Between American And British Culture

difference between American and British

Culture The way words are pronounced in America differs quite substantially from the Commonwealth. This goes to accents, of course, which differ vastly even WITHIN America AND within individual Commonwealth countries. Some states in the USA use more of a British pronunciation (New England) while other states use a more American middle-ground pronunciation (West Coast) and at the same time other states use a barely understandable off-shoot of the American language (the South)! In London alone there are many different accents, never mind other Commonwealth countries. Even a small country like South Africa has several different accents. However, there are Commonwealthers.

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The Rounded A People in the Commonwealth pronounce many of their A's in a rounded way. That is, their mouths have a rounded shape. American's pronounce some a's this way, such as "park" and "car", but most a's have a flatter sound, like the a in "hat". Example: the "a" in the word "ask" is pronounced like the a in "hat" in America but in the Commonwealth the "a" in "ask" is pronounced more like the "a" in "car" or "park". The same with "plaza", "task", "mask", "answer", "afternoon" and many others. T's versus D's Commonwealthers pronounce their t's with precision. Americans tend to either drop their t's completely, or replace them with a d. Here are some examples:

Mountain Daughter Letter Norton

Moun'in Dawder ledder Nor'in

The '..in' American do not pronounce the "g" in many words ending "ing". Examples"

Running Walking Riding Driving

Runnin' Walkin' Ridin' Drivin'

The U U's in America are pronounced like a double o, while in the Commonwealth they are pronounced like a "ew". Here are some examples:

Word Stupid Student

USA Stoopid Stoodent

Commonwealth Stewpid Stewdent

The -ter Many people from Britain drop their r's at the end of words ending-ter, while ALSO dropping the t. While Americans will fully pronounce the r (some might drop the t, though). Word Sound like:

Generator

gena-ray-ah

Meter

mee-ah

The i Certain words or prefixes that have an an "i" in them are pronounced differently. Word USA Commonwealth

AntiVitamin

An-TYE Vye-tamin

An-TEE vuht-amin

The Others Then there are words that are pronounced differently for no real discernable reason!

Word Schedule Lever Pedophile Route Aluminum Mazda Nissan Leisure

USA Sked-jule leh-ver peh-dofile R-ow-t A-loo-minum M-ahz-da Neeson Lee-sure

Commonwealth Shed-jill lee-ver pee-diofile Root Alu-mee-nium M-ehz-da Niss-eh-n Leh-sure

Emphasis Where the emphasis in words is placed varies between Americans and Commonwealthers as well. Americans tend to place the emphasis in most words on the first syllable. In the Commonwealth, more often it is on the second syllable. This can make the word sound VERY differently.

USA CON-troversy A-dddress IS-sue

Commonwealth Con-TROV-ersy A-DDRESS Is-SUE

Adding an "s" In the word "forward", Commonwealthers add an "s" on the end. As in: "Move that car forwards a little". Difference between plurals and singulars When speaking about a group or a team. In the Commonwealth, they may say, "Italy are playing well tonight." Americans would say, "Italy is playing well tonight." Adding a "R" Some Commonwealthers add -r to words ending in an A. Like the British would pronounce America like 'Americar' or Cuba like 'Cubar'. This is also prevalent in many New Britain states (especially Massachusetts). Should vs. Would Commonwealthers use the word "should" where American's use the word "would". E.G. "I should think that he will like that." vs. in America: "I would think that he would like that".

The way words are spelled in America differs substantially from the Commonwealth, this is believed to originate from the War of Independence when Americans began changing things in order to be different from the British - this is also why Americans eat differently with a knife and fork. Canada, although part of the British Commonwealth, has been influenced by its American neighbor and has a kind of a pick and choose attitude with spelling, some words are spelled the American way and some the English way. The OUR versus OR difference

"-our" in the Commonwealth is replaced with just "-or" in the USA.

Neighbour Colour Harbour

Neighbor Color Harbor

Of course, Americans being what they are make exceptions to this rule:

Glamour is not spelled glamor (go figure?) The ISE versus IZE difference "-ise" in the Commonwealth is replaced with "-ize" in the USA. Also "-isation" replaced with "-ization".

Realise Emphasise Organisation Revitalisation

Realize Emphasize Organization Revitalization

Once again, Americans make exceptions to this rule:

Advertise is not spelled Advertize, and Compromise is not spelled Compromize, neither is Surmise spelled Surmize, and also compensation (go figure again?) The RE versus ER difference "-re" in the Commonwealth is replaced with "-er" in the USA.

Metre Theatre Centre

Meter Theater Center

There is a new trend in America now to "misspell" certain of these words in order to give a sense of exclusivity such as "theatre" and "centre". The double letter versus single letter difference "-ll-" in the Commonwealth is replaced with a single"-l-" in the USA. Same with t.

