tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post7690750816335452179..comments2024-03-16T00:21:43.240+00:00Comments on Separated by a Common Language: top-ups and refillslynneguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-12938818879195732522020-08-16T10:10:45.460+01:002020-08-16T10:10:45.460+01:00BrE. I would top up a mobile phone, and for petrol...BrE. I would top up a mobile phone, and for petrol I would just “fill up”. But I take sweetener in my coffee. I know how much I have in a FULL cup, but find it quite difficult to judge how much to add to part of a cup. In America, I get some funny looks if I ask the waiter/waitress to wait until my coffee cup is completely empty before re-filling.<br /> I do understand the near constant re-filling of coke. It’s usually served in huge containers (glass or plastic) with about 90% ice. If you don’t refill in about five minutes, the ice melts and makes the coke undrinkable.Shy-replyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01891566073375322808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-34503522949011958902014-08-26T02:25:09.225+01:002014-08-26T02:25:09.225+01:00Here in Canada, it's quite commonsensical...I ...Here in Canada, it's quite commonsensical...I would like, or, can I have, a top up? (meaning there's still some in there. Or, can I get a refill? (if it's empty) Free refills are never top ups and top ups are never refills. There are, of course, variants on these. Some say top off instead. Some say (for coffee), could you warm this for me please. French is a whole different matter and I don't see much reference to it on this blog so I'll not get into it. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-43135928209565412362010-02-12T21:25:04.036+00:002010-02-12T21:25:04.036+00:00In my experience and usage, one tops off the gas t...In my experience and usage, one tops off the gas tank, the drink, etc, but only if there's already some of what was originally in there left. If it's empty (or very nearly empty), then it's a refill.<br /><br />Incidentally, I stumbled upon this blog today because my wife and I are traveling to London next week, and I was looking for pages with slang and colloquialisms that I could brush up on. Being a self-proclaimed word nerd, I find this blog to be a very fun read!Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06968011115791180655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-3340920094654652852010-02-11T17:34:45.351+00:002010-02-11T17:34:45.351+00:00I was raised in a Dutch area of Michigan and had n...I was raised in a Dutch area of Michigan and had never heard of mulled wine until I met my British (now ex) girlfriend. She would say 'top-up' in reference to her Oyster card or phone, where I probably would have said 'reload.' I had never heard 'top-up' before that, but it's a far more interesting term than 'refill' or 'reload'Ryannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-31007085543813011392010-01-06T17:53:33.096+00:002010-01-06T17:53:33.096+00:00Weighing in as an AmE speaker, I definitely would ...Weighing in as an AmE speaker, I definitely would say "top off" when asking for more coffee in a restaurant, particularly if the cup were still more than half-filled (at a lower level than that, I might start to ask for a "refill"). "Top off" is also used at (BrE)petrol / (AmE) gas stations to refer to the practice of squeezing a few additional squirts of fuel into the filler tube after the automatic hose shut-off has clicked (a practice discouraged due to the environmental hazard from increased risk of fuel spillage, but which is nevertheless rather common).<br /><br />And I concur with John Cowan that (BrE) topping up / (AmE) topping off alcoholic beverages is a recipe for drunkenness. In my youth I attended a reception hosted by the officers of the local Fijian Army base for the officers from my U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker where every American guest had a glass and every Fijian host had a pitcher of beer, and every time we took a sip one of the Fijians would "top it off". I have only cloudy memories of wandering the streets of Suva in an alcoholic fog subsequently.darcherdnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-40125855249717344802010-01-05T09:52:28.408+00:002010-01-05T09:52:28.408+00:00At parties in the UK (at least, the kind that I at...At parties in the UK (at least, the kind that I attend) unlimited top-ups of mulled wine can be deadly because the wine and spices may be cut/mixed with either orange juice or a spirit such as brandy - it's important to find out the recipe before it's too late!biochemistnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-44347729245789584242010-01-04T14:26:52.162+00:002010-01-04T14:26:52.162+00:00"But whenever it is served in the UK (in my n..."But whenever it is served in the UK (in my now-extensive experience of southern English Christmas parties), it is served in wine glasses. Is this a universal difference between the US and the UK, I wonder?"