British English?

[Jiggz]

One of the things I noticed from all the kind comments that people left regarding my various postings was that I write in British English. I think it was Puma who said it.
Well, firstly I must mention that my various teachers would be delighted to hear this, because that was what we were educated towards. The high school I attended coached us to be English gentlemen, and where they no doubt thought they were failing dismally, they would now be happy to hear that they had at least some effect!

But what are the differences really? I can hear I speak quite differently to what I hear on TV, but in terms of writing? Sure, color/colour; nite/night; thru/through - but is that really all there is to it?

I find this interesting and look forward to hearing other peoples' ( folks??) comments.

[CaroGirl]

I think it's also a matter of how you express yourself, including colloquialisms, right down to what you call various objects and situations. There's a discussion in the Novels forum about differences between American and British English.

Do you go "down the shops" or "out to the store?" That's a simple but fundamental difference. It won't confuse, because anyone who speaks English understands both statements, but it will set off a small bell that each expression belongs in a different 'camp.'

[ccarver30]

http://www.davidappleyard.com/english/americanglossary/H.htm#AmE_haberdasher

Try this. :)

[Jo]

One of the things I noticed from all the kind comments that people left regarding my various postings was that I write in British English. I think it was Puma who said it.


Funny, to me you "sound" Sth Efriken in my head. My hubby lived and was schooled in South Africa for a few years during his childhood, so I can't help but lean that way. Your post is written with similar speech patterns to his (and thus, his accent).

[veinglory]

Of the words you mention only color/colour is US/UK, the rest are slang versus formal English. Most people notice OU instead of O and S instead of Z, there is also use of double LL before ing as well as actual idiom differences as mentioned. I think it pays to know which dialect is being used and be consistent....

[C.bronco]

schedule: USA it's pronounced "skedule"
and in Britain it's "shedule." I'm always amused by that.

[MidnightMuse]

The way other people pronounce Aluminium makes me laugh every time.

[scarletpeaches]

All you need to know is that we speak proper English, everyone else is wrong. :D

[Plot Device]

Microsoft Word has one version of spell check and grammar check for its American users, and an entirely different one for its British users. I tend to use "which" rather than "that" and my American-English version of MS Word keeps telling me I should be using "that" instead.

I am told if I want to I can go into some sub-menu of my MSWord and flick a radio button or unclick something or other, and then I'll have the British-English version instead of the American-English. And then I'll be free to type "which" to my heart's content.

[Sassee]

All you need to know is that we speak proper English, everyone else is wrong. :D

LOL!

Actually I think the "Schedule" thing is pretty funny too, tho you didn't spell the phonetic versions right.. it's "shkedjul" vs "shedjel" as far as I can tell (that might be horrible fake TV British tho I'm not sure).

Jiggs, mostly it's about the expressions you use and the amount of "correct" grammar you use while speaking or writing. American English tends to be more improper and slang-ridden.

[veinglory]

MSWord has a bigillion options now, even New Zealand English :) You just need to go to tools: language

[Plot Device]

MSWord has a bigillion options now, even New Zealand English :) You just need to go to tools: language

Good to know. :cool:

[akiwiguy]

least some effect!

But what are the differences really? I can hear I speak quite differently to what I hear on TV, but in terms of writing? Sure, color/colour; nite/night; thru/through - but is that really all there is to it?


Could be difficult to analyse, because it may have to do with your whole style and voice.

I don't know if it is still the case, but on a course a couple of years ago a number of people (predominantly American) said my work was very much like reading English novels that they'd studied at school or whatever. I have no idea why.

They didn't actually mean it disparagingly, in fact they quite liked it. We Kiwis at times tend to be more British than the British though.

[Snitchcat]

Agreed.

I find that visual differences tend to centre on spelling and punctuation. I don't think the latter is obvious, but, for example, the double speech marks is more American than British. And British quoting, doesn't include the sentence's punctuation unless it was part of the original quote. This is reversed for American quotation. (If I recall correctly, that is. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.)

Other differences lie in idiomatic expressions and some slang.

I remember reading a list of alternative British terms / slang terms for 'insane'. Is it here in one of the threads?

The alternatives turned up, 'nuts', 'bonkers', and a few more.

