# A quick reference - a light hearted translation



## aldel (14 May 2006)

The English language is a complex composition of Scandinavian/Latin/German/Dutch/French and Celtic decent and is generally understood by all English speaking countries. 'American', however has become very devolved and causes the most confusion to other English speakers.

It is often said that the British and Americans are separated by a common language and this appears to be more so as each year goes by. There are many translations to be found on the internet and I think you will be shocked to find the huge number of words and differences. In fact, there are so many differences that I consider American to be truly 'foreign'. Depending on the nationality of the list creator the translation can be very confused or just wrong.

I have listed some words which are vaguely related to woodworking here.

<TABLE border="1" width="95%"><tr align="center"><tr align="center"><td><font color="#FF0000" size="1" face="Arial">UNIVERSAL ENGLISH</font></td><td><font color="#FF0000" size="1" face="Arial">American</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">trench/slot/groove/housing</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">dado</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">dado(rail) mid way up a wall</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">?</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">rebate (in wood)</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">rabbet</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">finger/comb joint</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Box Joint</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">mitre</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">miter</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">centre</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Center</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">skirting (board around the bottom of a wall) </font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">baseboard </font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">worktop</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Counter</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">pavement </font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Sidewalk</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">tarmac (road surface)</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Pavement</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Cupboard</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Closet</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">tap for water</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Faucet</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Autumn</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Fall</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">billion = million million</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">billion = thousand million</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">plaster (for cuts to fingers etc.)</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">band aid</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Tyre</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Tire</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">timber</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Lumber</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">4"x2" piece of wood</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">2"x4" piece of wood</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">flex/lead</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial"> cord/wire</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">connect</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">hook up</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">workshop</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Shop</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">shop </font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Store</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">drawer</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">draw*</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">plough </font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Plow</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Coach bolt</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Lag bolt</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">metric</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">unknown! </font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">aluminium</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">aluminum</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">planer</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">jointer</font></td></tr><tr align="center"><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Axe</font></td><td><font size="1" face="Arial">Ax</font></td></tr></table>

*Not true, actually the same spelling but due to the tremendous influence of Norm Abram, draw has fallen into common use by some!

This is just a short list and I am sure it would be fun to add more words that I have missed.

Please !!! 

I some times get aggressive emails about terms and spelling from American readers of my WoodRat site, however, this post is not intended to be provocative in any way but a means of clarifying the terms used by many on this forum that can sometimes mystify some of us grumpy old woodworkers who are only just getting to grips with terms and methods in the new televised American woodworking programs.

To be bi-lingual in English and American must be good surely?

Aldel :lol:

Mods I have had difficulty with a table here, maybe someone can fix it for me please?

Modedit: Sorry Aldel, I only saw your post this morning.


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## wrightclan (15 Jun 2006)

As a UK-based American, I thought I'd put in my 2 cents worth. 

Firstly, tarmac is a brand--you will find other companies who build roads and run quarries in the UK will not use the term tarmac--they say asphalt, which is equally used in the U.S. as pavement.

We use autumn and fall interchangeably.

Billion: I've lived here off and on for about 15 years, and thought I knew most of the differences. This one is completely new to me. However, has it changed in common usage? Because, when I hear newsreaders using billions in regard to public spending, I'm sure they're not meaning what an American would call a trillion.

Draw, is just how a New Englander pronounces drawer. Norm is saying drawer, but to the English ear it sounds like draw.

Actually metric is more known in the U.S. than imperial is now known here. It is very easy to buy products--fixings, etc. in either format. It is now next to impossible to buy imperial in the UK.

Also, some so-called Americanisms actually used to be standard British English. Such as almost any word ending in -ize. Don't believe me, look it up in the Oxford English Dictionary.

I also recently saw a copy of a British advertisement for agricultural equipment. It was printed around the turn of the 20th century. On it was the word specialty--the so-called American spelling. 

I was also watching a documentary sometime, when some quite old British documents were shown. I think they were from the 17th century, but not sure. I can't even remember what the documentary was about. I just remember noticing that the punctuation was more similar to modern American punctuation, than it was to modern British punctuation.

So, we're not all the backwards hillbillies some of you might think we are. :wink:  

Brad


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## Alf (16 Jun 2006)

wrightclan":1bc632c9 said:


> (ruthlessly snipped for comic effect) British documents were shown. I think they were from the 17th century... remember noticing that the punctuation was more similar to modern American punctuation...
> 
> So, we're not all the backwards hillbillies some of you might think we are. :wink:


Yep, right up there at the cutting edge of the 17th century... :wink: :lol: 



wrightclan":1bc632c9 said:


> I also recently saw a copy of a British advertisement for agricultural equipment. It was printed around the turn of the 20th century. On it was the word specialty--the so-called American spelling.


