Apparently there is no difference. But I’ve taken it upon myself to MAKE a difference. From now on, I’ll use amongst & afterwards only when referring to singular things. And I’ll use among & afterward when referring to plural things. So…
John was amongst his friends and partied all night and left afterwards.
John’s friends were among another group of party goers and when the party ended, they all left afterward.
Afterwards is plural if words follow. “Afterwards we’re going to mamas house” or “we’re going to mamas house afterward”
Isn't it interesting that afterwards was for a single person and afterward worked for a group? Excellent point, well made.
It's a doddle =
- it's a snap
- it's a no-brainer
- easy-peasey
- it's a cakewalk
- it's a cinch
- it's a breeze
- it's child's play
- it's a piece of cake
- it's easy as pie
and others.
I love these.
I am familiar with yours that we don't use and have sort of maybe an idea what the meanings are. Kinda, not enough to explain them to someone else LOL. Thank you for explaining and I hope I will remember cuz yes I see/hear them. 😁
whilst
I grew up with grandparents & parents who would say "Quit doddling" or "lolly-gaggin'!" which meant better get your ducks in a row and get moving. What happened next if this was said was ironically an oxymoron as they side-tracked themselves to grab a belt, switch, or paddle.
"The Mexican Wave" has a controversial place of origin. Most sports experts say it originated in 1979/1980 in Seattle, Washington others say at El Estadio Azteca at the 1986 World Cup.
Maybe it's a southern thing, but I frequently use the word amongst and know a few other people who do as well. I'm not opposed to dropping the st, though: I just enjoy it and remember it from my childhood.
when i use these words, my fellow americans just call me fancy or think i'm being pretentious.
Right?! I use a majority of them lol
Ha! Let 'em!
Or just odd.
They just give me the 'Quit making me look stupid' look.. I never have to try very hard at it either. It's not my job to stop others from looking stupid.
I remember reading "corn flour" in a British mystery novel years ago and having to look it up.
"When my grandfather died, we didn't get the chance to say goodbye. It was all the more poignant as he drowned in a bowl of Cheerios"
- Milton Jones
🤣 laughing too hard to comment !!! 🤣🤣🤣
I'm American and pretty sure I have used amongst.
I have most definitely use Bob's your uncle!
The bit about Bob reminded me of Blackadder.
We do use the word "amongst", just not primarily. "Amongst other things" is something I use. Not sure why that word is on the list
We say cornmeal which is convenient because cornflour is a homonym of cornflower, a blue color men usually wear to church in the Spring.
Dawdle...to Lag Behind, to be doodling with something other than the assigned Task.
Sorry you are having a reaction to your booster. I hope you feel much better by tomorrow.
I thought (see the smoke?) "Bob's your uncle" had an origin to do with someone named Bob. I think a lot of us are aware of it but don't use it although I *did* hear it used on an TV show from the nineties.
The saying is bob's your uncle and fannys your aunt.
If you are an American stationed in England for awhile you do say cherrio when on the phone or leaving . I came home saying ta for thanks and my daughter who was born in England thought biscuits were all cookies !!!
Amongst--I think it's regional. In the Appalachian area it's fairly common.
I use six of the eight words regularly.
I use "doddle" with my kids to mean moving slow, lolly gagging, lagging.
I use “dawdle” (not doddle) to mean move slowly wasting time
The first time I had ever heard the Bob’s your uncle expression was in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie when Johnny Depp/Captain Jack said to Barbosa “ Bob’s your uncle, Fannie’s your Aunt, and there you are with two ships.” 😂