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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
Words still used in America but no longer in England
At it is asserted that the words and phrases in the left column below, all commonplace in American English, were formerly, but no longer are, current in England. Could a.u.e.ers comment on the truthfulness of this claim? "Plumb", meaning "completely", does not surprise me; it sounds like something Shakespeare might say and rural Americans might say, but it might seem out of place if used by a 21st-century English person or an urban American. That the British do not now use the word "noon" is a considerable surprise to me. Similarly "zero". "Rooster" perhaps less so.
attic a loft; the topmost story of a house back and forth as in backwards and forwards
bug any kind of insect
bushel a common unit of measurement
cabin a humble dwelling
deck a pack of cards
hog a pig
jack a knave within a deck of cards
junk as in rubbish
rear as in raising an animal or child
noon midday (originally nones, the ninth hour of daylight, or 3pm plumb as being complete
rooster a male fowl
zero as in nought
Mike Hardy
attic a loft; the topmost story of a house back and forth as in backwards and forwards
bug any kind of insect
bushel a common unit of measurement
cabin a humble dwelling
deck a pack of cards
hog a pig
jack a knave within a deck of cards
junk as in rubbish
rear as in raising an animal or child
noon midday (originally nones, the ninth hour of daylight, or 3pm plumb as being complete
rooster a male fowl
zero as in nought
Mike Hardy
Top answer
[nq:1]At it is asserted that the words and phrases in the left column below, all commonplace in American ... a considerable surprise to me. Similarly "zero".
- [nq:1]At it is asserted that the words and phrases in the left column below, all commonplace in American ...
- a considerable surprise to me.
- Similarly "zero".
- "Rooster" perhaps less so.
- attic a loft; the topmost story of a house[/nq] Common and usual.
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49 Answers
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[nq:1]At it is asserted that the words and phrases in the left column below, all commonplace in American ... a considerable surprise to me. Similarly "zero". "Rooster" perhaps less so. attic a loft; the topmost story of a house[/nq]
Common and usual. What else would you call it? A loft is not the same thing at all in BrE.
[nq:1]bushel a common unit of measurement[/nq]
I doubt that one
Common and usual. What else would you call it? A loft is not the same thing at all in BrE.
[nq:1]bushel a common unit of measurement[/nq]
I doubt that one
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[nq:1]At it is asserted that the words and phrases in the left column below, all commonplace in American ... (originally nones, the ninth hour of daylight, or3pm plumb as being complete rooster a male fowl zero as in nought[/nq]
#s 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 14 are all normal in BrEng, as are: gung-ho, 'neck of the woods', barbecue, hammock and tycoon. And I wouldn't be that surprised to hear
#s 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 14 are all normal in BrEng, as are: gung-ho, 'neck of the woods', barbecue, hammock and tycoon. And I wouldn't be that surprised to hear
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In our last episode,
, the lovely and talented Michael J Hardy
broadcast on alt.usage.english:
[nq:1]At it is asserted that the words and phrases in the left column below, all commonplace in American ... nones, the ninth hour of daylight, or 3pm plumb as being complete rooster a male fowl zero as in nought[/nq]
I have my doubts about most of these.
"Gotten" is no longer common
, the lovely and talented Michael J Hardy
broadcast on alt.usage.english:
[nq:1]At it is asserted that the words and phrases in the left column below, all commonplace in American ... nones, the ninth hour of daylight, or 3pm plumb as being complete rooster a male fowl zero as in nought[/nq]
I have my doubts about most of these.
"Gotten" is no longer common
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[nq:2]attic a loft; the topmost story of a house[/nq]
[nq:1]Common and usual. What else would you call it? A loft is not the same thing at all in BrE.[/nq]
It is in this house.
[nq:2]hog a pig[/nq]
[nq:1]A hog is specifically a male pig.[/nq]
Didn't know that. Are you sure? Chambers' lead definition is "a general name for swine".
[nq:2]jack a knave within a deck of c
[nq:1]Common and usual. What else would you call it? A loft is not the same thing at all in BrE.[/nq]
It is in this house.
[nq:2]hog a pig[/nq]
[nq:1]A hog is specifically a male pig.[/nq]
Didn't know that. Are you sure? Chambers' lead definition is "a general name for swine".
[nq:2]jack a knave within a deck of c
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There appears to be another distinction between an AmE hog and a BrE one: The Cambridge dictionaries don't make a reference to an exact weight, but The Collins English Dictionary at
http://www.wordreference.com/english/definition.asp?en=hog
says of a hog that it is "1 a domes
http://www.wordreference.com/english/definition.asp?en=hog
says of a hog that it is "1 a domes
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[nq:1]In our last episode, the lovely and talented Michael J Hardy broadcast on alt.usage.english:[/nq]
[nq:2]At it is asserted that the words and ... being complete rooster a male fowl zero as in nought[/nq]
[nq:1]I have my doubts about most of these.[/nq]
As being used in the U.S. or as not being used in Britain?
I (from the US) use most of the words pretty much as shown. T
[nq:2]At it is asserted that the words and ... being complete rooster a male fowl zero as in nought[/nq]
[nq:1]I have my doubts about most of these.[/nq]
As being used in the U.S. or as not being used in Britain?
I (from the US) use most of the words pretty much as shown. T
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[nq:1]At it is asserted that the words and phrases in the left column below, all commonplace in American ... British do not now use the word "noon" is a considerable surprise to me. Similarly "zero". "Rooster" perhaps less so.[/nq]
comments below from my UK English point of view:
[nq:1]attic a loft; the topmost story of a house[/nq]
attic and loft are different, and we use both
[n
comments below from my UK English point of view:
[nq:1]attic a loft; the topmost story of a house[/nq]
attic and loft are different, and we use both
[n
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[nq:2]At it is asserted that the words and ... so. attic a loft; the topmost story of a house[/nq]
I lived in a 3 story house once. The top 2 rooms were full of junk and were called the attic.
[nq:2]back and forth as in backwards and forwards bug any kind of insect bushel a common unit of measurement cabin a humble dwelling[/nq]
Only for rooms in ships or aircraft.
[nq:2]deck a pa
I lived in a 3 story house once. The top 2 rooms were full of junk and were called the attic.
[nq:2]back and forth as in backwards and forwards bug any kind of insect bushel a common unit of measurement cabin a humble dwelling[/nq]
Only for rooms in ships or aircraft.
[nq:2]deck a pa
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[nq:1]At it is asserted that the words and phrases in the left column below, all commonplace in American ... hour of daylight, or 3pm plumb as being complete rooster a male fowl zero as in nought Mike Hardy[/nq]
'plumb' for 'complete' is the only one that stands out for me as not in use here. 'junk' is mostly used in 'junk food' but undoubtedly means 'rubbish'. 'cabin' for 'humble dwelling is
'plumb' for 'complete' is the only one that stands out for me as not in use here. 'junk' is mostly used in 'junk food' but undoubtedly means 'rubbish'. 'cabin' for 'humble dwelling is
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[nq:1]attic a loft; the topmost story of a house[/nq]
An attic is not just any topmost story; in fact, I don't count it as a story at all. It's the unfinished, or at most semi-finished, space under the roof and above the topmost inhabitable space. Our attic is reached by pulling down a stairway from the hall ceiling. It is partly floored but to move around in it one has to duck under rafters a
An attic is not just any topmost story; in fact, I don't count it as a story at all. It's the unfinished, or at most semi-finished, space under the roof and above the topmost inhabitable space. Our attic is reached by pulling down a stairway from the hall ceiling. It is partly floored but to move around in it one has to duck under rafters a
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