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These famous
words have been attributed to both the playwright George Bernard Shaw
and Britain's wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Many
foreign students still wonder exactly what the difference is between British and American English. The
answer has to be: not nearly as much as you might expect after  centuries
of separate development. Most British and American people have very little
difficulty in understanding each other, and in today's world of low-cost
air travel, satellite television and the Internet, Briticisms and Americanisms are being
tossed around almost indiscriminately on both sides of the
'pond'. Perhaps in 50 years' time
we'll hardly be aware of any transatlantic 'divide'.
In this section of the English
Toolbox I've been noting down variants
in British and American usage as and when I've come across them. Sensitive
users should be warned that, in order to provide as full a
picture as possible, I have not shied away from including
politically incorrect expressions, slang and, in some cases,
even taboo slang. Like them or not, these terms have to be taken
on board for a proper understanding of popular culture.
If a
particular word or expression is used differently in British and
American English then these variants have been hyperlinked
together for easy reference. Mere pronunciation and
orthographical differences have largely been ignored, but for a general comparison
of U.S. and British spelling rules I refer
you to my
Guide to Correct
Spelling.
Since this glossary is
constantly
being updated and extended, please e-mail
me any other expressions you would like to see included.
David
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