American English - British English

[Micah 16]

It's interesting to note that British English was used in the 2006 Trixie Awards (and probably the other ones, right?).

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: Micah 

It's interesting to note that British English was used in the 2006 Trixie Awards (and probably the other ones, right?).quote>

 

Well, this is a Canadian site and Canadians tend to put "u"s in the words like the Brits do.

[Odainsaker 2,137]

I'm not sure if this is representative of the British in general, but I once had a British calculus professor who insisted on using seemingly archaic words rather than words universally understood, just to torture us poor Americans.  Forget what they say about calculus, it is clear that mathematics is not the universal language.

1-1=0

Student:  One minus one equals zero.
Professor:  No, it's nought.
Student:  Uh, yes it is.
Professor:  It's nought.
Student:  Is!
Professor:  Nought!
Student:  Okay, you're the professor controlling my grades, we'll say one minus one does not equal zero.
Professor:  Don't be daft, it cannot not be nought!
Student:  What's not?
Professor:  Zero.
Student:  But, you've been saying it's not.
Professor:  Yes, it is.
Student:  Is what?  What is it then?
Professor:  It is nought.
Student:  I think I'm going to fail this class.

That was the easy class...the tenured Chinese calculus professor, probably to be mean, would mix into his differential equations traditional Chinese counting characters rather than the standardized arabic numerals, all while reading out the lecture using mandarin pinyin phonology.  Omigod, to an auditorium of Texas students, it was unintelligible, and we collectively agreed we would all fail.

[BurroDiablo 222]

Another word used differently is 'Apartment', in the UK we tend to call them 'Flats' or a 'Block of Flats'.

Apartment is becoming a popular word however... Flats tend to be Low Income housing were as Apartments tend to relate more to the contemporary expensive Housing Blocks that are being built accross the country e.g Londons Docklands.

[Barbarossa 51]

The math example above made me think of another, common difference, and I think it applies to the UK, like it does to the rest of Europe. This is the use of the comma, not the period, when showing decimals. For example,

UK: 10 000,54

US: 10,000.54

I like commas for whole numbers and periods for decimals... but that is what I am used to.

Barbarossa

[Meg 368]

British babies ride around in pushchairs.

American babies ride around in strollers.

[A Nonny Moose 8,263]

Originally posted by: SkiGeek

Originally posted by: Micah 

It's interesting to note that British English was used in the 2006 Trixie Awards (and probably the other ones, right?).quote>

 

Well, this is a Canadian site and Canadians tend to put "u"s in the words like the Brits do.quote>

A note on the terrible "u".  I do it, but Hansard does not.  Hansard is the official report of Parliament.  Someone took a look at all the disk storage taken up by the "u" words, and went to U.S. spelling.  It was a gLiberal government at the time, too!

I don't know if all the stuff archived on disk was changed at that time or not.  Considering the kind of concordance data base administrators are likely to set up, it was probably done.  Ecch!

Oh, and according to the music critic for the Times of London, one Bernard Shaw, the correct spelling of fish is ghoti.

[your_adress_here 11]

I SIT ON A CHESTERFIELD!

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: your_adress_here 

I SIT ON A CHESTERFIELD!quote>

 

Which, I believe, is a couch.

Now, what is a counterpane again?

[hym 358]

Originally posted by: SkiGeek

Originally posted by: your_adress_here 

I SIT ON A CHESTERFIELD!quote>

 

Which, I believe, is a couch.

Now, what is a counterpane again?quote>

Would that be a bedspread?

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: hym

Originally posted by: SkiGeek

Originally posted by: your_adress_here 

I SIT ON A CHESTERFIELD!quote>

 

Which, I believe, is a couch.

Now, what is a counterpane again?quote>

Would that be a bedspread? quote>

 

I believe so.  sounds like a weird kind of window to me 

[A Nonny Moose 8,263]

But your couch is a sofa.

[Craig-Abcvs 1,595]

Well as a Kiwi we have our own set of words too. We are probably more british due to our heritage but generally understand both american and British English.

Here are some good Kiwi words and sayings.

Jandals = Thongs (Australia) Flipflops (UK) (Jandal is actually a trademark - short for Japanese sandal) (? - US)

Togs = Cossie (Aust) swimming suit, bathing costume - but now we have boardies!

Rattle your dags = get a move on (refers to the sound that sheep dags (dried poo around the bottom) make when they are mustered by the shepherd)

Swandri (trademark) or "Swanny" - thick woollen bush shirt

Ute - (Utility) = Pickup truck (US) bucky (South Africa)

Traffic Light = Robot (South Africa)

Chilly Bin = Eski (Aust) Ice Chest

Cellphone / Mobilephone = Handphone

Marmite / Vegemite - black salty yeast extract that you put on bread or toast

[your_adress_here 11]

Chesterfield is Canadian.

