What are you reading tonight?

[thebish]

aye - cashiers..

[Worthy4England]

Fairly sure tellers and cashiers are interchangable in the UK and both in use...

[Bruce Rioja]

I don't expect you to remember, but a while ago I mentioned that I was reading Bill Bryson's Mother Tongue: The Engllish Language.

It's the only book by Bryson that I really couldn't get on with. Principally because I refuse to have the Americanisation (with an s, not a z) of the English language justified by anyone, let alone by a beardy American.

[TANGODANCER]

Incidentally, could you advise me as the term used in England for the chap or chapess who serves you when you are depositing or withdrawing funds at a bank branch. Australians call them 'tellers' (I was one many years ago). Bryson states that they are known as 'cashiers' in England. He does get a couple of his examples correct ('station wagon' for 'estate car' and 'Band-Aid' - a brand name - rather than 'plaster'). Still, his strike rate out of a small grab-bag of examples is hardly assuring when he writes about things outside the reader's area of expertise.

Just on this bit Dujon, folk in banks are just "assistants" to me as they are there to assist. As far as I know, these days "Cashier" is an old term now from the old type cash till attendents (now called check-outs, probably thanks to our cousins across the pond). "Estate" is what we use for well, estate cars ( vans with windows) as opposed to saloon cars, and "Elastoplasts" ( plasters) are what you put on a cut. I doubt ths will help, but....

[thebish]

Incidentally, could you advise me as the term used in England for the chap or chapess who serves you when you are depositing or withdrawing funds at a bank branch. Australians call them 'tellers' (I was one many years ago). Bryson states that they are known as 'cashiers' in England. He does get a couple of his examples correct ('station wagon' for 'estate car' and 'Band-Aid' - a brand name - rather than 'plaster'). Still, his strike rate out of a small grab-bag of examples is hardly assuring when he writes about things outside the reader's area of expertise.

Just on this bit Monty, folk in banks are just "assistants" to me as they are there to assist. As far as I know, these days "Cashier" is an old term now from the old type cash till attendents (now called check-outs, probably thanks to our cousins across the pond). "Estate" is what we use for well, estate cars ( vans with windows) as opposed to saloon cars, and "Elastoplasts" ( plasters) are what you put on a cut. I doubt ths will help, but....

careful - that's Dujon, not Monty!

[TANGODANCER]

Aye (edited). It's all these Blxxdy foreigners....

[Worthy4England]

I don't expect you to remember, but a while ago I mentioned that I was reading Bill Bryson's Mother Tongue: The Engllish Language.

It's the only book by Bryson that I really couldn't get on with. Principally because I refuse to have the Americanisation (with an s, not a z) of the English language justified by anyone, let alone by a beardy American.

Whist taking the wider point in - absolutely fck off with Americanizations (with a z). It is incorrect to state that it's always an s and not a z. The "z" format of words derives principally from English - not American and there are only a few verbs that absolutely require -ise...According to OED both are acceptable as long as consistent, but historically English was much more likely to have used -ize.

[thebish]

I don't expect you to remember, but a while ago I mentioned that I was reading Bill Bryson's Mother Tongue: The Engllish Language.

It's the only book by Bryson that I really couldn't get on with. Principally because I refuse to have the Americanisation (with an s, not a z) of the English language justified by anyone, let alone by a beardy American.

Whist taking the wider point in - absolutely fck off with Americanizations (with a z). It is incorrect to state that it's always an s and not a z. The "z" format of words derives principally from English - not American and there are only a few verbs that absolutely require -ise...According to OED both are acceptable as long as consistent, but historically English was much more likely to have used -ize.

aye... I don't think this is the only instance where we rail at the 'Muricans* - but then discover that they have kept the usage from centuries ago - and we have changed... but then - language is a living, changing thing - and it's our language - and if we choose to change it we can - and so they are still WRONG, WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!!!



* I think "soccer" is the most famous example...

[Bruce Rioja]

I don't expect you to remember, but a while ago I mentioned that I was reading Bill Bryson's Mother Tongue: The Engllish Language.

It's the only book by Bryson that I really couldn't get on with. Principally because I refuse to have the Americanisation (with an s, not a z) of the English language justified by anyone, let alone by a beardy American.

Whist taking the wider point in - absolutely fck off with Americanizations (with a z). It is incorrect to state that it's always an s and not a z. The "z" format of words derives principally from English - not American and there are only a few verbs that absolutely require -ise...According to OED both are acceptable as long as consistent, but historically English was much more likely to have used -ize.

You'll be kinda like geddin a cwarfee next and having your eggs over easy, whatever the feck that means, you pro-American thundercunt.

