Language difference

[lady_p_gold]

Being English I say when given a cup of coffee 'has it got sugar in' but when I am in America they all say it sounds strange and that it should be 'has it got sugar in it' ...... both seem correct .... Do they mean the same ????? Discussion please !

[cliffsdoll]

it means the same thing, as long as you're understood it doe'nt matter. its a silly thing for your amercan friends to be picky about.

[raysparx]

yes it does,but the way we say it is correct ,cos we speak proper not like wot they do!!!

[Garforthdave]

If ever in future anyone wants to bastardise the English Language, get an American involved. Apart from shooting their own it is something else they are very good at!

Enjoy your coffee, I prefer red wine.

Dave X

[rojash]

Never take language advice from an American - they think that "alternate" is a shorter way to write "alternative", and that "architect" is a verb :-)

[SaxyJag]

I prefer to think of British English and American English as two completely different languages, otherwise I'd never speak to my dearly beloved cousin about anything else.

My pet hates are:
- "Different than ..."
- "He would of done ..."
- "Dove" instead of "dived", but "shined" instead of "shone".
- Q. "Have you found it?", A. "Yes, I did."

[waimarie]

Some American words/terms are from an old fashioned style of English. The use of the word 'pitcher' when we (the English) would say 'jug'. The expression 'it behoves us' or use of the word 'behoves' is an Americanism for our 'obligated' or 'obligation'. The Americans talk about 'Math' which, to us sounds strange, as we would say 'Maths' Doesn't upset me at all, just different. Vive la difference, as we say.

[waimarie]

Almost forgot (again!!), lady_p_gold, Why would you ask if the coffee being given to you has sugar in it? This has never happened to me, I would just assume I was being given coffee. I may be asked if I would like sugar etc. but never the other way round. I think I would be offended if you asked me that question.

[lady_p_gold]

Well this was in a family situation when someone was passing it to me ........ not in a restaurant or something .. anyway .. thanks for the replies. I still think the funniest one is that they say 'soddering iron' instead of soldering ... sounds like a terrible torture !!

[Clanad]

We say soddering iron, but know that it's spelled (spelt?) soldering iron... do you, somehow, pronounce the 'l'? (el)

[ugly_bob]

clanad - yes, it's pronounced sol-der-ing iron. Don't fancy having a soddering iron - wasn't Charles I killed by one of these?

[dancealot13]

From an American: Soldering is pronounced { So d er ing} The L is silent.

If you say "Has it got sugar in....?" the phrase is not complete. A preposition may not be used at the end of a sentence.

Just to add..."Architect" is a noun, and "spelt" is not a word ;)

[Clanad]

I had always assumed everyone pronounced it SODD-er, as we do in the US (short o, no l). Now I find that Australians say SOHL-der (long o, with l), while the OED says "('sQld@(r), 's@Ud@(r))," which means Brits use a long o (SO) when they omit the l but a short one when they pronounce it (SOL). (Source (Language Hat).So, dancealot, it seems pronunciation can vary but still be "correct". There are usually very good reasons for the variants. By the way, I think you are from New York... your accent and pronunciation of many, many words seems unusual to my western U.S. ear, as I'm sure mine would to yours.
"Spelt" however, is a word;

spelt (splt)
v.
A past tense and a past participle of spell.
At least according to The Free Dictionary... (Also a type of wheat)...
As someone previously said "viva la difference!"

[dancealot13]

Clanad: To-Shay! Spelt is a word. Damn- I hate being wrong ;)

When I mentioned soldering, I was refering to the American pronunciation.

xxcheers (Yes I am from NY)

[robbo82]

One that always gets me is how they say 'erbs' instead of 'herbs'. Also, 'parsta' instead of 'pasta'.

[kingkeizer]

Being American I can bloddy well say that when in Rome do as the Romens do. I hope that clears things up.

[jno]

some Americans say erbs, some say herbs. Some pronounce buoy as boy, some say booey. Don't know what gave SaxyJag the idea that 'would of' is American since every single British ABer under the age of 25 seems to write it that way. But in many ways American English has changed less since Shakespeare's day than British English has, so it's hard to say which is 'better'.

[malaise]

I might be a deviant, because I'm Scottish and would definitely say "is there sugar in it?"

I think omission of the "it" might be a regional thing. My partner is English (from Lincolnshire) and he also would say "it" at the end.

[dancealot13]

robbo82- LOL who in their right mind says "parsta" instead of pasta???? Im an Italian American and have never ever heard of such a thing lol. Young children often say "pasghetti" in place of "spaghetti" .

It's pasta all the way hunny,..I promise. Americans are dumb, but they're not complete morons ;)

[Clanad]

Obviously, dancealot13, you've not had the opportunity to hear Bostonians or more especially Down East Mainers adding the random "r" to various words. Cuba becomes Cuber, pasta becomes pastar or even parsta... but they sure can cook lobster...