Author Topic: American vs British English - new book coming out  (Read 18531 times)

Alan W

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American vs British English - new book coming out
« on: March 09, 2018, 12:42:38 PM »
Different patterns in English word usage in different parts of the world are sometimes hot topics in this forum, in evaluating what is a "common" word. A blog on this topic that I've been following for a while is Separated by a Common Language, written by Lynne Murphy, aka lynneguist, a US-born linguist living in England. Now she has written a book, The Prodigal Tongue, which I'll be interested to read.

On the book's website are two quizzes, allowing you to test your fluency in American English and British English. Forumites might find it interesting to try both of them - especially those of us who are from places like Australia. Are residents of Commonwealth countries more fluent in British English? Your results might surprise you.
Alan Walker
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mkenuk

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Re: American vs British English - new book coming out
« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2018, 01:08:12 PM »
Thanks, Alan;

I managed 1 out of 10 on the US English section! Most definitely a Limey.

Mind, I didn't get full marks on the other section either. I'll put it down to being away from UK for so long!

yelnats

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Re: American vs British English - new book coming out
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2018, 09:02:17 PM »
Interesting.

4/10 for US English, 7/10 for British English.

pat

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Re: American vs British English - new book coming out
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2018, 09:08:09 PM »
2/10 for American (good guesses), 9/10 for English.

Ozzyjack

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Re: American vs British English - new book coming out
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2018, 09:16:47 PM »
3/10 American English; 4/10 English English. And you were right, Alan, the results did surprise me. I  would have backed myself in to do better in both.
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Re: American vs British English - new book coming out
« Reply #5 on: March 09, 2018, 09:21:32 PM »
7/10 for American  (couple of guesses) and 8/10 for British. Born in Scotland and have obviously watched way too much American television !!
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Alan W

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Re: American vs British English - new book coming out
« Reply #6 on: March 09, 2018, 09:48:21 PM »
Since it's multiple choice, with four options for each question, a person with no relevant knowledge at all should be able to get 2 or 3 right by random answering. Hence I conclude you have negative knowledge of American English, MK!

I thought I might do a bit better in the British one, since I think I'm more exposed to British than American via reading and TV. But I got 7 in the British quiz and 10 in the American. I had some luck on the American quiz, as there were a few I wasn't sure about.
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Morbius

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Re: American vs British English - new book coming out
« Reply #7 on: March 09, 2018, 11:01:45 PM »
I got 5/10 American and 7/10 British. 

Linda

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Re: American vs British English - new book coming out
« Reply #8 on: March 10, 2018, 12:13:39 AM »
3/10 US
9/10 British

rogue_mother

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Re: American vs British English - new book coming out
« Reply #9 on: March 10, 2018, 12:44:00 AM »
It appears that I am the first Yank to weigh in, and yes, I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy, as the quiz labeled me at the end -- 10 out of 10 correct. I got 2 out of 10 correct for the British English, only one of which I actually knew.
Inside the Beltway, Washington, DC metropolitan area

Dragonman

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Re: American vs British English - new book coming out
« Reply #10 on: March 10, 2018, 02:40:24 AM »

9 / 10 for the British quiz
3 / 10 for the US..2 of which I knew were right

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Alonzo Quixote

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Re: American vs British English - new book coming out
« Reply #11 on: March 10, 2018, 02:40:53 AM »
I am the second Yank to report.  Like rogue_mother, I got 10 out of 10 for American English and about the same score as rogue_mother for British English.  One doesn't realize how many idiomatic expressions one might be familiar with...and how many idiomatic expressions for which one has no clue whatsoever.  

Scouser1952

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Re: American vs British English - new book coming out
« Reply #12 on: March 10, 2018, 03:14:15 AM »
5/10 US
9/10 British

nineoaks

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Re: American vs British English - new book coming out
« Reply #13 on: March 10, 2018, 03:37:55 AM »
10/10 American

7/10 British

anona

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Re: American vs British English - new book coming out
« Reply #14 on: March 10, 2018, 05:09:09 AM »
US: An unsurprising 0/10. Only attempted one question, and got that wrong.

British: 9/10. Got "Which is incorrect" wrong through concentrating on the wrong part of the question - but on checking, the expression I chose was also dubious. I wonder if any other Brits fell down on this one.