First name basis

Posted by ESC on February 08, 2005

In Reply to: Insanity posted by Miri Barak on February 08, 2005

: : : : : : Or, as our US friends would say, 'the check is in the mail'. It's struck me that these phrases are good examples of 'two countries divided by a common language', in that they include two words that we spell/use differently.

: : : : : : I can't think of any others. Any ideas?

: : : : : I can't either, not with two words anyway. So much for sleeping at night. Where is TheFallen when you need him? I'm sure he'd be able to think of some.

: : : : There are lists of such pairs: lift/elevator, bonnet/hood (of car), boot/trunk, pudding/dessert, fringe/bangs (hair combed down over forehead), and on and on.

: : : 'Hire an automobile' vs. 'rent a car.'

: : 'Hoover the carpet' vs. 'vacuum the rug'

: There are plenty:
: In this site:
: www.accomodata.co.uk/ amlish.htm

A while back I was reading the Lorraine Page mystery series by British author Lynda La Plante, creator of "Prime Suspect." Lorraine is an alcoholic ex-cop turned hooker turned detective. She is an American but the author slipped up a couple of times For example, if memory serves, one of the characters referred to a flashlight as a torch.

The big thing though was that people referred to Lorraine as "Mrs. Page." Her clients, police who arrested her, etc. In the U.S. everyone uses first names with few exceptions.

• Boot and trunk Ward 09/February/05
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