American vs British English - new book coming out

[Ozzyjack]

Just waiting for an invitation, Ozzyjack - and maybe a plane ticket!

If I was 30 years younger, single like Les, and thirty times richer, I would be tempted 

How's that for instant repartee. :'(

[Ozzyjack]

After finishing the quiz (which I thoroughly enjoyed) I wondered how well my children and grandchildren would perform.
 

Carol I suspect not nearly as well.  As a person of a certain age, i would have undoubtedly been biassed to the language of the mid to late 20th Century. The influences of television and social media has, I believe, promoted more international and less parochial language.

You did well. I have to confess until I did a bit of research I would not have known what a nannygai or Coolgardie Safe was.  Pademelon was also unknown to me before it was suggested by June but it was a dream to think up alternative fictional meanings for.

Perhaps we should challenge one of our younger members to develop a Social Media Language  Quiz.  I suspect I would perform miserably.

[birdy]

Just waiting for an invitation, Ozzyjack - and maybe a plane ticket!

If I was 30 years younger, single like Les, and thirty times richer, I would be tempted 

How's that for instant repartee. :'(

One should usually fall to temptation, I think.  It makes life more interesting.

[Calilasseia]

Good Heavens, Jack.  In your list, how could you possibly forget our ex-prime minister's favourite beach attire?  Budgie Smugglers!

Indeed, Budgie Smuggler has now entered the lexicon far and wide, and a variant thereof, Budgy Smuggler, is now a registered trademark by an Australian swimwear manufacturer.

Indeed, they've become so successful with this trademark, that they now have outlets in the UK and EU. To which I was redirected when I tried visiting the Australian version of the website. Apparently the website is smart enough to register your geographical location, and suggest you go to the requisite site for your location.

[Les303]

Just waiting for an invitation, Ozzyjack - and maybe a plane ticket!

If I was 30 years younger, single like Les, and thirty times richer, I would be tempted 

How's that for instant repartee. :'(

Thirty times richer than Les = zero especially after recent apartment renovation which is ongoing as is the relationship that I am developing with Karen ( the designer who I hired to assist with the reno )

[Hobbit]

Oh Les do I have competition?
Pleased to see you back
I only got 5/10 on the quiz but thoroughly enjoyed it.  Thanks to all of you.
Pen

[Ozzyjack]

On the ABC Morning Show today, David O’Doherty, an Irish comedian out here for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival claimed that Australia is the only place in the world that call the items  below "witches hats".  And if he is right what else would you call them apart from, perhaps. their official name as "Traffic Control Cones"?

[anonsi]

Cones or traffic cones.

[Les303]

On the ABC Morning Show today, David O’Doherty, an Irish comedian out here for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival claimed that Australia is the only place in the world that call the items  below "witches hats".  And if he is right what else would you call them apart from, perhaps. their official name as "Traffic Control Cones"?

Don't know about you Jack but I reckon that over the years, I have probably run over about a dozen of the bloody things!

[yelnats]

I've never heard their official name - and it sounds absurd. They're witches' hats.

[Ozzyjack]

I've never heard their official name - and it sounds absurd. They're witches' hats.

I believe all Australians would agree with you but are they known as that anywhere else in the world?

[anonsi]

I've never seen them called witches' hats.

[TRex]

I've never heard or read of any label other than traffic cones. Boring, but accurate.

[yelnats]

I looked up 'witches hats' on Bunnings (Oz's major hardware store) web site

https://www.bunnings.com.au/search/products?q=traffic%20cones&redirectFrom=Any&facets=CategoryIdPath%3D2a021706-07d5-4648-bf26-2ea8fea049df%20%3E%20bfa7e4dc-1acd-4499-819c-12c0c7dea779%20%3E%20aeffcfe3-92c3-4f35-b206-64ecc6243255%20%3E%2025f88ce9-9af6-4ce7-8632-a124627e0ccd

and they call them traffic cones! Who'd have thought!

It didn't  find 'witches hat'.

[birdy]

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.

I'm half-way through the book, Alan, and enjoying it immensely.  My scores for the quizzes were what I might modestly call abysmal: my total of  correct answers for all three was a picayune 16.