Originally Posted By MinnieMissy I'm mostly a lurker on the LP_ boards so I hope no one minds if I add my two cents but I'm really enjoying reading this thread. Way back, someone posted about jam (UK) vs.jelly (US) and jelly (UK) vs Jell-o (US). Americans use both jam and jelly sometimes interchangibly although jam, like perserves, usually is thicker and has chunks of fruit in it and jelly is more of a clear (although colored) substance with no chunks in it. I'm sure many Americans have had a PB&J (that's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for you non-Americans :>) when actually they were having peanut butter and jam. Correct me if this is wrong: Hood (of car) (US) Bonnet (UK) Interesting though that both words (at least here in the US) can be things worn on the head. This is a little different than two words meaning the same thing but I've always found it interesting that Americans say "I was THE hospital" whereas Brits say "I was in hospital". Another one (again correct me if I'm wrong): eggplant: (US) aubergine (sp??): (UK)
Originally Posted By debtee welcome MinnieMissy! Yes Aubergine is the correct spelling. I agree with you about two words meaning the same thing. How can you be THE Hospital? It's a building! We would say we were in the hopital. That's the correct English but as Americans can't spell English, what do you expect!~ lol ( all said tongue in cheek!) It took me a while to get used to people writing "my bad" here on LP. I mean your bad what??? LOL The kids are now saying that here as well so it's caught on, although why I'm not sure as it makes no sense! LOL
Originally Posted By MinnieMissy OOPS!! I meant to say that Americans say "I was in THE hospital and Brits would say "I was in hospital". My bad!!! I;m 43 years old and have NEVER said "my bad"!!
Originally Posted By debtee Some spelling differences. Jewellery ( Aus & UK ) jewelry ( USA ) Colour ( Aus & UK ) color ( USA ) Recognise ( Aus & UK ) Recognize ( USA ) In fact most times there's an S, you guys put a Z! Night (Aus & UK ) Nite ( USA ) Heaps more but can't think of them right now! I think it's cool that we have differences, the only time it really effects me, is that Microsoft set their systems up so that spell check always reverts to the USA way of spelling?? This is useless for us, if you are trying to type a document that has to be correct spelling for here in Australia!
Originally Posted By mickeymeg as far as the different spellings you can add Canada to the Aus and UK column =)
Originally Posted By officerminnie US: while UK/AUS: whilst I love it when I hear or see "whilst". It's a pretty word - or elegant - or something .
Originally Posted By MinnieMissy The US spells "night" the same as the UK and Australia. It is sometimes spelled "nite" here just to be cute as in "Nick at Nite" which is what Nickelodeon (children's TV channel) calls its "classic TV" night time shows.
Originally Posted By LuLu Thanks markedward, I guess I don't agree with the show, I could imagine a Mom telling a child riding a bike to "stay on the pavement" and NOT meaning the street! Patios and sidewalks are made of pavement, streets are made of asphalt. Not trying to argue, maybe this is a regional difference! I would never imagine a street being referred to as pavement, or being made of pavement. It could just be me tho!!
Originally Posted By LuLu Interesting what Sarah said about the UK language having different influences. Two words I've seen posted here for UK I believe are French words, serviette and aubergine.
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle For different spellings - Cheque (UK/Aus) Check (US) Speaking of which, in American restaurants at the end of a meal people ask for "the check"; here we ask for "the bill".
Originally Posted By bloona I remember feeling so clever in Las Vegas once, remembering to ask for the check instead of the bill as we would say, unfortunately, I was concentrating so hard on remembering to say that, that I went into full Yorkshire "twang" and said; "could you get us, us check please?" we often say "us" instead of "our" where I live, I know its wrong, but forget at times. needless to say, I just got an odd look....lol
Originally Posted By CrouchingTigger >>Recognise ( Aus & UK ) Recognize ( USA ) In fact most times there's an S, you guys put a Z! << We do that because, in the US, the 's' is a vocalized sibilant (a 'z' sound). Interestingly, we haven't yet modified the spelling of "surprise" (among others, probably - "surprise" was just the first one I came up with). In the UK, you also use many of the old Anglo Saxon past tense forms of verbs, such as "spelt" and "dreamt". In the US, they have been largely "regularized" into (e.g.) "spelled" and "dreamed". (Although I use "dreamt" for some reason.)
Originally Posted By alexbook "surprise" actually has a different derivation from the other -ise/-ize words. It's from the French "prendre" (to take). Recognise, realise, dramatise, idolise, anesthetise, etc., are all the result of sticking "-ise" (or, in the US, "-ize") on the end of other words or word parts. "-ise"/"-ize" is defined as "to cause to be or to become, to cause to conform to or resemble, to treat as," etc. And isn't that more than you wanted to know?
Originally Posted By MinnieMissy ^^ That is interesting. I think I would use "dreamed" in writing but I'm pretty sure I usually use "dreamt" when speaking (I'm an American). Hmmm... Back to the "pavement" debate: <<Patios and sidewalks are made of pavement, streets are made of asphalt. Not trying to argue, maybe this is a regional difference! I would never imagine a street being referred to as pavement, or being made of pavement. It could just be me tho!>> Pavement is not the material from which a hard surface is made. Pavement just means a paved surface (usually with asphalt in a street). Sidewalks aren't paved but rather they are made (usually) from concrete. However I looked this up in an American dictionary and it did give "sidewalk" as a definition saying that was primarily a British use. So I guess both sides are right. I do think in America that pavement has come to mean any hard surface versus a soft surface like grass or dirt. I must admit that if I was standing on a strip of grass between a sidewalk and a street and I was told to get on the pavement, I might ask "do you mean the street or the sidewalk?"
Originally Posted By debtee <We do that because, in the US, the 's' is a vocalized sibilant (a 'z' sound).> Haha.... we spell Vocalised with a S! LOL
Originally Posted By markedward <Rather than a Divided Carriageway they're referred to as Dual Carriageways> Thanks. I remembered it wrong.
Originally Posted By BlazesOfFire Ive noticed in Europe you send an SMS but we just send text messages here in the US! Also was blown away by some food recipes I found. In High School we had to bring in a dish from our heritage and I found sound very interesting English dishes, that sounded more like a medical problem then a good dish! I wanted to make it and present it just for the shock factor lol.
