When I got the idea for this thread, I struggled with which category I should put it under at first.........Adult & Heated Debate was high on my list at first. But, I finally settled on Entertainment, because I was highly amused and entertained by a couple of English "gents" comments about the way we "Americans" compose our words.............so, here's your chance, gang on the other side of the big pond.............tell us Americans what drives you nuts about our version of the still very English, language!!
Analyzing the American language.............
by Sunnygal41 38 Replies latest social entertainment
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Englishman
Sunnygal,
I do believe that many of the words that Americans use -that we find so hilarious - were actually in full use in England before the Pilgrim fathers departed and it is actually us who have let many old words go.
Englishman.
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Gordy
Bill Bryson has written two good books about the American and English languages.
"Made in America" and "Mother Tongue"
These two books show that, as Englisman, says many of the words Americans use, where words we in England used years ago, but now been dropped.
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NewSense
Like the old saw says, "America and England are two nations divided by a common language." I find it very interesting how are there are so many "pitfalls" and traps Brits and Yanks can fall into when atempting to communicate with each other. There are so many differences in pronunciation, spelling and grammar. But what the most interesting differences, for me occur on the level of vocabulary. Often the people of the two nations on both sides of "The Pond" use entirely different words to designate the same thing. An even greater pitfall, I think, is when Americans and British use the same word to designate different things. For example, in America we use the word "suspenders" to designate the thing that holds up the pants of firemen (and other guys). But in England, I hear, the word "suspenders" is used for a woman's garter belt. Imagine the potential for misunderstandin if a gentleman were to enter a department store and inquire about "suspenders." By the way, what Americans call "suspenders", the British call "braces." But in America, "braces" are for teeth or polio victims.
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Englishman
They ought to at least keep their spelling in line with the Mother country.
I mean.....defense? It's defence!
And analyse...who put a Z (pronounced "zedd" not "zee") in it?
Tsk.
Englishman.
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DanTheMan
I do believe that many of the words that Americans use -that we find so hilarious - were actually in full use in England before the Pilgrim fathers departed and it is actually us who have let many old words go.
What words do we yanks use that the brits find hilarious? I'm like, totally curious!
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Sunnygal41
Dan, here are a couple of comments that were made by our Brit compatriots........I was totally fascinated, also, that is why I started this thread~
That doesn't make American's stupid, it's just that many English words are not used everyday.
Simon: They make up their own and just stick "ized" on the end of everything
Eman: Yeah..sort of Americanized.
Actually that's incorrect. Should be Americanised, of course.
Then the buggers stick S's where there should be C's!
No offen
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Englishman
What words do we yanks use that the brits find hilarious? I'm like, totally curious!
Ok, what about period?
We call it a full stop, to us a period refers usually to the menstrual cycle.
Or um..
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DanTheMan
who put a Z (pronounced "zedd" not "zee")
Ladies and gentleman, Zed Zed Top!!!!!
Oh, and by the way, the word is "aluminum", pronounced the same as it is spelled, not alyoomineum
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CaptainSchmideo
Oh, and by the way, the word is "aluminum", pronounced the same as it is spelled, not alyoomineum
AMEN!
And we do know how to pronounce 'nuclear' even if our current President doesn't.
And it's a Cookie Jar, not a Tin of Biscuits.
And we eat Potato Chips, not Crisps
And it's French Fries (oops, Freedom Fries, whatever), not Chips (or Pommes Frittes, or whatever).
It's a Parking Lot, not a Car Park
You put the spare in the trunk of the car, not the boot.
You check the engine under the hood, not the bonnet.
You fill the car with gas, not with petrol.
And it's a flashlight, not a torch, which is what the villagers chase the Frankenstein monster with.
And Iced Tea is delicious, as long as you get the right brew (Luzianne and Lipton are both good, and Typhoo is quite good on ice as well).
Englishman.