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#53220 01/19/02 12:36 PM
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http://www.iht.com/articles/45177.html

for an article from the International Herald Tribune on the "English" language and the differences in meanings that beset travellers!
Bring any thoughts on other differences to mind?




#53221 01/19/02 03:19 PM
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I suspect that the differences and difficulties wouldn't be as great for members of this Board as they would be for people who are more insular in their outlook. Of course, Zild tends to pick up both sides of the Atlantic's terminology - and quite often, to use both interchangeably, although obviously not when the same term can mean opposites.



The idiot also known as Capfka ...
#53222 01/19/02 04:39 PM
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Thanks, Dr. Bill--I've bookmarked the Holiday Inn link, for when, if ever, I get to England. I've been written to about someone going to an off-license, and had the vague idea that it was some sort of black-market place...and now I find out it just means liquor store! One thing I noticed, that I hope our Brit-speaking friends can help with: I noticed in the list that the British "facilities" is given simply the definition "amenities". Now, if I'm in a new place and ask to use the facilities, that means I'm looking for a bathroom. Amenities, to me, mean items that are above the basic level of what one can expect, such as free shampoo, or a piece of candy on the pillow. Do the British say use the amenities the way I say use the facilities?

EDITOops--thanks, wow! Sorry, rushing again.


#53223 01/20/02 03:37 AM
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I really don't think we can expect an entirely common language any time soon. There are always regionalisms that will pop up, be adopted, and make their way into a language.

Good examples here are the words depanneur and SAQ.

A depanneur is an all-night convenience store. You know, those mom 'n pop grocerylets that sell staples (bread & milk), snack foods and cigarettes. Depanneur is French word that means "something or someone that helps you out of a bind" (like needing chips at 3:00 o'clock in the morning )

The word is a common English Québec word but would never be understood to be a convenience store anywhere else.

SAQ is the same. The only place you can buy hard liquor in Québec was at government run stores called "la Société des Alcools du Québec. Each letter is pronounced separately. So going to the Ess Aye Q is common English here but unintelligible anywhere else in Canada or the world.


#53224 01/20/02 05:52 PM
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Re:A depanneur is an all-night convenience store. You know, those mom 'n pop grocerylets that sell staples (bread & milk), snack foods and cigarettes. Depanneur is French word that means "something or someone that helps you out of a bind" (like needing chips at 3:00 o'clock

In NYC, they are called Bodega's which come from PR spanish, but now days, they are often run by Koreans..at least in manhattan. in the outer boroughs, they are still often run bun latinos.

deli's are something different, they come in Italian, Jewish and German.


#53225 01/20/02 07:38 PM
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Dear belMarduk: A long time ago, I learned that "une panne" (gender?) meant automobile breakdown.
"Aye" I learned as "I". Not sure about "Q". Is it "kew" or "kyew"?
While we're at it, is Québec "kwibec" as per my dictionary, or "kebec"?


#53226 01/21/02 02:01 AM
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See, that is the trouble with trying to spell out the sound of a letter. With SAQ each letter is pronounce as you would while reciting your alphabet. I just wanted to show that it was not pronounced as one word like "sac".

Une panne is any type of temporary mechanical/electrical breakdown. In ice storms we often have une panne d'électricité.

Oh thank you for asking...it is definitely kebec. We have no idea why people pronounce it kwibec. I guess people might do exactly like you do and look it up and voila - mispronunciation.


#53227 01/21/02 05:00 AM
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Is it just me, or does everyone find that the rightmost and leftmost column of each screen in the iht article clickable, taking you to the previous or next screen as the case may be? This means I can't click on any of the links or cut and paste them.

Bingley


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#53228 01/21/02 05:21 AM
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#53229 01/21/02 05:41 AM
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The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations says: England and America are two countries divided by a common language.
Attributed in this and other forms, but not found in Shaw's published writings


http://www.xrefer.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=249522&secid=-



Bingley


Bingley
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