Time Zones and Places!

[Linaewen]

Originally posted by Fat middle
JD, you English speakers (in whatever of its dialects: british, american, aussie...) cannot reason that way. English is not pronounced as it is written. "Theatre" could be also be pronounced "dheatre"

Oh, you're talking about me, there, aren't you?

Originally posted by Jonathan
In countries where English isn't spoken, it is natural to keep the American spelling. But in countries like the UK, Canada and Australia, why should people spell their World Trade Centres in any other way than the way which is correct to them?

It might not be a conscious thing either. I can't spell 'centre' as 'center' unless I deliberately think about it for a while. Same with 'color' and 'favorite' and all that. The only word I "translate" to American English is 'mom' when talking to any American "supermoms" on Entmoot because that's what they are.

[Artanis]

OK, add me in. GMT+1

Funny, I didn't know about the difference between American and English regarding the -tre or -ter endings. Like Lin said, it isn't a conscious thing. Now I can't remember which one I usually use. Probably the former.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Jonathan
Great. Why don't you improve your American English a little more? Change the /o/ in 'women' and remove the last /n/ in 'condemn' unless you're talking about condemnation. Those of you who pronounce surprise 'su-prise', start to spell it that way.

Su-prise is an incorrect pronounciation. it is sur-prise.

Maybe because the World Trade Center isn't something in America, but something that exists in hundreds of nations. In countries where English isn't spoken, it is natural to keep the American spelling. But in countries like the UK, Canada and Australia, why should people spell their World Trade Centres in any other way than the way which is correct to them?
Don't say "because the World Trade Center is originally something American". When there's a WTC in another country, it's their WTC and they spell it the way they feel is correct.

When it refers to the Twin Towers and is capitalized the way it is - it refers to the World Trade Center of New York. Other World Trade Centers are more of a concept - not the a huge phycial expanse of buildings the way the World Trade Center is/was in New York. I never said that the "World Trade Center is originally something America" - can you please say where I said this. I am perfectly aware there are world trade centers all over the world. However - when discussing the World Trade Center of New York - it was something different - for one thing - it was never acutally a World Trade Center - except in name and it was the PROPER name of a location. Which was OUR name - and hence should be spelt like WE spell it. If you are talking about A world trade center - lower case letters - then it can be translated. But The World Trade Center is a proper name.

[sun-star]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
I notice you guys don't spell the World Trade Center as we spell it- you translate it into British English.

No, we don't. Unless the spellcheck changes it back again, or we type it unconsciously because 'tre' is what we're used to. But in the British media it's always called by its proper name.

[Jonathan]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
Su-prise is an incorrect pronounciation. it is sur-prise.

Funny, the American dictionary that you sent me says that both pronunciations are correct. And no comment as to the rest I said?

Originally posted by jerseydevil
When it refers to the Twin Towers and is capitalized the way it is - it refers to the World Trade Center of New York.

As you say, the World Trade Center of New York is spelt with -er. However whenever an Englishman is talking about the WTC, he doesn't have to be "talking about things in America" as you said in a previous post. They could very well talk about a WTC in another country (even though discussions about the WTC in NY is a lot more common).

Originally posted by sun-star
No, we don't. Unless the spellcheck changes it back again, or we type it unconsciously because 'tre' is what we're used to. But in the British media it's always called by its proper name.

They do when writing about the WTC in New York. However, the WTC in for example London is spelt with -re.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by sun-star
No, we don't. Unless the spellcheck changes it back again, or we type it unconsciously because 'tre' is what we're used to. But in the British media it's always called by its proper name.

I sent mooter a postcard of The World Trade Center - it was printed in Britain - it was spelt "centre".

[sun-star]

Originally posted by Valandil
'autumnal equinox'... but most Americans just call it 'the first day of fall'... for short!

(ED: we actually use BOTH words... 'fall' and 'autumn'... besides, the autumnal equinox is the first day of SPRING in the S Hemisphere, right?)

You seem to know a lot about this, so I'll ask you: what's the adjective from "fall"? Like autumnal - I know JD said you don't have autumnal scenes in the US but as I was reading a lovely Emily Dickinson poem describing a typical autumnal scene, I wondered how it could be described in the US? Or at least in Massachusetts, where Dickinson was from.

This is the kind of thing I'm referring to:

Twas just this time last year I died
I know I heard the corn
When I was carried by the farms
It had the tassels on

...

I thought just how red apples wedged
The stubble's joints between
And carts went stooping round the fields
To take the pumpkins in

Is it fallish?

[Jonathan]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
I sent mooter a postcard of The World Trade Center - it was printed in Britain - it was spelt "centre".

It was printed in Canada. And since it was a pic of the Twin Towers in NY, it should have been spelt Center.
I don't think there are many postcards of the Canadian World Trade Centres.

[sun-star]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
I sent mooter a postcard of The World Trade Center - it was printed in Britain - it was spelt "centre".

