British vs. American Renderings

[geronimo_appleby]

Link sent.

done. hope it was a useful exercise. great read!

 

[DeYaKen]

I have to disagree with this one. Both of these are used in American English. "Judgement" is an opinion based on or expressed as fact, while "judgment" is a legal decision of a court of law.

One more to add: "Clever" (British) and "intelligent" (American).

Have to disagree with this last one. We use both Clever and intelligent. The nearest I have seen in American to the way we use Clever would be Smart. Clever can also be used in place of cunning.

i.e. I have a clever plan. I have a cunning plan. The difference would be that cunning implies some deviousness.

I have yet to see an American story describe a plan as intelligent, or smart come to that but I did only say it was the nearest.

 

[Scotsman69]

This whole debate can be distilled down to two dictionaries: The Oxford (UK), and Webster's (USA).

 

[oggbashan]

This whole debate can be distilled down to two dictionaries: The Oxford (UK), and Webster's (USA).

True. But you have to know that the difference exists to be able to use those effectively.

 

[sr71plt]

This whole debate can be distilled down to two dictionaries: The Oxford (UK), and Webster's (USA).

Not really. It's about different words for the same concept as well beyond simply different spellings or different meanings for the same word. The two dictionaries don't pick up the distinction of the first in all cases.

 

[Bramblethorn]

3113's recipe thread over on AH just reminded me of another:

In US English, an "entree" is the main meal. In British/Australian English, it's a small course that precedes the main meal.

 

[Beck31]

second floor in UK is often first floor in Us

 

[sr71plt]

second floor in UK is often first floor in Us

Or ground floor in the United States. But, yes, any time British style mentions "first floor," An American would need to walk down a flight to be on the right level.

Another line of differences is an s/z one, for example:

B: organisation . . . . A: organization

 

[Handley_Page]

A few comments on the story so far, and I hope I don't tread on anyone's toes.

Like many languages, converting between US and UK English may not be as easy as first thought. The 'accurate' translation requires a certain familiarity with context as well as any problems with dialect changes.

To skid forward, and ignoring the usual words with a U in them in UK English but not US English (labour / labor etc.)


DeYaKen

We have both Knickers and panties, depends on how much is covered except for french knickers

There are many other differences for example in the U.K. you visit someone, you don't visit with them. A visit involves traveling somewhere.

Then of course there is the irony.
I think I'm going to have to pay John a little visit. Implies I.m going to find John and do something he isn't going to like.
Don't even start on Scottish, Welsh and Irish.
I'm awah te ma Messages. ........ I'm going to run some errands.
I'm here for the craic ................ I'm here for the laughs, jokes, and general good natured chat
Past tense of fit is fitted ........... US appear to use fit (this is the same for many verbs.
.

not "Visit with": unless you made a visit accompanied by someone
("A visit with Fred to the Zoo", for example.)
You pay a visit to, or you simply Visit

"Pay John a little visit" also requires a knowledge of to whom that remark is made and implies the rest of the sentence like "and teach him a lesson". It can easily be misinterpreted, which is precisely the point. Double meanings can be fun.

I'm here for the craic .
Not found too often outside Northern Ireland as far as I can tell. And it's pronounced CRACK.

An item might be FIT for purpose, but it is "fitted to" the unit. It might also be "a good fit" as in a piece of glass in a window frame).
But "She's fit" refers to a lady of either wonderful curves or an appreciation of her fitness in or for a sport.


LadyCibelle

B Trousers.........A Pants
B Pants..............A-C Panties
B Mate................A-C Friend

A gentleman may wear under-pants beneath his trousers.
Be careful with 'Shag'. Not only does it refer to the pile of a carpet (floor covering) but to the type of hair/fur on a dog and even sometimes a cat. And do not mention "Shaggy Dog" stories (aka Risqué) .
And someone really fatigued could be described as "Shagged out".

