Britspeak vs Americanese

[Kathryn]

Remember - we just CALL the language "English." That doesn't mean that American English is any less "valid" than UK English. Both types continue to evolve and change over time - it's simply the nature of any language. One "version" is not superior to the other, regardless of whether or not the people who speak the language agree!

 

[Mathematician]

I find UK English irksome in its application of ou. Color sounds different than contour. Neither system is better than the other, but that's just my personal tastes.

Plus "Cookie Monster" (RIP) sounds better than "Chip Monster."

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

(British ---> American)
[...]
"Where's the loo/washroom?" ---> "Where's the restroom?"

I guess this shows a different sense of priorities. When a Briton (or a Canadian) would be actually washing in the washroom, an American is merely resting.

"Spud" ---> "Potato"

Wait - don't Americans call them "spuds", too? I thought that was universal.

And yet they switch the "e" and "r" around in words like theater to theatre, center to centre, etc. even though it's not phonically correct. You don't pronounce retard as "ertard", for example. And what's up with unnecessary vowel usage when it comes to adding "u" after "o" in a lot of words.

The final "e" in "centre", "theatre" and "litre" is silent, if that helps you to pronounce it.

But it's not like English doesn't have more non-standard pronunciations than you can shake a stick at anyhow.

In both cases the -er spelling is the older English spelling. The frenchified spelling is something that came in at during a period of scholarly insanity, along with other nonsense like the rule that you should never end a sentence with a preposition.

Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I shall not put!

 

[Valjean]

Smoke makes a good point. The British don't often realise that as recently as century ago they spelt (spelled?) "realise," for example, with a "z" (zee? zed?) -- as the 'colonists' still do. similar situation with got/gotten, and, I suspect, spelt/spelled.
Try asking a Londoner the difference between "wrath" and "wroth." I've heard Brits refer to the Steinbeck novel as "The Grapes of Wroth" several times.
In many ways N. American is the more conservative dialect. Brits keep simplifying English and coming up with new and trendy innovations, then mistaking the new forms for traditional, "proper" English.

 

[Comicaze247]

I guess this shows a different sense of priorities. When a Briton (or a Canadian) would be actually washing in the washroom, an American is merely resting.

Badum-dum-tss!

Though I do agree

Wait - don't Americans call them "spuds", too? I thought that was universal.

Yeah, we do use the word, but that's not the main word that we use for it. I ran into a couple English girls and they acknowledge it's a potato, but they just call it a spud. They also think it's funny that we Americans pronounce 'potato' with a 'd'. "Poh-tay-doh" I can see what she means.

 

[Mathematician]

Wait - don't Americans call them "spuds", too? I thought that was universal.

While technically correct, it's so rarely used that most Americans wouldn't have a clue what you're saying. Especially in the South.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Yeah, we do use the word, but that's not the main word that we use for it. I ran into a couple English girls and they acknowledge it's a potato, but they just call it a spud. They also think it's funny that we Americans pronounce 'potato' with a 'd'. "Poh-tay-doh" I can see what she means.

Hmm. I thought Americans generally pronounced "potato" with a silent "po" and pronouncing the final "o" as "er".


BTW: as any local can tell you, the second T in "Toronto" is silent.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

While technically correct, it's so rarely used that most Americans wouldn't have a clue what you're saying. Especially in the South.

Reminds me of my Dad telling me about the odd looks he'd get from waitresses in South Carolina when he'd ask for a serviette.

 

[Comicaze247]

Hmm. I thought Americans generally pronounced "potato" with a silent "po" and pronouncing the final "o" as "er".

Yeah, I believe that happens too. But America has a loooot of different accents across the country.

Bostonian, they tend to remove 'r's from words, and add some to words that don't normally have them.
"car" ---> "cah"
"data" ---> "dayter"
and so on

Then there's New York, with the Italian influence.
Southern California, with the Mexican Spanish influence (as I'd imagine with other southern border states).
Hawaii, with, of course, the Hawaiian language influence.
And so on.

BTW: as any local can tell you, the second T in "Toronto" is silent.

For the most part, it's the same here. Same way "want to" became "wanna"

Linguistics is fun, lol

 

[Comicaze247]

Reminds me of my Dad telling me about the odd looks he'd get from waitresses in South Carolina when he'd ask for a serviette.

Serviette? Napkin?

 

[Valjean]

I like to call them earth-apples -- but that's just me....

 

[Smoke]

Wait - don't Americans call them "spuds", too? I thought that was universal.

You call taters spuds?

 

[Panda]

How so?

I've always heard them pronounced the same way myself, especially considering they're often used to refer to the same thing.

It is exactly the same thing, different spelling. Aussies spell it Centre but pronounce it as 'center' so I am not sure what Panda means. Unless he is refering to the fact that Brits and Aussies pronounce both as 'centaa'...

I've always pronounced it centre with a "tir" sound at the end not a "ter" sound.

 

[Panda]

Remember - we just CALL the language "English." That doesn't mean that American English is any less "valid" than UK English. Both types continue to evolve and change over time - it's simply the nature of any language. One "version" is not superior to the other, regardless of whether or not the people who speak the language agree!

No no no Kathryn you are borrowing it from us, we've been running up your bill for a while now for the usage rights

 

[Panda]

I like to call them earth-apples -- but that's just me....

One of my favourite French words, Pomme de terre!

 

[Smoke]

I've always pronounced it centre with a "tir" sound at the end not a "ter" sound.

For the vast majority of Americans, those are the same sound.

 

[Smoke]

No no no Kathryn you are borrowing it from us, we've been running up your bill for a while now for the usage rights

I've never met a Scot yet whose accent was any closer to the Queen's than mine is.

 

[Panda]

I've never met a Scot yet whose accent was any closer to the Queen's than mine is.

I was just thinking of the hypocrisy of what I was saying earlier actually but you know any excuse to have a wee dig at the Americans is a good one for me and for once I feel I should be on the side of the English I mean come on I support everybuttheenglish at every other opportunity. Go USA, Algeria and Slovenia you can do it!

To be honest you probably have a much easier to understand accent than I do

 

[tumbleweed41]

When I lived in England, the first time a girl gave me her address and told me,'Why don't you come by and knock me up in the morning.", I almost choked.

Amercanise
"Knock me up", get her pregnant.
Britanise
"Knock me up", come visit.

 

[Smoke]

To be honest you probably have a much easier to understand accent than I do

Maybe, but I love those Scottish accents. Even sexier than Irish and Yorkshire accents.