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What Flavo(u)r English?

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What Flavo(u)r English?

Some of my best friends from the other side of the pond speak English that I occasionally find to be er... difficult to understand. In an effort to further communication, I have gathered some links to sites that aim to bridge that gap - or let you laugh while trying. There are some serious entries about the differences among various English dialects, and one superb site aimed specifically at translators. Finally, there are sites that are specifically American, and specifically Northwest European English - so you can make your own comparisons.

English American Dictionary
"This list is intended to help American speakers to communicate with us Brits, either in the US, or when visiting the UK on holiday (vacation)."

Words that can be confusing and embarassing in the UK and US
Title says it.

Britspeak
or "English as a Second Language for Americans."

United Kingdom English for the American
The author lived in the UK, and "learned that the "English" and "American" languages have less in common than might be supposed." This is the result.

Compendium of Britishisms
"This page is dedicated to the uniqueness of the British way of speaking." That about sums it up...

British, Canadian, American Vocabulary
Some of the differences between British and American English. Spelling differences can be found here.

British, Canadian and American Vocabulary
More differences between British and American English. Spelling differences can be found here.

Common Words in British and American English
Another list of words that differ in British and American English. Spelling differences can be found here.

British Slang Glossary
A glossary of "words and phrases ... that seemed strikingly different from American usage, or that were funny." Sounds good to me...

Dublin Slang Dictionary and Phrase Book
"...a survival guide with lashings of words, piles of sound advice, and a heaps of answers to loaded questions that will help to get you through any conversation situation in Dublin."

English Usage in the UK and USA
"A light-hearted look at some differences between English as spoken on both sides of the Atlantic."

The American-British British American Dictionary
"The purpose of this dictionary is for use by travellers, armchair, virtual, or otherwise. It provides a fun, handy and useful reference for the Briton in America and the American in Britain."

N.Z. English to U.S. English Dictionary
May not be US/UK, but it's still another dialect that can be misunderstood...

The Wicked Good Guide to Boston English
"Everybody knows about pahking cahs in Hahvihd Yahd, but there's a lot more to Boston English than that..."

British and US Cooking Terms
Cooking terms, oven temperatures, conversion calculator for US metric volume, weight, and length tables.

And on the more serious (?) side:

English Around the World
This site contains many of the links above, but far more: Australian, Canadian, Carribean, Irish, ...

Fowler's has this discussion of Americanisms.

The Economist Style Guide - click on "Americanisms" to see what's in and what's out.

Intro to American English
This course outline from the Department of Translation Studies, University of Tampere, Finland, offers a wealth of info, from basic differences, to cooking, to "British English translated for Americans," lots more.

British and American Musical Terms

British - American Automotive Translations

US-UK Railway Terminology Differences

Railway Signalling and Operations FAQ More US/UK differences

If you should know of any other sites comparing UK and US English, please let me know.

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