It's not really "so-called" though, is it? I mean if something's not the spelling used in English English _now_ but is in American English, well it's the 'Murrican spelling by default I'd have thought. English English seems to want to evolve all the time so it's, well, moved on. I don't know American English well enough to know if it too evolves, but it'd probably still be different anyway just to keep us all confused... :roll: :lol:

Cheers, Alf


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## wrightclan (16 Jun 2006)

Alf":3rnh0qjl said:


> wrightclan":3rnh0qjl said:
> 
> 
> > Yep, right up there at the cutting edge of the 17th century... :wink: :lol:
> ...



Certainly, it has evolved. My point was that often in these discussions, the implication from this side of the pond is that us backward Yanks have gone off and defiled true English. I was pointing out that *some* of the so-called Americanisms were not invented by us to be awkward, they're just more accurately following the English tradition. By the way, if I remember correctly, the documents in the documentary were penned by a Royal (the term _King's English_ springs to mind). :? 

BTW an interesting term, topical to woodies, is _Yankee_.

To Brits, this means any American. In the American South (those parts of the South that were part of the Confederacy) it means a Northerner. To the rest of the U.S. (and the standard American English definition), a Yankee is a New Englander. Norm is a Yankee by all three definitions. The show is using it in the third definition.  

Brad


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## mr (16 Jun 2006)

> Firstly, tarmac is a brand--you will find other companies who build roads and run quarries in the UK will not use the term tarmac--they say asphalt, which is equally used in the U.S. as pavement.



While Tarmac is indeed the original brand I'm not sure this is the full story, though as ever I may be wrong, I have always understood "tarmac" to be a contracted form of "tarmacadam". Whch although a patented product is not the same as ashpalt (by a different name) which I understood to be an offshoot product or by product although the words are used interchangeably,
tarmac being a portmanteau word (by dint of usage I guess) for tar penetrating macadam whereas ashphalt has different constituents.
Obviously, as with everything I say, it's all probably rubbish  
Cheers Mike


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## Alf (16 Jun 2006)

wrightclan":1fkzxryh said:


> BTW an interesting term, topical to woodies, is _Yankee_.
> 
> To Brits, this means any American. In the American South (those parts of the South that were part of the Confederacy) it means a Northerner. To the rest of the U.S. (and the standard American English definition), a Yankee is a New Englander.


Yeah, I know some folks would object to the term, which is why I always use 'Murrican. Generally we'd shorten it to Yank, of course, to accomodate the lack of movement in the stiff upper lip. :wink:  If all these "Nelson's navy" historical novels are correct, we used to call 'Murricans "Jonathans" but I haven't a clue why. Probably something rude and/or derogatory I fear. 

Cheers, Alf


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## como (16 Jun 2006)

> Yeah, I know some folks would object to the term, which is why I always use 'Murrican. Generally we'd shorten it to Yank, of course, to accomodate the lack of movement in the stiff upper lip. Wink Very Happy If all these "Nelson's navy" historical novels are correct, we used to call 'Murricans "Jonathans" but I haven't a clue why. Probably something rude and/or derogatory I fear. Embarassed



During my RAF days, I was posted to RAF Wyton, there was quite a few 'Murricans' living in married quarters on the base. We always refered to them as 'spams', to this day I still don't know why, did the murricans introduce us brits to spam during the war??


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## CHJ (16 Jun 2006)

Alf":3uis3lr7 said:


> [....snip... If all these "Nelson's navy" historical novels are correct, we used to call 'Murricans "Jonathans" but I haven't a clue why. Probably something rude and/or derogatory I fear.
> 
> Cheers, Alf



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brother_Jonathan


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## Pete W (16 Jun 2006)

Anyone interested in the nature of English/American language should try two great books by Bill Bryson, Mother Tongue and Made in America. Fascinating stuff, and he explains in detail how the Americans preserved a great many earlier spellings that fell out of use in Britain.


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## Nick W (16 Jun 2006)

Pete,

You took the words right out of my mouth. (But I don't think it was while you were kissing me :lol: )


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## CHJ (16 Jun 2006)

One of the problems I have come across with the major (British) English dictionaries is the constant updating to cover new variants or change of usage.

I have often used a good old faithful fifty year tomb as reference only to have a latter version pointed out to me giving a differing spelling (s/z etc.) or usage and then the wonderful the M$ spell checker causing confusion.


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## tim (16 Jun 2006)

We always refer to those over the pond as 'septics' . Not really derogatory just good old rhyming slang, like 'sweaties' for those north of the border.

My mum is an american citizen although english by birth and always maintains that she has stayed english in accent and speech. Definitley her accent is still english but her vocab is slipping. Luckily, I am able to help her with this.  

