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BRITISH ENGLISH ATO ZED
PRAISE FOR THE PREVIOUS EDITION:
". . . the outstanding authority on the similarities and differences between British and American English."
—Laurence Urdang, Verbatim, Tbe Language Quarterly
"It's a clinking (damned good) book to have about."
—Kirkus Reviews
British English A to Zed is the most comprehensive guide to everyday English as it is spoken on both sides of the Atlantic. No longer will you be left confused when someone asks to borrow your biro (ballpoint pen) or your housewife (sewing kit).
This updated and revised edition includes more than 5,000 words from sources as diverse as London businesses and Bridget Jones's Diary, as well as lively, up-to-date discussions of British pronunciation, punctuation, and style; units of measure; automotive terms; cricket terms; and much more. Arranged alphabetically by Briticism, entries feature their corresponding Americanisms as well as details about usage.
For readers, travelers, and Anglophiles everywhere, this entertaining and authoritative resource is a cultural delight.
ENTRIES INCLUDE:
| British |
American |
|
aerodrome
court shoes
high tea
ruby wedding
On your bike!
feeder
yonks
|
airfield
pumps
light
supper
40th wedding anniversary
Get lost!
child's bib
ages
|
Eugene Ehrlich is coeditor of the Oxford American Dictionary and author of numerous books on language, including You've Got Ketchup on Your Muumuu: An A-to-Z Guide to English Words from Around the World; The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate; and Veni, Vidi, Vici: Conquer Your Enemies, Impress Your Friends with Everyday Latin. A former senior lecturer of English at Columbia University, he lives in Mamaroneck, New York.
The late Norman W. Schur wrote several books on language and divided his time between England and the United States.
*
CONTENTS
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Preface
Explanatory Notes
Introduction
British English: A to Zed
Appendix I—General Differences Between British and American English
A. Syntax
1. Prepositions
2. Definite articles
3. Compound norms
4. Noun-verb agreement; collectives
5. Who and other pronouns
B. Pronunciation
1. Proper nouns and adjectives; general; county name abbreviations (Tables)
2. Common nouns (Tables)
C. Spoken Usage and Figures of Speech
1. General
2. Do and done
3. Directness and subtlety of British and American styles compared
4. Usage of selected units of measure
5. Usage of selected monetary units
6. U and non-U
D. Punctuation and Style
1. Hyphens
2. Parentheses
3. Quotation marks
4. Time of day
5. Dates
6. Abbreviations of forms of address
7. Forms of address
8. Placement of River
9. Miscellaneous abbreviations
E. Spelling
Appendix II—Glossaries and Tables
A. Currency
B. Financial Terms
C. Units of Measure
1. Dry measure
a. barrel
b. hundredweight
c. keel
d. quart
e. score
i. pigs, oxen
ii. coal
f. stone (Table of weights of various commodities)
g. ton
h. windle
2. Liquid measure
a. gallon
b. gill
c. pint (see gallon)
d. quart (see gallon)
D. Numbers (Table)
E. Automotive Terms (Table for parts of: Body, Brakes, Chassis, Electrical Equipment, Motor and Clutch, Axle and Transmission, Steering, Tools and Accessories, Transmission, Tires)
F. Musical Notation (Table)
G. Slang
1. Cant
2. London slang (Table)
3. Rhyming slang (Table)
4. Poker slang (Table)
5. British betting terms (Glossary)
H. Food Names
I. Botanical and Zoological Names
J. Britain, Briton, British, English, etc.
K. Cricket Terms (Glossary)
L. Connotative Place-Names
Index
