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Opinions on this american english and british english book?
I bought this book called 'American English English American' and I find it to be extremely unhelpful and almost insulting, If it wasn't so bad that its funny. I understand that on both sides we have odd words to describe things but this is just silly. Here are some examples:
American _British
duded up- dressed up
zinger- bulls eye
going ape- angry
twister- tornado
super mega highway- freeway
mean- nasty
icebox- refrigerator
john- toilet
no no -not allowed
hit- murder
broad- women
alligator pear- avocado
Boob tube- TV
apple pie order- in good order
Wow, its just awful isn't it. Remember this is a survival book, so it meant to keep confusion to a minimum in those countries. Not only do I not have any problem talking to my londoner friends, as an american ( californian) I have never said any of those terms ( except mean and sometimes twister, mostly for the movie though, and I call it a restroom if its public or bathroom in a house). I have only used the so called "british" terms. But If im wrong can someone fill me in? do people use those words still?
PS. I personally believe books like these are obsolete ( I bought it for fun) because our forms of english aren't hard for the other to understand. They are very similar in every way, except slang, and I think these books just perpetuate the common misconception amongst non native Speakers that they are two almost different languages. Something i have heard before from french and spanish friends until we explain that isn't the case.
I did see both sections, I just felt cheated to see the British side was full of words most Americans commonly use while the American section was more like a larry the cable guy or jeff foxworthy dictionary. Half the slang their is straight out of andy Griffith! I would have liked to see actual British slangs and terms.
I have a feeling that No one is reading what I said. The examples are straight out of a book, and even If english originated There, It doesn't make your new words more legitimate than ours. The languages are so different that people wouldn't sound like either of us or understand us. Stop smelling your own farts
3 Answers
- Ted CLv 61 decade agoFavorite Answer
Not all your examples are correct anyway. For example we have 'motorways' not freeways, hence they are designated M1, M2, etc., while a 'Boob tube' is nothing to do with TV, but an item of women's dress. We have bathrooms in our houses, but toilets in public buildings. We would not refer to a woman as a 'broad', that would be almost an insult.Throw the book away, the compiler wasn't very good.
You have to remember that English originated on our side of the pond, was taken across the Atlantic presumably by the Pilgrim Fathers, and you have over the centuries chosen to create your own version of it.
- Anonymous5 years ago
There is only one English - British English. I don't think that the Americans influence our written language at all. If you went to do a written English exam and used the American spelling , I doubt if you would pass , as the spelling would let you down. American programmes are over British TV but this does not make you an American. Influence - NO!
- Anonymous1 decade ago
The point is not that ALL Americans use those words, but some do. If a British person were to encounter some of those terms they would not know what it meant. I think you are just looking in the wrong section. You should be looking up British terms you don't understand.
