Lost in Translation--US vs UK English words

[O'Callaghan]

U.K. - knocked up - calling on
U.S. - pregnant

Ah, but another UK meaning is to wake someone up by knocking on their door. So, if you tell a girl you will knock her up in the morning it's a double entendre. I think we create those on purpose, LOL! If Brits use a phrase in a dodgy sense don't assume we don't also use the exact same phrase to mean something innocent, because we so often do.

[dfmacliam]

I am sure it was a mispelling.. a phonetical stumble..

[HarborSpringsPiper]

UK - Casualty Ward, US - Emergency Department

[skauwt]

UK - Casualty Ward, US - Emergency Department

we also use the phrase "A&E" for the casualty ward here in this part of scotland

[EagleJCS]

Pleater's recent post suggests another topic - and a pet peeve of mine: homonyms (words that sound the same when pronounced), near-homonyms, and their meanings.

Common examples for homonyms:
to, too and two; there, they're and their

to: the direction
too: also
two: the numerical amount

there: that place
they're: the contraction for 'they are'
their: the possessive (that is their house)

Another example that occurred in today's local newspaper: then and than. People here in the U.S. have gotten lazy in their pronunciation - creating near-homonyms like these - and thus wind up using the wrong word

than: a comparison (this is more/less than that)
then: a description of time (that was then, this is now)

[rant]
More and more frequently, I am seeing sentences along the lines of: 'this was more then just a coincidence'.

I'm occasionally guilty of a few myself (more often I have typos), so I try not to correct others in the online fora I frequent, but it irritates me when I run across them in periodicals that supposedly have editors and/or copywriters that are supposed to catch those sorts of things.

[/rant]

[Heming]

Hm, aren't those just homophones? True homonyms would also be spelt the same, such as then and then (one is past, the other future). But homophones are the ones making all the trouble, anyway.

My native language is full of homonyms and homophones, not to mention minimal pairs with tone as the distinguishing factor. Quite hard on immigrants, that one.

[EagleJCS]

Hm, aren't those just homophones?

Perhaps so. I learned them in school as homonyms.

My American Heritage dictionary defines homonym as: "One of two or more words that have the same sound and often the same spelling but differ in meaning". Homophone is defined as: "One of two or more words that are pronounced the same but differ in meaning, origin, and sometimes spelling".

So it appears that - at least in American English parlance - the words homonym and homophone are synonyms (or near enough for common usage).

[sathor]

Perhaps so. I learned them in school as homonyms.

My American Heritage dictionary defines homonym as: "One of two or more words that have the same sound and often the same spelling but differ in meaning". Homophone is defined as: "One of two or more words that are pronounced the same but differ in meaning, origin, and sometimes spelling".

So it appears that - at least in American English parlance - the words homonym and homophone are synonyms (or near enough for common usage).

you forgot homograph. The way is breaks down is something like this

graph - same spelling, but different (lead (to guide) lead (Pb))
phone - same sound (hare, hair)
nym - words that fit in both. (bear, bare (to uncover) bear (to carry))

thats the best I understand it. I think the nym is becoming a catchall, and graph is slowing fading away.

[morrison]

The 'lift' mates is an 'elevator.'

Let's go bird watching with the Audubon Society, in US
ith:

Are there any 'Birds' here? UK Girls!


What's a 'Cougar?' Woman!


Is there a saying like "A bird in the hand is like a hand in the bush?"
Maybe it goes thus, "A bird in the hand is as good as two in a bush!"

[sydnie7]

UK - next but one
US - every other, second door down, other phrases for specific situations