Travelling Travelled Targetting Panelling Revelling

Traveling Traveled Targeting Paneling Reveling

The "further" vs. "farther" difference Americans use the word farther when describing distance, e.g. "Let's not drive any farther today". Whereas when describing a process, the word further is used, e.g. "Let's not take this matter any further today". In the Commonwealth, only the word further is used in all instances. The AE vs. E Certain scientific words are spelled with an "ae" in British English but only an "e" in American English

Archaeology Gynaecology Haematology Paediatric Anaesthesia

Archeology Gynecology Hematology Pediatric Anesthesia

The "no reason at all" differences Then there are many words that are just spelled differently for no discernible reason!

Commonwealth

USA

Aluminium Analogue Byelaw Kerb Defence Doughnut Draught Grey Gaol Jewellery Judgement Licence (noun, verb is spelled license) Manoeuvre Mould Omelette Pyjamas Programme Sceptic Speciality Tyre Vice (as in the clamp)

Aluminum Analog Bylaw Curb Defense Donut (started by Dunkin' Donuts) Draft Gray Jail Jewelry Judgment License (both noun and verb) Maneuver Mold Omelet Pajamas Program Skeptic Specialty Tire Vise

Some funny experiences due to the differences between Commonwealth and American culture Getting knocked up There are those phrases that are the same but have totally different meanings resulting in severe misunderstandings. Take for instance the phrase "knock up". In the USA this means get a girl pregnant while in the UK it means knock on someone's door! Imagine someone from the UK in America at a conference. On meeting in a hotel lobby for breakfast, an American asks the Englishman if a fellow female delegate had come down for breakfast yet. It would be quite natural for the Englishman to reply: "No, but I did knock her up this morning!" HEHEHE!!! Sexual misunderstandings Another example is the slang word "fag". In the Commonwealth, a fag is slang for a cigarette, while in the USA the same word is slang for a gay man! The word "rubber" means an eraser in the Commonwealth but refers to a condom in the USA... so an English student in an American college would quite naturally lean over to an American student and ask to borrow their rubber! HAH! For Australians, they find it amusing when Americans say they are rooting for them - root in Australian means to have sex! And when you get pissed... Much the same applies to the word "pissed". In America this means angry while in the Commonwealth pissed means drunk. I recall the occasion when my boss at that time (who was from Britain) and I (then still from South Africa) were in the US on business and were taken out one evening by a junior associate from the local US office. Having way too much to drink, in the cab returning to our hotel, my boss repeatedly announced that he was "Soooo

pissed". This elicited much alarm from our American associate who kept on asking, "Why, what's wrong"? To which my boss equally misunderstood and responded, "There's nothing wrong with being pissed." And the response to that, of course: "Oh, I agree there's nothing wrong with it, but why are you so pissed?" And so it went on, and on, until finally, having gotten over my fits of laughter, I explained to them that they had been talking cross purposes for the entire cab ride! What of course makes this even more complicated is the English saying: "Taking the piss out of someone". This bears no resemblance at all to getting drunk, nor getting angry, nor even urinating!. This simply means making fun of someone! Bad directions Then there was the time another boss (a Texan this time) was coming to visit me in San Francisco, recently after I moved to the USA. On asking for directions from the airport I told him to take highway 80. Of course, I pronounced this the English way: Eigh-TEE, instead of the American way: Eigh-DEE (see my section on Pronunciation). Being American, he misunderstood my "eighty" to be "AT" and spent 2 hours totally lost looking for some nonexistent road called Highway AT. Well, he was expecting 80 to sound like Eigh-DEE not EighTEE, so who could blame him? About food Certain remote areas in the USA have never heard an English accent before, rendering British English into what seems to them like a foreign language. Can I ever forget the morning I was traveling through Mena, Arkansas, and stopped to order lunch from a convenience store. After repeating that I wanted a simple hamburger THREE times without success (bringing the the words "blank look" a whole new meaning), my wife finally came to my rescue and "translated" my order into American English! How different really does the word "hamburger" sound between an American and an English accent? Apparently, a lot! Ever wondered why Wendy's Hamburgers never took off in Britain? Well, who would want to order "Biggie Fries" when a biggie is what a child calls his poo! Another meaning for Biggie in Britain is of course an erection! - just gets better doesn't it? Contributions from visitors to this website From Nikki Canales: I do have a funny story from a friend of mine who traveled from the US to the UK. When she got off the plane, she stepped in some mud and got her jeans dirty. When she met the people she was staying with, she said "I apologize.. my pants are dirty." They gave her a funny look. Later, she found out "pants" is actually "trousers" in the UK and they mistakenly thought she was talking about her underpants or "knickers." From Phil Andrews: Suspenders in the UK are for holding up ladies stockings, careful how you use the word. A guy who said "I am wearing red suspenders" would get an odd look... From Sarah: I am British living with my US fiancé and my two British children in America. It was funny when messing around one day my US fiancé told my 5yr old daughter he was going to spank her fanny! My daughter and I looked in shock and said: "WHAT?!!" He then quickly explained that a fanny is a bum - we all sighed and giggled. From Adam: When I first arrived in the US from Britain I was sitting in a bar with some new American friends; I choked on my drink when I heard one of the girls announce that she had been riding her bicycle too much that day and now her "fanny really hurt"! From Nate: The eating section reminded me of a date I went on in London with an British girl. We went to a nice restaurant where I think I had a steak and chips. Never in my life had I seen someone eat fries with a knife and fork, so as I was eating, I noticed my date doing this, I stopped and asked what she was doing. Needless to say, I ate my fries with a knife and fork that day and for the rest of my stay in Britain. From Daniel: So I (an American) was playing Frisbee with a British girl. I threw it to her and while trying to catch it she broke a nail. She was whining about it so I told her, "Suck it up!" To us this means just deal with the pain and continue. To them it has a bad sexual meaning. Embarrassing! From Claire: My friend visited England from Florida and we went to a theme park. We went on the Water Chute ride. When we got off, my American friend announced at the top of her voice

