Sunday 13 February 2022

separated by a common language

Brought to our attention by Memo of the Air, we rather enjoyed this impromptu survey of American versus British English terms conducted by longtime UK expatriate living in the US, Tom Coates. Having lived outside of the English Sprachraum for some time but listening to the BBC quite a bit, I had at least a passing notion of what all of the words denoted—it’s another level beyond calling an elevator a lift or a roast a joint—and the only ones that struck me as puzzling presented in the line-up, though no having never encountered them in the wild before, were quango—a devolved crown entity, a quasi-NGO that receives public funding and sometimes subject to criticism for not being held accountable—and pelmet, a valance made of fabric meant to conceal curtain fixtures. It was interesting to note that among the unfamiliar US words, there were more than a couple over-the-counter drugs (that you should ask your GP about), and given the current trans-Atlantic exposure, one has to wonder how many might recall furlough, Brexit, Marmite, purdah or prorogation in a few years.