Fine-Tuning 15, British English/American English

McTag, yes, of course, you can refer to 'Vivien's piece' in American vernacular (as long as Vivien doesn't object).

Seriously, this is another example where the useage determines the meaning. In your example, the word obviously refers to a 'piece of writing.' You would be skating on thin ice, however, if you were to say, 'She is a fine piece.' There the connotation would have a definite sexual innuendo.

When I was young a cousin came from Ireland and there were several language mix-ups. The most memorable occasion when my cousin asked me to meet her at Half-Eight. I showed up at Four'o'clock not 4:30.
But my all time favourite is 'Hey buddy can I bum a fag'

We Canadians use a confusing mix of both British-Oxford and American-Webster's edition of English.

Thanks,
Ceili

Shopping in a grocery store in Singapore (where British English is used), I saw a sign which read:

Carriage Lift to Car Park -->

I had to stop and translate that one!

A sign on the London Underground (Tube) that seems to amuse some tourists says WAY OUT and not EXIT.

When calling long distance in Ireland, i had problems with the operator assisted calls (as they all were in those days gone by) because she would connect me, and then tell me: "You're through." Naturally, i would hang up. Fortunately, it was all explained to me before i had wasted too many shillings.

Vivien and McTag, Thanks for clearing up the public school/state school mystery. I'll remember this in a way similar to the way I remember the correct way to mount a horse. Right is wrong and left is right. Public is private and state is public.

Ceili, I'm confused. Half eight is a time? 4:30? Huh? Duh?

Wy, There are countless stories of US marketing campaigns that failed to consider the language, culture, and traditions of the country and people being marketed to. I can't remember one of them. My brain doesn't function the way it used to.

Mac, American tourists need a translation dictionary from British English to American English and vice versa.

Setanta and oldandknew, LOL.

By the way, half eight means 8:30, not 4:30.

Roberta, the classic language mixup in marketing that gets re-told time and again was when GM tried to introduce the Chevy Nova to the Central and South American market, forgetting that no va means '(it) doesn't go' in Spanish.

Thanks, Setanta! I thought I was out of my mind! On the other hand, when's four bells?

Bells are a tough one -- my brother, now passed away, knew all of that there nautical chin music, having served in the navy . . . as far as i recollect, the bells refer to the changing of the watch, each four hours, at which time two bells are sound per four hour period, but then there is the dog watch, which only stands a two hour watch . . . we need an old navy man in here . . .

"Traditionally, a 24-hour day is divided into seven watches. These are: midnight to 4 a.m. [0000-0400], the mid-watch; 4 to 8 a.m. [0400-0800], morning watch; 8 a.m. to noon [0800-1200], forenoon watch; noon to 4 p.m. [1200-1600], afternoon watch; 4 to 6 p.m. [1600-1800] first dog watch; 6 to 8 p.m. [1800-2000], second dog watch; and, 8 p.m. to midnight [2000-2400], evening watch. The half hours of the watch are marked by the striking the bell an appropriate number of times."

from the United States Navy's site Origins of Navy Terminology[/color]

Therefore, four bells would indicate two hours into a watch. This would be the middle of most watches, but the end of a dog watch. Therefore, eight bells would be the end of any watch other than a dog watch.

<see below>

The bells, the bells!!

Here are a few more British-English equivalents:

return == round-trip
tariff == rent, room rate
catering == food service
trolley == food cart
coach == bus
loyalty programme == frequent customer benefits
self-catering cottage == rental house
clothes pegs == clothes pins
car hire == rental car
trainers == tennis shoes
jumper == sweater

Some of the words used as equivalents on this thread actually are used here in the US as well as in the UK..or if you are from the UK, from US and elsewhere as much as there.

Trainers...the beginning running shoes were known as trainers, weren't they? In some cases words are used more prevalently in one place than the other, but not exclusively. In my opinion. Have noticed this before in the lists on this topic, too tired to go chase them down this minute.

To add another answer to the "time confusion":
in German (and other Germanic languages) 'half eight' means 7:30 (which would be "sept heures et demie" in French [and similar expressed in other romanic languages]).

Half eight is 8:30? Is this a shortened version of half past eight? As for the bells--hells bells. I'm not going there.

Andy, Yup, the famous Nova fiasco was one of the ones I couldn't remember.

Piffka, Thanks for adding to the list.

Osso, Yes, I think one of the terms you're referring to is rubbish (used on both sides of the Atlantic). I can't remember the others. Maybe I'll take a look tomorrow. It's too late now for hopping back and forth.

Walter, I'm still confused. Half eight is four-thirty. Half eight is eight-thirty. Half eight is seven-thirty. I can't keep up. I'm going to have to fall back on the old, reliable eight-thirty being eight-thirty.

Right you are, Walter. In Latvian, also, half-eight would be 7:30. Perfectly logical, if you ask me. It's not eight yet, it's only half eight.

Yes, of course...it should have read 8:30pm/am. (half-eight ect)
So much for my editing skills, I guess I still get confused over the half time thingy...

The British queue for everything while we line up - same dif, I know.

Thanks,
Ceili

The Chevy Nova/ no va story is an urban legend according to this website... have no idea myself if it is true or not, but in the interests of a2k factology, I'm adding this website which explains all:

http://spanish.about.com/library/weekly/aa072301a.htm