RE: English vs. American - very off topic, but in line with current thread Re: Definition ?
You are going to have to forgive Bruce. He is originally from South Africa, transplanted first to western Canada, and now to Eastern Canada. John -Original Message- From: owner-emc-p...@majordomo.ieee.org [mailto:owner-emc-p...@majordomo.ieee.org]On Behalf Of Jason Greenwood Sent: Friday, October 25, 2002 11:01 AM To: douglas_beckw...@mitel.com; John Woodgate Cc: emc-p...@majordomo.ieee.org Subject: RE: English vs. American - very off topic, but in line with current thread Re: Definition ? even better Nice toque, Eh? -Original Message- From: owner-emc-p...@majordomo.ieee.org [mailto:owner-emc-p...@majordomo.ieee.org]On Behalf Of douglas_beckw...@mitel.com Sent: Friday, October 25, 2002 10:53 AM To: John Woodgate Cc: emc-p...@majordomo.ieee.org Subject: Re: English vs. American - very off topic, but in line with current thread Re: Definition ? Eh? John Woodgate j...@jmwa.demon.co.uk@majordomo.ieee.org on 10/25/2002 11:01:45 AM Please respond to John Woodgate j...@jmwa.demon.co.uk Sent by: owner-emc-p...@majordomo.ieee.org To: emc-p...@majordomo.ieee.org cc: Subject: Re: English vs. American - very off topic, but in line with current thread Re: Definition ? I read in !emc-pstc that Jacob Schanker schan...@frontiernet.net wrote (in 001301c27c1f$b550d880$6401a8c0@net1) about 'English vs. American - very off topic, but in line with current thread Re: Definition ?' on Fri, 25 Oct 2002: Back in March 2000, I wrote the following piece for The Rochester Engineer magazine. I think it fits in nicely with the current Definition ? thread contrasting English English with American English. It's 'British English', not 'English English'. Professional translators recognise them as two closely allied but distinct language variants, as are Australian and South African English. It is important to translate from, say, German, into the right one for the client. US barbecue, British barbecue, Aus barbie, SA braai, for example. I am not a professional translator, but I work in technical writing and standards writing with people from both sides of the Pond, so I tend to be able to switch from one to the other. Many of my US colleagues can also do that. We NEVER know which terms to use when addressing Canadians, and one Canadian colleague confirmed that each Canadian citizen picks his or her own selection from the two variants. (;-) There are also a few Canadian English words. -- Regards, John Woodgate, OOO - Own Opinions Only. http://www.jmwa.demon.co.uk Interested in professional sound reinforcement and distribution? Then go to http://www.isce.org.uk PLEASE do NOT copy news posts to me by E-MAIL! --- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: majord...@ieee.org with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Ron Pickard: emc-p...@hypercom.com Dave Heald: davehe...@attbi.com For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: ri...@ieee.org Jim Bacher: j.bac...@ieee.org All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://ieeepstc.mindcruiser.com/ Click on browse and then emc-pstc mailing list --- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: majord...@ieee.org with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Ron Pickard: emc-p...@hypercom.com Dave Heald: davehe...@attbi.com For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: ri...@ieee.org Jim Bacher: j.bac...@ieee.org All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://ieeepstc.mindcruiser.com/ Click on browse and then emc-pstc mailing list --- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: majord...@ieee.org with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Ron Pickard: emc-p...@hypercom.com Dave Heald: davehe...@attbi.com For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: ri...@ieee.org Jim Bacher: j.bac...@ieee.org All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://ieeepstc.mindcruiser.com/ Click on browse and then emc-pstc mailing list
Re: English vs. American - very off topic, but in line with current thread Re: Definition ?
Eh? John Woodgate j...@jmwa.demon.co.uk@majordomo.ieee.org on 10/25/2002 11:01:45 AM Please respond to John Woodgate j...@jmwa.demon.co.uk Sent by: owner-emc-p...@majordomo.ieee.org To: emc-p...@majordomo.ieee.org cc: Subject: Re: English vs. American - very off topic, but in line with current thread Re: Definition ? I read in !emc-pstc that Jacob Schanker schan...@frontiernet.net wrote (in 001301c27c1f$b550d880$6401a8c0@net1) about 'English vs. American - very off topic, but in line with current thread Re: Definition ?' on Fri, 25 Oct 2002: Back in March 2000, I wrote the following piece for The Rochester Engineer magazine. I think it fits in nicely with the current Definition ? thread contrasting English English with American English. It's 'British English', not 'English English'. Professional translators recognise them as two closely allied but distinct language variants, as are Australian and South African English. It is important to translate from, say, German, into the right one for the client. US barbecue, British barbecue, Aus barbie, SA braai, for example. I am not a professional translator, but I work in technical writing and standards writing with people from both sides of the Pond, so I tend to be able to switch from one to the other. Many of my US colleagues can also do that. We NEVER know which terms to use when addressing Canadians, and one Canadian colleague confirmed that each Canadian citizen picks his or her own selection from the two variants. (;-) There are also a few Canadian English words. -- Regards, John Woodgate, OOO - Own Opinions Only. http://www.jmwa.demon.co.uk Interested in professional sound reinforcement and distribution? Then go to http://www.isce.org.uk PLEASE do NOT copy news posts to me by E-MAIL! --- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: majord...@ieee.org with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Ron Pickard: emc-p...@hypercom.com Dave Heald: davehe...@attbi.com For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: ri...@ieee.org Jim Bacher: j.bac...@ieee.org All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://ieeepstc.mindcruiser.com/ Click on browse and then emc-pstc mailing list --- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: majord...@ieee.org with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Ron Pickard: emc-p...@hypercom.com Dave Heald: davehe...@attbi.com For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: ri...@ieee.org Jim Bacher: j.bac...@ieee.org All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://ieeepstc.mindcruiser.com/ Click on browse and then emc-pstc mailing list
Re: English vs. American - very off topic, but in line with current thread Re: Definition ?
