Subject: Talk Like an Englishman
Posted by: romeomikegolf
Date: Oct 30 11
In response to the other thread how do we Brits pronounce different words? Do you take a bath, or a barth?
Posted by: romeomikegolf
Date: Oct 30 11
In response to the other thread how do we Brits pronounce different words? Do you take a bath, or a barth?
98 replies. On page 5 of 5 pages. 1 2 3 4 5
Mixamatosis 
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An American show called "Hanging with Mr Cooper" was shown on UK TV. It tickled my husband to think there was a light- hearted sitcom about lynching. Of course he knew what was meant. In the U.K.the phrase would have been "hanging out". Reply #81. Oct 12 16, 5:43 PM |
MiraJane
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In the US "hanging out" is also used. Reply #82. Oct 12 16, 7:02 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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That's interesting. Language changes pretty rapidly these days. Reply #83. Oct 13 16, 2:04 AM |
| Mixamatosis
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One big difference between English and American pronunciation is that Americans emphasise vowel sounds where sometimes English people elide them (i.e pronounce as if the vowel does not exist). I was struck by an American pronunciation of the word "marathon" today on the radio, where the "o" at the end is clearly sounded. The English pronounce it almost as if there is no "o" or you could say as if there's a very short "u" instead. The same goes for words like Borough, Edinburgh, Middlesbrough and thorough where the end sound in English is like "brugh". Also in county names the end part "shire" is pronounced with a short "i" like "ear" not a long "i" like "ire" (as in anger). Hope this is a useful tip for any budding actors doing various accents :) Reply #84. Apr 21 17, 12:16 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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Past participles. Americans will use "gotten" as the past participle of the verb "to get" whereas the English tend to say "got". However the English use "bitten" as the past participle of the verb "to bite" whereas Americans will often use "bit" as in "he got bit". Isn't language a curious thing? Reply #85. May 26 17, 4:15 AM |
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Since using the funtrivia site, I've noticed my written English becoming more like American English sometimes. It's unconsciously so, but sometimes I catch myself doing it. In England we would say "What was the date of etc" whereas this morning I caught myself writing "When was the date etc". I think that's the American way of asking isn't it? Reply #86. Nov 27 17, 2:49 AM |
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When I've left some information on youtube, Americans sometimes thank me for the "heads up". I presume they mean to thank me for the information, but the phrase "heads up" in England means "advance warning" or "advance notice" of something, which is not what I've done. It's interesting to find how the same language is used differently in different countries. Reply #87. Dec 07 17, 6:19 AM |
| Mixamatosis
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The term "whitewash" I think is used differently in the UK and America. If I've understood correctly, in America it's used to denote things like using white actors to play characters who are regarded as black, or to cast or award actors in a way that ignores or under represents black actors. In the UK it's used more generally to just mean "a cover up" and is nothing to do with race or ethnic background. I think it's the idea of covering over things in whitewash - a type of paint (which was often done to religious wall paintings during Henry VIII's reign and the reigns of two of his children) Of course British English often copies American English over time so I can see the American use might crop up in the UK, possibly leading to some confusion of the different uses. Reply #88. Feb 03 18, 5:19 AM |
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P.S,As an example of usage, in the UK government reports or independent inquiry reports are sometimes referred to as a "whitewash" by critics, if they feel the reports did not get to the heart of the issues, and their suspicion is that this was deliberate avoidance.. Reply #89. Feb 03 18, 5:24 AM |
seekernym
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In the US whitewash means to cover something up (such as a scandal) in whole or in part. I've never heard the term used in regard to actors as you mentioned. Reply #90. Feb 03 18, 9:49 AM |
| Mixamatosis
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Hacks. American English = short for computer hackers and quick and clever ways of doing things. In England the first meaning uses the same word but for the latter meaning we'd say "tips". Hacks in England also means second rate journalists. Baste or basting in America is used to mean a certain type of stitching. In England we'd say tack or tacking. Basting in England also means pouring the hot meat juices over a roasting joint. Reply #91. Apr 12 18, 7:22 AM |
| Mixamatosis
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Whenever I forget what 'litotes' is, as a figure of speech, I just have to remember how a previous British Prime Minister, John Major, used to speak, or at least I thought so until I realised that 'Private Eye' magzine made most of his litotes up. It seemed to fit his character, to have him using the phrase,'not inconsiderable'. Litotes is 'an understatement in which a positive statement is expressed by negating its opposite'. Tom Jones's song beginning 'It's not unusual' is another example.https://literaryterms.net/litotes/ Reply #92. Aug 15 18, 1:57 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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I've been thinking about how Americans and British people use the same words to mean different things, but I'd qualify this by saying that exposure to American terms on TV and other media is resulting in some of these differences disappearing, and also I don't exclude the fact that both meanings may be used in both countries. I'm referring to the most general or popular usage of the terms: Words I was thinking of were: mean (This is generally used to mean behaving in a cruel or bullying manner in American usage but being tight with money in British usage), cheap (This is used to mean being tight with money in American usage but generally means inexpensive in British usage), smart (This is used to mean intelligent or clever in American usage - Brits would traditionally have said clever or intelligent. Smart in British usage means well dressed, though it's now being used in the American sense also). I'm sure there are more that I've not thought of. Reply #93. Aug 29 18, 6:30 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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I can always tell someone from Northern Ireland, even if I couldn't hear them but only read subtitles, because they say 'whenever' where English people would say 'when'. English people use 'whenever' to refer to occasions where something happens more frequently than once, like 'whenever I go to school I make sure to bring my school bag'. People from Northern Ireland say 'whenever' even if something happens or has happened only once such as 'whenever I sat my A levels, I was very nervous' Reply #94. Aug 29 18, 6:42 PM |
daver852
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One thing I have always found strange is that we Americans say "math," while the British say "maths." American men find British accents irresistible; there is a woman named Nicola White who has a YouTube channel who is just so incredibly sexy that she drives me bonkers. I think she's originally from Cornwall. She must be about 40, and not a classic beauty, but I could listen to her talk all day. Just the sound of her voice causes me to think impure thoughts. Reply #95. Oct 12 18, 2:34 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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I just looked up Nicola White, out of curiosity. Her accent doesn't sound regional. It sounds like an educated accent. She enunciates very well. It does remind me a bit of someone else's voice - an actress from Northern Ireland called Amanda Burton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPA7OuktOYY&list=PLb1FvnYdKu7Dihi-srbEjpVcv7BC_cc6H See at 4:23. Reply #96. Oct 13 18, 12:21 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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An English person would say 'based on' not 'based off' and 'excited about' not 'excited for'. The logic is that a base is something that supports something else which is on it, and doing something for someone or something else is understood to mean doing it on their behalf like carrying someone's shopping for them. So if you are excited for them, it would suggest you are getting excited on their behalf because they aren't excited and want or need someone to be excited on behalf of them, which is odd when you think about it. However English people are familiar with the American expressions and would understand them. Reply #97. Nov 08 18, 2:59 AM |
| Mixamatosis
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The database used for word wizard would have you believe that the word bloke means an old eccentric man. No. It's just a word that means man. If you want to say an old man you'd say old bloke. The confusion may have arisen because it's probably a word that is more used by the older generation now. Anyway the database cannot be changed so we just have to live with its definition on fun trivia. Reply #98. Nov 12 18, 4:10 PM |
98 replies. On page 5 of 5 pages. 1 2 3 4 5
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