I knew citizens of the US used different words for a car mudguard, a bumper bar and a glove box. Pull the hood or bonnet. I knew they spelt colour as color. Wow, spell checker is not happy with color. I must have an English or Australian spell checker.
The battle with the great nieces of the Americanisation of our language is futile. No matter how many times old Aunty Andrew asks them to press the lift button, they will reply with, the elevator has arrived.
Over the years of blogging, differences I have learnt have really surprised me, such as the alt spelling of the word offence/offense. I was truly shocked at mould/mold. I had no idea. Now I wonder if in the US a mould or mold is used for a sculpture. I am reading a book set in India at the moment, a former English colony so I expected the spelling would be English English but it isn't. 'Wrong' spelling abruptly distracts me when I am reading.
This US couple produce quite good videos about their UK visit. They remark about the differences between the two countries without criticism. Their enthusiasm is infectious. https://www.youtube.com/@TheMagicGeekdom Apparently in the US mediaeval is a three syllable word whereas some of us will know it as a four syllable word. She can't pronounce the word with four syllables.
But we are not slavishly tied to the UK. We say zucchini as is used in the US, not courgette. We say eggplant not aubergine.
I am not sure any Australian knows the difference between rock melon and a cantaloupe. Is there a difference? Do educate me.
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I 'think' a rock melon is a cantaloupe (but am willing to be educated). I use Australian spelling of course and have occasionally been irritated when people correct me.
ReplyDeleteYes, and not to be confused with a honeydew or a champagne melon.
DeleteEC, wow, some try to correct your Aussie spelling! They must be the same fruit.
DeleteRiver, I know honeydew but the champagne melon.
DeleteIt is nice that you point out the spelling differences between Americanism and Australian English. It used to be a big deal in high school English classes. Now I do not see people care that much these days. I am a bit of old school because of my former education in this country
ReplyDeleteRoentare, I don't know where you were educated but if it was in a former English colony, you probably learnt English English. Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines seem more inclined to American English, as perhaps the former French colonies in South East Asia.
DeleteI believe rock melons and cantaloupes are the same beast.
ReplyDeleteI love language and its evolution but some of the americanisms creeping into our vernacular annoy me no end. But I am a sleep deprived grumpy old cow at the moment so tomorrow I might be less irritated.
Yes, grandchildren and great nieces can be exhausting. You'll sleep well tonight I guess.
DeleteI witnessed the American couple's visit to Durham and Tynemouth. It was lovely to observe their enthusiasm and interest. It was surprising that the nice lady in the blue spectacles didn't comment on the grave of St Cuthbert who is buried in Durham Cathedral. In my opinion he should have been England's patron saint and not St George who never even set foot in our country.
ReplyDeleteYP, they are such a likeable couple and not the stereotypical US tourists in England. They do have an enthusiasm to try English things. I am not sure why. Perhaps they are bored. I've heard of St Cuthbert but that is the end of my knowledge. I don't even know who St George was. Not my business. Oh, did he slay a dragon? Religious nonsense then. R climbed to the top of Durham Cathedral. I could not find him. He returned soon enough.
DeleteThe differences are a source of fun when travelling but not when it gets picky. Gotten is an old English word transported with very very early settlers to the New World, it remained in use there but died out in the ‘old country’ yet is despised there as being a horrible Americanism.
ReplyDeleteCathy, didn't most American English begin with when settlers arrived to the continent and took the English of the time in England with them? A teacher told me to always avoid the ugly word got when writing. I guess that applies to gotten too.
DeleteThere is no difference between a rockmelon and a canteloupe, they are the same. With words like offence, offense, defence and defense, USA uses the 's' all the time, but with English, the 'c' is the noun and the 's' is the verb form. I am quite used to seeing 'z' instead of 's' now in many of their words, but a tiny part of my mind says "wrong". There are other words that have more syllables than the Americans use. Aluminium is one, they say Aluminum, leaving out the second 'i'. It's basically a dumbing down of the language to it's most convenient form for them. We Australians also have our own "dumbing down' methods for many words with dropped r's 'd' instead of 't' and so on. "liddle" instead of "little" etc. Lazy speech, such as what I use, having grown up hearing it as a child.
ReplyDeleteRiver, I knew we said aluminium differently but I didn't think it through to a dropped syllable and you are quite correct. Don't get me started on Austrayan speech.
DeleteAnd I spelled cantaloupe wrong!
DeleteOh, dear. Since I have never seen a rock melon, I couldn't tell you if it is the same as a cantelope. Now that you point this out, I'm sure that I have read books set in England with American spellings. I have never taken offense OR offence. There is something to be said for obliviousness, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteDebby, apparently they are the same and I note I wrote canteloupe and you wrote cantelope. Differences are not offensive. Saying one is right and one is wrong is.
DeleteWhen I was marking students' essays, I didn't mind their use of other nations' vocabulary as much as I loathed grammatical and spelling errors. So "to" instead of "too" drove me nuts; "gotten" had me weeping; and the use of adjectives instead of adverbs meant I asked the students to rewrite.
ReplyDeleteYou cut little slack Hels, and that must have improved your students' writing. I'd have to think long and hard about adjectives and adverbs but it is getting late on a Saturday night.
DeleteBoth spellings and words vary, I look for meaning in context and most often know what was meant. Fun video, I agree very accepting of differences - people who are ready to explore and learn.
ReplyDeleteTP, yes it is rare that it is difficult to work things out by context.
DeleteAfter reading your blog for so long, now instead of elevator I say lift and people stare at me, like, say what?
ReplyDeleteHaha Strayer. I have changed the world.
DeleteYes, in Canada we are mainly UK English but "tire" for "tyre" still drives me. I had to drop my Hiberno-English when I emigrated to Canada as no one understood me but I am so relieved to now be living in Newfoundland where it thrives.
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Thrives does it M? That's interesting about your little enclave.
DeleteIt has been endlessly fascinating to me, as an American in the UK, to discover the linguistic differences. I'm still learning them, more than ten years after moving here! What on earth is a rock melon?!
ReplyDeleteWhat is it Steve? It's very nice as long as it properly ripe.
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