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Tick the Box if You Didn't Know This Word Was an Americanism
- Thread starter TP Rich
- Start date
Pingu on drugs
Roller Poster
Re: Tick the Box if You Didn't Know This Word Was an America
actually that's quite interesting - especially Billion and Raincoat!
actually that's quite interesting - especially Billion and Raincoat!
jayjay
Giga Poster
Re: Tick the Box if You Didn't Know This Word Was an America
Didn't know roller coaster was an Americanism. But I don't think gravitational railroad would have stayed around much if the Americans hadn't come up with something first.
On the subject of raisins (from Wikipedia) not exactly an Americanism.
Didn't know roller coaster was an Americanism. But I don't think gravitational railroad would have stayed around much if the Americans hadn't come up with something first.
On the subject of raisins (from Wikipedia) not exactly an Americanism.
Re: Tick the Box if You Didn't Know This Word Was an America
If Americans come up with a word for something where there wasn't one, it isn't an Americanism.
A Gravitational Railroad and a Rollercoaster are two different things. The Rollercoaster evolved from the Railroad, but, that doesn't make them the same thing. Unless human is the "americanism" for monkey.
And yeah, a sultana is totally different to a raisin, and if you go into Tesco, you'll find them both side by side.
But, yeah, I knew all of those. Aren't I clever?
If Americans come up with a word for something where there wasn't one, it isn't an Americanism.
A Gravitational Railroad and a Rollercoaster are two different things. The Rollercoaster evolved from the Railroad, but, that doesn't make them the same thing. Unless human is the "americanism" for monkey.
And yeah, a sultana is totally different to a raisin, and if you go into Tesco, you'll find them both side by side.
But, yeah, I knew all of those. Aren't I clever?
Re: Tick the Box if You Didn't Know This Word Was an America
A squash is also different from a marrow. A marrow is part of the squash family, along with courgettes, pumpkins, etc. Using the word squash for marrow is (to use Ben's example) like saying the Americanism of Human is Ape.
I like this game, which if these are Americanisms?
Faucet (tap)
Skillet (frying pan)
Aluminum (aluminium)
Pacifier (dummy)
Diaper (nappy)
Broil (grill)
A squash is also different from a marrow. A marrow is part of the squash family, along with courgettes, pumpkins, etc. Using the word squash for marrow is (to use Ben's example) like saying the Americanism of Human is Ape.
I like this game, which if these are Americanisms?
Faucet (tap)
Skillet (frying pan)
Aluminum (aluminium)
Pacifier (dummy)
Diaper (nappy)
Broil (grill)
Re: Tick the Box if You Didn't Know This Word Was an America
"Stroller" pisses me off. It's a chair you push, hence "pushchair". A stroller is somebody who walks gaily in the sunshine, tipping their hat to old ladies as they pass.
"Stroller" pisses me off. It's a chair you push, hence "pushchair". A stroller is somebody who walks gaily in the sunshine, tipping their hat to old ladies as they pass.
Re: Tick the Box if You Didn't Know This Word Was an America
That's the one I can't find out where if it's the Americans who are right or us. In terms of etymology, the word far pre-dates the word dummy; but not in the context of stopping babies from crying.
The word dummy comes from the word dumb, and is a relatively late word used in the context of "a stupid person". However, it's obvious that dummy in the context of "shutting a baby up" also comes from the root word dumb. That is later than the use of the word pacifier though, even though the original word is Germanic/Saxon
Dummies have been around for thousands of years, originally made out of wood. Who knows if the term "dumb" came from the actual dummy?
In terms of who is right or wrong, there's no real evidence either way, but pacifier is a more generic term applied to a device, where as dummy is a very specific term for a specific item. It's a bit like the difference between calling something a vacuum cleaner or a Hoover/Dyson/Whatever. Therefore, I'd say that dummy is a much more specific word, and therefore the correct one - but that's just me
Pierre said:
That's the one I can't find out where if it's the Americans who are right or us. In terms of etymology, the word far pre-dates the word dummy; but not in the context of stopping babies from crying.
The word dummy comes from the word dumb, and is a relatively late word used in the context of "a stupid person". However, it's obvious that dummy in the context of "shutting a baby up" also comes from the root word dumb. That is later than the use of the word pacifier though, even though the original word is Germanic/Saxon
Dummies have been around for thousands of years, originally made out of wood. Who knows if the term "dumb" came from the actual dummy?
In terms of who is right or wrong, there's no real evidence either way, but pacifier is a more generic term applied to a device, where as dummy is a very specific term for a specific item. It's a bit like the difference between calling something a vacuum cleaner or a Hoover/Dyson/Whatever. Therefore, I'd say that dummy is a much more specific word, and therefore the correct one - but that's just me
Bottom_Feeder_13
Hyper Poster
Re: Tick the Box if You Didn't Know This Word Was an America
As someone who does a lot of cooking to broil something is vastly different from grilling something.
As someone who does a lot of cooking to broil something is vastly different from grilling something.
Re: Tick the Box if You Didn't Know This Word Was an America
Exactly... In the UK, grilling is when you put an item under a flame, what is known as broiling in the US.
I don't know what our equivalent of your grilling is, I could look it up but I'm lazy today.
Bottom_Feeder_13 said:
Exactly... In the UK, grilling is when you put an item under a flame, what is known as broiling in the US.
I don't know what our equivalent of your grilling is, I could look it up but I'm lazy today.