Divided By A Common Language: A Guide To British And American English - Hardcover

Davies, Christopher E.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0618002758 ISBN 13: 9780618002757

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2005

Synopsis

A witty and informative study of the linguistic gap between American and British English discusses differences in spelling, pronunciation, and vocabulary, as well as expressions that have vastly different meanings in the two countries and the cultural idiosyncracies of American and British language. Reprint.

About this title

From the Author:

Serious reference or humorous, yours to decide... Having grown up in England, I ventured forth at the aged 20 to visit relatives in New Zealand. How could I possibly know at that time that England was never going to be home again.... After seven years down under, I settled in the United States in 1980. Twenty years later I am still fascinated by American culture. The linguistic differences are enormous. The words "tailback" and "dustman", mean nothing to the average American and probably never will in the foreseeable future. Brits coming over on "holiday" still use the terms, "bathing costume", and "flannel", much to the amusement of Americans within earshot.

In this book, I have tried to cover every aspect of the differences between British and American English, from spelling differences to pronunciation differences; even comparing different idioms and expressions used on the other side of the pond. I hope you enjoy the book with all its intrinsic humor, but I think having read the book, you'll be just as fascinated as I am by the vast linguistic gulf that separates the two countries. By the way, did you know that Americans have not always driven on the right? The details are in the book. Christopher Davies (CDavies324@aol.com)

About the Author:

CHRISTOPHER DAVIES was born and raised in England and spent several years living in Australia and New Zealand. In 1980 he settled in Florida. The many unfamiliar expressions and pronunciations that he encountered in American English led him to write Divided by a Common Language.

About this edition

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0618002758
• ISBN 13: 9780618002757
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 248