"Mate" is generally a special kind of Friend; especially one who's been though similar adversity or employment, but it can also may refer to "soul-mate" as in spouse.
"Me & my mate went down the Pub and had a good time"
"She was his soul-mate, but lost the battle with illness. He was devastated." Not used much these days.

Be careful of 'Desert'. Do not mix with Dessert.

References to the Police can be a bit of a minefield. Constable is the lowest rank of the Police Force.
They are also known as Coppers ('Cops' for short) [Peelers was also used after the founder, Robert Peel]. Also used in "the Fuzz, the Feds, the Rozzers", and of course Mr Plod (from the Noddy books).

Oggbashan
School Buses in the UK can be normal buses, single or double deckers, or coaches, or minibuses. They are not normally distinguishable from any other form of bus and have no special status. We are expected to treat them with caution because schoolchildren might appear from behind them but how do we know whether it is a school bus or not? We don't know.

In my neck of the woods, the new school buses are a hideous yellow colour, and therefore very distinguishable.

Weight.
Like Pilot said, start with Ton and you are in for a lot of fun.
a Tonne, (metric ton) is 2000 kilograms weight.
a Ton is 2240 lb.
The difference between them is about 2%.
Volume would be between 210 and 256 gallons (although whether this is Imperial or US is not stated in Wiki), or about 60 cubic feet.

"Trainers" used to be called "basketball boots", and replaced the usual Plimsolls in the gym.

A housewife may 'vac up' after a mess, but she'd use a Hoover, regardless of who actually made it.

On the subject of the Education of a student.
Your kid first goes to Primary school. Then maybe Middle school ('cos the government had to invent new terms) and finally secondary school which takes you up to about 16 years old. At this point things can get tricky, depending upon the academic qualifications gained in the school-leaving examinations (GCSE). The kid can go on to a Technical College (or similar) or maybe stay and do the Advanced Levels (A-levels) which are usually mandatory for entry to a University.

'Clever' & 'Intelligent' can lead you into another maze.
A person may be described as 'clever', which implies a certain intelligence and aptitude or experience. Intelligent is generally left alone to say exactly that, unless it is used in a derogatory way ("you did that, did you?. That's real intelligent of you").

Time for me to retire to my pit (= bed; a military expression).

 

[Bramblethorn]

And do not mention "Shaggy Dog" stories (aka Risqué)

Interesting - I'm used to hearing "shaggy dog" meaning a story that's deliberately padded out to make it as long as the teller can get away with, usually with a bad punchline at the end, no particular risqué connotations.

 

[DeYaKen]

Interesting - I'm used to hearing "shaggy dog" meaning a story that's deliberately padded out to make it as long as the teller can get away with, usually with a bad punchline at the end, no particular risqué connotations.

I'm with you on the shaggy dog story. They are usually long drawn out and often not very funny. certainly not always risque. It comes from the idea that a shaggy dog is more hair than dog.

A Metric tonne is 1000 kg no 2000. since a kg is 2.2 pounds a tonne represents 2200 lbs so is 40 lbs lighter than imperial ton. UK uses both

We also use both pints and gallons aswell as litres. Beware an imperial gallon is bigger than a US gallon as is the imperial pint. There are just over 10 US pints to an imperial gallon

US pint = 440 ml
UK pint = 568 ml

 

[Beck31]

Police Constable=Police Officer (uniformed and often called a Bobby)
Knackered=Tired
Tyre=Tire
Gaol=Jail

 

[oggbashan]

Mayor and Sheriff in England

A Sheriff in England is a civic appointment, often also the Deputy Mayor. The current responsibility of a Sheriff is usually ceremonial, opening new buildings, making speeches on behalf of City Hall. The post of Sheriff has nothing to do with policing or crime. The earlier versions of Sheriff e.g. The Sheriff of Nottingham, Robin Hood's adversary, were the Monarch's representative for their area and had real powers and armed forces to enforce their rulings.

Mayor in UK now has two different meanings.