"ewww...my fanny is all wet". Imagine my embarrassment when 100 people looked at us in disgust and shoo'd their children away! From Helly: I visited England with my mom (she was born and raised in England) and my cousins took me out shopping. We went into a purse/bag shop and one of my cousins (male) held up a 'fanny bag' and said I should get one to hold my change from Car Boots. Well, we weren't standing close, so I said sorta loudly "I already brought a 'fanny bag'. He looked totally shocked and his eyes scanned the store because I was being glared at. He said "What!" and quickly came to me telling me never to say that. We left the store (fanny bagless) and he explained. Oh boy! The rest of my stay was a constant fanny/bum bag joke. From Katrina: While my family and I (Americans) were vacationing in the UK, we definately ran into some language barriers. It was pretty comical when my Dad asked for directions to the "Restrooms" in a London Department store, and the man kept telling us where there were lounges and seating "places we could rest". I think that went on for about five minutes, until I finally cut in and asked for directions to the W.C. Then I ran into a little bit of trouble myself, when I entered into a discussion with the bell hop. He asked me "How did you find Warwick Castle", I thought the question a little odd, but, none the less, I answered "We used a map in combination with the signs." He gave me a strange look and I continued to give him a strange look, and then it sunk in, "Oh, that meant what did I think of Warwick castle." My Mother and Sister still haven't let me live down that bit of foolishness. From Amber: A friend from England came to visit me in Los Angeles. On our way to the car we got in an elevator. There were two rough looking guys in there already and one was smoking. My British friend gasped in amazment and said "Are you allowed to smoke a fag in there?" the two rough guys looked really confused and I burst into laughter. (To smoke someone means to kill them with a gun) Anyway we took the next elevator. From David: While at University in England I made friends with an American girl. She had spent the day horse riding and that evening we met in the student bar. As typical reserved English folk, everyone would often go quiet as the 'American Girl' came into the bar. I immediately asked how she was, her loud reply was "Well, I've got a sore fanny as I've been riding a horse all day!" I need not tell you the reaction this had on the already silent group sitting in the bar. From Mirjam: I went to Australia last year. I was travelling with a Canadian friend. In Australia they call sandals "thongs". We came to a pub where it said on the door: No thongs allowed. My Canadian friend was very surprised, she didn't understand how they could know what underwear the people are wearing :-). From Wendy: My other American friend Renee was driving from the airport to her boyfriend's house in a hired car. A guy was driving really close behind her, and when she got to her boyfriend's house she said the guy was 'totally riding my fanny!' Riding means having sex, and fanny is female sex organ. From Mike: I (a Yank) was working in England. I took frequent business trips to the US with British colleagues. Once one of them said he had never driven on the "wrong" side of the road and asked if he could try it. All was well until we were driving about 30 MPH down a suburban road and passed a sign that said "Pavement ends 100 feet". Before I had time to explain that this had nothing to do with the sidewalk and maybe he should slow down, we were on the dirt and skidding all over the road. Fortunately we came to rest safely and had a great story to share with our coworkers. From Misty: In 1972 I moved from Florida to Hong Kong. As Thanksgiving was approaching I decided to invite my new friends for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. I was in the Provisioner's looking for mince meat for pies. Every time I asked where this was located in the store I was directed to the meat counter. Finally, in frustration, I called a British friend. She told me to ask for "fruit chutney". Walla! I was able to bake my Mince Meat Pies. From Elizabeth: When I was 19 (I'm a American female), I worked as a secretary in London for a summer. One day I was typing away, and a fellow waiting for my boss came up and asked "Excuse me, do you have a rubber." Needless to say, my jaw dropped a foot, but I choked out "Sorry, I'm not carrying one today." A couple minutes later, it dawned on me what he wanted. As I handed it to him, I said "a rubber means something slightly different in America". I've never seen someone turn so red so fast.

