Separated by a common language
Dec 11th 2013, 6:11 pm
#31
Mouthy Yank
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 2,229
Re: Separated by a common language
Even now, when I watch episodes of "House Hunters", I get confused when Brits (or maybe Europeans in general) are looking for a house "with a garden". They stand there looking out at an expanse of green lawn, and they get excited about the "garden", but there's no garden in sight! To me, a garden requires flowers or vegetables to be grown there. LOL
Dec 11th 2013, 7:37 pm
#33
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2012
Location: Cayman Islands
Posts: 5,009
Re: Separated by a common language
Here are a couple of excerpts from a blog-post of mine this last August, on the topic of English as spoken and adapted in "Unexpected Places". The last sentence may have meaning only for those who know the Australian accent...
What should amaze us, but doesn’t, is the fluency of English spoken by so many black people of African descent in the Caribbean and North America. It was the strict policy of slave-owners and traders to split up tribes, clans and families on their arrival in the New World, in order to minimise the danger of revolt. Pidgins and patois originated to provide means of communication between owners and slaves and among the slaves themselves. Nevertheless, most blacks in the US, for instance, speak standard English.
In other circumstances... One of Britain’s former Australian colonies has a city called Air Delight, named for a British Queen Consort. Fortunately, the original spelling, Adelaide (she was German, actually), has been retained. Thank God for small mercies.
What should amaze us, but doesn’t, is the fluency of English spoken by so many black people of African descent in the Caribbean and North America. It was the strict policy of slave-owners and traders to split up tribes, clans and families on their arrival in the New World, in order to minimise the danger of revolt. Pidgins and patois originated to provide means of communication between owners and slaves and among the slaves themselves. Nevertheless, most blacks in the US, for instance, speak standard English.
In other circumstances... One of Britain’s former Australian colonies has a city called Air Delight, named for a British Queen Consort. Fortunately, the original spelling, Adelaide (she was German, actually), has been retained. Thank God for small mercies.
Dec 11th 2013, 11:01 pm
#34
Bloody Yank
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: USA! USA!
Posts: 4,186
Re: Separated by a common language
A garden apartment is partially subterranean. The windows are necessarily located toward the top of the unit, so there isn't much of a view.
Dec 12th 2013, 1:43 am
#35
Sursum corda
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Richmond Hill, GA USA
Posts: 38,860
Re: Separated by a common language
There was an equivalent word for a week, sennight or se'nnight. Jane Austen uses it in a couple of instances, can't remember which novels. So both are contractions, seven nights and fourteen nights. Sennight has now disappeared so I wonder if fortnight is becoming archaic even in Britain.
Dec 12th 2013, 1:47 am
#36
Sursum corda
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Richmond Hill, GA USA
Posts: 38,860
Dec 12th 2013, 1:52 am
#38
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 97
Re: Separated by a common language
When I was pretty much fresh off the airplane about 28yrs ago, I was sat at work and asked if anyone had a "rubber"!! Every head snapped up. I'll never forget that. Another was when my boyfriend, now husband, came to pick me up for an early morning date. He thought I was still in bed, but my Mum told him my neighbor (a man) had already been round and "knocked me up". 
Many a good laugh has been had over these "language barriers"
Many a good laugh has been had over these "language barriers"
Dec 12th 2013, 1:59 am
#39
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: Separated by a common language
Back when I was still a smoker out here, 'having a fag' always raised a few eyebrows.
Dec 12th 2013, 5:20 am
#41
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Separated by a common language
So in the UK, garden flats are the ground-floor ones with use of the garden (in divided houses), and in the US they are basement flats?
Dec 12th 2013, 2:11 pm
#42
Mouthy Yank
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 2,229
Re: Separated by a common language
No. A "garden apartment" really means no more than an apartment with direct access to the outside, instead of a door leading into an interior hallway. "Garden apartments" in the plural means that the complex has several buildings with a handful of apartments in each building, all arranged around landscaped spaces. Or something.
Dec 12th 2013, 3:41 pm
#43
Member
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,049
Re: Separated by a common language
That last sentence, "Or something.", describes it best, because the term "garden apartment" can have a variety of meanings.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartment
Regards, JEff
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartment
Regards, JEff
No. A "garden apartment" really means no more than an apartment with direct access to the outside, instead of a door leading into an interior hallway. "Garden apartments" in the plural means that the complex has several buildings with a handful of apartments in each building, all arranged around landscaped spaces. Or something.
Dec 12th 2013, 4:36 pm
#44
Bloody Yank
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: USA! USA!
Posts: 4,186
Re: Separated by a common language
No. A "garden apartment" really means no more than an apartment with direct access to the outside, instead of a door leading into an interior hallway. "Garden apartments" in the plural means that the complex has several buildings with a handful of apartments in each building, all arranged around landscaped spaces. Or something.
A garden apartment is a particular type of unit that is partially subterranean.