1. As Mayor of a town is the ceremonial leader of the Council and is usually awarded annually to a Councillor for long service. The Mayor is the Chairman (even if the Mayor is a woman) of the full Council meetings and because of that role is usually one of the ruling party's councillors. These Mayors are chosen by the councillors and not directly elected.

1a. Lord Mayor. As 1 above but for a City, not a town. Has no real power except as Chairman of the full Council when the Mayor's casting vote is sometimes used when a decision is equally split.

1b. Lord Mayor of (the CITY of) London. The Lord Mayor of London is also an annual ceremonial post that is very expensive for the holder of that post. The Lord Mayor sponsors the Lord Mayor's Show - an annual parade through the streets of the City of London - and Civic Receptions and Banquets sometimes for visiting Heads of State. It is assumed that being the Lord Mayor of London costs the incumbent about one million pounds for the year of office, although some of that can be sponsored by his supporters. The Lord Mayor of London is elected by the Aldermen (senior councillors) and Councillors of the City of London. He does have significant powers. The reigning monarch cannot enter the City of London without the Lord Mayor's permission which is never refused in modern times.

2. Directly elected Mayors. These are recent creations, the Mayor of London being the most famous. Boris Johnson (Conservative) is the current Mayor of London, having taken over from Ken Livingstone (Labour). These elected Mayors have real powers over the budget of their City or town and can act with or without the support of their fellow councillors. Famously, one town elected its costumed football mascot as Mayor. He wasn't a bad choice.

The US versions of Sheriff and Deputy derive from the ancient English Sheriffs, not from the modern ones.

 

[oggbashan]

Elected posts in England

People who are elected in England (also applies with significant variations in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland):

Lowest to Highest level:

1a. Parish Councillors. These are civil, not religious, bodies that deal with minor matters for a small community such as a village. Examples of topics covered are grass-cutting, street lighting and village recreational facilities. Very small communities might only have "Chairman of the Parish Meeting" who acts as the Parish Council.

1b. Town Councillors: As for Parish Councillors but for an urban area. They can have a Mayor who has no real power.

2. District (or City) Councillors: A District Council covers a population of about 100,000 to 150,000 people. Their responsibilities are social housing, development control (planning), licensing including taxis and places of public entertainment, parks and recreation grounds.

3. County Councillors: Highways, Social Services, Education.

2&3. Unitary Authority Councillors: Where Unitary Authorities exist they cover the responsibilities of District and County Councils.

3b. Police and Fire Authorities are independent of County or Unitary Councils. They were run by appointed committee members. Since last month Police Commissioners have been elected directly. This is the first time any Police organisation has had elected people.

4. Members of Parliament: Elected to Westminster. Wales and Scotland have Members of Parliament and also their own Parliaments with elected Members. The leader of each party is elected by the party by differing rules. The Prime Minister is elected by their party. There are no direct elections for Prime Minister although, as in the Labour Party, other organisations have considerable influence. This is odd. As a union member, even though a retired member, I could have voted for the Labour leader whether or not I support the Labour party. I didn't. I opted out of the political party of my union many years ago.

5. Members of the European Parliament: Elected to Europe but their powers are very limited and too much power rests with the European bureaucracy.

Apart from the new Police Commissioners, there are no elected crime officials.

Many other public bodies such as the NHS, have various committees, some of whom can be directly elected by the public. The public usually have no idea when an election is to be held or who the candidates are. Often there is no election because there aren't enough candidates to fill all the vacancies.

Can someone provide the US equivalents?

 

[Kikoro]

Rough U.S. equivalents:

1a. Parish Councillors. These are civil, not religious, bodies that deal with minor matters for a small community such as a village. Examples of topics covered are grass-cutting, street lighting and village recreational facilities. Very small communities might only have "Chairman of the Parish Meeting" who acts as the Parish Council.

Things like this are usually handled by Neighborhood Organizations. The leader can take on a different title depending on the neighborhood, and not every neighborhood has one, but the most common title would be "Chairman of the Neighborhood Organization." Some are referred to as a "President" instead.

