British/American asymmetries

[Bruce Dykes]

-----Original Message-----
From: Lynne Murphy <lynnem at COGS.SUSX.AC.UK>
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Date: Sunday, May 28, 2000 3:01 PM
Subject: British/American asymmetries


>In the other direction:
>
>British          American
>torch            flashlight / torch


Torch I have never heard used outside of "in England they call flashlights
torches," or other similar phrase. And on imported British tv shows.

>jam              jam / jelly  (jelly = Jello in UK)


This is actually a triple. Or a triple and a half, as over here we have
jam/jelly and preserves, and orange marmalade is still called orange
marmalade. Or do they distinguish preserves over there? I've forgotten the
technical difference between jam and jelly, but preserves have intact fruit,
the most common varieties being strawberries and raspberries.

And what distinguishes marmalade from preserves?

>toilet           toilet / bathroom


When toilet is used, it's most often referring to the fixture itself, not
the room, but sometimes it refers to the room. Lavatory is pretty much
limited to technical usage (afaik...does anybody have any evidence for
spoken usage), building plans and airplanes, et al. There's a host of
synonyms, some more formal than others, for the room that houses the toilet,
the most common being restroom.

>c.v.             resume / c.v.


Actually, these are two different beasts...a resume is only a brief, usually
one page, listing of skills, experience, and education, while a c.v. is a
much more comprehensive document that covers things with much more depth.
Unless I'm wrong, of course. This was something told to me in a job hunting
course that covered both European and American job hunting, some ten years
ago, so my source might have been incorrect, and things might have changed
since then...


Bruce