Cheers

Tim


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## Alf (16 Jun 2006)

CHJ":2jd08mmn said:


> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brother_Jonathan


Ah, thanks, Chaz*. I did have a search but was failing to hit the right term to weed out the chaff and hit the jackpot. #-o

Cheers, Alf

*'Murrican spelling... :wink:


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## CHJ (16 Jun 2006)

Alf":30w6k73l said:


> Ah, thanks, Chaz*. Cheers, Alf
> *'Murrican spelling... :wink:


As long as you don't use Chuck :!: We of the Cotswolds are rather sensative.


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## Alf (16 Jun 2006)

Would have thought a turner wouldn't mind Chuck so much.  

Cheers, Alf


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## CHJ (16 Jun 2006)

Alf":1qpej2xy said:


> Would have thought a turner wouldn't mind Chuck so much.
> 
> Cheers, Alf



Too self-centred a bias for my liking O


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## Anonymous (16 Jun 2006)

wrightclan":xjg0h9fp said:


> Billion: I've lived here off and on for about 15 years, and thought I knew most of the differences. This one is completely new to me. However, has it changed in common usage?  Because, when I hear newsreaders using billions in regard to public spending, I'm sure they're not meaning what an American would call a trillion.



Yes, this is correct and as always been so, not a recent change

UK 1 billion = 1,000,000,000,000
US 1 billion = 1,000,000,000

However, it is becoming more common for the US version to be used in the UK as when we discuss things such as large times such as the age of the universe, we actually say that is is approx. 13.5 billion years old but mean 13,500,000,000 yrs


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## engineer one (17 Jun 2006)

interesting that today it was announced that an english company was able to use the term spam in its product advertising since it was now common
usage in the uk as a computer product. the case was bought by the american company which claims to have been the inventor of the meat product spam.

i beleive that until the second world war, spam was almost unknown here,
and only became available in the lend lease packages during the war, when crappy old american freighters lumbered their way across the atlantic to bring all kinds of strange things.

when the d day landings were being arranged, and on the bases where american day bombers b17's were based spam was served at many meals,
and our guys were amazed to see people eat spam, mash, kippers, jam(they call it jelly) bread and everything on the whole tray. my dad talked about it till almost the end of his life.

spam and corned beef were staple parts of my school dinners during the
fifties. hate bloody corned beef these days, originally came from 
argentina.

tarmac. yes it is a brand name, but tarmacadam comes from the strange
scotsman who invented it. his name was macadam. we have him, and
thomas telford to thank for the present state of many of our a roads.
no i don't mean the holes, the layout.

at this time, can't remember which one was blind, and walked all the roads he rebuilt to make sure they did what they should. we forget the 
amazing people of the industrial revolution at our peril.

paul :wink:


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## mahking51 (17 Jun 2006)

One thing that I have found with most all Amercicans I have met and worked with, (and that is a lot!) is that they find it almost impossible to pronounce one particular word correctly - and that word is SQUIRREL!

They always say it as SQUIRL

Try on the next American you talk to!   

Regards
Martin


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## CHJ (17 Jun 2006)

mahking51":7ujblkmu said:


> One thing that I have found with most all Amercicans I have met and worked with, (and that is a lot!) is that they find it almost impossible to pronounce one particular word correctly - and that word is SQUIRREL!
> 
> They always say it as SQUIRL
> 
> ...



OK just did, and that is exactly what came back, well a Texan* actually but near enough.

* (not an American) 

They came back with, pronounce Cork and Caulk, most Brits do not differentiate, or at least not to an Americans ear.

(Subject of wrong purchases in the past to complete a household DIY.)


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## engineer one (17 Jun 2006)

amazing what a nights sleep will do.  :lol: 

the tarmac thing goes back to a guy called blind jack macadam,
who originally used a goop which exuded from the earth in his
part of scotland. later he mixed other things with it,

but i think that tar products were called tarmac or macadamised which i am
sure he had patented, after him and his activities.

paul :wink:


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## wrightclan (17 Jun 2006)

mahking51":2jfszds6 said:


> One thing that I have found with most all Amercicans I have met and worked with, (and that is a lot!) is that they find it almost impossible to pronounce one particular word correctly - and that word is SQUIRREL!
> 
> They always say it as SQUIRL
> 
> ...



Just think how hard it is for me, living in Scotland, trying to say some of the place names. Many English have a hard enough time saying some of the Scottish place names. When my wife (who is Scottish) wants to embarrass me, she tries to get me to say 'Arrochar'--an absolute impossibility for the American tongue. :shock: :shock: :shock:

On the other hand, we have friends in the U.S. who are an English/American couple. The man's name is Carl (American), and my wife cannot say his name to save herself. To an American ear, it sounds just like Carol. :lol: 

On the tarmac thing. I'm roughly aware of the history. It's just that I live across the street from a Hanson quarry, and five miles from a Tarmac quarry. In much the same way, someone who works for Electrolux, would not call a vacuum a hoover.

