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Nyckelord
2016
23 Nov

Brittisk eller amerikansk engelska? Transatlantic trouble!

2016-11-23 15:13
Brittisk eller amerikansk engelska? Transatlantic trouble!
Den som åker till England och vill köpa långbyxor gör klokast i att fråga efter ”a pair of trousers”. Om man istället använder det amerikanska ordet ”pants” finns risk att man kommer hem med ett par kalsonger. Det är skillnad på brittisk och amerikansk engelska och speciellt krångligt blir det när samma ord betyder olika sak.
Chapter 8 - Transatlantic trouble - Mr&MisU
Transatlantic trouble - British or American?

K – We’ve received a comment one of our chapters. A listeners heard me saying either, instead of either – and wonders how you pronounce it in British English. 
M – We say mostly either in British English – and also neither. However some people do say either. Either and neither is actually American English.  
K – Oh, I see.
M – There are many areas where British and American English differ. For example, let’s just consider clothing.
K – Funny you should say that, I know several Swedish businessmen who go to London to order tailored suits.
M – Oh, I expect they go to Savile Row.
K – Yes and Bond Street.
M – There is potential for much misunderstanding in this regard. For example; you might be discussing a three piece suit, and the tailor may wish to measure you for a waistcoat. 
K – Waistcoat – do you mean vest? 
M – Yes I do – but we in Britain would say waistcoat. In the States it would be correct to use the term “vest” – and that would be confusing, because in the UK, “vest” would refer to an undergarment worn under a shirt!
K - Oh, so you mean waistcoat is the same as “väst” in Swedish – and as they say in American English? 
M – Yes it is, the word is pronounced the same but there is of course a small variation in the spelling.  When you are in London, having your suit made, you would have to refer to a waistcoat, not a “vest”. Otherwise you might end up with an undergarment – I mean an “undertröja”!
K – I’ve heard some misunderstandings with the word pants, too. What is that all about?
M – Indeed. The problem is that in British English, pants are what you would wear under your trousers. Americans call these “shorts”.  
K – Will everyone understand what a “jacket” is?
M – Well you would have thought so, but in British English a “jacket” is the top part of a suit or a similar type of jacket. In American English this would be a “coat”. In Britain a coat is what we wear outdoors. 
K – Are there any other areas that cause problems?
M – There are, but this issue should not be exaggerated. There are hundreds of variations, I can give a few short examples here and now; a public school in Britain is a “private” school in America. A crisp is a chip, a pavement is a sidewalk, and the underground is the subway and so on. But the ones you really need to be aware of are the ones where one word means two different things. I think we will need to revisit this area perhaps by discussing various topics later on. 
K – Yes, I agree.  Now I can go to both Britain and America on vacation – and they will all understand what I am saying. 
M – Well it’s a start. But don’t forget, if you go to Britain you are taking a holiday, and if you go to the States, you are on a vacation!

A GREAT HINT FROM MIKE: It is a relatively complex area even for English speakers on both sides of the Atlantic, but its importance shouldn’t be exaggerated. Most of the time we Brits and our cousins across the pond understand each other pretty well! But if it is an issue you consider important, for example if you are working with legal matters, contracts etc. you should do your homework as well as taking legal advice. There are plenty of references online to assist. 

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