Britishisms in Stories About Americans, and Vice-Versa

[SimonDoom]

However I understand a ‘block’ in Australia is a piece of land, so that would confuse our US cousins

I'm curious about this. In the US, a "block" typically means a piece of urban or residential land with streets on all four sides of it. "Around the block" means walking all four streets around the block of land.

Or it can mean the length of a street between two other streets that intersect it. To "walk 10 blocks" means to walk along a street past 10 intersecting streets.

Is that what it means in Australia? Or is it something different?

 

[oggbashan]

I'm curious about this. In the US, a "block" typically means a piece of urban or residential land with streets on all four sides of it. "Around the block" means walking all four streets around the block of land.

Or it can mean the length of a street between two other streets that intersect it. To "walk 10 blocks" means to walk along a street past 10 intersecting streets.

Is that what it means in Australia? Or is it something different?

That sort of block has no meaning in the UK. Our street layouts are old, often medieval or even Roman. Right angles on streets are uncommon in older towns and cities. Turn left four times and you won't necessarily be back where you started. My town is different. It wasn't developed until the 1830s and was generally to a rectangular design but it has some oddities like 'Sea Street' which doesn't get to the sea because it was named after Sea Farm, and 'Beach Street' which stops short of the beach, and squares which aren't because they run out of money to build all four sides...

 

[ElectricBlue]

I'm curious about this. In the US, a "block" typically means a piece of urban or residential land with streets on all four sides of it. "Around the block" means walking all four streets around the block of land.

Or it can mean the length of a street between two other streets that intersect it. To "walk 10 blocks" means to walk along a street past 10 intersecting streets.

Is that what it means in Australia? Or is it something different?

That's the same as an Oz urban block, yes. But we still refer to a "standard quarter acre block" which would be the land a single house sits on. A rural block, however, is a chunk of land under one title, often many acres in size.

 

[oggbashan]

That's the same as an Oz urban block, yes. But we still refer to a "stanard quarter acre block" which would be the land a single house sits on. A rural block, however, is a chunk of land under one title, often many acres in size.

Some of my Australian relations live on standard size suburban quarter-acre blocks. When I was at school in Australia, most of my fellow classmates had quarter-acre blocks that their parents had bought for them, to be built on when the children were adults and setting up home. (or part exchanged for existing dwellings).

But my NSW and NT relations had far bigger blocks. In NSW their holding was about 10,000 acres with old and new farmhouses, each of which took up more land space than a quarter-acre. IN NT the relations were constantly acquiring more and more land. When I left Australia they had about 120,000 acres. Now? Over 200,000, almost all of it absolutely useless.

 

[KeithD]

That sort of block has no meaning in the UK.

My Collins English Dictionary (British style) gives as the seven definition of the noun "block" "area enclosed by intersecting streets."

 

[Kumquatqueen]

My Collins English Dictionary (British style) gives as the seven definition of the noun "block" "area enclosed by intersecting streets."

Sure, we understand that definition and even say occasionally "I'm going for a walk round the block" or "there's a Pret in the next block,.next to Boots," but we have no idea of a block as a measure of distance even in a designed 'new town' like Milton Keynes, and unless you live on my street, you will have no idea whether a 'walk round the block' is a one-minute or one-hour task. It's probably a euphemism for a fag break, admittedly.

(What do Americans say when they are sneaking out for a cigarette?)

Whether a block would have any generic meaning would be incredibly location-specific - you'd usually have to specify: 'you know that block with the church, that's got the cheap carpet shop and that tat shop and what used to be the Kings' Arms? Well, they want to knock it down for flats."

 

[KeithD]

Sure, we understand that definition and even say occasionally "I'm going for a walk round the block" or "there's a Pret in the next block,.next to Boots," but we have no idea of a block as a measure of distance even in a designed 'new town' like Milton Keynes, and unless you live on my street, you will have no idea whether a 'walk round the block' is a one-minute or one-hour task. It's probably a euphemism for a fag break, admittedly.

(What do Americans say when they are sneaking out for a cigarette?)

Whether a block would have any generic meaning would be incredibly location-specific - you'd usually have to specify: 'you know that block with the church, that's got the cheap carpet shop and that tat shop and what used to be the Kings' Arms? Well, they want to knock it down for flats."

My response was to "has no meaning in the UK" (as directly quoted). It's in a UK dictionary with that as a meaning. Not being drawn into relocating goal posts.

 

[oggbashan]

My Collins English Dictionary (British style) gives as the seven definition of the noun "block" "area enclosed by intersecting streets."

Yes, but...

We don't have the same meaning as in the US (or Australia). It is a much less definite term. A block of flats (apartments)? Yes. A block as a part of a town? Less likely.

 

[jaF0]

I'm curious about this. In the US, a "block" typically means a piece of urban or residential land with streets on all four sides of it. "Around the block" means walking all four streets around the block of land.

Or it can mean the length of a street between two other streets that intersect it. To "walk 10 blocks" means to walk along a street past 10 intersecting streets.

Is that what it means in Australia? Or is it something different?

My take on it is their 'block' is our plot, lot, property or acreage.

 

[SamScribble]

It is a much less definite term. A block of flats (apartments)? Yes. A block as a part of a town? Less likely.

And, of course, in UK we also have 'mansion blocks' - usually a collection of flats (apartments) in some large, often re-purposed building.

[The old hospital] ‘will be converted into a mansion block, with as many of the original features that are left as possible.’

Talk to your friendly estate agent. Oh, no - that would be your realtor, wouldn't it?

 

[oggbashan]

Thinking about it further:

We might say 'We lived IN the same block' - of flats (apartments) or student units, but not ON.

If we lived in the same street, road, etc, we could be ON (or in) the same street, but not on a block in that street unless it was flats.