From Bob: While serving in the Canadian Army in Germany I wound up in the hospital beside a young man from one of the British army units. One day he asked me how are the birds in Canada With a big smile I told him that at hunting time You couldn't see the sky for the ducks No No he said Birds and kept repeating Bird Birds Looking at like some crazy man. It was explained to me that birds in England are women. From Christine: I am a Californian teenager, and a couple years ago my family traveled to London. We went out to lunch with some of our English friends, and after the satisfying meal, my dad asked me how the meal was. I exclaimed "It was delicious, I'm stuffed!". This elicited a laugh from our English friend, and I was told not to say this again. In American, "I'm stuffed" means I'm very full (of food). Apparently in English it is a nasty term for being pregnant. From Radan: An American mother and her baby were on a visit in Britain. In a nursery mother asked another one "Where can I have my nipples boiled?". Stunning silence while they realised her "nipples" are for "teat" in British English. From Stephanie - When I was little, my family and I travelled to London...I probably was about 10 years old. While visiting, we went out to dinner with a friend of ours from England. I recall that I ordered some sort of pasta, but that pasta didn't come with any sauce on it. And so, I had asked for marinara sauce. The waiter had no idea what I said. So I tried again, reluctantly. Tomato sauce? I guess I literally got what I wanted. A few minutes later he brought back a little cup--of ketchup. Needless to say, I was ten and I didn't object to the use of ketchup on my pasta.....but nothing can make me forget that vocabulary lesson. From Brian: I am an American. Last year a friend of mine from England came over to visit for a few weeks. We were in a Wal-Mart shopping center and he had to use the bathroom. He went up to one of the employees and asked "Where's the loo?". The man said "If you're looking for someone, I can page them for you on the intercom. What's Lou's last name?" I thought that was hilarious! From David: I'm an American living in England. In the first week or two after I arrived, I told some friends that I was going outside for a quick puff or two (meaning to smoke at least part of a cigarette)...they responded by uncomfortably giggling and saying "well mate, whatever suits your fancy!"... In British slang, a "puff" is a homosexual.

?Why ARE there difference between American and British English Well, who really knows this but I like this explanation sent to me by a visitor to this website: "Alistair Cooke stated in his 1980s television series "The Story of English" that Americans purposely pronounced every letter of every word on purpose to differentiate themselves from the English. He stated somewhere that we changed our forks to our right hands prior to the ".Revolution as a sign the the eater was a rebel. Also to be different from the British

?Why are the English called Limeys From the habit, on long journeys, of English sailors drinking lime juice as a preventative .against scurvy

?Why are the English called Poms or Pommies Pommy" (or "pom" or "pommie") is a primarily Australian (and largely derisive) slang term " used to indicate a recent immigrant from Great Britain, or a Brit in general. Hwoever the origination of this word is a little unclear. "Pommy" might have been based on the word "pomegranate" -- either because the redness of the fruit supposedly matched the typically florid British complexion, or because it was used as rhyming slang for "immigrant." Also a possibility is since Australia was originally a hold for convicts from England, the letters P.O.H.M. (Property of her majesty) were printed on their clothing and then began to apply to all immigrants from England. Interestingly enough, the Oxford English definition of POM .stands for Prisoner of Mother England Another explanation: it originated in Victoria, where the British immigrants came by ship to the .Port of Melbourne. The initials POM were quickly adopted as a fond nickname

?Why are Americans called Yanks or Yankees

The origin of Yankee has been the subject of much debate, but the most likely source is the Dutch name Janke, meaning “little Jan” or “little John,” a nickname that dates back to the 1680s. Perhaps because it was used as the name of pirates, the name Yankee came to be used as a term of contempt. It was used this way in the 1750s by General James Wolfe, the British general who secured British domination of North America by defeating the French at Quebec. The name may have been applied to New Britainers as an extension of an original use referring to Dutch settlers living along the Hudson River. Whatever the reason, Yankee is first recorded in 1765 as a name for an inhabitant of New Britain. The first recorded use of the term by the British to refer to Americans in general appears in the 1780s, in a letter by Lord Horatio Nelson, no less. Around the same time it began to be abbreviated to Yank. During the American Revolution, American soldiers adopted this term of derision as a term of national pride. The derisive use nonetheless remained alive and even intensified in the South during the Civil War, when it referred not to all Americans but to those loyal to the Union. Now the .term carries less emotion—except of course for baseball fans

?Why are New Zealanders called Kiwis The name kiwi was made famous by a brand of boot polish called "Kiwi", developed by an Australian William Ramsey. In 1910 Ramsay returned to Australia from New Zealand after marrying Annie Meek of Timaru. In Melbourne Ramsay developed his own brand of boot polish. In need of a name for his boot polish he settled on a New Zealand symbol - the kiwi (a .(flightless bird found in New Zealand During World War II the British Army ordered a large shipment of the Kiwi Boot Polish. By the end of the war, the New Zealander Soldiers were known as kiwis. The name kiwi has stuck .ever since