By the way mods, thanks for plucking this out of the Dado thread. I won't even try to discuss that subject in this forum for fear of a thrashing. :wink:


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## Nick W (17 Jun 2006)

mahking51":1t2f7ner said:


> SQUIRREL!
> 
> They always say it as SQUIRL



Mirror usually comes out as MEE'ER.


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## mailee (18 Jun 2006)

The English language is changing all the time and most of it is due to our cousins over the water. I remember when 'Gay' meant someone who was a happy person! What is this thing called 'Bling' I remember it as jewellery. But where did the word 'decompartmentalised' come from?? Cool is now something that is good and desirable and used to be inclement weather. Yes our language is changing for sure whether tis for good or bad is another matter. :?


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## treena (18 Jun 2006)

You say potaatoo... I say potato
You say toomaytoo... I say tomato
Lets call the whole thing off!


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## wrightclan (20 Jun 2006)

treena":3djhv71a said:


> You say potaatoo... I say potato
> You say toomaytoo... I say tomato
> Lets call the whole thing off!



I think that might be:

I say potato...you say pototto.
I say tomato...you say tomotto. :wink:  

Brad


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## woodbloke (20 Jun 2006)

Engineer One wrote:



> crappy old american freighters lumbered their way across the atlantic



You mean one of these:







This was photographed in San Fransisco a couple of years ago, the last Liberty ship afloat. Its good fun to slag off the Yanks (and vice versa) - if Clarkson can do it to an audience of 350,000,000 each week, its OK by me. To be fair though, when our colonial cousins build stuff, they do it seriously....during the Battle of the Atlantic, they were building these faster than the U-Boats could sink them. Spare a thought also for the guys in the Merchant Service of both countries who brought you the detestable corned beef (which I love) and Spam, which they can cheerfully have back - Rob


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## engineer one (20 Jun 2006)

hi rob, you are right we owe bundles to old man kaiser for designing and
ensuring that liberty boats got built, but they were the ford model t of the sea, and from talking to some older merchant marine guys, it was not fun.

what is amazing is the number of young kids who very much underage
volunteered to sail in them. i know i have met a number. not sure the
kids today would go no ealf and safety. :lol: 

they were some tubs, but doesn't mean they weren't rusty old things.
what was amazing was that they seemed to take more damage than some
of the better so called built boats.

ain't nuffink wrong wiff america that could not be cured by getting
rid of the yanks :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: and i am still in awe
of the way they can make certain things and not others. :? 

paul :wink:


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## woodbloke (20 Jun 2006)

Paul wrote:



> they can make certain things



........like one of these?







.....or maybe this ?












USS Missouri, Pearl Harbour, now that ship is really put together...as this is an English forum, it get spelt the correct way :wink: Thats SWMBO at the bottom of the ladder (underneath the 16" guns) on the left, good job she wasn't there when the main armament fired
As an aside, I just heard on the wireless (Radio 2, Jeremy Vine) that New York has now been voted the politest place in the world :shock: , London 15th...now there's a thought - Rob


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## engineer one (20 Jun 2006)

ok rob, now we know you are making so much money that you can 
afford holidays in hawaii????????????????????????? :twisted: 

are you sure you are a woodworker :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: 


i agree about the noise when the guns go off, but the real noise that
scares is the 16inch shell travelling toward you, or overhead.
now that is scary.

paul :wink:


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## woodbloke (20 Jun 2006)

Paul - SWMBO was left some probate dosh couple of years ago so we splashed out and had a fantastic holiday in the good 'ol US of A....didn't take the kids tho'... :roll: -Rob


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## engineer one (20 Jun 2006)

obvious proof that you can't take it with you :lol: :lol: :lol: 

unless you take the chances when they come along
then you turn round and you can't do these things
anymore.  

paul :wink:


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## woodbloke (20 Jun 2006)

Paul wrote:



> obvious proof that you can't take it with you



Our thoughts too. We could have done something sensible like pay of some debts, or a bit of the mortgage but chose to do this instead. That said SWMBO would go off to the ends of the earth at the drop of a hat...definitely got itchy feet and hey, I have to go with her....its a tough life, someone's got to do it tho'    ...-Rob


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## CHJ (20 Jun 2006)

engineer one":2e8q6xi2 said:


> ...snip...
> they were some tubs, but doesn't mean they weren't rusty old things.
> what was amazing was that they seemed to take more damage than some
> of the better so called built boats.



This Guy, my uncle, (Picture circa 1938)




Had the job for some time of ferrying the liberty boats to UK on their first trip.
On one occasion he arrived in Liverpool with nothing showing above the deck rails, stearing by jury rig below aft.


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