 

[ElectricBlue]

120,000 acres. Now? Over 200,000, almost all of it absolutely useless.

I doubt that very much. There'll be something under it for someone, eventually. Australia is basically a mine with a thin coating of scrub. It'll get dug up sooner or later.

 

[Rustyoznail]

“I went a couple of blocks down to meet a friend who lives in the new block of flats. He’d bought a new car that got’s got a big block in it, so he fired it up and we went for a quick spin around the block. We stopped and picked up his girlfriend and headed out to her Nan’s place in Black Rock. She’s a tough old bird. Regularly beats off developers with her walking stick. They swarm like locusts because she still has one of the few original undeveloped half acre blocks around. It’d be worth a few bob.”

All pretty straight forward…

 

[ElectricBlue]

“I went a couple of blocks down to meet a friend who lives in the new block of flats. He’d bought a new car that got’s got a big block in it, so he fired it up and we went for a quick spin around the block. We stopped and picked up his girlfriend and headed out to her Nan’s place in Black Rock. She’s a tough old bird. Regularly beats off developers with her walking stick. They swarm like locusts because she still has one of the few original undeveloped half acre blocks around. It’d be worth a few bob.”

All pretty straight forward…

You forgot to put the car up on blocks once some bastard stole the wheels. Shitty neighbourhoods, every town's got one!

 

[yowser]

“I went a couple of blocks down to meet a friend who lives in the new block of flats. He’d bought a new car that got’s got a big block in it, so he fired it up and we went for a quick spin around the block. We stopped and picked up his girlfriend and headed out to her Nan’s place in Black Rock. She’s a tough old bird. Regularly beats off developers with her walking stick. They swarm like locusts because she still has one of the few original undeveloped half acre blocks around. It’d be worth a few bob.”

All pretty straight forward…

Block head.

 

[SimonDoom]

Attack the Block is a great comedy-sci fi movie, set in London. Came out about 10 years ago. So what exactly does "block" mean in that title? Neighborhood?

 

[Bramblethorn]

I'm curious about this. In the US, a "block" typically means a piece of urban or residential land with streets on all four sides of it. "Around the block" means walking all four streets around the block of land.

All how many streets?

The city centres usually have more of a rectangular grid pattern to them, but out in Australian residential areas a "block" in that "island surrounded by road" sense might be bounded by anywhere between one and... many... streets, and the size is highly variable. So it's not a very useful way to describe distances etc. unless talking about a specific block that both speaker and listener are familiar with.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Attack the Block is a great comedy-sci fi movie, set in London. Came out about 10 years ago. So what exactly does "block" mean in that title? Neighborhood?

Given the cast on the box cover are standing in front of a block of flats, it'd be that.

We don't really say 'neighbourhood' to mean the local area (except 'there goes the neighborhood!' or Neighbourhood Watch) - you'd say area, or possibly postcode, part of town.

 

[XerXesXu]

Attack the Block is a great comedy-sci fi movie, set in London. Came out about 10 years ago. So what exactly does "block" mean in that title? Neighborhood?

Project, singular of 'projects'.

 

[jaF0]

Attack the Block is a great comedy-sci fi movie, set in London. Came out about 10 years ago. So what exactly does "block" mean in that title? Neighborhood?

Anything like The 'Burbs?

 

[Vivien_D]

Umm, OK. Glad to be the reason for you to register an alt just to post to this.

BBC monitoring, in Caversham Park since WWII. Recently closed down.

Hey, it's not an alt. man.

 

[PennameWombat]

Attack the Block is a great comedy-sci fi movie, set in London. Came out about 10 years ago. So what exactly does "block" mean in that title? Neighborhood?

It's been mentioned, but a 'block of flats,' or to translate, a high-rise apartment building in a small complex of such. Can also imply what in the US we'd call 'the projects,' subsidized housing for lower-income residents. But not all residents are such and this one is certainly well off the bottom rung. But it's certainly not luxury housing either. But more specific than 'neighbo(u)rhood.'

Anything like The 'Burbs?

I assume you mean the old Tom Hanks movie. Only a kind of thematic level. Both are about residents of a defined area coming together to defend their homes and way of life against (what they perceive as) outside threats. I believe each also play off of various stereotypes about their locations that most viewers (Brits on one, Americans on the other) would bring to the movie.

But I think Attack the Block more effectively transcends those stereotypes while the ending of The 'Burbs is so utterly telegraphed that you could've left ten minutes in and still do an accurate and full recap.

I highly recommend you search out Attack the Block. It also stars a young John Boyega, who does an incredible job in the role.

 

[MadeleineSinha]

It's been mentioned, but a 'block of flats,' or to translate, a high-rise apartment building in a small complex of such. Can also imply what in the US we'd call 'the projects,' subsidized housing for lower-income residents. But not all residents are such and this one is certainly well off the bottom rung. But it's certainly not luxury housing either. But more specific than 'neighbo(u)rhood.'



I assume you mean the old Tom Hanks movie. Only a kind of thematic level. Both are about residents of a defined area coming together to defend their homes and way of life against (what they perceive as) outside threats. I believe each also play off of various stereotypes about their locations that most viewers (Brits on one, Americans on the other) would bring to the movie.

But I think Attack the Block more effectively transcends those stereotypes while the ending of The 'Burbs is so utterly telegraphed that you could've left ten minutes in and still do an accurate and full recap.

I highly recommend you search out Attack the Block. It also stars a young John Boyega, who does an incredible job in the role.

Also, anything featuring Nick Frost is worth seeing

 

[PennameWombat]

Also, anything featuring Nick Frost is worth seeing

Big up to that

 

[jaF0]

Got binned, gets binned, binned it ......

vs.

Tossed in the trash, trashed, thrown away.