The American Language

[KiltedBishop]

Speaking as an American who just spent the last 12 months in the UK I can say in many cases it could be said it is a different language. For the first couple of months I had a vauge idea what the hell anyone was saying, but it's the slang that makes it confusing. We got into the habit of while in meetings when someone would use a word we didn't know a friend would "translate" for us and everyone would continue without skipping a beat.
the words might be the same but the meanings are different. Fag being the most well known example. I remember going to the grocery store and seeing in the freeze section "Pork Faggots". "knocking up" is another one. Two very different meanings...and to my american friends, never EVER comment on a woman's fanny in the UK. Not the same thing. Of course that is the fun of travel. Even parts of the US can be like that.
I always like to tell the Brits they gave us English, but we Americans fixed it for them.
I mean come on do you really need all those extra letters in everything? hahaha

Cheers!

[Blu (Ontario)]

... I always like to tell the Brits they gave us English, but we Americans fixed it for them.
I mean come on do you really need all those extra letters in everything? hahaha

I think so.

Ever see this gem...

Having chosen English as the preferred language in the EEC, the
European Parliament has commissioned a feasability study in ways of
improving efficiency in communications betwen Government
departments.

European officials have often pointed out that English spelling is
unnecessary difficult; for example: cough, plough, rough, through
and thorough. What is clearly needed is a phased programme of
changes to iron out these anomalies. The programme would, of
course, be administered by a committee staff at top level by
participating nations.

In the first year, for example, the committee would suggest using
's' instead of the soft 'c'. Sertainly, sivil servants in all
sities would resieve this news with joy. Then the hard 'c' could be
replaced by 'k' sinse both letters are pronounsed alike. Not only
would this klear up konfusion in the minds of klerikal workers, but
typewriters kould be made with one less letter.

There would be growing enthousiasm when in the sekond year, it was
anounsed that the troublesome 'ph' would henseforth be written 'f'.
This would make words like 'fotograf' twenty per sent shorter in
print.

In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be
expekted to reatsh the stage where more komplikated tshanges are
possible. Governments would enkourage the removal of double letters
which have always been a deterent to akurate speling.

We would al agre that the horible mes of silent 'e's in the languag
is disgrasful. Therefor we kould drop thes and kontinu to read and
writ as though nothing had hapend. By this tim it would be four
years sins the skem began and peopl would be reseptive to steps
sutsh as replasing 'th' by 'z'. Perhaps zen ze funktion of 'w'
kould be taken on by 'v', vitsh is, after al, half a 'w'. Shortly
after zis, ze unesesary 'o kould be dropd from words kontaining
'ou'. Similar arguments vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations
of leters.

Kontinuing zis proses yer after yer, ve vud eventuli hav a reli
sensibl riten styl. After tventi yers zer vud be no mor trublsm
difikultis and evrivun vud fin it ezi tu understand ech ozer. Ze
drems of Mr. Orvel vud finali hav kum tru.


Cheers,

blu

[highlander_Daz]

Id say the difference isnt the language its the use of it, I went to Uni in England (before tuition fees !!) and they are not so different in the use of the language, some words are different and the prounounciation is different, but the difference between british English and American is sarcasm, all the Americans I have met dont seem to get sarcasm , which is used alot this side of the pond. Its been describes as the lowest form of wit, but its got its place.

[Pour1Malt]

...

Kontinuing zis proses yer after yer, ve vud eventuli hav a reli
sensibl riten styl. After tventi yers zer vud be no mor trublsm
difikultis and evrivun vud fin it ezi tu understand ech ozer. Ze
drems of Mr. Orvel vud finali hav kum tru.

aye- thots much maire clear tae ma lugs!

[KiltedBishop]

I think so.

Kontinuing zis proses yer after yer, ve vud eventuli hav a reli
sensibl riten styl. After tventi yers zer vud be no mor trublsm
difikultis and evrivun vud fin it ezi tu understand ech ozer. Ze
drems of Mr. Orvel vud finali hav kum tru.


Cheers,

blu

Yavol!