[Worthy4England]

I don't expect you to remember, but a while ago I mentioned that I was reading Bill Bryson's Mother Tongue: The Engllish Language.

It's the only book by Bryson that I really couldn't get on with. Principally because I refuse to have the Americanisation (with an s, not a z) of the English language justified by anyone, let alone by a beardy American.

Whist taking the wider point in - absolutely fck off with Americanizations (with a z). It is incorrect to state that it's always an s and not a z. The "z" format of words derives principally from English - not American and there are only a few verbs that absolutely require -ise...According to OED both are acceptable as long as consistent, but historically English was much more likely to have used -ize.

You'll be kinda like geddin a cwarfee next and having your eggs over easy, whatever the feck that means, you pro-American thundercunt.

I don't generally touch coffee and I don't eat eggs...so hasta la vista mudder fogger.

[Bruce Rioja]

I don't expect you to remember, but a while ago I mentioned that I was reading Bill Bryson's Mother Tongue: The Engllish Language.

It's the only book by Bryson that I really couldn't get on with. Principally because I refuse to have the Americanisation (with an s, not a z) of the English language justified by anyone, let alone by a beardy American.

Whist taking the wider point in - absolutely fck off with Americanizations (with a z). It is incorrect to state that it's always an s and not a z. The "z" format of words derives principally from English - not American and there are only a few verbs that absolutely require -ise...According to OED both are acceptable as long as consistent, but historically English was much more likely to have used -ize.

You'll be kinda like geddin a cwarfee next and having your eggs over easy, whatever the feck that means, you pro-American thundercunt.

I don't generally touch coffee and I don't eat eggs...so hasta la vista mudder fogger.

No stranger to Krispy Kremes though, eh?

Actually, credit where it's due, that new station in Lower Manhattan is an absolute triumph.

[Worthy4England]

^^ Don't do them either...

[Worthy4England]

Oh and you can stick yer Budweiser where the sun don't shine too.

[Dujon]

Bruce: One thing I noticed was that Bryson used zed throughout the book. Some time during my education so did I and my tutors. When the change to the ess came along I don't know (perhaps when I moved here, but I cannot swear to that).

Cashiers/Tellers: Thanks. Well, corporations have decided they have team members but no staff if advertisements are to be believed.

TANGO: I did mention that the estate car/station wagon was correct. Elastoplast (another brand name) I was going to mention but wasn't sure as to whether that was just a usage for a plaster within my family - ta.

the bish: You're right of course, although I always thought it was 'Merkins' - at least according to that man of erudition George Walker Bush.

[bobo the clown]

If you read Bryson's fantastic "Made in America" ... a book where he spends his time explaining and debunking many American myths the opening couple of chapters deal with language and its development and transfer of English to America. It covers many of these words, their time lines and why they're differently used.

"Fall" for example was the much used word in England for the 3rd season around the time the Pilgrims moved over. Our "Autumn" is, of course, essentially a French import since that time.

The single best debunk in that book, btw, is that the Pilgrims, a bunch of impractical people fleeing England so they could practice their intolerant religious beliefs in peace, much lauded as the first white settlers of the continent, met and we're greatly helped by an English speaking 'native American' called Squanto. They thought nothing of his ability to speak English, being so impractical themselves it never dawned on them that this was remarkable, but it turned out he had lived in both Bristol and London. Once as a slave and once as a travelling passenger of fishing boats which had over-wintered in America.

Oh .... & the Pilgrims, having received much help and advice, imprisoned him ... but that's another story.

I recommend the book wholeheartedly.

[Bruce Rioja]

I've read it. He bangs on about it being easier to explain to native Americans what a doghouse and a sidewalk is rather than a kennel and a pavement. Wusses. Not much debunking going on there then?!

[TANGODANCER]

I've been arguing (in the best possible taste, of course) with an American lady who must be at least 240 years or so old. Well, she has to be, explaining and lecturing me on how we were meant to feel reading Jane Austen's (
who died in 1817) books. I just said we wouldn't have the faintest idea...didn't go down too well

[bobo the clown]

Do you want me to tell her how I feel when reading Jane Austen, Tango ?

[Bruce Rioja]

Do you want me to tell her how I feel when reading Jane Austen, Tango ?

Anyway, I'm away on business next week and there are three as yet unopened Brysons in the bookcase. They are: Thunderbolt Kid, At Home and Shakespeare. Which one makes the trip? I'm open to advice.

[bobo the clown]

Thunderbolt Kid. Funniest book of he decade.

You realise that being a kid in mid-West America wasn't a million miles from the UK. Maybe just 10 years ahead.