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Heaven: 2021 Proof Americans and Brits speak a different language

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  • It also has a school usage: "First period today is maths, then after break we have a double period of chemistry".
    Period has that same meaning here.

    But there's another one in there, much more minor than most we're talking about, but that still looks really strange to me: "maths." Here it's "math."

  • I think that was mentioned, a long way upthread.
  • Americans also seem to have difficulty with asses and donkeys.
  • I think that was mentioned, a long way upthread.
    Probably, but it caught my eye again, as it always does.

  • A bollock is an ox isn't it?
    And sod is a piece of turf, which can be used to sod a lawn or make a soddy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sod_house
  • A bollock is an ox isn't it?
    And sod is a piece of turf, which can be used to sod a lawn or make a soddy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sod_house

    Eh... I think that would be 'bullock'.
  • Leorning CnihtLeorning Cniht Shipmate
    edited August 2019
    Eh... I think that would be 'bullock'.

    Even that, I think, is different. I think a US bullock has bollocks, whereas a British bullock does not.

    And, of course, I'm easily amused by the sign that appears outside the local DIY sheds saying "SOD TODAY".
  • Well, tomorrow might turn out to be better ...
  • The UK people knock each other up, which is rather hilarious. Getting knocked up is usually an accident and unplanned. After being knocked up, there's a bun in the oven.
  • BroJamesBroJames Purgatory Host
    Both meanings have UK currency.
  • RossweisseRossweisse Hell Host, 8th Day Host, Glory
  • BroJames wrote: »
    Both meanings have UK currency.

    People were employed as knocker-uppers: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35840393
  • These are what I meant https://msfix-it.com.au/products/sock-protectors-khaki?variant=27716784075. Hoping the link comes out ok! I haven’t done one on the new ship. If not, google sock protectors. I’ve always wondered what gaiters looked like - now I know!
  • KarlLBKarlLB Shipmate
    Alas, not just women, Karl. Have you not seen young men (and, unfortunately, some not so young) wearing what they call "skinny jeans"? The fabric must be stretchable, to get over their feet and knees.

    Yeah, but leggings are thinner material.
  • BroJames wrote: »
    Both meanings have UK currency.

    People were employed as knocker-uppers: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35840393

    In Australia, most large locomotive depots had callboys who would ride on bicycles to the houses of traincrew to ensure that they were wakened in time to sign on for their assigned roster.
  • Gramps49 wrote: »
    Just finished The Lost Man[/i
    Athrawes wrote: »
    These are what I meant https://msfix-it.com.au/products/sock-protectors-khaki?variant=27716784075. Hoping the link comes out ok! I haven’t done one on the new ship. If not, google sock protectors. I’ve always wondered what gaiters looked like - now I know!

    Those are what imagined, Athrawes, when I read your post. Quite common down in NSW for those out in bush or workmen. I haven’t seen that colour. Usually bottle green or khaki.
  • BroJames wrote: »
    Both meanings have UK currency.

    People were employed as knocker-uppers: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35840393

    In Australia, most large locomotive depots had callboys who would ride on bicycles to the houses of traincrew to ensure that they were wakened in time to sign on for their assigned roster.

    In these days of equality they would probably have to employ call girls too. I am not sure how that translates.
  • Golden KeyGolden Key Shipmate, Glory
    Well. if a call girl showed up at a man's house, his wife might have something to say about it.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    ... In these days of equality they would probably have to employ call girls too. I am not sure how that translates.
    Where I come from, "call girl" means a (possibly slightly upmarket) prostitute.
  • I deliberately refrained from the gender comparison, knowing you all as I do!
  • mousethiefmousethief Shipmate
    edited August 2019
    Sparrow wrote: »
    mousethief wrote: »
    In all of North America, corn means maize. Period.

    Which of course mean a full stop in English. In English a period is something else and there is a wealth of euphemisms for it.

    The language spoken in the United States is English.

    More than you ever wanted to know about full stops and periods.
  • KarlLBKarlLB Shipmate
    Piglet wrote: »
    ... In these days of equality they would probably have to employ call girls too. I am not sure how that translates.
    Where I come from, "call girl" means a (possibly slightly upmarket) prostitute.

    I think that was the point.
  • Gee DGee D Shipmate
    Firenze wrote: »
    Here a toque is a style of ruched pillbox hat, frequently with a hussar plume or ostrich feather, much favoured by the late Queen Mary.

    You would look splendid riding a bicycle in one.

    And by Miss Amanda, of course. She looks not just splendid, but elegant.
  • FirenzeFirenze Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    Hamish is down from the Hebrides on a visit to the big city. In a bar he meets a very friendly young woman with whom he converses genially for some time. Eventually she says, a little impatiently, ' You do know I'm a call girl?'

    'Wonderful! I'm from Tiree!'
  • Baptist TrainfanBaptist Trainfan Shipmate
    edited August 2019
    I think we might need to mull that over in our minds, otherwise we might ourselves getting egg and muck all over our faces - which would be a rum do.
  • SparrowSparrow Shipmate
    Firenze wrote: »
    Hamish is down from the Hebrides on a visit to the big city. In a bar he meets a very friendly young woman with whom he converses genially for some time. Eventually she says, a little impatiently, ' You do know I'm a call girl?'

    'Wonderful! I'm from Tiree!'

