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    British to American English: A Dictionary and Guide to the English Language
    British to American English: A Dictionary and Guide to the English Language
    British to American English: A Dictionary and Guide to the English Language
    Ebook62 pages38 minutes

    British to American English: A Dictionary and Guide to the English Language

    By Louis McKinney and Denise Scott

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    About this ebook

    British to American English: A Dictionary and Guide to the English Language—perfect for every academician, whiz-kid or bookworm looking to conquer the language barrier.

    "The Americans are identical to the British in all respects except, of course, language." ~ Oscar Wilde

    Whether you're travelling to Great Britain or the United States of America, or you just want to understand the differences in our common language divided, this unique dictionary will answer all of your questions. The book contains a wide array of British terms and expressions and their American equivalents; coupled with a history of the language, numerous examples of its everyday usage such as making small talk, and customs and etiquette.

    BRITISH vs. AMERICAN ENGLISH. A LIFESAVER?

    The guide provides copious amounts of valuable material by covering the differences between the British and American English accents, pronunciation, grammar, spelling, as well as an A-Z on idioms, a glossary of common differences and variations in slang, and metaphors.

    The English language is a West Germanic language that was first spoken in early medieval England, and is now the global lingua franca. Travel back in time to find out how the earliest spoken dialects of English were brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers back in the 5th century. Explore how English is closely related to the Frisian languages, and learn how its vocabulary has been significantly altered by other Germanic languages, including Latin and in particular French, after the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century.

    Part language guide, part cultural study. It's a superb addition to every English language learner and linguists library.

    Filled with extensive quotations from authentic, real-life English from both sides of the pond (the Atlantic Ocean), this is an easy-to-follow, precise and organised guide which tackles the differences, and the similarities between the grammar of British and American speakers. The book is especially effective and useful for learners with no prior knowledge of linguistics, as it demonstrates the grammatical differences and provides a sound account of contemporary English in use.

    William compares the customs, manners, and practical scenarios of everyday life in the United Kingdom and the United States. Furthermore, he wraps up with a humorous list of expressions that in one country are innocent, but that can be quite vulgar or suggestive in the other.

    Two large glossaries help travellers translate from British to American English with meanings such as:
     

    • Flick knife (switchblade)
    • Fringe (bangs)
    • Lorry (truck)
    • Patience (solitaire)
    • Peg (clothespin)
    • Tollgate (turnpike)
    • And more!

    Any visitor to Old Blighty or Uncle Sam can be brought right up to speed with the this handy A to Z on the most commonly used and the not so commonly used English words that can often cause confusion, bedlam, red faces and even cost you money if misused or misunderstood.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHi ESL
    Release dateJul 1, 2019
    ISBN9781393971825
    British to American English: A Dictionary and Guide to the English Language

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      Book preview

      British to American English - Louis McKinney

      BRITISH TO AMERICAN ENGLISH:

      A DICTIONARY AND GUIDE TO THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

      ––––––––

      BY

      Hi ESL

      British to American English: A Dictionary and Guide to the English Language © 2017 by Hi ESL. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any other information or storage and retrieval system, without the permission of the publisher.

      Table of Contents

      Introduction

      Preface

      Which is English?

      Cultural differences between the Americans and the British

      When in Britain

      Making small talk

      Getting around

      The Accent to the British

      Tea break

      Table manners

      Schools and Uniforms

      Toasting

      Gun control

      Pubs and privacy

      Assertiveness and passive-aggression

      Corporate culture

      When in America:

      Starting the conversation

      Getting around

      Your Accent in America

      Coffee, anyone?

      Call me Al

      In America everything is awesome so get used to it.

      Working in America

      Customs and Etiquette

      When in Britain:

      Go to a restaurant:

      Go to a business meeting:

      Visit someone in their home:

      Eat dinner:

      Get around town:

      When in America:

      Go to a restaurant

      Go to a business meeting

      Visit someone in their home

      Eat

      Get around town

      A-Z Guide to British Idioms

      A-Z Guide to American Idioms

      UK-US English Glossary of Common Differences

      Innocent words that mean something completely different to them

      Rhyming slang

      Spelling Guidelines

      Two countries divided by a common language

      Introduction

      The words British, Brit or Briton refer to natives of the United Kingdom. They may be from Scotland, Wales, England or Ireland. In this book we use the words interchangeably. Now and then we refer to the English (not the language but the people) or the Englishman. Then we mean someone particularly from England. The Americans are natives of the US, the States or the United States and they speak a dialect of English we will call US English. It is interesting how divergent the two dialects can be as we explore in the next few pages. First we go on a guided trip back in time to the formation of English, and then

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