You say sidewalk, I say pavement

[adderslj]

As I work through these redlines, I can't help but be amused at the differences between British and American English. Often it's in phraseology as much as word choice. After four or five years of getting redlines from Americans, it still makes me smile.

There was one particular occasion when a developer was really sarcastic about something I wrote that made perfect sense in the Queen's English. I got a particularly satisfying apology for that once the misunderstanding became clear.

Comments

[nagaina-ryuuoh.livejournal.com]

One day I'll completely eliminate the use of passive voice from my writing and tame my addiction to em-dashes (which has been getting a lot better since the first draft of Road of Sin</> actually), and Matt will simply have to start picking on something else. ^_^

[maliszew.livejournal.com]

Is "pavement" the standard UK English expression? I ask because it's mostly a regionalism in the US compared to the more common "sidewalk." In Baltimore, my hometown, pavement is what is most common, although in the local patois it's pronounced "pay-ment." Don't ask.

[adders.livejournal.com]

Pavement is universal in the UK. No-one uses sidewalk.

[eynowd.livejournal.com]

Just to further muddy the waters, we use neither here in Australia.

It's called a "footpath."

[adders.livejournal.com]

Footpath is occasionally used here, but more often it refers to a path through a woods, field or up a hill.

[point5b.livejournal.com]

In the US (or at least Texas), a footpath is either the usage Adders describes or a path through a garden.

[jfs.livejournal.com]

Well ... where I was brought up, no one would use pavement. We'd say path (and with a short-a at that.)

But then I have a funny feeling that pavement / path is one of Nancy Mitfords (?) U / non-U signifiers.

[adders.livejournal.com]

Sssh. Don't confuse the Americans any further.

[sailormur.livejournal.com]

so is "pounding the pavement" a British term? I've heard it over here but never really understood how sitting and punching the road implies you're looking for a job...

[adders.livejournal.com]

The pounding in question is done with the feet and refers to the old days when you could walk all over town looking for a job. Ah, the happy days before CVs, interviews and aptitude tests.

[innocent-man.livejournal.com]

There was one particular occasion when a developer was really sarcastic about something I wrote that made perfect sense in the Queen's English. I got a particularly satisfying apology for that once the misunderstanding became clear.

God, I certainly hope that wasn't me. Unless it was the "they as singular pronoun" thing, which I still think sounds silly in any English. :)

[adders.livejournal.com]

No, that most definitely wasn't you. :-)

As for the "they" thing, well, if it's accepted usage, it just doesn't sound silly. The way you guys pronounce aluminum, though, now that's comedy... :-)

[nerd-king.livejournal.com]

Aloooominum :O) he hee!

and instead of herbal, 'errrbal' always makes me laugh.

-G

[innocent-man.livejournal.com]

We pronounce it phonetically; how about you lot? :)

[nerd-king.livejournal.com]

a-loo-min-yum.

[kit-hartford.livejournal.com]

East Side vs. East End ... 'Nuff said.