Shelves of past Britpicks, Words of the Day, and You Keep Using That Word...
Britpicks: Translating English to English
Table the discussion; table the motion. In Britain this means to introduce or open up the discussion; in America it means the opposite, to close or set aside the topic.
US: hood (of a car)
UK: bonnet
UK: hood
US: convertible roof
Dates: In Britain, dates are given as "the 14th of April," or "the 7th of June." In America, the same dates would be spoken as "April 14th" and "June 7th."
College: In U.S. college jargon, students take courses within their major. The equivalent terms in the U.K. would be taking modules towards one's degree.
Batteries: Battery brands and sizes are the same in both countries. However, the well-known "bunny" mascot is the Energizer bunny in the U.S., while in the U.K. it is the Duracell bunny.
Jelly: In the U.K., "jelly" is what Americans call Jell-O, the wiggly gelatin dessert served in cafeterias and hospitals. In the U.S., "jelly" is a synonym for jam, and is spread on toast or sandwiches.
US: hood (of a car)
UK: bonnet
UK: hood
US: convertible roof
Dates: In Britain, dates are given as "the 14th of April," or "the 7th of June." In America, the same dates would be spoken as "April 14th" and "June 7th."
College: In U.S. college jargon, students take courses within their major. The equivalent terms in the U.K. would be taking modules towards one's degree.
Batteries: Battery brands and sizes are the same in both countries. However, the well-known "bunny" mascot is the Energizer bunny in the U.S., while in the U.K. it is the Duracell bunny.
Jelly: In the U.K., "jelly" is what Americans call Jell-O, the wiggly gelatin dessert served in cafeterias and hospitals. In the U.S., "jelly" is a synonym for jam, and is spread on toast or sandwiches.
Words of the Day
Deipnosophobia: A fear of having to make small talk over dinner.
Soprostomous: Having foul-smelling breath.
Mnemophage: A memory-eater. In fiction, a monster, virus, or nanobot that selectively devours a person's memories. (No non-fictional instances have been recorded.)
Soprostomous: Having foul-smelling breath.
Mnemophage: A memory-eater. In fiction, a monster, virus, or nanobot that selectively devours a person's memories. (No non-fictional instances have been recorded.)
Schauerroman: (German, n.) Literally, "shudder novel," a story (esp. Gothic horror) written for the express purpose of giving the reader an eerie, shivering feeling; a ghost story.
Proxyglossoriasis: A rare variation of verbal aphasia, where the speaker replaces an intended word with one near it in the dictionary -- e.g., saying "imprecise" when they meant to say "impressive."
Obiter dicta: (Latin, n,) Literally, "things said in passing." Fragments of overheard speech or conversation in a crowded setting.
Eggcorn: An alteration of another word or phrase, resulting from mishearing or misinterpreting the original: e.g., writing "beckon call" instead of the correct "beck and call" because the two sound identical. The word "eggcorn" is itself a mishearing of "acorn."
Kerfuffle: (Scottish) n: A state of chaos or disarray; a commotion. v: To disorganize things; to agitate.
Sartorial: adj. Pertaining to tailors, and/or to the business of designing and tailoring wardrobes. (This word is a favourite of Vorkosigan Saga author Lois McMaster Bujold.)
Antediluvian: Literally, "before the Flood" (a Biblical reference); out-of-date, primitive, antiquated. Figuratively, can refer to a period of time before a major paradigm shift, such as the Neolithic or Industrial Revolutions.
Contronym: A word with two different meanings that contradict each other. For example, "dust" can either mean to put small particles on something ("dust the cookies with powdered sugar"), or to wipe them off ("dust the shelves when you clean").
Amanuensis: Someone who passes along the words of others, e.g. by taking dictation or recording messages.
Apotropaic: (adj.) Warding off bad luck or evil influences. Hanging a horseshoe over the door is an apotropaic action.
Proxyglossoriasis: A rare variation of verbal aphasia, where the speaker replaces an intended word with one near it in the dictionary -- e.g., saying "imprecise" when they meant to say "impressive."
Obiter dicta: (Latin, n,) Literally, "things said in passing." Fragments of overheard speech or conversation in a crowded setting.
