British English A to Zed (Facts on File Library of Language and Literature)

Thoroughly revised and updated, this authoritative language reference provides American equivalents for nearly five thousand Briticisms and explains the history of each expression, with information on pronunciation, punctuation, language usage, and style. Simultaneous.

In an effort to unravel the differences between British and American English, Schur published his first guide, entitled British Self-Taught: With Comments in American, in 1973. When a revised edition appeared in 1980, the title was changed to English English, and the 1987 revision was published as British English A to Zed. This latest edition has been revised by Ehrlich, coeditor of the Oxford American Dictionary.

The approximately 5,000 Briticisms covered in this dictionary include words and phrases that Americans generally do not use at all (for example, dabs, meaning fingerprints) as well as terms used in both the U.S and Britain but that have different meanings (such as bomb, which in Britain means a smash hit, but in America indicates just the opposite). Entries indicate the American equivalent for each Briticism and usually provide additional explanation. Valuable supplemental material appears in two appendixes, the first of which outlines the basic differences between British and American English regarding syntax, pronunciation, punctuation, and spelling. The second appendix provides a means of identifying terms in specific areas, including currency, finance, weights and measures, and cricket. An index to American equivalents completes the volume. Ehrlich has put his stamp on the dictionary by condensing and rewriting significant portions of the work. He has dropped a large number of terms and has significantly shortened many of the remaining entries by deleting illustrative examples and editorial commentary. In addition, Ehrlich has added a handful of new terms, including finger (shot of booze), ruby wedding (fortieth wedding anniversary), and scrotty (crummy).

British English A to Zed continues to be a useful source for public and academic libraries. Because this revision treats relatively few new terms, it is not an essential purchase for libraries that own the 1987 revision or its 1991 paperback reprint. RBB
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