Pronounciation

[Alixz]

I love language. I love English in both the American and British version.

"We have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language." Oscar Wilde, The Canterville Ghost (1887)

I often fall into the use of British phrases like "We will meet Thursday next". I usually get odd looks from my friends and I have to say "We will met next week on Thursday."

I loved to listen to William F. Buckley, Jr.

Buckley was well known for his command of language. Buckley came late to formal instruction in the English language, not learning it until he was seven years old. He had earlier learned Spanish and French. Michelle Tsai in Slate says that he spoke English with an idiosyncratic accent: something between an old-fashioned, upper class Mid-Atlantic accent, and British Received Pronunciation, with a Southern drawl.

I also liked John Simon's Paradigms Lost: Reflections on Literacy.

[Rodney_G.]

Was it Churchill who referred to the US and Great Britain  as two countries separated by a common  language? Nice.

Speaking of Russian names, the great actor Peter Ustinov pronounced his name OO steen ahv, rather than the possibly more Russian way with the stress on the second syllable. And he was a genius himself with foreign languages, knowing about a dozen. Not so very unusual(well somewhat unusual)for a trained stage actor from a European background. And he was very clever and funny.

Alixz, you might want to read some of George Orwell's essays on language. They're brilliant and insightful. He was a real language maven.

[TimM]

I can usually tell when someone British writes a Fan Fiction, because they use different terms over there than we do.  For example, I remember reading a Will & Grace fan fic and knew the author was British because they wrote "To get more pills, Karen went to the chemist".  In North America, we say "pharmacist".

[Kalafrana]

I was flying to America on board an American aircraft, and got rather worried when the pilot announced that we would be taking off 'momentarily'. It took me a minute or two to realise he meant 'in a moment'. To a Brit, momentarily means 'for a moment'!

Ann

[Alixz]

Rodney, Actually the quote was been attributed to George Bernard Shaw, but there is no proof in his writings.

"Sometimes the inquirer asks, 'Was it Wilde or Shaw?’ The answer appears to be: both. In The Canterville Ghost (1887), Wilde wrote: ‘We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language’.  However, the 1951 Treasury of Humorous Quotations (Esar & Bentley) quotes Shaw as saying: ‘England and America are two countries separated by the same language’, but without giving a source.  The quote had earlier been attributed to Shaw in Reader’s Digest (November 1942).

Much the same idea occurred to Bertrand Russell (Saturday Evening Post, 3 June 1944): ‘It is a misfortune for Anglo-American friendship that the two countries are supposed to have a common language’, and in a radio talk prepared by Dylan Thomas shortly before his death (and published after it in The Listener, April 1954) - European writers and scholars in America were, he said, ‘up against the barrier of a common language’.

Inevitably this sort of dubious attribution has also been seen: ‘Winston Churchill said our two countries were divided by a common language’ (The Times, 26 January 1987; The European, 22 November 1991.) "

Like a lot of quotes, this has passed into urban legend.

Also: "What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive" is often attributed to Shakespeare, but in reality was was by Sir. Walter Scott. This one is occasionally attributed to William Blake.

[TimM]

I was flying to America on board an American aircraft, and got rather worried when the pilot announced that we would be taking off 'momentarily'. It took me a minute or two to realise he meant 'in a moment'. To a Brit, momentarily means 'for a moment'

Yeah, I can see why that would worry you!

[Alixz]

I have always thought the British way of going on Holiday is so much more happy sounding than the American going on Vacation. Vacation sounds like "I can't wait to vacate this spot".  Holiday sounds like a lot of fun.

Tim - There is also Solicitor for Lawyer - here in America we always have signs that say "No Solicitation". Doesn't quite mean the same thing. Or of course the British Barrister. (I know a lawyer here in the US who has a cat named Barr - short for Barrister. Except in the US Barr would be bar as in Roseanne.)

A spanner is a wrench.

A lorry is a truck.

The Telly instead of TV.

Flat for apartment.

But it is true that no one can truly speak a language correctly without knowing the colloquialisms. That is why in the thread about the "new" N&A movie script, I told edubs that "pretty" as in "pretty clear" is an American modifier. I had doubts as to whether or not anyone in Nicholas's 1905 court would use that phrase.

[TimM]

I got a few more.


lift=elevator

loo=bathroom

fortnight=two weeks

fag=cigarette

torch=flashlight

[Alixz]

:-)

[Kalafrana]

'Closets' always make me smile. Here a 'water closet' is a rather old-fashioned term for a lavatory.

In Britain we have wardrobes.

'Trunk' also confuses me. Our cars have boots. A trunk is a type of  large box for transporting clothes in, which may go in the boot.

Of course, boots are also things you wear on your feet, which may cause confusion for foreigners.

Ann

[Maria the Beautiful]

Consider the broad difference in meaning between the English word "toilet" and the French word "toilette", the first being the receptacle for (you know) and the second meaning the act of washing oneself.   Then there's the sweet smelling "eau de toilette" which, strictly translated is "water of toilet".   Oh, thank heavens I was born into an English speaking family.   What a nightmare for those learning English as a second language.   You have my sincere admiration!

[Romafan96]

RomaFan96- For pronunciation of Tsarskoe Selo, see FA's post #143 for detailed explanation.   It would probably be very helpful for you to read through this entire thread.  We all have trouble pronouncing a lot of the Russian words and most of them have already been discussed here.    

Thank you!

[TimM]

I love the term "moving house" (instead of just move).  Makes it sound like they're taking the house with them!

[Kalafrana]

'Moving house' makes perfect sense to me!

'Hunting' is something that causes problems. In Britain we hunt foxes on horseback with a pack of hounds. Going out with a gun is shooting.

Ann

[Janet Ashton]

In Britain we hunt foxes on horseback with a pack of hounds.

Not legally, we don't!!! (Yes, I know what you meant; but I couldn't resist the temptation....)