1b. Town Councillors: As for Parish Councillors but for an urban area. They can have a Mayor who has no real power.

City Council. It may also have a Mayor whose power is greatly limited by the council. His or her real power is during crises when a council decision would take too long to wait for. Some states require the council to declare a state of emergency for the Mayor to take direct action, while others do not.

2. District (or City) Councillors: A District Council covers a population of about 100,000 to 150,000 people. Their responsibilities are social housing, development control (planning), licensing including taxis and places of public entertainment, parks and recreation grounds.

County Commission is close, but it is determined geographically rather than by population. Most counties have one major city and the surrounding lands.

3. County Councillors: Highways, Social Services, Education.

This also falls under the County Commission.

2&3. Unitary Authority Councillors: Where Unitary Authorities exist they cover the responsibilities of District and County Councils.

Some more context might be helpful here, but I think this might fit "State Governor," who is responsible for his state's National Guard in a similar manner to how the President of the United States is responsible for the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security's armed forces. They also coordinate tasks that require the efforts of more than one local government within their state and sign off on changes to state laws.

3b. Police and Fire Authorities are independent of County or Unitary Councils. They were run by appointed committee members. Since last month Police Commissioners have been elected directly. This is the first time any Police organisation has had elected people.

Established by state law. They may be elected officials or appointed by County Commission or the State Governor.

4. Members of Parliament: Elected to Westminster. Wales and Scotland have Members of Parliament and also their own Parliaments with elected Members. The leader of each party is elected by the party by differing rules. The Prime Minister is elected by their party. There are no direct elections for Prime Minister although, as in the Labour Party, other organisations have considerable influence. This is odd. As a union member, even though a retired member, I could have voted for the Labour leader whether or not I support the Labour party. I didn't. I opted out of the political party of my union many years ago.

Covered by a combination of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senators and Representatives are both elected, but the criteria for election of each differs drastically.

The number of senators in a state is always two, which means that the Senate will always consist of 100 members unless the number of states in the union changes.

The number of representatives in a state is determined by the total population of a state, and voting districts for representatives are supposed to each contain approximately the same number of voters to avoid "advantageous" definition of voting districts.

A bill has to be ratified by both the House and the Senate before it passes to the President for implementation into law.

5. Members of the European Parliament: Elected to Europe but their powers are very limited and too much power rests with the European bureaucracy.

No real equivalent here. We're still entirely autonomous at the Federal level. We do still work with the U.N. but that is a little different.

 

[oggbashan]

What about other elected US positions: Sheriff, Police Chief, Coroner, Dog Catcher etc?

 

[sr71plt]

What about other elected US positions: Sheriff, Police Chief, Coroner, Dog Catcher etc?

For starters, they aren't all elected.

 

[Kikoro]

What about other elected US positions: Sheriff, Police Chief, Coroner, Dog Catcher etc?

Sheriffs are pretty much anyone in law-enforcement with county-wide jurisdiction. You quite often have several Sheriffs in a single county, and it is just a normal job. The Sheriff's Department generally hires and maintains its own ranks.

The policies for selecting a Police Chief depends greatly on location. In larger cities it can be a very political position with appointment by the City Council or Mayor, while in small towns it can just be the senior-most officer in the precinct.

For Coroner, we have the "Chief Medical Examiner" who is in charge of the Coroner's Office. Here, coroner is a title given to anyone qualified to do a full autopsy. The selection process usually falls to the local Judicial department based on their experience working with the criminal justice system, but again different areas have different ways of handling it.

That does bring up the position of Chief Justice, though, which is a judge that is given jurisdiction over a state and handles the distribution of legal cases to judges underneath him or her. They also handle appeals processing to district courts and directly preside over any criminal cases that involve practicing justices within their state.

Above him, we have the Courts of Appeals, each of which is overseen by one of the members of the Supreme Court who serves the same role for his or her circuit(s) that the Chief Justice does in state courts. Judges within those courts choose which appeals from district courts to accept on an individual basis. There are several Courts of Appeals based on geographical location, each one with a different number of Judges based on the population of their circuit.

