Which one to use and when? The current story I am writing is in British English. Should how you say certain things change depending on the language? i.e. If I was writing in American English, do I have to call the ground floor first floor?
Italians too... if I recall correctly.The British call the street level floor the ground floor and the level above it the first floor.
I know that, but i was asking about the writing language. Does it matter if I am writing in British English, but calling the street level floor first floor?
In NY the first floor is often called the Lobby, with the elevator button stamped with an L.
What if you had said, "does it matter if I am writing in British English, but calling crisps 'chips'?"
Yes, it matters. If you're using "first floor" to mean street level, you're not writing British English. Be consistent - either use British English throughout, or not. A mishmash is going to confuse readers.
"she had an office on the first floor with a window looking directly onto the sidewalk outside").
This can occasionally be true in Britain too... at least it is for me. I work on the first floor and can see directly to the pavement (and bike sheds) through my window because the building I work in is on a hill. The main entrance is on the ground floor which is lower down the hill and I have to go upstairs to get to my office and my desk is right at the uphill end of the building, so my window's at ground level. On the other side of the building, the canteen's on the ground floor but looks like it's the first floor because the ground on that side's lower down so the basement's at ground level.
Yes I walk up the hill every day. Even further now since I've ditched using the car to get to work so now I have to walk from the bus stop (right at the bottom of the hill) rather than the car park (half way up the hill, but still downhill relative to work).
Yes, hills are a thing I'm familiar with, and we have them here in America, too, as my sweaty self can testify after biking up one of those suckers--but what I gave was an example to clarify what I meant, so let's assume there *isn't* a large enough hill that ground level is different on one elevation of the building than it is on another.
I think the distinction between first and ground floors becomes particularly poignant when one is thrown out of a first floor window... (c:
Could be used for comical effect...
I also really, really, really, really like the word defenestration.