Arsenal@LHR From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2001, 7791 posts, RR: 22 Reply 2, posted (11 years 1 month 2 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 3115 times:
Can we assume which one is the "correct" english? For example should we say "Motorway" or "Highway". I dont think neither is wrong, just which one is more suitable to what we're describing.
Hepkat From Austria, joined Aug 2000, 2341 posts, RR: 2 Reply 3, posted (11 years 1 month 2 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 3120 times:
I believe English has the most words of any other language. I've forgotten the exact figure, which increases everyday, but I think it's somewhere around 100,000, can anyone verify that?
This is especially confusing to English speakers, who for every concept there exists a dozen words to describe it. Compare this to a language like French, which has much less words, and is therefore much more direct.
Arsenal@LHR From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2001, 7791 posts, RR: 22 Reply 4, posted (11 years 1 month 2 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 3124 times:
What about the english spoken in Canada? Is it the same as the english spoken in the US?
RogueTrader From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (11 years 1 month 2 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 3106 times:
Sooner or later, through tv and the internet, probably all of these differences will be eliminated eventually. Canada uses pretty much the same words as American English, although they have a few accents and expressions, like 'eh?'
The interesting thing, I think, is that you can usually tell what the other speaker is talking about even if you don't already know about the differences.
For instance, what Brits call a 'nappy' (the thing that infants wear before they're toilet trained) Americans call a 'diaper'. The word 'nappy' would otherwise have no meaning to an American. However, when you hear it used, 'nappy' just sounds like it could be a name for a diaper. Kind of like napkin, maybe. We kind of intuitively know what is being talked about.
Arsenal@LHR From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2001, 7791 posts, RR: 22 Reply 6, posted (11 years 1 month 2 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 3096 times:
Car = Automobile
Drink = Soda
Although car is commonly used in the US just as everywhere.
JetService From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 4798 posts, RR: 13 Reply 7, posted (11 years 1 month 2 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 3087 times:
Yyz717 From Canada, joined Sep 2001, 16001 posts, RR: 59 Reply 8, posted (11 years 1 month 2 weeks 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 3088 times:
I can see perhaps North American English becoming somewhat 'homogenized' within itself over time with the prolif of the internet & movement of people etc, but I don't see the variety & difference of slang terms & idioms betw American English & the Queen's English declining.....the US/Canada & the UK each have the critical mass & the geographic divide to remain distinct branches of English, so to speak.
IMHO.
Panam, TWA, Ansett, Eastern.......AC next? Might be good for Canada.
Yazoo From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 486 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (11 years 1 month 2 weeks 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 3082 times:
what's "kiss my ass" in british ? kiss me bottom ?
PROSA From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 5440 posts, RR: 5 Reply 12, posted (11 years 1 month 2 weeks 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 3062 times:
Accelerator
Gas Pedal
Accelerator sometimes is used in the United States. And gas pedal is sometimes shortened to gas ("step on the gas")
Arse
Ass
Youll hear arse in the United States, generally when the speaker is trying to be funny or sarcastic.
"Let me think about it" = the coward's way of saying "no"
PROSA From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 5440 posts, RR: 5 Reply 13, posted (11 years 1 month 2 weeks 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 3053 times:
Just from looking at the A-C section of that online dictionary, I can see a few examples with which I disagree (British word first, American second):
Bungalow
Single-storey house
Bungalow is used in the United States, to denote a certain style of house (one floor, large porch in front, most often built in the 1920's). And the preferred American term for what the British would call a bungalow is not single-story house (note the lack of an "e" in story), but ranch.
Cul-de-sac
Dead end
The real estate industry in the United State definitely prefers cul-de-sac, as you'll see on newspaper real estate listings, because the term dead end is considered to have negative connotations.
Curriculum vitae
Resume
Curriculum vitae, often expressed as C.V., is the preferred term in the medical field.
"Let me think about it" = the coward's way of saying "no"
Deltaflyertoo From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 1590 posts, RR: 1 Reply 14, posted (11 years 1 month 2 weeks 5 days ago) and read 3054 times:
I've also observed that when the English speak, they speak with full complete sentences. Us Americans tend to take a lazier approach and end sentences with prepositions, shorten our sentences and add a lot of slang.
I just got back from London and sat in different pubs listening to the accents. It was a great experience, I love the way the English speak.
Bmi330 From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2001, 1449 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (11 years 1 month 2 weeks 5 days ago) and read 3040 times:
I WOULD SAY IT DEPEND WHERE YOU COME FROM IN COUNTRY TO IN MOST INCTINSE IN THOSE EXAMPLES I WOULD USE THE UK ENGLISH BUT IN OTHER'S THE US ENGLISH MABE ITS MORE A REGIONAL THING?
JetService From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 4798 posts, RR: 13 Reply 18, posted (11 years 1 month 2 weeks 5 days ago) and read 3026 times:
I thought a single-story house was a 'ranch' and a bungalow was a small ranch (like a cottage).
Yazoo From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 486 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (11 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 3030 times:
Hurricane From United States of America, joined Feb 2002, 1440 posts, RR: 1 Reply 21, posted (11 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 3024 times:
No...we say condom here...Most people don't call it a rubber...
Trident3 From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2001, 1013 posts, RR: 3 Reply 23, posted (11 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 2986 times:
Anyone read Bill Bryson's The Lost Continent, it is all about how American English developed from the mother tounge.It also covers why we spell the same word differently ie centre/center
"We are the warrior race-Tough men in the toughest sport." Brian Noble, Head Coach, Great Britain Rugby League.
BNE From Australia, joined Mar 2000, 3156 posts, RR: 13 Reply 24, posted (11 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 2969 times:
Those Bill Bryson books about words are very funny, also his travel books are also good as well.
There are some words in both lists that Australians would use, I think we would use the American words more than the English equivalents.
To English or Americans on this forum would you not use the others words at some point.
Looking on the list;
I can't believe that Americans wouldn't use the word fortnight.
Why fly non stop when you can connect
25 PROSA: Looking on the list; I can't believe that Americans wouldn't use the word fortnight. I know, it's a useful term, if for no other reason than that most
26 PROSA: Us Americans tend to take a lazier approach and end sentences with prepositions I don't know where we got that practice from. I've already heard about
27 Trident3: SOME GUIDELINES FOR ASPIRING WRITERS Prepositions are not words to end sentences with. And don’t start a sentence with a conjunction. It is wrong to
28 SEVEN_FIFTY7: All of that is hilarious Trident3! Unfortunately, I'm willing to bet half of the readers here failed to recognize the humor.
29 Air Taiwan: I think most people got it! Even I've got it!:D
30 Vickybiccy: I've only been to the US once but there was one phrase that really got me! "Stop it, already" That would never be used in Britain.(not that I know of
31 LH423: Another one: OI! (UK/Australia) Hey! (US/Canada) LH423
32 EWRvirgin: PROSA, Depending on the context in which bi-weekly is used, it can mean every two weeks or twice a week.
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kiss me bottom ?
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!!! hahahahahaha
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