USA: ground UK: floor?

RebornRider

Well-known member
May 31, 2019
635
657
NorCal USA
The presenters on GCN, GMBN, and EMBN use the word floor where I (as a USA guy) would use the word ground. Is floor used in that context:
  • proper UK English?
  • general UK slang
  • UK mtb'er slang?
  • other?
 

04fuxake

Active member
Feb 12, 2018
321
205
Porirua, NZ
Personally, speaking NZ english, I'd say "ground" means outside and "floor" means inside. The floor sits atop the ground.

For example, if someone said to me: "I dropped my ice cream on the ground", I would assume they were outside. Likewise, if they said "I dropped my ice cream on the floor", I'd assume they were inside.
 
Last edited:

RebornRider

Well-known member
May 31, 2019
635
657
NorCal USA
Personally, speaking NZ english, I'd say "ground" means outside and "floor" means inside. The floor sites atop the ground.

For example, if someone said to me: "I dropped my ice cream on the ground", I would assume they were outside. Likewise, they if they said "I dropped my ice cream on the floor", I'd assume they were inside.
Same in the US. Floor is inside, ground is outside. But the presenters I mentioned use floor to refer to what we in the US call the ground.
 

Voluptua

Active member
Oct 4, 2020
103
65
United Kingdom
I'm a UK chap, and I'm with you: ground is outside and floor inside. So it feels sloppy to say "floor" in a biking context.

Floor can be a verb - he floored it (in a car, accelerating fast), he floored him (knocked him to the floor/ground in a fight).

Of course "ground floor" is the floor in a building that's level with outside. And "first floor" is the one above that, which is where the USA just gets it wrong.
 

Nicho

Captain Caption
Subscriber
Jan 4, 2020
1,048
1,923
Furness, South Cumbria.
I'm a UK chap, and I'm with you: ground is outside and floor inside. So it feels sloppy to say "floor" in a biking context.

Floor can be a verb - he floored it (in a car, accelerating fast), he floored him (knocked him to the floor/ground in a fight).

Of course "ground floor" is the floor in a building that's level with outside. And "first floor" is the one above that, which is where the USA just gets it wrong.

i think there is a floor in your arguement.
 

Supratad

Well-known member
Nov 13, 2019
393
306
North Yorkshire, UK
I'm a UK chap, and I'm with you: ground is outside and floor inside. So it feels sloppy to say "floor" in a biking context.

Floor can be a verb - he floored it (in a car, accelerating fast), he floored him (knocked him to the floor/ground in a fight).

Of course "ground floor" is the floor in a building that's level with outside. And "first floor" is the one above that, which is where the USA just gets it wrong.
When Darenth Valley hospital opened in Dartford, there were 5 floors even though it was only a 2 storey building. Some bright spark decided that certain wings would be numbered by floors. It worked soooo-welllll they had to employ concierges to direct people as the map was incomprehensible.
Like in the US , the entrance was floor 1.
Ridiculous.
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
Author
Subscriber
Mar 29, 2018
10,496
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the internet
general UK slang
There's not really such thing as "general" UK slang.
Accents, words, meanings and coloquialisms change every few square miles in the UK.
for example: around here (south east of Scotland) the word floor would be pronounced "flair" and the word ground "Grund" or "groond"
where as someone from London would say "flooooh" or "floh-wah" and "Grehnd" or "Grawnd"
No one really cares about the folk between here and London so your guess is as good as mine as to how they might pronounce either ;)
 

Tim1023

Well-known member
Aug 25, 2020
660
584
Hamburg, Germany
There's not really such thing as "general" UK slang.
Accents, words, meanings and coloquialisms change every few square miles in the UK.
for example: around here (south east of Scotland) the word floor would be pronounced "flair" and the word ground "Grund" or "groond"
where as someone from London would say "flooooh" or "floh-wah" and "Grehnd" or "Grawnd"
No one really cares about the folk between here and London so your guess is as good as mine as to how they might pronounce either ;)
Maybe a discussion about apples and pairs to get between the floh-wahs would be too confoosin'?

By the way, for the funniest clip about the London accent ever, watch this at 12:10:
 

B1rdie

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
Feb 14, 2019
892
1,093
Brazil
So the floor stands and floor pumps, like the threads ar the bottom of this page should be used inside only? And what hurts more, hitting the ground or the floor (uncarpeted)…
 

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
8,929
9,266
Lincolnshire, UK
I thought it was an elevated wooden "patio". But I live with a Kiwi, and apparently "deck" means something very different and can be used as an insult....
To "deck" someone (as in hit them hard enough to put them on the floor).
Or to "floor" someone (as in hit them hard enough to put them on the deck, or maybe surprise them enough to put them on the floor).
 

Nicho

Captain Caption
Subscriber
Jan 4, 2020
1,048
1,923
Furness, South Cumbria.
When Darenth Valley hospital opened in Dartford, there were 5 floors even though it was only a 2 storey building. Some bright spark decided that certain wings would be numbered by floors. It worked soooo-welllll they had to employ concierges to direct people as the map was incomprehensible.
Like in the US , the entrance was floor 1.
Ridiculous.

Obviously a floored design!
 

Rosemount

E*POWAH Elite
May 23, 2020
822
1,747
Qld Australia
The presenters on GCN, GMBN, and EMBN use the word floor where I (as a USA guy) would use the word ground. Is floor used in that context:
  • proper UK English?
  • general UK slang
  • UK mtb'er slang?
  • other?

It`s slang .
A floor is above the ground . High rise buildings have multiple floors .
They say in the game of cricket ; keep the ball on the floor . Even though it is played outdoors on a field .

Another use is floored . He punched the opposition player so hard he floored him . Even though he fell on the ground of the playing field .
 

Tim1023

Well-known member
Aug 25, 2020
660
584
Hamburg, Germany
Being "grounded" is definitely not the same as being " floored".

Isn't the English language wonderful! :love:
German is fun too! There's a false friend between English and German, Flur. Sounds pretty much the same as floor and means corridor. When my wife first came to the UK, she used to tell people "we had a quick meeting on the floor". People assumed she was very friendly.
 

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