Are there idioms specific to one English dialect? [closed]
Let's get into a little conversation about the differences between American English, British English and regional dialects. Some words are specific to certain dialects (lass is Scottish, the lads is British, etc.). Some words take different meaning (theatre vs. cinema to mean “movie theatre”). Pronunciation is obviously different, and spelling can be (neighbour/or, gray/grey, etc.).
What I wonder is this: are there some specifically British (or American, or whatever) idioms. I don't see why there shouldn't be, but I can't think of a single one right now. So, can you come forward with such idioms with the following constraints:
- the individual words do not markedly belong to one dialect
- it does not refer to a specific cultural element: geographic place, local dish, …
It would be fun to have some from a wide variety of English dialects, to broaden the perspective.
Edit: to clarify, an idiom in this question has the meaning of “a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words”
Solution 1:
It's hard to be able to identify idioms specific to one english dialect, since either you're not of the region and you are consequently familiar with few such idioms or you are of the region and you aren't able to determine whether or not it's used outside of your home town.
I come from the Southern United States, and I'll share a few idioms that may (or may not) be particular to that particular region:
- How about them apples? (What you think about that? or How about that?")
- Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit! (I can't believe it!)
- Well, color me stupid! (What was I thinking? or Agh! I'm such an idiot!)
- Bless your heart! (Oh poor thing!)
- Dumber than a box of rocks. (I think meaning is evident here o.O)
- Meaner than a sack full of rattlesnakes. (Nice way to call a child a pest)
These are the ones I've grown up with more frequently, though there are lots more here if you're interested.
Solution 2:
I grew up in Glasgow, Scotland. One that always amused me was the phrase "your bum is hanging out the window", pronounced "Yer bum's hingin' oot the windae", which means roughly "you don't know what you are talking about", or "you are talking nonsense." Occasionally, and sarcastically you might hear a Glaswegian say, in an affected way, "Your posterior has been defenestrated", Which means, basically the same thing.
Solution 3:
An excellent example of this can be found in Cockney rhyming slang. These are formed by joining two words, such that the intended meaning is a word that rhymes with the second one in the expression, e.g.:
- trouble and strife (wife)
- frog and toad (road)
- apple and pears (stairs)
There is no equivalent of it, to my knowledge, in US English.