In July of 2008, Ellen DeGeneres interviewed Hugh Laurie and they were comparing common English and British phrases. It was quite evident that even though they both speak English, there is a barrier between the cultures. While both are dialects of English, this is just a great example of the differences between dialects based on a culture. When looking at their guesses and definitions, it is quite easy to see that there is a major difference between American and British English.
American Slang: Flossing
Hugh Laurie’s Guess: something close fitting
American Definition: showing off
British Slang: Chin Wag
Ellen’s Guess: a blundering idiot
British Definition: to chat (to speak and wag their chins)
American Slang: Ba-Donka-Donk
Hugh’s Definition: To pass someone on a motorcycle
American Definition: An extremely curvaceous female behind
British Slang: Chuffed to Bits
Ellen’s Definition: exhausted
British Definition: to be really pleased about something
I also heard that there was also an interview with Emma Watson and her discussion of deciding to go to Brown University and her struggles with the differences between the two Englishes. During her first week of class we said that she had cut her finger and she went from door to door in for dorm looking for a “plaster” but no one else knew she needed a band-aid. Then in class she asked a class if she had a “rubber” and the entire class burst into laughter confusing the American term from condom with the British term for an eraser. Many students when they have professors from Great Britain or travelers going to the country they enjoy the accent and the differences in the languages because they can still understand them but they also learn little tid-bits of a different culture when listening to their common phrases that are not a part of the American culture. For example: “Brilliant.” “Jolly-good.”
Also there are some common spelling differences between American English and British English. For example American English uses “or” rather than British English’s “our” (color and colour.) When it comes to spelling verbs and making them past tense, American English uses the suffix –ed, while British English uses the suffix –t. The second category of difference includes verbs that use either the base form of the verb or the -ed ending for the simple past.
-ed vs -t
to dream>>>dreamed>>>dreamt
to leap>>>>>leaped>>>>>leapt
base word vs –ed
to fit>>>fit>>>fitted
to forecast>>>forecast>>>forcasted
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