You also have expressions. I suppose some of the more stereotypical ones are, 'Cor blimey', 'Wotcha', 'Good grief!', 'Tally ho', and 'Oh, I say old chap'. I don't have anything current right now -- haven't been in the country for a while.

Additional dissimilarities (if that's not a word, it is now =^P) lie in terminology, for instance, 'pinafore' -- a dress (Brit.) or an apron (Amer.). Both are interchangeable, but these are the main uses. Another example is 'jumper' -- wool pullover / sweater (Brti.) or someone who jumps / sleeveless dress worn over a blouse or sweater (Amer.). There are plenty more.

Further differences to watch for seem to be in the narrative voice. I can't pinpoint how, since I just pick it up. I believe it may have something to do with cadence, or maybe tone?

I also agree with Sassee: British English tends towards proper grammar, while American English has a lot more slang in it. Perhaps the former seems 'stiffer', while the latter is more 'relaxed'.

Hmm. Now I'm curious. Must find time to research this more.

[Oddsocks]

Does 'regular' strike anyone else as American?

Another obvious one is -ize versus -ise.

[larocca]

I married an Australian. Her English is far easier to understand than what the Yankees are speaking. I talk Southern.

Now, explaining to an Aussie that not all Americans are Yankees, well, that's a hard row to hoe.

And why is it that I love Vegemite but she hates grits?

Best regards,
Michael
(born and bred in North Carolina)

P.S. I edit authors from all over the world. I don't know how many times I've read a writing sample from a confessed non-native English speaker and appeared psychic to the sender by saying, "You're European." They wonder how I know. Then I explain that they use English as well as native speakers but have better grammar. Seriously. Germans, Dutch, Norwegians, Russians. They're very different from Asians that way. Or Merkins.

[FennelGiraffe]

I find that visual differences tend to centre on spelling and punctuation. I don't think the latter is obvious, but, for example, the double speech marks is more American than British. And British quoting, doesn't include the sentence's punctuation unless it was part of the original quote. This is reversed for American quotation. (If I recall correctly, that is. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.)

US style is that small punctuation marks--commas and periods--are always inside the quotes, while tall ones--question marks, semi-colons, etc.--depend on which part it goes with.

ETA: The usual explanation given is fear that typesetters would break the line after the quotation mark, leaving the period or comma alone at the beginning of the next line. :Shrug: Seems like a drastic solution to me, but what do I know?

[Ziljon]

I love to think about an arena full of fans drinking Bovril. Wish we had something like that here in the states. Beef broth, mmmmm!

[Nakhlasmoke]

We speak a bastardization of British and American English, I'd say.

We're Commonwealth, so we follow British spelling and grammar rules, but we've been brought up on American sitcoms and Oprah, so that affects our speech patterns and word usage.

And we still say "China".

[kristin724]

I've always found this sort of thing neat, although I don't know why. My favorite prononuciation might be 'Leftantant'. Not sure how wer get either sound out of the word but hey, however Sean Bean says it is fine with me.

I know some people may find it a point of pride, but when reading, listening, or speaking, does it really matter? I only notice when I read Dickens about the old fashion punctuation style, but does it deter for the reading? No.

Then again, I notice I used some pretty formal speech for an American. I say seemly and today my niece asked me what the heck shan't was. A lot of people tell me I use words they don't know. I think that's a bigger issue! 80)

[larocca]

I say verily, certainly, assuredly, quite, therefore, homey, innit?, crikey, you lot, and y'all.

[reenkam]

From what I can tell, a "British accent" in writing tends to have more coming after a sentence...if that makes sense. I can't really think of great examples right now, but I know that when I read akiwiguy's post I immediately saw "They didn't actually mean it disparagingly, in fact they quite liked it." Something about the stuff after the comma, especially the "quite", tipped me off that it wasn't an american style. An american would probably be more likely to say "They didn't actually mean it disparagingly. They liked it, actually." or "Actually, they liked it." American's don't use quite...and when they do it sounds British and people notice. :Shrug:

[Shady Lane]

Hmm...my Dad's from New York, my Mom's from North Carolina, and I watch an unseemly amount of Canadian and British TV.

Sample Shady sentence: "Unfortunantly, I'm'a cut y'all."

[zahra]

I had a fight with a US friend over 'horse-back riding', instead of British 'horse-riding'. I said, 'What other part of the horse are you gonna ride, bint?' Flesh wounds ensued.

