A quick reference - a light hearted translation

aldel · 14 May 2006

The English language is a complex composition of Scandinavian/Latin/German/Dutch/French and Celtic decent and is generally understood by all English speaking countries. 'American', however has become very devolved and causes the most confusion to other English speakers.

It is often said that the British and Americans are separated by a common language and this appears to be more so as each year goes by. There are many translations to be found on the internet and I think you will be shocked to find the huge number of words and differences. In fact, there are so many differences that I consider American to be truly 'foreign'. Depending on the nationality of the list creator the translation can be very confused or just wrong.

I have listed some words which are vaguely related to woodworking here.

<TABLE border="1" width="95%"><tr align="center"><tr align="center"><td>UNIVERSAL ENGLISH</td><td>American</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>trench/slot/groove/housing</td><td>dado</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>dado(rail) mid way up a wall</td><td>?</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>rebate (in wood)</td><td>rabbet</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>finger/comb joint</td><td>Box Joint</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>mitre</td><td>miter</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>centre</td><td>Center</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>skirting (board around the bottom of a wall) </td><td>baseboard </td></tr><tr align="center"><td>worktop</td><td>Counter</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>pavement </td><td>Sidewalk</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>tarmac (road surface)</td><td>Pavement</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>Cupboard</td><td>Closet</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>tap for water</td><td>Faucet</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>Autumn</td><td>Fall</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>billion = million million</td><td>billion = thousand million</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>plaster (for cuts to fingers etc.)</td><td>band aid</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>Tyre</td><td>Tire</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>timber</td><td>Lumber</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>4"x2" piece of wood</td><td>2"x4" piece of wood</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>flex/lead</td><td> cord/wire</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>connect</td><td>hook up</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>workshop</td><td>Shop</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>shop </td><td>Store</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>drawer</td><td>draw*</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>plough </td><td>Plow</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>Coach bolt</td><td>Lag bolt</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>metric</td><td>unknown! </td></tr><tr align="center"><td>aluminium</td><td>aluminum</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>planer</td><td>jointer</td></tr><tr align="center"><td>Axe</td><td>Ax</td></tr></table>

*Not true, actually the same spelling but due to the tremendous influence of Norm Abram, draw has fallen into common use by some!

This is just a short list and I am sure it would be fun to add more words that I have missed.

Please !!!

I some times get aggressive emails about terms and spelling from American readers of my WoodRat site, however, this post is not intended to be provocative in any way but a means of clarifying the terms used by many on this forum that can sometimes mystify some of us grumpy old woodworkers who are only just getting to grips with terms and methods in the new televised American woodworking programs.

To be bi-lingual in English and American must be good surely?

Aldel :lol:

Mods I have had difficulty with a table here, maybe someone can fix it for me please?

Modedit: Sorry Aldel, I only saw your post this morning.

wrightclan · 15 Jun 2006

As a UK-based American, I thought I'd put in my 2 cents worth.

Firstly, tarmac is a brand--you will find other companies who build roads and run quarries in the UK will not use the term tarmac--they say asphalt, which is equally used in the U.S. as pavement.

We use autumn and fall interchangeably.

Billion: I've lived here off and on for about 15 years, and thought I knew most of the differences. This one is completely new to me. However, has it changed in common usage? Because, when I hear newsreaders using billions in regard to public spending, I'm sure they're not meaning what an American would call a trillion.

Draw, is just how a New Englander pronounces drawer. Norm is saying drawer, but to the English ear it sounds like draw.

Actually metric is more known in the U.S. than imperial is now known here. It is very easy to buy products--fixings, etc. in either format. It is now next to impossible to buy imperial in the UK.

Also, some so-called Americanisms actually used to be standard British English. Such as almost any word ending in -ize. Don't believe me, look it up in the Oxford English Dictionary.

I also recently saw a copy of a British advertisement for agricultural equipment. It was printed around the turn of the 20th century. On it was the word specialty--the so-called American spelling.

I was also watching a documentary sometime, when some quite old British documents were shown. I think they were from the 17th century, but not sure. I can't even remember what the documentary was about. I just remember noticing that the punctuation was more similar to modern American punctuation, than it was to modern British punctuation.

So, we're not all the backwards hillbillies some of you might think we are. :wink:

Brad

Alf · 16 Jun 2006

wrightclan":1bc632c9 said:
(ruthlessly snipped for comic effect) British documents were shown. I think they were from the 17th century... remember noticing that the punctuation was more similar to modern American punctuation...

