I have a question college/university studies; I don’t really know how these are organized in the U.S. I mean, is it normal to have maybe one or two days a week with no classes, when you’re supposed to study by yourself (in theory) but you can do whatever you feel like because there’s no supervision ( Read more... )

Quick question-do men call them swimshorts in America? Or could I go with trunks?

So, how long would a divorce take in America? Would the two people actually have to see each other or could she just mail him some papers or something? They split amicably, and he doesn't want any of their things nor do they have any kids, which I think would make things easier?

Would an American character describe a small/short/petite person as "pint-sized", or is this a British-ism that doesn't translate? If this term wouldn't be used, what affectionate terms might be used to describe someone who was short? In this case it's a petite girl in her early twenties being described by a man in his mid-thirties, if that makes ( Read more... )

The thing in the kitchen for keeping food in (not the fridge - the other one) - what's it called?

I'd say "pantry", but I'm not sure my California character would say that...

Hello, all. Once again I, a New England American, turn to this community for US West Coast help ( Read more... )

... in the sense of stuff, equipment for a specific purpose like camping.

If not, what would they use, eg. in the sentence "It wasn't like him to lose a bit of kit."

ETA: thanks all!

Do Americans use the euphemism 'water under the bridge' for things that have occured in the past and are no longer worth worrying about? Or is there another phrase that they'd use?

Does this sound correct to you?

“Lyle, can’t you see I’m busy?” his mother says and nods impatiently toward the front door, while she puts on the pot-holder* to take the baking plate** out of the oven. * What I was looking for was actually a word for the big mittens you put on to protect your hands from hot things in the kitchen. I didn’t find any ( Read more... )

Hi, what a good community this seems to be! I’m Swedish, and I have just recently started writing fanfiction (Heroes mostly). I have been on LJ for almost two years now, but I have never really worried much about how I write my journal (probably an ugly mix of American and British English, with strange grammar mistakes here and there), but now that ( Read more... )