Above them is the Supreme Court, which, as a group of nine judges, all appointed lifetime positions by the current President of the United States as vacancies open. The Chief Justice of the United States holds the highest position among these nine, but the process for choosing which Justice serves in that role is not defined. Four of the nine judges have to agree in order to accept a case. Cases are typically appeals from circuit court, but may be appeals from district courts or they may even claim original jurisdiction over a case (such as when two states have a legal battle with each other). The Supreme Court has the final authority in the interpretation of the law, and sets precedents by which all other cases are measured with its rulings. The Chief Justice of the United States is also required to preside over impeachment proceedings and any following court action against the President of the United States.

I could name you a few dozen more elected or appointed positions, honestly. There are way too many of them to account for easily, and the state-level officials can vary drastically from state-to-state.

 

[evanslily]

On the subject of the Education of a student.
Your kid first goes to Primary school. Then maybe Middle school ('cos the government had to invent new terms) and finally secondary school which takes you up to about 16 years old. At this point things can get tricky, depending upon the academic qualifications gained in the school-leaving examinations (GCSE). The kid can go on to a Technical College (or similar) or maybe stay and do the Advanced Levels (A-levels) which are usually mandatory for entry to a University.

Well, just to make this more confusing, even this varies across the UK. In my county and many others, your kid goes to infant school then junior school then secondary school. Sometimes the infant and junior school are housed in the same building and have one headmaster or headmistress and then that school's called a primary school.

In other counties, your kid goes to lower school then middle school then upper school. And the ages at which the kid moves between these three also varies between counties.

You can do A'levels at technical colleges, six form colleges and tertiary colleges or stay on in the sixth form of your secondary school or upper school. And these days you can do BTEC courses at all of those instead of A'levels and use the "points" from those courses to get into universities.

Whew. We don't make education simple at all, do we?

Oh, and our kids start going to school in the academic year (September to July) they turn 5 years of age. So my son started school when he was 4, even though he wasn't 5 until the following July.

 

[oggbashan]

UK private schools are 'public': state schools are free.

In the UK your child does not have to go to a (free) state school. You can send them to a private school and the cost varies according to what you want to pay.

If you go private, the start is a pre-preparatory school which can take children from age 3; followed by a preparatory school from age 5 to 13, and the main public (which aren't public!) schools from age 13 to 18.

In England the term 'public school' means a fee-paying school NOT run by the state. Eton and Harrow are public schools. So are many others of varying quality and status. Some are residential (boarding) schools, some are day schools and a few have both residential and day pupils.

'Grammar' schools still exist as state schools in hold-outs such as Kent. To enter them the child has to achieve a high standard in an entrance examination. Comprehensive schools are supposed to cover all abilities. In Kent they cover all abilities except the top academic stream unless the child and parents choose to go to a comprehensive for political or personal reasons. For example a child who just achieves the minimum standard to go to a grammar school might feel happier as the top stream of a comprehensive rather than struggling to keep up in a grammar school.

 

[oggbashan]

Naming of schools

There is a trend in England to rename and relaunch 'failing' schools, perhaps turning them into an 'Academy'.

In Canterbury, Canterbury High School used to be The Frank Hooker School. I wonder why they changed it?

One unpopular school with poor results became an Academy. Its results are still poor. Changing the management structure, the name and the signs doesn't change the fact that its catchment area is one of the most deprived locally. What the students achieve by the time they leave may be beyond the expectation of their primary schools, but they can't compare with schools sited in more affluent areas whose parents support their children's education.

A few miles away is a school that has had three name changes in ten years. At last the examination results are beginning to show that the massive investment in money and teaching staff is paying off but it has been a hard struggle to convince the students that they can achieve.

The best change has been to a local High School. Twenty years ago it was failing and was threatened with closure. The parents and wider community were appalled at the prospect of losing the town's only secondary school and campaigned to save it. The campaign involved the parents and students so much that the students began to believe in the school and themselves. Now? There is competition to get places at that school. That school's eventual name change reflected its new status and was, unusually, not an attempt to live down the past.

