Tagged Questions
1
vote
2answers
162 views
“Normalise” or “normalize” (British English)?
Is normalise perhaps obsolete in British English, and normalize preferred instead?
I have done some Googling, it seems British English dictionaries prefer normalize, but I haven't found any ...
16
votes
3answers
1k views
Why does “corn” mean “maize” in American English?
I keep hearing "corn" as a synonym of "maize". This is widely popularized worldwide by popcorn. However, this is American English! In British English, "corn" can mean any type of "grain", especially ...
1
vote
2answers
233 views
Is “my place” correct and common in British English?
I was recently told that "my place", such as in "let's go to my place" is not commonly used in British English? Is that the case and what would you say instead?
5
votes
5answers
4k views
“Dear Professor” vs “Dear Mr”: differences between British and American usage
In British English, is it acceptable to address a professor as "Dear Professor X" when writing a formal or informal letter? Does it sound natural?
Why I am asking this question:
I was looking ...
1
vote
1answer
811 views
Voice mail text: “Please leave a message after the…”
I am wondering: Is "Please leave a message after the signal" American English?
You will most often hear "...after the tone" in the UK, I guess.
2
votes
2answers
537 views
“Badger someone” [closed]
I've heard the expression "to badger someone" in British English usage, and not being able to find out about its origins, I wonder if it is also commonly used elsewhere, for example, in American ...
4
votes
3answers
420 views
“Never mind” in AmE and BrE
Reading some forum pages about the meaning of this phrase, I realized that there's a difference in usage of it, between American and British English. What's the difference in meaning of "never mind" ...
3
votes
1answer
206 views
'co-opt' in US usage
'co-opt' in US usage means to take over for a purpose for which it was not really intended, having a slightly inappropriate connotation, while in the British usage it means to choose or elect as a ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
What the British say vs. What the British mean [closed]
There's an amusing email being sent round which has some common phrases British people use and others mis-interpret. I was actually shocked at how I often use these phrases without giving any thought.
...
7
votes
5answers
667 views
When and how did “momentarily” come to mean “in a moment”, rather than “for a moment”?
"Momentarily" used to mean "for a moment" only, and not "in a moment". Thus, newscasters could be divided into two clear groups: those who would say "we'll be back momentarily," and those who would ...
9
votes
2answers
681 views
'Ours' meaning 'our home' - where is it used outside the UK, if anywhere?
In expressions like:
Let's go back to ours and have some food.
There's a party at ours on Friday.
There's a bottle of brandy at yours, isn't there?
'ours' and 'yours' are synonyms for ...
6
votes
4answers
152 views
Does the word “gentleman” retain the distinction “of leisurely lifestyle” anywhere in British English?
I've been watching a great deal many British period films lately, and having done so has made me grow acutely aware to the nuance of the word gentleman. Once upon a time, a gentleman wasn't just some ...
5
votes
1answer
807 views
What are all the ways the British use the word “lovely”? Especially towards pretty girls?
From watching many period dramas and plays set in England, as I like to do, I've become more acutely aware of the British overloading of the word lovely. In particular, I have two questions:
What ...