    She might accuse him of harrisment!

  • BroJamesBroJames Purgatory Host
    Islay hazard a guess he’s in for a surprise
  • EnochEnoch Shipmate
    Greater still would have been his em-barra-ssment if she'd tried to seil her approach by luing-ing at him for a kiss. If he'd been a good member of the wee frees, there'd certainly be no place above the skye for her. Or if he was of tougher disposition, he might have hirta or even kilda.

    I'd better scarba before I get minched.
  • I think I might have started something there ...
  • mousethiefmousethief Shipmate
    edited August 2019
    Okay this is from wikipedia, as concerns one of the vowel shifts into modern English from Old or Middle English:
    The lot–cloth split: the vowel in words like "cloth" and "off" is pronounced with the vowel in "thought", as opposed to the vowel used in "lot".

    In my idiolect, those are all the same vowel sound. Do "thought" and "lot" rhyme anywhere else in the English-speaking world?
  • They rhyme but the vowel sound is longer, extended, in thought than in lot.
  • Depends on where you're from. In SoCal (at least where I grew up) there was no difference. Of course placement in the sentence could affect the length of the vowel for either word.
  • They sound completely different from each other in English English! It took me a moment to work out how they could sound the same.
  • Of course on the west coast of the US, "cot" and "caught" are homophones.
  • BroJamesBroJames Purgatory Host
    They sound completely different from each other in English English! It took me a moment to work out how they could sound the same.
    I wouldn’t be surprised to find places in the UK (even within England only) where they are sounded the same.
  • Depends on where you're from. In SoCal (at least where I grew up) there was no difference. Of course placement in the sentence could affect the length of the vowel for either word.

    I thought this discussion was about English :naughty:
  • KarlLBKarlLB Shipmate
    mousethief wrote: »
    Okay this is from wikipedia, as concerns one of the vowel shifts into modern English from Old or Middle English:
    The lot–cloth split: the vowel in words like "cloth" and "off" is pronounced with the vowel in "thought", as opposed to the vowel used in "lot".

    In my idiolect, those are all the same vowel sound. Do "thought" and "lot" rhyme anywhere else in the English-speaking world?

    Not here. Thought sounds like it's spelled thort (non rhotic) whilst lot is a shorter different vowel.
  • The only person I know who pronounces thought and lot with the same vowel sound is an aquaintance from the US - they pronounce the words thart and lart.
  • Amen, KarlLB. Preach it brother!

    This 'caught' and 'cot' and 'thought' and 'lot' aberration that seems to be emanating from the west coast of the USA tempts me to return to the 'Merry Mary married Hairy Harry' thing I quoted earlier where they somehow conspire to have one single vowel sound, one single vowel sound throughout.

    What's the bloody point in having different vowel sounds if they're all going to be pronounced identically?

    Is outrage alright ...

    How many vowel sounds do they have on the western seaboard of the US? Two? Three? One?
  • Dog. One syllable. I hear daw-awg on TV from Americans.

    Another are the two names Ian and Ann. ee-ann for the first. Not for the second.
  • They sound completely different from each other in English English! It took me a moment to work out how they could sound the same.
    Same here. I can’t think of any variety of Southern American English where they sound the same.

  • Mandatory - it seems UK has it man-Date-ur-ee. Man-da-tory.
  • HarASSment or HARassment? Fomer seems to be creeping into British English. I was brought up to say the lattter.
  • Mandatory - it seems UK has it man-Date-ur-ee. Man-da-tory.

    I’m in the U.K. (North-West) and say man-da-tory.
    Eirenist wrote: »
    HarASSment or HARassment? Fomer seems to be creeping into British English. I was brought up to say the lattter.

    Ha-rass-ment with all the vowel sounds short in this part of the U.K.
  • I think I actually schwa the first and last vowels in harassment.
  • KarlLBKarlLB Shipmate
    edited August 2019
    Eirenist wrote: »
    HarASSment or HARassment? Fomer seems to be creeping into British English. I was brought up to say the lattter.

    Ha-rass-ment with all the vowel sounds short in this part of the U.K.

    It's not a question of vowel length - they're all sort in both versions. It's a question of which syllable carries the stress.

  • sabinesabine Shipmate
    A "full stop" is what the police always accuse you of NOT doing as they write you a ticket for coasting through a stop sign.

    Around here, a full stop gets grandfathered in....if you are the car behind the car that stopped, you glide on through....unless a cop sees you.
  • EnochEnoch Shipmate
    Dog. One syllable. I hear daw-awg on TV from Americans.

    Another are the two names Ian and Ann. ee-ann for the first. Not for the second.
    There's more difference than that. In Ian, the stress goes on the first vowel, which is long, Eeǝn. Ann is a single short vowel.

    Dog in English English is a single short vowel, as it's spelt.
  • mousethiefmousethief Shipmate
    edited August 2019
    Depends on where you're from. In SoCal (at least where I grew up) there was no difference. Of course placement in the sentence could affect the length of the vowel for either word.

    I thought this discussion was about English :naughty:
    aberration

    Please stop. It's not funny. It comes across either as a deliberate insult, or trolling.
  • Dog. One syllable. I hear daw-awg on TV from Americans.
    I’ve never heard it as two syllables. But yes, “dawg” is very common in the American South, and it often is a long, drawn out vowel.

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