STRANGER THAN FICTION

BRITISH v AMERICAN PHRASES, WORDS AND SPELLINGS

The other day, I told a golfing partner that I was a bit chilly and was going to put on my jumper.

She's American and looked at me puzzled. ‘What’s a jumper?" she asked. 

"This," I said, pulling a jumper out of my golf bag.

"Oh, you mean a sweater."

In Britain, we say jumper. In America, it’s called a sweater.

This is one example of a wide variation in phrases, words and spelling between the two English-speaking cultures.

In the preface of my children’s books, I say that I use UK English spelling throughout to explain any confusion.


Here’s some more of the cultural differences

The British go up and down in a "lift"; Americans use the "elevator"

The British use a "mobile phone"; Americans use a "cell phone"

The British eat "aubergines"; Americans say "egg-plant"

The British use a "baking tray"; Americans use a "cookie sheet"

The British call for the "bill" (in a restaurant); Americans call for the "check"

The British eat "biscuits"; Americans eat "cookies"

British cars have "bonnets"; American cars have "hoods"

British trousers are kept up with "braces"; American trousers have "suspenders"

British cars are parked in car parks; American cars are put in parking lots

The British eat "candyfloss", American’s eat "cotton candy"

British cars have a "boot"; American cars have a "trunk"

British kids use "catapults", American kids use "slingshots"

British babies sleep in "cots", American babies sleep in "cribs"

The British eat "crisps"; Americans eat "potato chips"

The British use "drawing pins", Americans use "thumbtacks"

British babies suck on a "dummy", American babies use a "pacifier"

The British walk on a pavement, Americans use a sidewalk

The British wear "polonecks"; Americans wear "turtlenecks"

British cars guzzle "petrol"; you put "gasoline" or "gas" in American cars

The British have a "fringe" (hair), Americans have bangs


SPELLING DIFFERENCES

The British spelling is on the left, the American spelling on the right:

Labour/labor

Centre/center

Grey/gray

Travelled/traveled

Cancelled/canceled

The list is endless...


DIFFERENT PRONUNCIATION

Aluminium (al-you-min-ee-um) v the American aluminum (a-loom-in-um)

Vitamin. In Britain, it’s pronounced as vit-a-min, vit rhyming with wit. Americans pronounce it vite-a-min, vite rhyming with bite.

Schedule in Britain is pronounced shed-ual. In American, it is sked-ual.

Herb. In Britain the word is pronounced with the h. American’s drop the h and it becomes erb


YOU SAY EETHER AND I SAY EYETHER

I’m a sucker for old musicals and this reminds me of the lyrics from "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin for the 1937 film ‘Shall We Dance’ starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers:

You say eether and I say eyether,
You say neether and I say nyther;
Eether, eyether, neether, nyther,
Let's call the whole thing off!
You like potato and I like potahto,
You like tomato and I like tomahto;
Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto!
Let's call the whole thing off!


Thanks for reading and don't forget to keep reaching for the stars