So, we're not all the backwards hillbillies some of you might think we are. :wink:

Yep, right up there at the cutting edge of the 17th century... :wink: :lol:

wrightclan":1bc632c9 said:
I also recently saw a copy of a British advertisement for agricultural equipment. It was printed around the turn of the 20th century. On it was the word specialty--the so-called American spelling.

It's not really "so-called" though, is it? I mean if something's not the spelling used in English English now but is in American English, well it's the 'Murrican spelling by default I'd have thought. English English seems to want to evolve all the time so it's, well, moved on. I don't know American English well enough to know if it too evolves, but it'd probably still be different anyway just to keep us all confused... :roll: :lol:

Cheers, Alf

wrightclan · 16 Jun 2006

Alf":3rnh0qjl said:
wrightclan":3rnh0qjl said:

Yep, right up there at the cutting edge of the 17th century... :wink: :lol:

wrightclan":3rnh0qjl said:

I also recently saw a copy of a British advertisement for agricultural equipment. It was printed around the turn of the 20th century. On it was the word specialty--the so-called American spelling.

Click to expand...

It's not really "so-called" though, is it? I mean if something's not the spelling used in English English now but is in American English, well it's the 'Murrican spelling by default I'd have thought. English English seems to want to evolve all the time so it's, well, moved on. I don't know American English well enough to know if it too evolves, but it'd probably still be different anyway just to keep us all confused... :roll: :lol:

Cheers, Alf

Click to expand...

Certainly, it has evolved. My point was that often in these discussions, the implication from this side of the pond is that us backward Yanks have gone off and defiled true English. I was pointing out that some of the so-called Americanisms were not invented by us to be awkward, they're just more accurately following the English tradition. By the way, if I remember correctly, the documents in the documentary were penned by a Royal (the term King's English springs to mind). :?

BTW an interesting term, topical to woodies, is Yankee.

To Brits, this means any American. In the American South (those parts of the South that were part of the Confederacy) it means a Northerner. To the rest of the U.S. (and the standard American English definition), a Yankee is a New Englander. Norm is a Yankee by all three definitions. The show is using it in the third definition.

Brad

mr · 16 Jun 2006

Firstly, tarmac is a brand--you will find other companies who build roads and run quarries in the UK will not use the term tarmac--they say asphalt, which is equally used in the U.S. as pavement.

While Tarmac is indeed the original brand I'm not sure this is the full story, though as ever I may be wrong, I have always understood "tarmac" to be a contracted form of "tarmacadam". Whch although a patented product is not the same as ashpalt (by a different name) which I understood to be an offshoot product or by product although the words are used interchangeably,
tarmac being a portmanteau word (by dint of usage I guess) for tar penetrating macadam whereas ashphalt has different constituents.
Obviously, as with everything I say, it's all probably rubbish

Cheers Mike

Alf · 16 Jun 2006

wrightclan":1fkzxryh said:
BTW an interesting term, topical to woodies, is Yankee.

To Brits, this means any American. In the American South (those parts of the South that were part of the Confederacy) it means a Northerner. To the rest of the U.S. (and the standard American English definition), a Yankee is a New Englander.

Yeah, I know some folks would object to the term, which is why I always use 'Murrican. Generally we'd shorten it to Yank, of course, to accomodate the lack of movement in the stiff upper lip. :wink:

If all these "Nelson's navy" historical novels are correct, we used to call 'Murricans "Jonathans" but I haven't a clue why. Probably something rude and/or derogatory I fear.

Cheers, Alf

como · 16 Jun 2006

Yeah, I know some folks would object to the term, which is why I always use 'Murrican. Generally we'd shorten it to Yank, of course, to accomodate the lack of movement in the stiff upper lip. Wink Very Happy If all these "Nelson's navy" historical novels are correct, we used to call 'Murricans "Jonathans" but I haven't a clue why. Probably something rude and/or derogatory I fear. Embarassed

During my RAF days, I was posted to RAF Wyton, there was quite a few 'Murricans' living in married quarters on the base. We always refered to them as 'spams', to this day I still don't know why, did the murricans introduce us brits to spam during the war??

CHJ · 16 Jun 2006

Alf":3uis3lr7 said:
[....snip... If all these "Nelson's navy" historical novels are correct, we used to call 'Murricans "Jonathans" but I haven't a clue why. Probably something rude and/or derogatory I fear.

Cheers, Alf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brother_Jonathan

Pete W · 16 Jun 2006

Anyone interested in the nature of English/American language should try two great books by Bill Bryson, Mother Tongue and Made in America. Fascinating stuff, and he explains in detail how the Americans preserved a great many earlier spellings that fell out of use in Britain.

