All Questions
15 questions
6
votes
1
answer
458
views
When did the California Vowel Shift begin?
When did the California Vowel Shift begin: as soon as California was settled by English speakers? Or did it develop later?
- 1,436
-1
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Which British accent is closest to the standard Australian accent? [closed]
Which British accent is closest to the general Australian accent?
Does this correlate with where the majority of British Australians originate?
Any comments on the variations of either accents by ...
- 167
8
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Is there a word for when fictional media makes non-English speaking characters from the past speak in an old-timey English dialect?
There are many movies and TV shows that depict characters from historical eras who would not speak English, but do for the sake of the show's audience. In those cases, they tend to use an old English ...
- 183
1
vote
1
answer
3k
views
Where and/or when is the term "flight ticket" used?
On a forum I frequent some users were complaining about a question using the turn of phrase "flight ticket" as something no English speaker would ever say.
I disagreed because it sounds like ...
- 7,820
5
votes
3
answers
7k
views
When did the British and the Americans start to pronounce "o" (as in "God") differently?
When did the British and the Americans start to pronounce "o" (as in "God") differently?
Was it due to changes in America or England?
- 1,436
9
votes
2
answers
23k
views
What caused bell peppers to be called capsicums in some countries?
I have read this answer on the question "Why is the word “pepper” used for both capsicum (e.g. bell pepper) and piper (e.g. black pepper)?", and it contains some useful etymological information.
I've ...
- 3,295
5
votes
1
answer
6k
views
How did the term "crayfish" become "crawdad"?
I am given to understand that "crawdad" and "crayfish" refer to the same creature (or group of creatures resembling small lobsters that live in freshwater), and that the difference is dialectical.
...
- 178
1
vote
4
answers
1k
views
Why are American and British English almost identical? [closed]
This might seem to be a dumb question; however, I think it's rather strange that the two dialects are so similar considering the huge geographical distance between Great Britain and America.
In the ...
- 1,511
1
vote
2
answers
252
views
Were American, Australian, and New Zealand English dialects ever spoken in Britain before the colonization of these lands? [closed]
Were American, Australian, and New Zealand English dialects ever spoken in Britain before the colonization of these lands?
- 268
1
vote
2
answers
6k
views
Why is there "Black English" but not "White English"?
African American Vernacular English is shortened to a less precise phrase "Black English". Also, Black English is used in a broader sense:
Black English is a term used for both dialects of English ...
- 65.5k
7
votes
3
answers
763
views
Why do midwesterners say "the cancer"?
I was watching the TV show Fargo, which takes place in rural Minnesota. Most of the locals on the show speak with a recognizable midwestern accent, and there are some regionalisms that are common. The ...
- 22.5k
14
votes
11
answers
13k
views
History and usage of "dooryard"
I have been interested in the expression "dooryard stop" recently. This is an expression that is used to describe a short visit in someone's dooryard (driveway) that often means not staying long ...
- 27.9k
6
votes
2
answers
534
views
Dialectal and historical usage of "not care" in the meaning of "not mind"
In standard Present-day English, "I don't care to be there" means the same as "I don't wish to be there." Apparently, this is not the case in some present and historical dialects. ...
user18036
20
votes
7
answers
114k
views
Why is a woman's purse called a "pocketbook"?
It's not a book, and it doesn't fit in anyone's pocket. Why does my brother-in-law insist on calling his wife's purse a pocketbook?
I'm interested in the etymology, and in the chronological and ...
- 33k
244
votes
11
answers
20k
views
What is the factual basis for "pirate speech"? (Did pirates really say things like "shiver me timbers"?)
The "pirate speech" we hear/see/read, for example, on the website Talk Like A Pirate Day consists of a rhotic dialect characterized by phrases like "shiver me timbers," "ooh arh me hearties," and so ...
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