<br /><br />You clearly go to fancier parties than I do. It's almost always served in a plastic/paper cup when I have it.Ginger Yellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06103410278129312943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-83266367206823570092010-01-03T14:19:25.475+00:002010-01-03T14:19:25.475+00:00I'm just an (Am) statistic here: I'd top u...I'm just an (Am) statistic here: I'd top up a drink only if it were not entirely empty and the term "Top Up" for "add money" to my Virgin Mobile phone has always struck me as a Britishism. <br /><br />And I'd say New Yorkers have no trouble with the linked concepts of spiced wine, mulled wine, and gluhwein, and, in fact, it's 19F here and furiously windy and, well, is nine-fifteen in the morning too early?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-25981322897543297962010-01-03T01:13:20.272+00:002010-01-03T01:13:20.272+00:00If I heard "top-up," at least till now, ...If I heard "top-up," at least till now, I would assume I'd misheard and think it was "top off," which is what you normally hear in California. If your drink is empty, you'd ask for a refill. But if your half-drunk cup of coffee is cold, you might ask to have it topped off.<br /><br />The signs at gas stations say not to top off your tank, but the meaning there is slightly different (to fill the tank above the level where the pump shuts off).Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14376545097377854998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-14296274494044087422010-01-02T22:00:08.611+00:002010-01-02T22:00:08.611+00:00Here in Southern California I always got blank loo...Here in Southern California I always got blank looks from the waiters at my local coffee shop if I asked for a "top-up" of hot water in my tea: now I ask for a refill like everybody else.<br />I can also confirm that the expression "mulled wine" is not greatly understood here: when we have our annual pre-Christmas drinks party we end up explaining what it is more often than not. But, contrary to stereotype, we serve it in insulated cups or ceramic mugs.the_sybilnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-70599892779238095742010-01-02T21:35:12.119+00:002010-01-02T21:35:12.119+00:00@mollymooly, hi! A payphone is no more pay-in-adva...@mollymooly, hi! A payphone is no more pay-in-advance than is buying a Mars-bar at a shop. Sure, there's perhaps an infinitesimal time-lag between when my coin hits the assistant's hand and when he hands me the candy, and the bar may take me some time to eat, but I'm getting what I pay for as I pay for it. With the pay-phone, I'm connected pretty well as soon as my money is taken. If payphones were truly pay-in-advance, I could go next door to Oval tube-station here in London, put a pound in the slot and expect somehow to use that credit in a week's time. I can't. By contrast, I can put a pound of credit on my mobile/cellphone and use it next month. That's not pay-as-I-go; it's pay-before-I-use. This is why PAYG, though widely used and understood without any problem, is a misnomer.Paul Danonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04816761952837296368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-68652536717984782322009-12-31T17:57:01.117+00:002009-12-31T17:57:01.117+00:00Happy Hogmanay! (ScE)Happy Hogmanay! (ScE)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-92133932325039882952009-12-31T17:21:31.268+00:002009-12-31T17:21:31.268+00:00Happy New Year(BrE)s(AmE)!Happy New Year(BrE)s(AmE)!Roshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02669423378438380019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-71354522105513519672009-12-31T16:15:05.266+00:002009-12-31T16:15:05.266+00:00US: I never heard the term "top up" unti...US: I never heard the term "top up" until I heard it on my Virgin Mobile phone as an option. The faux friendliness of the recording makes me want to grind my teeth.<br /><br />Refill an empty, top off a partially empty.<br /><br />I've had mulled wine, never at my own house, only at parties at this time of the year (i.e., winter). I think John Cowan is right; topping off an alcoholic beverage makes it terribly hard to keep track of one's consumption.Roger Owen Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05298172138307632062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-11817299225071233722009-12-28T19:09:48.419+00:002009-12-28T19:09:48.419+00:00I agree with many that a refill is for an empty co...I agree with many that a refill is for an empty container. <br /><br />I live in the western U.S. and we typically top-off (not sure of the hyphenation). With coffee and possibly mulled wine, I'd ask if you wanted 'a warmer'. Not sure if i'd use this phrase for tea, since even though we make a pot of tea before work, it is a beverage that isn't so much topped off as refilled, if that makes sense. Possibly because it is often made in single-servings.hollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10096332421127152188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-68340326818715129162009-12-28T18:42:33.746+00:002009-12-28T18:42:33.746+00:00Oh and when you write: "The picture is a comm...Oh and when you write: "The picture is a common <b>site</b> in the windows of (BrE) corner shops and (BrE) petrol/(AmE) gas stations in the UK.)", I think you mean "sight." I see that more and more now that web "sites" are so frequently consulted and commented upon.Ken Broadhursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430899802705818716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-80403327773999533102009-12-28T18:25:55.856+00:002009-12-28T18:25:55.856+00:00I think "mulled" wine is often called &q...I think "mulled" wine is often called "spiced" or "hot spiced" wine in the U.S. In French it's <i>vin chaud</i>, or "hot wine."