It has become my personal campaign of tilting at windmills to make standard American English more international in character. To do this I started using words that I thought more logical (or just plain sound better) from British English. Like crisps instead of potato chips. Hopefully I will be able to pick up a Transatlantic accent as well.
Join me! After all it is crazy, but gosh it can be fun too. Plus being eccentric is charming when trying to get a date. (Okay, I don’t know that this actually works that well, but you never know...)
A list of the words I prefer from my years of watching BBC programs:
- "Chips" instead of "French fries" (Though I still use French fries to refer to the thin French cut chips like McDonald’s serves.)
- "Crisps" instead of "Potato chips"
- "Dustbin" instead of "Waste Paper Basket" (Such a clumsy term)
- "Nail varnish" instead of "Nail polish"
- "Plonk" instead of "cheap wine"
- "Put down" instead of "Put to sleep" (what a dishonest idiom)
- "Sultanas" instead of "Golden raisins"
- "Tram" or "Tramway" instead of "Light Rail"
The words I throw in as synonyms:
- A
- Aerial for Antenna
- Argentine for Argentinean
- Autumn for Fall
- B
- Biro for Ball-point pen
- Bloke for Guy
- Brolly for Umbrella
- C
- Cinema for Movie theater
- Clingfilm for Plastic wrap
- Constable for police officer
- Cuppa for Cup of tea
- D
- Daft for Stupid
- Dodgy for Iffy, suspect
- Dotty for Feeble-minded
- Downmarket for Seedy
- E
- F
- Fancy (verb) for Like
- Fire brigade for fire department
- Flat for Apartment
- G
- Gents for Men's room
- H
- Holiday for Vacation
- I
- Ice lolly for Popsicle (Such a cool term!)
- Ironmongers' for Hardware store
- J
- Joiner for Carpenter
- Jumper for Sweater
- K
- Knickers for Panties
- L
- Lad for Boy
- Ladies' for Lady's room
- Loo for Bathroom
- Lorry for Truck
- M
- Maize for Corn
- Motorway for Highway
- Mince instead of Ground meat
- N
- Nappy for Diaper
- Nick for Steal
- Nutter for Kook
- O
- Off for Spoiled
- P
- Patience (card game) for Solitaire
- Pavement for Sidewalk
- Peckish for Hungry
- Petrol for Gas
- Pinch for Steal
- Pitch for Playing field
- Plait for Braid
- Post (noun or verb) for Mail
- Pneumatic drill for jack hammer
- Prat for Jerk
- Q
- Queue for Line (of people)
- R
- Rank for Taxi stand
- Refectory for Cafeteria
- Ring for Call
- Roundabout for Traffic circle
- Row for Quarrel
- Rucksack for Backpack
- S
- Sack (verb) for Fire
- Skint for Broke
- Sleeper for Railroad tie
- Spanner for Wrench
- Starkers for Naked
- Sweets for Candy
- T
- Tap for Faucet
- Telly for TV
- Tin for Can
- Tip for Dump
- Treacle for Molasses
- U
- Upmarket for Classy
- V
- W
- Waistcoat for Vest
- Water closet for Bathroom
- Windscreen (automotive) for Windshield
- X
- Y
- Z
The Rest
Bloody- I just like this mild expletive. It does not sound as old fashioned as using "heck" or "darn". I must admit I also like using exclamations translated from other languages too. They’re just fun for me. Like "Go to the Devil’s Grandmother!" (Russian)
Chat up- This is a lovely idiom that has no direct equivalent in American English as far as I know. For those not in the know it means to chat flirtatiously.
Hedgerow- My understanding is that this means any hedge in England. I might use this word for a narrow band of trees and bushes, but we don’t have many things like those here in America.
Jam- I understand that this is the word for any Jelly in England. I already use this word to refer to a sugary type of preserved crushed fruit. Like my mom’s strawberry Jam and Jelly when referring to the stuff made with just the juice of a fruit.
Pub- A pub is very different from the American bar. For one thing they welcome people who are not there to drink alcohol. It would be more like what is sometimes called a 'family' bar over here. So I don’t use this word, even for the bars over here that call themselves pubs.
Personally I see International English not so much about limiting the use of words. (Except in a very few cases where I refuse to use a dishonest or clumsy word.) But to expand the vocabulary of English speakers as widely as possible. I know this does not make English easier to learn, but I do not see any way to reduce the language except by natural attrition.
I have no doubt that eventually some parts of the expanded vocabulary will become less commonly used. But if it a directed process coming from some sort of word police it will be resisted. What will keep the langauge even as it contracts is international communication.
So I think the goal in the short term is to introduce each other to new words from different parts of the English speaking world. I am starting with British terms for ease of access and will move on to more obscure ones as I do more research.