[Duke87 1,070]

Originally posted by: abcvs

Jandals = Thongs (Australia) Flipflops (UK) (Jandal is actually a trademark - short for Japanese sandal) (? - US)quote>

The term "flip flops" is used here, too (two words, not one)... but 30 years ago, they were called "thongs"... now that word is reserved for something else.

Togs = Cossie (Aust) swimming suit, bathing costume quote>

Bathing suit. Or sometimes "swimsuit". Or, for a few people, "swim trunks".

Rattle your dags = get a move onquote>

Here we usually just say "move it" or "get moving".

Chilly Bin = Eski (Aust) Ice Chestquote>

We'd call that a "cooler"... because it cools....

[SpecialEddie 3]

I think this thread has gotten us all "counfoused"

[Joe 90 358]

Originally posted by: Barbarossa The math example above made me think of another, common difference, and I think it applies to the UK, like it does to the rest of Europe. This is the use of the comma, not the period, when showing decimals. For example,

UK: 10 000,54
US: 10,000.54

I like commas for whole numbers and periods for decimals... but that is what I am used to.

Barbarossaquote>

 
Admittedly I'm in one of the colonies (same one as abcvs, as it happens), but I have never seen anyone use a comma instead of a decimal point. I think the version you've quoted as 'US' is pretty much universal in English speaking countries.

Originally posted by: Duke87Here we usually just say "move it" or "get moving".quote>

So do we, usually

And does anyone in the US know what a gaol is?

This all reminded me of this piece written by the eminently sensible John Cleese:

To the citizens of the United States of America, in the light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective today.
Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories, except Utah, which she does not fancy. Your new prime minister (The Right Honourable Tony Blair, MP for the 97.85% of you who have until now been unaware that there is a world outside your borders) will appoint a minister for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire will be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

1. You should look up revocation in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up aluminium. Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'favour' and 'neighbour', skipping the letter 'U' is nothing more than laziness on your part. Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters. You will end your love affair with the letter 'Z' (pronounced 'zed' not 'zee') and the suffix -ize will be replaced by the suffix -ise. You will learn that the suffix '-burgh' is pronounced '-burra' e.g. Edinburgh. You are welcome to respell Pittsburgh as 'Pittsberg' if you can't cope with correct pronunciation.
Generally, you should raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. Look up vocabulary. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. Look up interspersed. There will be no more 'bleeps' in the Jerry Springer show. If you're not old enough to cope with bad language then you shouldn't have chat shows. When you learn to develop your vocabulary then you won't have to use bad language as often.

2. There is no such thing as "US English". We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of -ize.

3. You should learn to distinguish the English and Australian accents. It really isn't that hard. English accents are not limited to *****ney,upper-class twit or Mancunian (Daphne in Frasier). You will also have to learn how to understand regional accents - Scottish dramas such as Taggart will no longer be broadcast with subtitles. While we're talking about regions, you must learn that there is no such place as Devonshire in England. The name of the county is Devon. If you persist in calling it Devonshire, all American States will become shires e.g. Texasshire, Floridashire, Louisianashire.

4. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as the good guys. Hollywood will be required to cast English actors to play English characters. British sit-coms such as Men Behaving Badly or Red Dwarf will not be re-cast and watered down for a wishy-washy American audience who can't cope with the humour of occasional political incorrectness.

5. You should relearn your original national anthem, God Save The Queen, but only after fully carrying out Task 1. We would not want you to get confused and give up half way through.

6. You should stop playing American football. There is only one kind of football. What you refer to as American football is not a very good game. The 2.15% of you who are aware that there is a world outside your borders may have noticed that no one else plays American football. You will no longer be allowed to play it, and should instead play proper football. Initially, it would be best if you played with the girls. It is a difficult game. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which is similar to American "football", but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like nancies). We are hoping to get together at least a US Rugby sevens side by 2005. You should stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the 'World Series' for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.15% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders,your error is understandable. Instead of baseball, you will be allowed to play a girls' game called rounders, which is baseball without fancy team strip, oversized gloves, collector cards or hotdogs.

7. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry guns. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous in public than a vegetable peeler. Because we don't believe you are sensible enough to handle potentially dangerous items, you will require a permit if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

8. July 4th is no longer a public holiday. November 2nd will be a new national holiday, but only in England. It will be called Indecisive Day.

9. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and it is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean. All road intersections will be replaced with roundabouts. You will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and conversion tables. Roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

10. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips. Fries aren't even French, they are Belgian though 97.85% of you (including the guy who discovered fries while in Europe) are not aware of a country called Belgium. Those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut and fried in animal fat. The traditional accompaniment to chips is beer which should be served warm and flat. Waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers.