[Shady Lane]

Well, the term "riding," at least where I live, has sexual connotations, so....

[jordijoy]

Well, the term "riding," at least where I live, has sexual connotations, so....

So does "come here" where I'm from. Just jokin'. Seriously, I'm really enjoying this post.

[zahra]

Well, the term "riding," at least where I live, has sexual connotations, so....

Eww. Really, Shady Lane, I've just had me tea... (tea as in evening meal, which people up North tend to say).

Re previous post, you guys tend to say 'fight' where we would just say 'quarrel' - in the UK, if you 'fight', it's physical.

[Jo]

Re previous post, you guys tend to say 'fight' where we would just say 'quarrel' - in the UK, if you 'fight', it's physical.

In Oz, we have a barney or a blue. :tongue

[SpiderGal]

I, too, was taught British English, which they proudly called "pure English", at school. A lot of times critics have told me that my writing has a British flavor. In fact, I had not known this before people started to point it out.

But honestly, the difference isn't much. It mostly has to do with spellings and certain words. As most of my work is submitted to US pubs, I am trying to cross over to American spellings.

One of the things I noticed from all the kind comments that people left regarding my various postings was that I write in British English. I think it was Puma who said it.
Well, firstly I must mention that my various teachers would be delighted to hear this, because that was what we were educated towards. The high school I attended coached us to be English gentlemen, and where they no doubt thought they were failing dismally, they would now be happy to hear that they had at least some effect!

But what are the differences really? I can hear I speak quite differently to what I hear on TV, but in terms of writing? Sure, color/colour; nite/night; thru/through - but is that really all there is to it?

I find this interesting and look forward to hearing other peoples' ( folks??) comments.

[larocca]

When I edit for the US publishers, or write my own books, I use American English.

When I edit for Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Thailand or Australia, I switch my mind over to British English.

I think there are more differences that some folks realize, but I also think it's extremely easy to be "bilingual." Unless you want to talk about slang. That varies every 50 miles or so, it seems, not to mention generational differences. Then we get the oft-cited trunk vs boot, hood vs bonnet, elevator vs lift, and all that common usage stuff.

Oh, and nobody knows what the hell the Tasmanians are on about. No wonder the Aussies keep forgetting to include them on the bloody map.

[Lolly]

Eww. Really, Shady Lane, I've just had me tea... (tea as in evening meal, which people up North tend to say).

Re previous post, you guys tend to say 'fight' where we would just say 'quarrel' - in the UK, if you 'fight', it's physical.

I'm an American living in Britain, which means I've become "bilingual" in both languages and cultures. For instance, when I'm speaking with my family back home, I use American references and language, and vice versa.

The major difference is language.

Tea= dinner (at least in the north of England)

Dinner= lunch

Braces= suspenders

Lift= elevator

Petrol= gas

Mobile= cell phone

Etc, etc

What I really enjoy are the British slang terms. Man, they have more ways to tell somebody off than I've ever heard. Prat, plonker, tw*t (my British friends didn't tell the latter was considered swearing, ha ha. Now I've got it in my head and have to be careful not to say it.), git...they have a million words to put down somebody.

[Cassiopeia]

One of the things I noticed from all the kind comments that people left regarding my various postings was that I write in British English. I think it was Puma who said it.
Well, firstly I must mention that my various teachers would be delighted to hear this, because that was what we were educated towards. The high school I attended coached us to be English gentlemen, and where they no doubt thought they were failing dismally, they would now be happy to hear that they had at least some effect!

But what are the differences really? I can hear I speak quite differently to what I hear on TV, but in terms of writing? Sure, color/colour; nite/night; thru/through - but is that really all there is to it?

I find this interesting and look forward to hearing other peoples' ( folks??) comments.Being an American but having lived in both Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, I can say with confidence that you do speak and write the British English. This is a good thing :) I will say though that americans don't use the word nite in replacement of night and use through as well rather than thru. Phrases are different between the world of British verses Americanese. I learned very quickly at UCT that my spellings were marked wrong and I had to adapt. Now I am back in the states, I can't remember which way to write or pronounce things and people think my accent is funny if I have been overseas recently. :)

Oh and Americans don't get, "I will be there just now or I will be there now now." They don't get the difference between the two. They don't get that just now means, when I show up and now now means in a minute :)

[Snitchcat]

When I edit for Hong Kong, Singapore, China, ... I switch my mind over to British English.