?Why do Americans and Commonwealthers drive on the opposite side of the road ?Where does that word "Bloody" come from the English are so fond of using According to the Oxford English Dictionary: "In foul language, a vague epithet expressing anger, resentment, but often a mere intensive, especially with a negative -- as, not a bloody one." They cite an 1840s usage. On the other hand, the use as adverb dates back to 1650s: as an intensive, meaning, "very" or "and no mistake". In the 1880s, it was considered a "horrid word" by respectable people, on par with obscene or profane language, and was printed in ".newspapers, etc., as "b----y The OED says the origin is uncertain, but possibly refers to "bloods" (aristocratic rowdies) of the late 17th-early 18th centuries ... "bloody drunk" arising from '"drunk as a blood" ... and the association with bloody battle, bloody butcher, etc., "appealed to the imagination of the rough ".classes Another version is that the derivation of "bloody" is as a corruption of the medieval phrase "by Our Lady", which, being an oath sworn on the person of the mother of Jesus Christ, was .considered blasphemous

?Where does the British saying "Bob's Your Uncle" come from This is another of those catchphrases which seem to arise out of nowhere and have a period of fashion, in this case quite a long one. We know that it began to be used in the 1880s in Britain. One theory has it that it derives from the slang phrase all is bob, meaning "all is safe". But there have been several slang expressions containing the word bob, some associated with thievery or gambling, and around this time it was also a common generic name for somebody you didn't know. The most attractive theory is that it derives from a prolonged act of political nepotism. The prime minister Lord Salisbury (family name Robert Cecil) appointed his rather less than popular nephew Arthur Balfour (later himself to be PM from 1902-11) to a succession of posts. The first in 1887 was chief secretary of Ireland, a post for which Balfour was considered unsuitable. The consensus among the irreverent in Britain seems to have been that to have Bob as your uncle guaranteed success, hence the expression and the .common meaning it preserves of something that is easy to achieve USA

Commonwealth

Legal driving age Legal drinking age Legal age of sexual consent Legal gambling age Electricity Road distance measured in Distance measured in Weight measured in Liquid measured in Temperature measured in Drives on the Car transmission, mostly Most popular Winter sports Most popular Summer sport Expected % of tips

16 21 18 21 110 volt Miles Feet, yards Pounds Pints, gallons Fahrenheit Right Automatic Football, hockey Baseball 15%

18 (17 in Britain) 18 16 18 240 volts Kilometers* Meters* Kilograms* Liters* Celsius Left Manual (standard) Soccer, Rugby Cricket 10%

1

0

Prefix for dialing long distance

*Britain is perhaps an exception when it comes to metric versus Imperial - some items are still imperial measurement while others are metric - they seem to be battling to make that switch over, even though the official change from Imperial to Metric was made in the '60s.. Some other interesting differences Americans make up their beds using blankets and sheets with a bedspread or comforter to cover the bed. Most Commonwealthers use a "duvet" (pronounced doo-vay) which is similar to a comforter but has a removable cover which can be washed. In Australia it is called a doonah. Continental pillows in American are unheard of. These are oversize pillows found on many Commonwealth beds more for decorative purposes or perhaps to lie up against while reading a book or watching TV in bed. At Christmas time, Commonwealthers celebrate Christmas dinner in a similar fashion to Americans with one notable exception. Christmas Crackers: paper tubes that bang when you pull them apart and they contain a toy, a paper hat and a riddle or joke, the usefulness of which is directly proportionate to the amount of money paid for them. A billion in the Commonwealth is a trillion in the USA. Light switches are opposite. Down is off in America, while down is on in the Commonwealth. Believe it or not, toilet flush handles are (in most cases) also on the opposite side of the toilet. The main road in a town is normally called "Main Street" in the USA, while in Britain it is invariably called "High Street". In Australia, many towns have a main street called Station Street. In Britain, most shoppers bag their own groceries while in the USA most do not. In the Commonwealth, checks (cheques) meant for deposit only are "crossed" meaning two lines are drawn across the top left corner. In the USA "For Deposit" is written on the back. If you talk about crossing a cheque in the USA, you are going to get some funny looks from your banker! In most Commonwealth countries (except Australia), you have to pay an annual license fee in order to own a TV. This money goes to the state run TV channels in order to finance programming. There is no license fee in the USA. Local phones calls in the USA do not attract charge per minute and you can talk as long as you want to for no additional charge. Very useful when dialing up to the Internet. In the Commonwealth you are charged for local phone calls, based on how long you talk, except Australia where you have no charge per minute on locals, you only pay a connection fee. In the USA in sporting events such as gymnastics, it is possible to get a perfect 10 score. In the Commonwealth the highest possible score given is normally a 9.9 - the thought being that you cannot give a perfect 10 score because there could always be someone who could do it better than you!

