British vs. American Pronunciations of “Buoy”

Posted by Grant Barrett on December 5, 2020 · Add Comment

Nicole in Indianapolis, Indiana, has a long-running dispute with her British husband about how to pronounce the word buoy. He says it’s pronounced BOY, like buoyant, and she insists it’s BOO-ee — a difference that reflects their upbringing on opposite sides of the Atlantic.

The Real British English

Posted by Grant Barrett on April 14, 2018 · Add Comment

If you think they refer to umbrellas as bumbershoots in the UK, think again. The word bumbershoot actually originated in the United States; in Britain, it’s more likely a brolly. You’ll learn that and much more about the differences between British English and American English in the marvelous new book The Prodigal Tongue by linguist […]

More British vs. American English

Posted by Grant Barrett on April 14, 2018 · Add Comment

In the US, if you step on a piece of Lego, you scream bloody murder; in the UK, you step on a piece of Lego and scream blue murder. Also, in the US, you eat scrambled eggs; in the UK, it’s scrambled egg. This is part of a complete episode.