11. As a sign of penance 5 grams of sea salt per cup will be added to all tea made within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this quantity to be doubled for tea made within the city of Boston itself.

12. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all, it is lager. From November 1st only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. The substances formerly known as American Beer will henceforth be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, with the exception of the product of the American Budweiser company whose product will be referred to as Weak Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine. This will allow true Budweiser (as manufactured for the last 1000 years in Pilsen, Czech Republic) to be sold without risk of confusion.

13. From November 10th the UK will harmonise petrol (or gasoline, as you will be permitted to keep calling it until April 1st 2005) prices with the former USA. The UK will harmonise its prices to those of the former USA and the Former USA will, in return, adopt UK petrol prices (roughly $6/US gallon- get used to it).

14. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun.

15. Please tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us crazy.

16. Tax collectors from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all revenues due (backdated to 1776).

Thank you for your co-operation and have a great day. quote>

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: Joe 90

And does anyone in the US know what a gaol is?   quote>

It's a jail.

I'm reading a historical novel by Colleen McCullough about the early days of Botany Bay.    At least I thought that was what it was about.  

Turns out the first third is about the bizarre nature of 19th century English jurisprudence, the middle third about a gruesome voyage from England to Australia by way of Rio de Janeiro  and Cape Town.  I skipped most of that part (been there, read that in Roots).  

In the final third, they finally got to Australia and seemed surprised that here is yet another continent where the land is different from England.  (Ya woulda thunk the whole Mayflower thing might prepared them for that.)

She normally writes better books; I'm rather disappointed in this one.

This all reminded me of this piece written by the eminently sensible John Cleese:quote>

  First time I've seen "eminently senisble" and "John Cleese" in the same sentence.

My Brit friends sent me that essay a few years ago.  I told them we can't say who shot JFK because we have all been sworn to secrecy.    j/k

[GreekMan 246]

Man you Brits are funny!

Well you think we (Americans) are funny too!

the way we talk and pronounce stuff

gotta love the British ahhh yes

cherio!(what does that mean?)

[A Nonny Moose 8,263]

Meg, I rather enjoyed Logan's Run.  But I agree, it is a long way from First Man in Rome.

Anyone know the difference between a dock and a pier?

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: N_O_Body 

Meg, I rather enjoyed Logan's Run.  But I agree, it is a long way from First Man in Rome.quote>

Morgan's Run.   I haven't gotten to the Rome series yet.

Anyone know the difference between a dock and a pier?quote>

 

Um. . . boats hang out at docks but piers just go out into the water and are used for fishing and amusement rides but not boats?

[Deever 23]

cherio!(what does that mean?)quote>

Uhh. . . See you later and have fun?

. . . Oh, and don't forget elevator for Americans and lift for Englishmen!

[A Nonny Moose 8,263]

Originally posted by: SkiGeek

Originally posted by: N_O_Body 

Meg, I rather enjoyed Logan's Run.  But I agree, it is a long way from First Man in Rome.quote>

Morgan's Run.   I haven't gotten to the Rome series yet.

Anyone know the difference between a dock and a pier?quote>

 

Um. . . boats hang out at docks but piers just go out into the water and are used for fishing and amusement rides but not boats?quote>

Oops.  You are right.  It is Morgan's Run.  Logan's Run is an SF story.

When you do the Rome series, do all of it at once.  It is really just one long piece of historical fiction about four times as long as The Thorn Birds.

[Craig-Abcvs 1,595]

Do you wear your pants under your trousers or over your undies?

[DanWalker8 3]

is a "row" in British English like an argument or a ... tussle i love the word tussle.

[jammy 0]

yh a row is kind of an argument but you don't pronounce it like the american 'row house' (which is terrace house in the UK) you pronounce it likr... 'rahow'

o and...

AE

DUPLEX Semi-Detached

APARTMENT Flat

CLOVERLEAF JUNCTION Spaghetti Junction

and Iraq and Iran are pronounced differentley....

AE BE

eye-ran ir-ran

eye-raq ir-raq

AND OF COURSE THANKS FOR ALL THE REPLIES!!!!

[rct3twins 14]

how 'bout the difference between encyclopedia and encyclopaedia? Or minestron-e and minestrone?

[Gridlock 9]

you say either and i say either

you say neither and i say neither

either, either, neither, neither

let's call the whole thing off

you say tomato, i say tomato

you eat potato and i eat potato

tomato, tomato, potato, potato

let's call the whole thing off

I think its a song about a mixed Brit / American relationship. 1930 ,s