But it leaves ancient people like me confused. I attended many schools between the ages of 4 and 18. Only my Australian school still has the name it had when I was a student. All the rest have either closed or have been renamed at least twice.

 

[ishtat]

Edited to add Australian alternatives in Bold

These are open to correction because I'm not wholly sure that they are right:

British = US

Car = Auto(mobile)
Petrol = Gas = Petrol which we buy in litres
Gallon (Imperial = 4.55litres) = Gallon (US = 3.79 liters)
Bonnet = Hood
Boot = Trunk
Gas (Liquified Petroleum Gas) = US? And LNG?
Bumper = Fender
Lorry = Truck (but also used in UK) Truck, Semi, or B Double
HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) = Semi-Trailer
Van or Transit = Panel Van
Pickup = Ute (short for Utility)
Tyre = Tire
Driving Lessons = Driver's Ed
Registration Document = Pink Slip In OZ a Pink slip is what you get when you are fired(sacked)
Driving Licence = Driver's License
Saloon = Sedan Sedan
Estate = Station Wagon Wagon
Silencer = Muffler
Carburettor = Carburetor
Petrol Station = Gas Station
Motorway = Freeway or Motorways if built by Liberal (conservative) governments Freeways if built by Labor governments
Unmade Road = Dirt Road Dirt road
Bridle Way (track for horses) = ?
Public Footpath (track for pedestrians usually cross country) = ?
Pavement = Sidewalk
Roundabout = ?
Manhole Cover = ?
Gutter = Gully?
Level Crossing = Grade Crossing
Zebra (or Pedestrian) Crossing = ?
Gear Lever = Stick shift We mainly drive automatics
Highway Code = (Traffic Laws?)
Traffic Police = Highway Patrol also Highway Patrol
Shag (UK) Fuck US is a root in OZ. If you are rooting you are not supporting a football team. To be described as a good root is a great compliment
Other notes:

We drive on the left. The steering wheel is in front of the right hand seat.
Most UK cars are not automatic. They are stick shift.
On roundabouts we give way to traffic coming from our right.
Our Traffic Police are Policemen first. They are trained for Traffic duties but will happily arrest you for burglary, indecent exposure...

National Speed Limits for cars are:
70 mph on motorways and dual carriageways; 60 mph on all other roads UNLESS signed otherwise.

School Buses in the UK can be normal buses, single or double deckers, or coaches, or minibuses. They are not normally distinguishable from any other form of bus and have no special status. We are expected to treat them with caution because schoolchildren might appear from behind them but how do we know whether it is a school bus or not? We don't know.

There are many other variations for example a lot of Irishisms persist in OZ For example flown thrown and film are pronounced flowun throwun and fillum.

Newspapers generally follow British standards but News Corporation's papers follow American standards.

The National Dictionary is generally accepted as the Macquarie Dictionary which tends to be more Brit than American but most new words are usually US in origin.

The Australian Labor party is missing the U because the man who was sent off to register the name 130 years ago was a migrant from the States.

 

[DeYaKen]

Here is a quicky you might enjoy.
In the UK the person who carries out legal processes for you is called a solicitor.
The person who defends you in a court of law is a barrister.

So a solicitor is a legal representative but soliciting is the crime a prostitute commits when touting for business.

Hence the chat up line that is sure to get your face slapped.

"Hi Melanie, what do you do?"

"I'm a solicitor."

"Oh really, where do you solicit?"

SLAP

 

[_Lynn_]

Bump!

 

[DeYaKen]

well if you really want to resurrect this I have a word that I've not seen in US stories.

snookered : meaning that someone has been prevented from doing what he or she intended.

The word comes from the game of snooker (similar to pool but played on a table three times the size with 15 red balls one each of yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black).

A player is snookered if there is no direct path between the cue ball and the ball they need to play.