Schools... In American schools you usually sit individually, but in the UK you sit in a group of 2 or more (Australia and South Africa single desks). You may call a period of time you are out of the lesson for behavior, "time-out", but in the UK you would call it "isolation". Uniform is worn at nearly every school in the Commonwealth, however in the US not many schools wear a uniform - only private schools. Bare Boobs... American television is much more "censored" and conservative than in the Commonwealth. For example, a woman's breasts will not be shown on network or basic cable TV, neither will any form of swear words be heard. In the Commonwealth it is not uncommon to see nakedness or hear "bad" words on network TV - and here we even include Canada, who lean very much toward their true Commonwealth nature in this respect. What of course is interesting is the fact that these strong moralistic values are not imposed upon premium cable channels (such as HBO, Starz and Showtime, who will show all of the above and MORE!) meaning that you CAN view whatever you want just so long as you are prepared to pay for it! In Britain some national daily newspapers have what is known as a "page three girl", that is a picture on page three of a topless girl posing.

Which side? The first thing to be considered is that fact that Americans drive on the RIGHT and in the Commonwealth you drive on the LEFT. Now if that isn't confusing enough, even the road markings are opposite. In America YELLOW lines signify the center of the road and white the edge while exactly the opposite occurs in most Commonwealth countries. Want to know why Commonwealth countries (apart from Canada) drive on the left and Americans on the right? Then go here. Highways, Freeways, Motorways... In the USA, highways are VERY specific in how you refer to them. For example, the 635 is pronounced the "six thirty-five" and NOT the "six three five" or the "six hundred and thirty five". Highways in Commonwealth countries generally begin with a N for national (e.g. N3) meaning they traverse the entire country or M for motorway (e.g. M25) meaning they traverse only through or around a city (the M25 is a circular highway around London). Or R for route. There is a very good reason behind the highway marking system in the USA. Highways marked "US" (i.e. the famous US 66), the lower numbers start in the northeast and get higher as they move southwest. However, for highways marked Interstate (such as I-75 going from Michigan to Florida), lower numbers start in the southwest, with road numbers getting higher as they go to the northwest. This was to help prevent confusion and overlapping numbering, as the Interstate highway system was created after many "US-##" highways had been created. Also, three-digit highway numbers have a certain function depending on the first digit. If the first digit is even, it is a bypass, usually going around a city and meeting up with the original highway. If the first digit is odd, it is a spur, meaning it forks from the original highway and doesn't meet up again. Also, the second and third digit of the number is the highway of which it is a bypass or spur. (For instance, I-465 bypasses around the city of Indianapolis and comes back to I-65. US-131 spurs off of US-31 in Michigan and ends at the Indiana Toll Road without meeting up

again.) Shifting gear In America most vehicles have an automatic transmission while in the Commonwealth the majority of cars are manual. This is especially the case with rental cars. It is as impossible to rent a manual in the States as it is impossible to rent an automatic in an economy or compact class in the Commonwealth. Cars in America generally have a higher spec (extras, such as power windows and cruise) than cars in the Commonwealth of the same price. Tolls In the USA freeways or highways where you pay a toll are called "Turnpikes". In Commonwealth countries they are called toll roads or toll ways. BEWARE Commonwealth visitors to the USA! Traffic laws in the USA not only differ from state to state, but they differ VASTLY! For example the school zone speed limit in California is 25 mph, but in Maine it is 15 mph, while in Texas it is 20 mph. Motorcycle crash helmets MUST be worn in California and New York but are not necessary in Arizona, Florida, Texas or Maine. In the Commonwealth traffic laws are set by central government and apply throughout the country without exception. Drive through Everything in America is a "Drive-through". Fast Food, such as MacDonald's, Burger King and even Chinese drive-throughs. There are also drive-through banks and ATMs, drive-through drycleaners, drive-through pharmacies, drive-through liquor stores and cigarette stores. Drive-throughs are not as common in the Commonwealth although rapidly increasing in popularity. Drive safely! Americans are safe and courteous drivers on the whole, and but for a few notable exceptions (New York, Boston) will invariably allow merging drivers in. Some of the worst drivers in the USA are found in Texas and Florida, while the most courteous are in California! Most drivers in the Commonwealth are courteous, with a few exceptions in such countries as India, Sri Lanka and certain other Commonwealth countries in Africa. In South Africa, "Black Taxis" are notorious for their deliberately poor and downright dangerous driving practices.

Eating Implements Apart from the fact the same foods are often called very different things, the style of eating between British English speakers and Americans differs vastly. In the Commonwealth, one does NOT eat with just a fork… The knife remains in the right hand and the fork in the left. In the USA the knife is used to cut up the meat, after that, the knife is returned to the table, the fork placed in the right hand and the rest of the meal consumed with a fork only. In fact many meals such as salads are served with only a fork, very confusing for people used to using both implements for all meals. In the Commonwealth the fork is held upside down, and food pushed onto the bottom side of the fork - which is now curving downwards (I know this doesn't make sense, but that's just the way it is!!)