Eggcorn: An alteration of another word or phrase, resulting from mishearing or misinterpreting the original: e.g., writing "beckon call" instead of the correct "beck and call" because the two sound identical. The word "eggcorn" is itself a mishearing of "acorn."
Kerfuffle: (Scottish) n: A state of chaos or disarray; a commotion. v: To disorganize things; to agitate.
Sartorial: adj. Pertaining to tailors, and/or to the business of designing and tailoring wardrobes. (This word is a favourite of Vorkosigan Saga author Lois McMaster Bujold.)
Antediluvian: Literally, "before the Flood" (a Biblical reference); out-of-date, primitive, antiquated. Figuratively, can refer to a period of time before a major paradigm shift, such as the Neolithic or Industrial Revolutions.
Contronym: A word with two different meanings that contradict each other. For example, "dust" can either mean to put small particles on something ("dust the cookies with powdered sugar"), or to wipe them off ("dust the shelves when you clean").
Amanuensis: Someone who passes along the words of others, e.g. by taking dictation or recording messages.
Apotropaic: (adj.) Warding off bad luck or evil influences. Hanging a horseshoe over the door is an apotropaic action.
You Keep Using That Word...
Forte, pronounced "fort," means strength. Forte, pronounced "fort-ay," means loudness.
Whet your appetite, not wet your appetite. The first means to sharpen, make more keenly felt; the second just means to make it soggy.
Addictive means causing a physical dependence, with physical symptoms of withdrawal if the addiction is taken away. Habituative is the correct word for things that cause a psychological dependence. Video games can be powerfully habituative, but they are not literally addictive.
"Anchors away" means that the anchors are missing. The correct spelling is "Anchors aweigh," and means to pull up the anchors and set sail.
Amateur can refer to anyone who does something (a sport, hobby, or study) for personal enjoyment, not for money; they may have a lot of skill and expertise. Novice is the term for a beginner or newcomer, who may not be- very skilled. Olympic athletes are all amateurs, but they are definitely not novices.
Tow-headed, not toe-headed. The first means "platinum blonde," having extremely light hair, and comes from an old word for linen (which is nearly white). The second would be some kind of horrible foot-head deformity.
"Here, here!" when you agree with what is being said. This may sound correct, but the spelling should be "Hear, hear!" -- encouraging other people to listen.
Bosom/boson/bosun/besom. These four words are confused surprisingly often.
Whet your appetite, not wet your appetite. The first means to sharpen, make more keenly felt; the second just means to make it soggy.
Addictive means causing a physical dependence, with physical symptoms of withdrawal if the addiction is taken away. Habituative is the correct word for things that cause a psychological dependence. Video games can be powerfully habituative, but they are not literally addictive.
"Anchors away" means that the anchors are missing. The correct spelling is "Anchors aweigh," and means to pull up the anchors and set sail.
Amateur can refer to anyone who does something (a sport, hobby, or study) for personal enjoyment, not for money; they may have a lot of skill and expertise. Novice is the term for a beginner or newcomer, who may not be- very skilled. Olympic athletes are all amateurs, but they are definitely not novices.
Tow-headed, not toe-headed. The first means "platinum blonde," having extremely light hair, and comes from an old word for linen (which is nearly white). The second would be some kind of horrible foot-head deformity.
"Here, here!" when you agree with what is being said. This may sound correct, but the spelling should be "Hear, hear!" -- encouraging other people to listen.
Bosom/boson/bosun/besom. These four words are confused surprisingly often.
- Bosom: The breast (upper chest) of a person, male or female. Poetically considered the seat of emotion or passion. Note: a person has only one bosom; a woman does not have a pair of "bosoms."
- Boson: A kind of subatomic particle.
- Bosun (or bo'sun): Short for "boatswain," the officer on a ship who is responsible for equipment maintenance. (Unless your pirate ship is transporting the Large Hadron Collider, it should not have bosons on deck.)
- Besom: A broom made of twigs; rarely/obscurely, an old woman
In Britain we often say "April the 14th" and "June the 7th", though. Definitely with a "the".
ReplyDeleteWe might - if we are older or old-fashioned - write "April 14th, 2014" but this is less common than "14th April, 2014" (to which I mentally add "the" and "of" as I read). I was taught in typing classes to use "14 April 2014" - at the same time as abandoning the old ways of paragraph definition and commas at the end of address lines.