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Tag Archives: words
On Dictionaries & Pronunciation
The fine folks over at Collins contacted me recently about their online dictionary. It’s in beta, but looks to be an excellent addition to a growing body of online word tools. I recommend checking it out here. Anyway, this got … Continue reading
“Hate Speech”
I want to briefly comment on a comment made in the last post, from reader boynamedsue: I think it’s an interesting cultural difference between the UK and US. The concept of “hate speech” as a generalised category has not really entered … Continue reading
The C-Word
Within the past few decades, a difference has arisen between British and American English concerning ‘the C word.’ I won’t repeat the word here, as it’s arguably the most offensive in English, but most will know what I’m talking about … Continue reading
Circumstances – Circumstnses
Forgive the trivial nature of today’s post, but I’m curious about a minute detail of British pronunciation. That would be the word ‘circumstance.’ To clarify, when I say ‘British pronunciation’ here, I’m referring to the word’s pronunciation in British RP and … Continue reading
Pop vs. Soda
In my native New England, using ‘pop’ to refer to soft drinks is unthinkable. So midwestern! Having many relatives in the midwest, of course, I was often treated to this difference between our respective dialects. Which is why I’m enamored … Continue reading
The Christmas Dialect Divide
Christmas greetings differ on each side of the Atlantic. Here in the U.S., ‘Merry Christmas‘ is used almost exclusively, while ‘Happy Christmas‘ seems more common among dialects in UK. But wait. Didn’t the very British A Christmas Carol feature the term ‘Merry … Continue reading
Guy
‘Guy’ is one of American English’s most amorphous nouns. Like many three-letter words, this monosyllable is more complex than it seems at first. Its basic definition is obvious to virtually any native English speaker: it means a person of the … Continue reading