I've never come across the word Briticism before. What does it mean? The one before Criticism?
I'm British not Britich. So it should be left as Britishism, or if you cant stand that either, and personally I can't, then hyphonate it as British-ism.
What's wrong with using the phrase "British expression" ? Or even simpler "English", meaning the language of England as opposed to the variant of English spoken in America?
Bloody cheek! What makes a person (guy) named Yacouda think he has the right to pass judgement on English, anyway? Does he think he uses Americish?
By the way, PLENTY of Brits use phrases they learn from shows like "Friends". It can get a bit tedious, but no-one is SO impolite about it as to talk about rank odours.
Arohem, If you scan back a page or two in this thread, you'll find a discussion of the whisky/whiskey issue. Welcome to a2k. Glad you like the language forums.
Briticism, Schmiticism
Actually, it rhymes with witicism - something to do with appreciation of subtlety and irony, perhaps? :wink:
KP
Vive la difference, by the way - it provides me with plenty of stuff to fill the gaps in conversation with my favourite women - Americans. OK, I know I'll get grief for that!
Love that link, ehBeth, although, frankly, I, too, don't care for the word 'Briticism.' (Did I use enough commas to satisfy my daily quota?)
You did ... and I just found out that "kapoti" [Lithuan 'to mince'] and 'comma' are closely connected :wink:
momentarily
the use of that annoys me - its correct meaning is
for a brief moment NOT in a moment (... I'll do it in a moment..)
correct use is in the sense of Robbie Burns
'or like the snow, falls on the river
a moment there and gone forever'
Amuricans tend to use it in the wrong sense
FINE TUNING ...
robert burchfield, editor of the supplement to the oxford dictionary died recently. he brought many new words from other anglophone countries into the OXFORD. the obit gives a snapshot of someone with a pretty enquiring mind.
OXFORD DICTIONARY EDITOR DIES
Thanks HBG
We can always rely on you to raise the tone of whichever conversation you are in! I, perhaps unfortunately, usually have the opposite effect.
McT
FINE-TUNING
hi, mctag : i picked the article from our local paper. our newspaper is THE KINGSTON WHIG-STANDARD , canada's oldest daily published newspaper; that should give you some idea of what kind of a newspaper it is. it should also tell you something about ebeth's birthplace and our home for the last 48 years ! it's the city made famous by canada's first prime-minister, known locally as
SIR JOHN A .hbg
Ah, a Macdonald, I see. A fine old name, and one incidentally that I bear myself. A lot of Scots in Canada: I am related to some Canadian Frasers and McKinnons.
kitchenpete wrote: my favourite women - Americans. OK, I know I'll get grief for that!
As an English lady, I shan't argue. Instead I'll sob silently in the corner.
Do we know how the difference in spelling came about? I mean words such as, theatre/theater colour/color
It's not a case of "we're right and you're wrong", but just wondered how far back the words were altered, why they were and by whom.
Well, certainly we know the differences came about: Noah Webster created the first authoritative American English dictionary, with the changes being influenced by spelling by pronunciation and personal choice from Webster. :wink: And once the ball is set rolling ....
What's all this about American women?
Although, I wouldn't kick Cindy Crawford out for eating biscuits in bed.
McTag wrote:
Although, I wouldn't kick Cindy Crawford out for eating biscuits in bed.
I know someone, who would have done that before
Tarah,
Welcome to a2k.
As I said - I knew I'd get grief for that comment about American women. It's just that I have a certain amount of history of being attracted to them...English Roses are sweet but maybe...too familiar?
I think Setanta posted earlier about the origins of the differences - apparently Webster deliberately set out to make the American language different...not long after breaking the bonds of empire!
KP
Hi KP
Thanks for telling me of Setanta's post.
And I promise, no matter how tempted, that I won't get too familiar!
[like your 'outfit', Tarah]
one point that, it seems to me, is being missed here, is that language is about communication; and doing so effectively, requires using just the right word, in just the right way, to make just the right impression, on the listener.
we simplify, alter, and truncate the language, at our peril!
[and changing centre to center; colour to color; etc. is nothing but a foolish exercise in 'cultural selfcentredness' (spelling intentional!)!]
by the way, Tarah, this "Yankee" spellchecker told me that Tarah should be Tara!
[so i told it to learn, but it was too stupid to!]
