English?, reading your post Options

[TR6er]

I really enjoy visiting the forum. Always lots of information and news. I think what I like best is reading your post written in Euro-English. Was it Churchill who said? "The Americans and the British are a people seperated by a common language". I find your word usage and sentence structure, (while at times confussing) very refreshing. American English while an effective communication medium is not as eloquent as "Proper English". I suppose it's a result of being independent these last 227 years and developing some bad language habits.

List of my favorite "English" car words complete with American translation

Boot- Trunk
Bonnet- Hood
Petrol - Gas
Sump - Oil pan
Drop Head Coupe- Convertible
Wings - Fenders or Quarter Panels
Tyres - Tires
Dampers- Shock Absorbers
Gear Box - Transmission
Spanner - End Wrench
Silencer- Muffler
Facia - Dashboard

I guess Churchill was right.


TR6er

[Erling]

An interesting topic. Does "sills" and "rocker panels" also fit into this? BTW, a while ago I read this bit of advice for US travellers going to Britain, I guess it still applies:

Vocabulary
The Brits have peculiar words for many things. Money is referred to as "goolies" in slang, so you should for instance say "I'd love to come to the pub but I haven't got any goolies." "Quid" is the modern word for what was once called a "shilling" -- the equivalent of seventeen cents American. Underpants are called "wellies" and friends are called "tossers." If you are fond of someone, you should tell him he is a "great tosser" -- he will be touched. The English are a notoriously demonstrative, tactile people, and if you want to fit in you should hold hands with your acquaintances and tossers when you walk down the street. Public nuzzling and licking are also encouraged, but only between people of the same sex.

Habits
Ever since their Tory government wholeheartedly embraced full union with Europe, the Brits have been attempting to adopt certain continental customs, such as the large midday meal followed by a two- or three-hour siesta , which they call a "wank." As this is still a fairly new practice in Britain, it is not uncommon for people to oversleep (alarm clocks, alas, do not work there due to the magnetic pull from Greenwich). If you are late for supper, simply apologize and explain that you were having a wank -- everyone will understand and forgive you.

Food
British cuisine enjoys a well deserved reputation as the most sublime gastronomic pleasure available to man. Thanks to today's robust dollar, the American traveller can easily afford to dine out several times a week (rest assured that a British meal is worth interrupting your afternoon wank for). Few foreigners are aware that there are several grades of meat in the UK. The best cuts of meat, like the best bottles of gin, bear Her Majesty's seal, called the British Stamp of Excellence (BSE). When you go to a fine restaurant, tell your waiter you want BSE beef and won't settle for anything less. If he balks at your request, custom dictates that you jerk your head imperiously back and forth while rolling your eyes to show him who is boss. Once the waiter realizes you are a person of discriminating taste, he may offer to let you peruse the restaurant's list of exquisite British wines. If he doesn't, you should order one anyway. The best wine grapes grow on the steep, chalky hillsides of Yorkshire and East Anglia -- try an Ely '84 or Ripon '88 for a rare treat indeed. When the bill for your meal comes it will show a suggested amount. Pay whatever you think is fair, unless you plan to dine there again, in which case you should simply walk out; the restaurant host will understand that he should run a tab for you.

Transportation
For those travelling on a shoestring budget, the London Tube may be the most economical way to get about, especially if you are a woman. Chivalry is alive and well in Britain, and ladies still travel for free on the Tube. Simply take some tokens from the baskets at the base of the escalators or on the platforms; you will find one near any of the state-sponsored Tube musicians. Once on the platform, though, beware! Approaching trains sometimes disurb the large Gappe bats that roost in the tunnels. The Gappes were smuggled into London in the early 19th century by French saboteurs and have proved impossible to exterminate. The announcement "Mind the Gappe!" is a signal that you should grab your hair and look towards the ceiling. Very few people have ever been killed by Gappes, though, and they are considered only a minor drawback to an otherwise excellent means of transportation.

One final note: for preferential treatment when you arrive at Heathrow airport, announce that you and your fellow tossers are members of Shin Fane (an international Jewish peace organization -- the "shin" stands for "shalom"). As savvy travellers know, this little white lie will assure you priority treatment as you make your way through customs; otherwise you could waste all day in line. You might, in fact, want to ask a customs agent to put a Shin Fane stamp in your passport, as it will expedite things on your return trip. As an extra matter of courtesy, they may even show you into a private, secluded room, where you can have a wank before continuing your journey. While you are waiting, you might want to ask the customs tosser (this sort of cordial familiarity is encouraged), where you might find a eating establishment which serves BSE-certified food.

Bollocks to your mum! ("farewell and good health to your family")

[thomas]

...ever thought about the fact, that english is not the "mother tongue" of all members of this board? It's tricky to get the right wording sometimes - but it works. I would prefer to write and read european english - american english contains to many words you won't find in any dict

[Guest_CanariZ28_*]

". . a while ago I read this bit of advice for US travellers going to Britain . ."

According to a rule quoted here from an American English USA textbook, you will find very few US travellers traversing the globe. While travelling may be hobby for some, American youngsters are still being taught that traveling is the preferred way.

"Double the final consonant before a suffix beginning with a vowel if the word has only one syllable or is accented on the last syllable and the word ends in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel."

One syllable words:
Plan, planned; ship, shipped; brag, bragging; rob, robber; hop, hopped

Last syllable accented:
begin, beginning refer, referring; commit, committed; forbid, forbidden; confer, conferred

Last syllable not accented:
marvel, marveled; counsel, counseled; travel, traveled

Not ending in single consonant preceded by single vowel:
cramp, cramped; look, looked

The King is dead. Long live the anarchists!

[Swissracer]

TR6er -

You forgot one...

Hammer - American screwdriver