I read in !emc-pstc that Jacob Schanker schan...@frontiernet.net wrote (in 001301c27c1f$b550d880$6401a8c0@net1) about 'English vs. American - very off topic, but in line with current thread Re: Definition ?' on Fri, 25 Oct 2002: Back in March 2000, I wrote the following piece for The Rochester Engineer magazine. I think it fits in nicely with the current Definition ? thread contrasting English English with American English. It's 'British English', not 'English English'. Professional translators recognise them as two closely allied but distinct language variants, as are Australian and South African English. It is important to translate from, say, German, into the right one for the client. US barbecue, British barbecue, Aus barbie, SA braai, for example. I am not a professional translator, but I work in technical writing and standards writing with people from both sides of the Pond, so I tend to be able to switch from one to the other. Many of my US colleagues can also do that. We NEVER know which terms to use when addressing Canadians, and one Canadian colleague confirmed that each Canadian citizen picks his or her own selection from the two variants. (;-) There are also a few Canadian English words. -- Regards, John Woodgate, OOO - Own Opinions Only. http://www.jmwa.demon.co.uk Interested in professional sound reinforcement and distribution? Then go to http://www.isce.org.uk PLEASE do NOT copy news posts to me by E-MAIL! --- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: majord...@ieee.org with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Ron Pickard: emc-p...@hypercom.com Dave Heald: davehe...@attbi.com For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: ri...@ieee.org Jim Bacher: j.bac...@ieee.org All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://ieeepstc.mindcruiser.com/ Click on browse and then emc-pstc mailing list
English vs. American - very off topic, but in line with current thread Re: Definition ?
from a Brit in response to Jacob Schanker: A good, read :D My family always knew waterproof rubber footwear as Wellington Boots. The English vernacular being Where are my Wellies?. This variety extends to just below the knee and are the standard footwear for outdoor workers. This contrasts with a baffling line in the Grateful Dead Song Trucking which refers to Willys the well known American all terrain vehicle or 'GP'. In the past six years of residence in the US numerous mysteries in the popular songs of the sixties have been cleared up, a lifetime later. Best Regards Ted Rook, Console Engineering, ext 4659 Please note our new location and phone numbers: Crest Audio Inc, 16-00 Pollitt Drive Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 USA 201 475 4600 telephone receptionist, 8.30 - 5 pm EST. 201 475 4659 direct line w/voice mail, 24 hrs. 201 475 4677 fax, 24 hrs. Jacob Schanker schan...@frontiernet.net 25-Oct-02 8:11:54 AM Back in March 2000, I wrote the following piece for The Rochester Engineer magazine. I think it fits in nicely with the current Definition ? thread contrasting English English with American English. Regards, Jacob Z. Schanker, P.E. 65 Crandon Way Rochester, NY 14618 Tel: 585 442 3909 Fax: 585 442 2182 j.schan...@ieee.org English I'm preparing this column in a hotel room in Basingstoke, Hampshire in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom, by the way is increasingly a disunited kingdom with the devolution of Scotland and Wales, and, of course, Ireland. Devolution is sort of what we did in America in 1776, but without guns. Every time I am in England, which has been a lot, I am struck by the language differences. Churchill supposedly put it as: Two great nations separated by a common language. When a colleague prepares for their first trip to the UK, I prepare them by giving them an American-English Dictionary I found on the Web (as a text file called amlish.txt, look for it, or send me an email and I will send it to you). I also give the dictionary to English colleagues when they visit the U.S. After all, confusion goes both ways. There is an excellent web site, containing upwards of a thousand translations, with humorous commentary. Check out www.effingpot.com . Mike Etherington runs the web site. He just published a book, The Best of British - The American's guide to speaking British, based on the content of the web site. I ran across it the other day and bought it. Even after all my exposure to the British language, I found myself laughing out loud at his explanations. In case you are interested, it is ISBN 0-9536968-0-4. By this time, I'm quite fluent in English, but American words often slip out, with sometimes amusing results. The funniest was the time I had forgotten my rubbers, which is a no-no given the damp and rainy climate over here. I asked someone where I could get rubbers. The stare I received set the wheels in my head turning (yes, I still have a mechanical brain). I realized that they thought I meant condoms. I should have asked for galoshes or overshoes. In fact, many of the pitfalls in language center on differences in terms of a sexual or anatomical nature, best not discussed here. Differences in the names of articles of clothing also have a potential for amusement. Walking through the Marks Spencer's department store, I found signs for Men's