Summary
General readers and language lovers alike will have immediate access to an alphabetical listing of more than 5,500 "Briticisms" and their correlating "Americanisms" in this fully revised and updated volume. Featured in this new edition are several hundred new entries; lively discussions of British language, pronunciation, punctuation, style, usage, and culture; and special sections on units of measure, automotive terms, cricket terms, and more. New entries include bang on, chav, gastropub, gutted, happy as Larry, lager lout. New Labour, pie and mash, throw a wobbly, wheelie bin, and more.
Author Biography
Eugene Ehrlich is coeditor of the Oxford American Dictionary and author of numerous books on language 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
Table of Contents
| Foreword |
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| Acknowledgments |
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| Preface |
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| Explanatory Notes |
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| Introduction |
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British English: A to Zed |
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| Appendix I--General Differences Between British and American English |
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4. Noun-verb agreement; collectives |
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5. Who and other pronouns |
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1. Proper nouns and adjectives; general; country name abbreviations (Tables) |
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C. Spoken Usage and Figures of Speech |
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3. Directness and subtlety of British and American styles compared |
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4. Usage of selected units of measure |
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5. Usage of selected monetary units |
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6. Abbreviations of forms of address |
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9. Miscellaneous abbreviations |
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| Appendix II--Glossaries and Tables |
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f. stone (Table of weights of various commodities) |
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E. Automotive Terms (Table for parts of: Body, Brakes, Chassis, Electrical Equipment, Motor and Clutch, Axle and Transmission, Steering, Tools and Accessories, Transmission, Tires) |
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F. Musical Notation (Table) |
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5. British betting terms (Glossary) |
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I. Botanical and Zoological Names |
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J. Britain, Briton, British, English, etc. |
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K. Cricket Terms (Glossary) |
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L. Connotative Place-Names |
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| Index |
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Excerpts
Praise for the previous hardcover edition: A reference designed to ease Americans' confusion over British usage, explaining 5,000 British slang terms and common phrases. —Book News
Students, teachers, and language lovers alike will have immediate access to an alphabetical listing of more than 5,000 Briticisms and their correlating Americanisms. Also featured in this fully revised and updated volume are lively, up-to-date discussions of British language, pronunciation, punctuation, style, usage, and culture; and special sections on units of measure, automotive terms, cricket terms, and more.
Sample entries include:
British — American
aerodrome — airfield
biro — ball point pen
court shoes — pumps
Good show! — Nice work!
high tea — light supper
pukka — genuine
ruby wedding — 40th wedding anniversary
Save the mark! — God help us!
under the harrow — in distress
whacko! — great!