In my experience, China is mainly the American system, while Hong Kong leans more towawrds the British system. However, both systems are interchangeable; depends on the client.

Me,
Who lives and works in HK / China. (^_^)

[Eudaemonic]

I think we're missing the massive regional differeces that also exist. Writing, language use and slang in Britain can be completely different every hundred miles or so; phrases, grammar and sentence structure too. Someone in Birmingham sounds completely different to someone in Manchester for example, and the writing will be affected by this in ways that are easy to spot. There are as many differences, in my opinion - possibly more - between say Scottish and Southern English use of the English language as there are between some standard British and standard American style.
Also, something has to be taken into account for the generation gaps and the march of time.
Reading a lot of the posts in this thread it strikes me that non-brits keep referring to British slang that even my grandparents didn't use. Stuff straight out of P G Wodehouse that no one has said and meant for almost a century. Perhaps the rest of the world is staring at Britain through some telescope that only lets them see as far as the 1950's!
I avoid setting things anywhere else but in Britain or in worlds I invent myself, as I know I would make the same mistakes.
I'd write something set in the US and all the characters would wander round talking like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. And when would it be set? - Why 2007!


daemon

[zahra]

I think we're missing the massive regional differeces that also exist. Writing, language use and slang in Britain can be completely different every hundred miles or so; phrases, grammar and sentence structure too. Someone in Birmingham sounds completely different to someone in Manchester for example, and the writing will be affected by this in ways that are easy to spot. There are as many differences, in my opinion - possibly more - between say Scottish and Southern English use of the English language as there are between some standard British and standard American style.
Also, something has to be taken into account for the generation gaps and the march of time.
Reading a lot of the posts in this thread it strikes me that non-brits keep referring to British slang that even my grandparents didn't use. Stuff straight out of P G Wodehouse that no one has said and meant for almost a century. Perhaps the rest of the world is staring at Britain through some telescope that only lets them see as far as the 1950's!
I avoid setting things anywhere else but in Britain or in worlds I invent myself, as I know I would make the same mistakes.
I'd write something set in the US and all the characters would wander round talking like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. And when would it be set? - Why 2007!


daemon
Yep, agreed. A lot of US usage has come through to Britain, especially amongst the young'uns. Working in the service industry yearsnyears ago, I remember being amused at an American saying, 'Can I GET some water?' rather than 'Could I have...?' My in-my-head response was 'Yeah, there's the tap'. (Sorry, 'faucet'!) For US posters, 'get' implies a person fetching something themselves. You can say, 'Could you get me an ice-cream?', but 'can I get' seems to be saying, 'could I have permission to go and fetch an ice-cream?'

Anyway, fast-forward several years of US influence, and British people are as likely to say, 'Can I get...' as 'Can I have...'

In fact, we used to say, 'I've got' and now we tend to say, 'I have' just as much. 'Post' is slowly becoming 'mail', too, I've noticed. And I really don't like 'nibble ON a carrot' or 'munch ON', rather than just 'nibble a carrot', but British journalists are using it more and more. 'Cute' used to be American, now we use it just as much.

It does seem to be one-way traffic, in fact, obviously because the conductors of language (TV, movies, news) tends to go Us to UK rather than the other way round, but I remember in my cruise ship days, the US girls were outnumbered and were saying things were 'pants' ('rubbish') and 'he's a wanker/tosser/twat' and 'mate', quite happily by the end of their contract!

More recently, though, one of my cruise colleagues used to get cross when Brits kept saying, 'All right?' to her - she thought they thought there was something wrong with her. Finally someone explained that it was just a UK way of saying, 'Hello'.

[Sassee]

I'd write something set in the US and all the characters would wander round talking like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. And when would it be set? - Why 2007!


daemon

Actually, that would be pretty funny :)

[SecretScribe]

Hi there Jiggz and Nakhlasmoke. :hi: I am from Joburg, currently living in Nottingham in the UK. What are you guys writing?



All you need to know is that we speak proper English, everyone else is wrong. :D

And the accent - that lovely Scottish accent - mmmm! ;)

[yesandno]

I just yesterday realized that 'dialog' is not spelled 'dialogue.' That evil red line shows up every time.