<br /><br />I'm from North Carolina, lived in Illinois, D.C., and California, and I say top it "off" rather than "up." I'd certainly understand if somebody asked to top up my coffee in a diner, but if I initiated the request I'd say "can I have a little more" rather than "can I have a refill."Ken Broadhursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430899802705818716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-65033589930743866182009-12-28T15:08:57.293+00:002009-12-28T15:08:57.293+00:00An visiting American friend (male, mid forties, fr...An visiting American friend (male, mid forties, from NJ) recently asked me (BrE) what mulled wine was. Knowing that he was of German immigrant origins, I began by saying it was similar to gluhwein, but alas this part of his cultural heritage was missing also. I wonder if Californians are familiar with mulled wine.Andy J (not to be confused with Andy JS)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-53947374663324689372009-12-28T13:17:30.748+00:002009-12-28T13:17:30.748+00:00@Paul Danon
A coinphone is also pay-in-advance; it...@Paul Danon<br />A coinphone is also pay-in-advance; it's just a smaller increment.mollymoolynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-70061608249857385832009-12-28T03:33:25.153+00:002009-12-28T03:33:25.153+00:00As a Canadian I would say top-up as well. We also...As a Canadian I would say top-up as well. We also serve mulled wine at Christmas (and Hallowe'en for chilly trick-or-treating), although I tend to serve it in ceramic wine glasses.<br /><br />With respect to your last post, we have icing sugar (made without any flour or additives), that is extremely fine, which we use to make icing. I don't think I have ever used the term frosting. I might clarify "cream-cheese icing" if I was to make icing for a carrot cake.Sonyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10422998326164147135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-56200628866112229522009-12-27T22:24:22.862+00:002009-12-27T22:24:22.862+00:00ObIrrelevant: I think it's an extremely bad id...ObIrrelevant: I think it's an extremely bad idea to add to a partly-empty alcoholic beverage under any circumstances, as it makes it impossible for people to track how many they've had, and therefore how much they can rely on their own judgment at present.John Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452247999156925669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-16064600414456061672009-12-27T22:17:46.639+00:002009-12-27T22:17:46.639+00:00In India, the waiters would ask if I wanted &quo...In India, the waiters would ask if I wanted "more wines?" Loved it. Still cracks me and my sister up.Anne-Marie Schultzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05059132292950169728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-40597952436048781612009-12-27T21:52:26.449+00:002009-12-27T21:52:26.449+00:00Of course, it's actually very bad form to impl...Of course, it's actually very bad form to imply that your guests are consuming anything at all. Etiquette dictates that the right way to ask someone if they want a third helping of spotted Dick is: "Would you care for some pudding?"Paul Danonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04816761952837296368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-34926931218630940542009-12-27T21:35:24.844+00:002009-12-27T21:35:24.844+00:00My experiences align with Tim Walters'. I'...My experiences align with Tim Walters'. I'm American - originally from New England, and would say and have heard "top-off" in that situation. Or maybe "top it off". Meaning fill it to the top when there is still some in it (coffee in mug, gas in tank, what have you).<br />Cheers!Maggienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-70789617309332668512009-12-27T19:43:13.634+00:002009-12-27T19:43:13.634+00:00Mrs Redboots kindly writes: "if you use Virgi...Mrs Redboots kindly writes: "if you use Virgin Mobile, as I do, it really can be Pay-as-you-go, since you can set up to pay monthly by direct debit, so you just pay for what you've used at the end of the month." and I must politely beg to differ. If one pays at the end of the month, one isn't paying as one goes any more than if one pays before consumption. In an English pub, you buy each round of drinks as you get them (in), which is paying as one goes. In other countries you get a bill/check at the end. At wedding-receptions the bride's father sometimes puts money behind the bar, meaning that a certain value of drinks is already paid for. Some time after his recklessly doing this (in my experience little more than half an hour), startled guests begin to be asked to pay (as they go!).<br /><br />Of course, usage is what matters in semantics so pity the poor lexicographer who has to explain that PAYG really means coughing-up the dosh before you've even been and gone.Paul Danonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04816761952837296368noreply@blogger.com