Chips or fries... the Commonwealth French Fries (chips) are eaten with a knife and fork and NOT one's fingers - except perhaps in a pub or fast food outlet.. Americans always use their fingers for fries even in up market restaurants. And while on the subject of chips or fries - in the USA chips are always called fries unless they are served with battered fish, then and then only, are they called "fish and chips" - go figure THAT one out!!

And then there were hamburgers... Hamburgers in America are eaten whole with one's hands. In some Commonwealth countries, it would not be unusual for a diner to remove the top half of the bun and eat the balance of the hamburger with a knife and fork. Sometimes the top of the bun is then discarded and not eaten at all!! This is not so much at a fast food place such as McDonalds, but more you would see this at a fancier restaurant that serves burgers. The famous barbecue Many Americans when it comes to a barbecue, prefer to cook hamburger patties and hot dogs on the grill. This is not to say that in the USA steaks, chicken and other meats are not barbecued, they are, but with less regularity . In Commonwealth countries, hamburger and hotdogs are reserved for fast-food outlets only. Common meats grilled include steak, ribs, chicken, fish, lamb, sausage and kebabs in a variety of forms. American barbecues are mostly gas powered, commonwealth barbecues are more often than not charcoal or wood. There is another group of Americans that are more purists, who consider barbecue to be slow cooked meat with usually a tomato based sauce that ranges from mild to very hot. The meat usually cooked is pork such as ribs or shoulder or chicken or beef. The barbecue purists tend shun gas in favor of charcoal. A continental breakfast in the Commonwealth would be fruits, cheeses, a variety of pastries and cold meats such as sliced ham. In the USA a continental breakfast is coffee and donuts! Beverages Americans take their coffee VERY seriously and the thought of drinking instant coffee is about as appetizing as drinking toxic waste! Few US homes have electric kettles, while no home is without a coffee filter machine. In the Commonwealth, instant coffee is more common than it's filtered version and regarded as quite acceptable and would not raise eyebrows when served to guests. Tea, on the other hand, in the Commonwealth is a hot drink served with sugar and milk and is a daily staple. Tea in America is drunk cold with ice and sugar (ugh!!). The only warm tea Americans drink is herbal tea (which incidentally they pronounce: 'erbal). Throw away stuff Americans truly have a "throw away" society. Even the best hotels will sometimes serve coffee in disposable cups and the teaspoons are no more than plastic straws. Restaurants however will serve coffee in mugs. Certainly saucers are NEVER provided. In the Commonwealth only fast-food outlets use styrofoam (polystyrene) and plastic silverware (cutlery). Americans by the large do not use chop sticks at Chinese restaurants. Most Chinese restaurants automatically provide forks or spoons on the table and chop sticks have to be ASKED for. The reverse is the case in the Commonwealth where spoons and forks are only provided on request. The speed with which we eat... American restaurants are almost without exception "eat, pay and get outta here" establishments. A table would be typically turned over 5 or 6 times in an evening. Starters (appetizers) are rushed out within 5-10 minutes of arrival and the main course is served immediately. The check is brought as soon as the plates are cleared. An average visit to an American restaurant is between 45 minutes and an hour. Once again this is a generalization, there ARE exceptions to this rule, so don't go writing nasty emails to me!! In the Commonwealth a group of friends going to a restaurant will invariably be there for the entire evening. A stay of 4-6 hours

in the restaurant would not be considered unusual. Main courses can be held back until the party calls for them - there could be as much as an hour break between courses. Once the meal is complete the check is seldom brought until the guests ask for it. Which could be a few hours later as the party will continue to sit, drink and socialize at the table, sometimes until the wee hours. Tipping... In the Commonwealth it is normal to tip your server 10%. In the USA 15% is the norm. And the times we eat... Eating times differ greatly!! Americans prefer eating early in the evening and often will be found in restaurants having dinner at 5 p.m. In the Commonwealth restaurants only open their kitchens at 6 p.m. with most people only reserving tables from 7.30 - 9.00 p.m. USA restaurants all close by 10 p.m. In the Commonwealth it is not uncommon to be still in a restaurant past midnight! Lunchtime in the USA is 12 noon and in the Commonwealth it is 1 p.m. When visiting with friends in their home, Americans would feel obliged to leave by 9 p.m. In the Commonwealth leaving before midnight would be regarded as rude (implying that the hosts were perhaps boring) with many couples socializing until 2 or 3 a.m. The first drinking difference to consider is the legal age to drink. In the USA it is 21, while in all Commonwealth countries it is only 18! While in Canada some provinces are 19 and some are 18. Bars in Britain traditionally closed at 11 p.m. by law while in the USA they close at 2 a.m. by law. England has recently passed a new law that allows late night drinking, so some bars are now open until the wee hours. Bars in Australia and South Africa vary considerably. In Britain, beers (ales or bitter), are served warmer than in America! Ales (as opposed to lagers) are served at cellar temperature - which is below room temperature, but definitely not 'chilled' - chilled bitter is tasteless (as is a lot of lager at whatever temperature) but warm bitter is foul (but not as foul as warm lager!). The reason is simple: beer should be served at the temperature that it ferments at - ales are fermented at a slightly higher temperature than lagers.. This applied to English ales and bitters, but not to foreign lager or beer, which is always chilled. In the USA beers are chilled to almost freezing point. Drinking bitters and ales is an English practice that has not been extended to the rest of the Commonwealth. Countries like Australia and South Africa serve mostly locally made lagers, well chilled. In America, beers are mostly served in the bottle (even by 5 star hotels). They will wrap a paper napkin (serviette) around the bottle to soak condensation. Up market hotels in the Commonwealth would frown at a patron requesting to drink straight from the bottle. Australia is metric, therefore a 'nip' of alcohol is 30ml. In the US, a 'nip' is 1 fl ounce - which is quite a lot larger. One of our contributors worked in a bar at an up market hotel in Australia and had regular arguments with US clients who insisted she was short-pouring them!