In the British media it's called by its proper name - BBC and so on.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Jonathan
Funny, the American dictionary that you sent me says that both pronunciations are correct. And no comment as to the rest I said?

Nope - because I think that the American english can be changed more to correspond to the American pronunciation. There isn't anything to say about it.

As you say, the World Trade Center of New York is spelt with -er. However whenever an Englishman is talking about the WTC, he doesn't have to be "talking about things in America" as you said in a previous post. They could very well talk about a WTC in another country (even though discussions about the WTC in NY is a lot more common).

They do when writing about the WTC in New York. However, the WTC in for example London is spelt with -re.

What does the The World Trade Center postcard say that I sent you? Can you please look. I know you made a big deal about it being spelt "centre" because it was printed in Britain.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by sun-star
In the British media it's called by its proper name - BBC and so on.

I found both being used on BBC.com. My argument isn't that they translate American English - my argument is that so many people think that it is ignorant is Americans translate British English into American.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Jonathan
It was printed in Canada. And since it was a pic of the Twin Towers in NY, it should have been spelt Center.
I don't think there are many postcards of the Canadian World Trade Centres.

We must have cross posted. I thought it was printed in Britain - but canada uses British English. And it should have been spelt The World Trade Center.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by sun-star
You seem to know a lot about this, so I'll ask you: what's the adjective from "fall"? Like autumnal - I know JD said you don't have autumnal scenes in the US but as I was reading a lovely Emily Dickinson poem describing a typical autumnal scene, I wondered how it could be described in the US? Or at least in Massachusetts, where Dickinson was from.

This is the kind of thing I'm referring to:

Twas just this time last year I died
I know I heard the corn
When I was carried by the farms
It had the tassels on

...

I thought just how red apples wedged
The stubble's joints between
And carts went stooping round the fields
To take the pumpkins in

Is it fallish?

It's just a fall scene. We don't use a seperate single word adjective to describe fall. Half the US has fall - including New Jersey. We say things like "it's a nice fall day out." We don't use fallish - or autumnal.

Fall
adj.

1. Of, having to do with, occurring in, or appropriate to the season of fall: fall fashion; fall harvests.
2. Grown during the season of fall: fall crops.

As you can see - we use it as an adjective.

[Beruthiel's cat]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
It's just a fall scene. We don't use a seperate single word adjective to describe fall. Half the US has fall - including New Jersey. We say things like "it's a nice fall day out." We don't use fallish - or autumnal.


As you can see - we use it as an adjective.

Hmmm... I've used both fallish and autumnal in general conversation, but I've certainly used fall as an adjective as well. I like both those words, so I use them.

[Grey_Wolf]

Time: C E T (GMT+1)
Actual time: 19:17:35
Actual Date: 2004-03-19

Actual location:

Continent: Europe
Peninsula: Scandinavian
Location in the Peninsula: Middle
Country: Sweden
Part of Country: Scania
Part of County: North-west Scania
Nearest town: Helsingborg
Community: Hittarp
Street: Norra Kustvägen
House: Sjötorp
Location in the house: upstairs on the second floor.
Location on the floor: in a chair in front my computor.

[azalea]

Grey Wolf, your house has a name?

Put me down for GMT -5 (Florida, USA, Eastern Time Zone, currently Standard Time, soon to be DST)

[Grey_Wolf]

Originally posted by azalea
Grey Wolf, your house has a name?

Put me down for GMT -5 (Florida, USA, Eastern Time Zone, currently Standard Time, soon to be DST)

Yes, but it's my parents house. It's called Sjötorp because when it was built the beach was closer than it is today. Now the section closest to the sea is full of houses.

My parents house has been in the family since the early thirties when my great grandfather bought it. It is divided into three definite sections the formost was built in the 17th century, the midpart in the 18th century and innermost section in the 19th century and early 20th century which makes it the oldest house in the community.

[sun-star]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
It's just a fall scene. We don't use a seperate single word adjective to describe fall. Half the US has fall - including New Jersey. We say things like "it's a nice fall day out." We don't use fallish - or autumnal.


As you can see - we use it as an adjective.

That makes sense

Since I'm on a roll: someone asked a question in another thread about whether Americans use the word "roundabout". As in those things in the road, not at a fairground Is there a different word or do you not really have them in the US?

[Last Child of Ungoliant]

My house has a name also,
it is called Woodlands Barton
which is basically old english
for a marsh by a wood
the north end of my house was built in the 14th century
as a barn, with the rest being added in the 17th century
it was converted into a veterinary practice in the early
20th century, and concerted into a house in the mid 20th century

[Rían]

Originally posted by sun-star
That makes sense

Since I'm on a roll: someone asked a question in another thread about whether Americans use the word "roundabout". As in those things in the road, not at a fairground Is there a different word or do you not really have them in the US?

I guess the equivalent would be freeway on-ramps, but they don't go in complete circles, as (I think, IIRC) the British ones do ... you either merge or go off the side of the road Sometimes for big freeway interchanges, you'll have three, and they're called "cloverleafs".