OP
- Thread Starter
- #21
French too. He has a lot of Italian friends and he had a lot of Italian sponsors at the beginning of his business.
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Old Formula 1 video. Nearly an hour long so only watch if you are interested in fairly historic F1. May be spoiled for some by me being in it
- Thread starter Frank Dernie
- Start date
First time I've encountered a tire spelled tyre!
Tire vs. tyre
Tire and tyre both mean a covering for a wheel, usually made of rubber. Tire is the preferred spelling in the U.S. and Canada. Tyre is preferred in most varieties of English outside North America. Of course, all English speakers use tire in the sense to grow weary.
but a "saloon" rather than sedan is just plain nuts! ;-)
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Some might say "correct". ;-)
OP
- Thread Starter
- #27
Having spent a lot of time in Canada and the USA I think the one big surprise I got was the difference in the use of "momentarily".
In English it means for a moment in American in a moment.
A waitress in a restaurant said "I'll be with you momentarily". I thoght, goodness they must be really busy I must get my order sorted so I can tell her quickly.
Somebody explained the US meaning to me the next day.
One of our mechanics raised eyebrows by saying "I'm dying for a fag (cigarette)" at Watkins Glen...
In English it means for a moment in American in a moment.
A waitress in a restaurant said "I'll be with you momentarily". I thoght, goodness they must be really busy I must get my order sorted so I can tell her quickly.
Somebody explained the US meaning to me the next day.
One of our mechanics raised eyebrows by saying "I'm dying for a fag (cigarette)" at Watkins Glen...
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I havent been to the States since my youth but I'd hazard a guess an American visiting UK for the first time might be more lost than the other way round given the net importing of culture over the Atlantic. Not sure how they would react to our somewhat more relaxed approach to customer service. Send them to a bus station caf!
"One of our mechanics raised eyebrows by saying "I'm dying for a fag (cigarette)" at Watkins Glen... "
understandable!
understandable!
It always makes me smile on US airlines when the captain announces we'll be taking of momentarily.........
I just imagine this aircraft doing a quick hop in the air, then back to the terminal.
S
A little dose of Fawlty Towers as a primer could be helpful for first time visitors...
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Steady on. I wouldn't want visitors thinking he was typical.
Basil does sometimes give the impression he gives a shit.
As a person who learnt English in school and later in UK (at the time the only English teached was British English and was usual to spend some time in England during the summer for learning purposes) when I went to the US for the first time I remember people looking at me in a strange way since it seemed that every word had a different meaning there, or different spelling. Even now that I write 50% of my work emails in English sometimes I need to stop to think: will it be recognise or recognize, color or colour, who am I writing to.
It should be noted though that Americans are more forgiving, they understand you no matter what and rarely make fuss about bad English or American-English, or accent or whatever which is not really the case in England where if you don't have a perfect pronunciation they will not understand you (or pretend to)
It should be noted though that Americans are more forgiving, they understand you no matter what and rarely make fuss about bad English or American-English, or accent or whatever which is not really the case in England where if you don't have a perfect pronunciation they will not understand you (or pretend to)
but it doesn't have four doors?
OP
- Thread Starter
- #35
Really? How appallingly rude.is not really the case in England where if you don't have a perfect pronunciation they will not understand you (or pretend to)
Oh well, now is much better than it was back in the days, I'm often in London and is very clear that multiculturalism has worked. 20 years ago I could catch a taxi (cab for our US friends) and spend a couple of minutes spelling the address until the driver was satisfied.
OP
- Thread Starter
- #37
But you perhaps think a saloon is some sort of bar?
Nobody in the UK would use that word that way though most may have seen a bar thus described in a cowboy film.
Yes I think of a saloon (drinking establishment ) from watching westerns; I can't think of its use in North America for anything else.
I love the UK by the way and its culture; I would love to live there! Although I would still refer to a 4-door car as a sedan!
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