Mixing your drinks In the Commonwealth it is quite common to mix beer with sweet drinks. A 50/50 mixture of beer and Sprite or 7Up is called a “beer shandy”. Gingerbeer is a carbonated soft drink sold in cans like any other soda, and is NOT alcohol, but is mixed 50/50 with real beer. The most common of all is the “Lime & Lager” – a shot of lime cordial is mixed into a beer. Incidentally, Sprite or 7Up in the Commonwealth is called lemonade while lemonade in the USA is a homemade drink made from real lemons, sugar and water. Ask for lemonade in the Commonwealth and you will get a drink that is labeled Lemonade on the can but will taste just like Sprite. In the Commonwealth, Whisky is seldom served with ice, and certainly NEVER with a mixer – only club soda is acceptable. In the USA it would be quite common to order a whisky and ginger ale or coke, or even the classic “Seven and Sevens” – Seagram's Seven whisky with 7 UP as a mixer. Icing your drinks Having large quantities of ice in one’s drink is very much an American practice. Even coldrinks (sodas) in the Commonwealth are mostly served without ice, or at the very most perhaps with a cube or two. In the USA soft drinks are poured only after the glass has been filled at least half to three quarters with ice. The Pub Most people in the Commonwealth like to have a “local”. This is a bar close to home or work that they visit on a regular basis. They know everyone there and everyone there knows them. A home away from home they visit to see friends or just to sit and read a book while having a quiet beer. Drinking alcohol on a regular basis in Commonwealth countries is pretty much a way of life. More often than not the average person will consume some form of alcohol every single day of their life – even if it is just a quick beer at their local pub on the way home or a glass of wine while watching TV. People in the USA who consume alcohol on a daily basis would be regarded as alcoholics. Drinking and Working If an American were to enjoy a beer with his lunch during a working week, it would be grounds for INSTANT dismissal!! In the Commonwealth, going to the pub for lunch and a few beers is not only common practice, but bosses use this as an opportunity to get to know their staff better and the company will often PAY for the food and booze! More often than not, these impromptu gatherings will continue for the balance of the afternoon with the employees only getting out of the pub at 5-6 p.m. and heading straight for home. Funnily enough bosses consider this as an excellent business day with many work problems discussed and solved over a beer and good relationships forged with subordinates. In the Commonwealth many companies have a fully stocked bar in their offices and employees are encouraged to socialize over a few drinks after work on a Friday (and often on other days in the week as well). Drinks are normally free or heavily subsidized by the company. In the USA this would NEVER happen because if one of the employees were to have a vehicle accident on the way home they would be able to sue the company for providing the alcohol that "caused the accident". Also, if an employee drank, and got hurt on the job, the insurance would have to pay the doctor bills. An you

KNOW how expensive health care is in the US!! Big companies have exorbitant health insurance costs, already, so drinking while working would be grounds for instant dismissal. The LAW! Liquor laws in America differ from state to state. In California you can buy liquor 7 days a week, right up to 2 a.m., In Nevada, booze is on sale 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while in Texas, Kentucky and other southern states there are many counties you can't buy liquor at all, not even beer on ANY day. Some states will only allow beer that is 3.2% alcohol while others (like Utah) prohibit the sale of hard liquor completely unless you belong to a club. Many states have open container laws - that is no open containers of alcohol are allowed in a vehicle - not even if a passenger is drinking it. Liquor laws in the Commonwealth generally prevent the sale of Alcohol on a Sunday and after certain hours in the evening, and like the USA, the legal driving limit is 0.08. In Australia, the legal driving limit is 0.05 and liquor is available for sale 7 days a week.