Nick W · 16 Jun 2006

Pete,

You took the words right out of my mouth. (But I don't think it was while you were kissing me :lol: )

CHJ · 16 Jun 2006

One of the problems I have come across with the major (British) English dictionaries is the constant updating to cover new variants or change of usage.

I have often used a good old faithful fifty year tomb as reference only to have a latter version pointed out to me giving a differing spelling (s/z etc.) or usage and then the wonderful the M$ spell checker causing confusion.

tim · 16 Jun 2006

We always refer to those over the pond as 'septics' . Not really derogatory just good old rhyming slang, like 'sweaties' for those north of the border.

My mum is an american citizen although english by birth and always maintains that she has stayed english in accent and speech. Definitley her accent is still english but her vocab is slipping. Luckily, I am able to help her with this.

Cheers

Tim

Alf · 16 Jun 2006

CHJ":2jd08mmn said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brother_Jonathan

Ah, thanks, Chaz*. I did have a search but was failing to hit the right term to weed out the chaff and hit the jackpot. #-o

Cheers, Alf

*'Murrican spelling... :wink:

CHJ · 16 Jun 2006

Alf":30w6k73l said:
Ah, thanks, Chaz*. Cheers, Alf
*'Murrican spelling... :wink:

As long as you don't use Chuck :!: We of the Cotswolds are rather sensative.

Alf · 16 Jun 2006

Would have thought a turner wouldn't mind Chuck so much.

Cheers, Alf

CHJ · 16 Jun 2006

Alf":1qpej2xy said:
Would have thought a turner wouldn't mind Chuck so much.

Cheers, Alf

Too self-centred a bias for my liking O

Anonymous · 16 Jun 2006

wrightclan":xjg0h9fp said:
Billion: I've lived here off and on for about 15 years, and thought I knew most of the differences. This one is completely new to me. However, has it changed in common usage? Because, when I hear newsreaders using billions in regard to public spending, I'm sure they're not meaning what an American would call a trillion.

Yes, this is correct and as always been so, not a recent change

UK 1 billion = 1,000,000,000,000
US 1 billion = 1,000,000,000

However, it is becoming more common for the US version to be used in the UK as when we discuss things such as large times such as the age of the universe, we actually say that is is approx. 13.5 billion years old but mean 13,500,000,000 yrs

engineer one · 17 Jun 2006

interesting that today it was announced that an english company was able to use the term spam in its product advertising since it was now common
usage in the uk as a computer product. the case was bought by the american company which claims to have been the inventor of the meat product spam.

i beleive that until the second world war, spam was almost unknown here,
and only became available in the lend lease packages during the war, when crappy old american freighters lumbered their way across the atlantic to bring all kinds of strange things.

when the d day landings were being arranged, and on the bases where american day bombers b17's were based spam was served at many meals,
and our guys were amazed to see people eat spam, mash, kippers, jam(they call it jelly) bread and everything on the whole tray. my dad talked about it till almost the end of his life.

spam and corned beef were staple parts of my school dinners during the
fifties. hate bloody corned beef these days, originally came from
argentina.

tarmac. yes it is a brand name, but tarmacadam comes from the strange
scotsman who invented it. his name was macadam. we have him, and
thomas telford to thank for the present state of many of our a roads.
no i don't mean the holes, the layout.

at this time, can't remember which one was blind, and walked all the roads he rebuilt to make sure they did what they should. we forget the
amazing people of the industrial revolution at our peril.

paul :wink:

mahking51 · 17 Jun 2006

One thing that I have found with most all Amercicans I have met and worked with, (and that is a lot!) is that they find it almost impossible to pronounce one particular word correctly - and that word is SQUIRREL!

They always say it as SQUIRL

Try on the next American you talk to!

Regards
Martin

CHJ · 17 Jun 2006

mahking51":7ujblkmu said:
One thing that I have found with most all Amercicans I have met and worked with, (and that is a lot!) is that they find it almost impossible to pronounce one particular word correctly - and that word is SQUIRREL!

They always say it as SQUIRL

Try on the next American you talk to!

Regards
Martin

OK just did, and that is exactly what came back, well a Texan* actually but near enough.

* (not an American)

They came back with, pronounce Cork and Caulk, most Brits do not differentiate, or at least not to an Americans ear.

(Subject of wrong purchases in the past to complete a household DIY.)

A quick reference - a light hearted translation

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