slips, and Men's jumpers (translation: briefs and sweater vests). If you need to hold your pants up, don't ask for suspenders. And, don't play golf in knickers. Some of our familiar engineering terms used to have English counterparts, but increasingly, the English are adopting U.S. terminology along with the rest of the World. Accumulators are now batteries, but earth is still earth, not ground, although I hear ground being used in technical conversation. I suppose vacuum tubes are still valves, but then you don't see much of them anymore. Shields used to be screens; maybe they still are, after all, a windshield is still a windscreen here. Fortunately, the English are exceedingly polite, and forgive the occasional gaffes or misunderstandings. Their constant exposure to the best and worst of American television shows has trained them in the American language to the point where many are now bilingual. Now, if I ask where I can get a Big Mac, I'll be directed to the nearest McDonalds, not to a men's clothing store carrying large size outerwear. --- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: majord...@ieee.org with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Ron Pickard: emc-p...@hypercom.com Dave Heald: davehe...@attbi.com For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: ri...@ieee.org Jim Bacher:
English vs. American - very off topic, but in line with current thread Re: Definition ?
Back in March 2000, I wrote the following piece for The Rochester Engineer magazine. I think it fits in nicely with the current Definition ? thread contrasting English English with American English. Regards, Jacob Z. Schanker, P.E. 65 Crandon Way Rochester, NY 14618 Tel: 585 442 3909 Fax: 585 442 2182 j.schan...@ieee.org English I'm preparing this column in a hotel room in Basingstoke, Hampshire in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom, by the way is increasingly a disunited kingdom with the devolution of Scotland and Wales, and, of course, Ireland. Devolution is sort of what we did in America in 1776, but without guns. Every time I am in England, which has been a lot, I am struck by the language differences. Churchill supposedly put it as: Two great nations separated by a common language. When a colleague prepares for their first trip to the UK, I prepare them by giving them an American-English Dictionary I found on the Web (as a text file called amlish.txt, look for it, or send me an email and I will send it to you). I also give the dictionary to English colleagues when they visit the U.S. After all, confusion goes both ways. There is an excellent web site, containing upwards of a thousand translations, with humorous commentary. Check out www.effingpot.com . Mike Etherington runs the web site. He just published a book, The Best of British - The American's guide to speaking British, based on the content of the web site. I ran across it the other day and bought it. Even after all my exposure to the British language, I found myself laughing out loud at his explanations. In case you are interested, it is ISBN 0-9536968-0-4. By this time, I'm quite fluent in English, but American words often slip out, with sometimes amusing results. The funniest was the time I had forgotten my rubbers, which is a no-no given the damp and rainy climate over here. I asked someone where I could get rubbers. The stare I received set the wheels in my head turning (yes, I still have a mechanical brain). I realized that they thought I meant condoms. I should have asked for galoshes or overshoes. In fact, many of the pitfalls in language center on differences in terms of a sexual or anatomical nature, best not discussed here. Differences in the names of articles of clothing also have a potential for amusement. Walking through the Marks Spencer's department store, I found signs for Men's slips, and Men's jumpers (translation: briefs and sweater vests). If you need to hold your pants up, don't ask for suspenders. And, don't play golf in knickers. Some of our familiar engineering terms used to have English counterparts, but increasingly, the English are adopting U.S. terminology along with the rest of the World. Accumulators are now batteries, but earth is still earth, not ground, although I hear ground being used in technical conversation. I suppose vacuum tubes are still valves, but then you don't see much of them anymore. Shields used to be screens; maybe they still are, after all, a windshield is still a windscreen here. Fortunately, the English are exceedingly polite, and forgive the occasional gaffes or misunderstandings. Their constant exposure to the best and worst of American television shows has trained them in the American language to the point where many are now bilingual. Now, if I ask where I can get a Big Mac, I'll be directed to the nearest McDonalds, not to a men's clothing store carrying large size outerwear. --- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: majord...@ieee.org with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Ron Pickard: emc-p...@hypercom.com Dave Heald: davehe...@attbi.com For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: ri...@ieee.org Jim Bacher: j.bac...@ieee.org All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://ieeepstc.mindcruiser.com/ Click on browse and then emc-pstc mailing list
