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    That's Not English: Britishisms, Americanisms, and What Our English Says About Us
    That's Not English: Britishisms, Americanisms, and What Our English Says About Us
    That's Not English: Britishisms, Americanisms, and What Our English Says About Us
    Audiobook5 hours

    That's Not English: Britishisms, Americanisms, and What Our English Says About Us

    Written by Erin Moore

    Narrated by Shannon Parks

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    An expat's witty and insightful exploration of English and American cultural differences through the lens of language that will leave readers gobsmacked
    In That's Not English, the seemingly superficial differences between British and American English open the door to a deeper exploration of a historic and fascinating cultural divide. In each of the thirty chapters, Erin Moore explains a different word we use that says more about us than we think. For example, "Quite" exposes the tension between English reserve and American enthusiasm; in "Moreish," she addresses our snacking habits. In "Partner," she examines marriage equality; in "Pull," the theme is dating and sex; "Cheers" is about drinking; and "Knackered" covers how we raise our kids. The result is a cultural history in miniature and an expatriate's survival guide.

    American by birth, Moore is a former book editor who specialized in spotting British books-including Eats, Shoots Leaves-for the US market. She's spent the last seven years living in England with her Anglo American husband and a small daughter with an English accent. That's Not English is the perfect companion for modern Anglophiles and the ten million British and American travelers who visit one another's countries each year.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAscent Audio
    Release dateJul 1, 2015
    ISBN9781469031590
    That's Not English: Britishisms, Americanisms, and What Our English Says About Us

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    Reviews for That's Not English

    3.5/5

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    • 4/5
      Like the Weather Channel, (which Moore claims is watched obsessively by Americans,) this book might lead one to believe that America consists solely of the thirteen original colonies. However, because of the massive generalizations needed in order to compare the English and American cultures, especially in a small, lighthearted book, I tried my best to forgive those oversights and enjoy what I could about her experiences with the culture clash.Indeed, much of the book was quite enjoyable (in the American sense of "quite") as a person who loves the language, the cultures, and the history of both. Like most books that compare English usage, all the other English-speaking countries in the world are wholly ignored, though that was not unexpected due to an aptly written subtitle. The strongest and most enjoyable parts of this book were, for me, those that lent towards personal experience rather than history. I don't typically like memoirs, but her tone was enjoyable - until she went into instruction mode where she seemed to be grasping at straws somewhat, referencing blogs and newspapers more than anything else. Enjoyable, entertaining, informative, but also somewhat disorganized and frustrating.
    • 4/5
      Given the number of times I read parts of this book out loud to MT, and the fact that it didn't drive him nearly as crazy as it usually does when I did so, I should rate this book higher than I did. It's good: interesting, funny and informative. The title is 80% accurate but I'd argue that it's aimed far more pointedly at Americans than it is at the British (and why is it 'the British'? Why can't I just write 'British'... odd). Most of the terms included are Britishisms and that makes sense; the British get far more American-culture exposure than Americans get of the British, so probably need less help. Erin Moore is also an American expat living in London, so her view is naturally inclined towards her experiences and viewpoint. Moore uses each of the terms as a springboard to discuss related cultural disparities between the UK and the US and I found a lot of these fascinating and sometimes hilarious. I had no idea, for example, what sod was short for, or that stiff upper lip actually started out as an Americanism. And she has made me hopelessly self-conscious, probably forever, of my use of the word quite. Americans use the word quite in the sense of "totally" or "completely". As Moore uses for an example: to say 'he's quite naked' means, of course, that he's totally without clothing - he can't be partially naked. That's pretty much the only way we use quite. The British though, they use it to also denote a degree of negativity. Moore's explanation puzzled me - I wasn't able to grasp the idea. But luckily, I had a hair appointment yesterday, and my hairdresser is English! I immediately quizzed him, asking for clarification (upon reading further in the book, I've also discovered I probably offend him regularly with all my direct questions...oops). It seems (and may the Brits I know here correct me if I'm wrong) that they use quite the same way we Americans might say "meh" or "it was ok" (say if we were talking about a restaurant). In other words it was quite good means, actually, no, it wasn't. Aren't you quite clever? actually means You're a dumb-ass.* Well, hell. Since reading this I have stumbled over every instance of quite in my speech and writing; if nothing else it has made clear to me how often I use the damn word. The rest of the book was great and didn't cause me any more crises of confidence, thank goodness. At the end, I can't say why I'm not giving this 4.5 or 5 stars except to say that when I finished it, I could say I enjoyed it thoroughly (notice the absence of the q word) but I didn't love it. But I still highly recommend it. *Aussies do this too, but they use average, as in The movie was average meaning that movie sucked which took me ages to figure out and caused me no end of confusion.
    • 1/5
      I'm sure it's not easy to tackle such a trivial topic but the book is simply boring. Extremely scatter-shot and interspersed with author's childhood memories, stories about her family and friends or whatever was on her mind at the moment she was writing this. It doesn't go any deeper than just noting that what we call bum-bags (or would if we ever used them) the Americans call fanny-packs. Isn't that hilarious? Unless you're rocking with laughter right now then maybe give this book a miss.
    • 3/5
      One of my dearest friends (born and raised in the USA) married a man from England and moved with him to London, where they’ve been for eight years now. Her husband is a dear man who can embarrass very easily. One of my favorite ways to tease him is to ask him to look at my new pants. You’ve never seen a person turn red so quickly. Because, as you may or may not know, while in the U.S. we call those long bits of cloth we put on our legs pants, the English reserve that term for their underwear.

      “That’s Not English” is all about the differences between those who speak English English and American English, using language as a jumping off point. Ms. Moore’s book appealed to me because I spent a year living and attending school in London about five years ago, and I was feeling a bit nostalgic. I recalled that even though we allegedly spoke the same language, there were definitely times where Londoners didn’t get me and I did not get them.

      Each chapter focuses on one concept, highlighted by a word (more often the English English term it seems). So it isn’t simply a language book or translation guide; the word is the catalyst for a broader discussion on the concept. For example, the chapter on tipping isn’t so much about other ways the English might refer to the concept, but instead about how the English and people from the US think of the service industry. The section on “middle-class” doesn’t just discuss how that term might have a different connotation in the two countries, but takes a more detailed look at the broader issues of class and how they are demonstrated differently.

      The book feels a bit more sociological than I expected, but I think that’s a good thing. If you’ve ever traveled to the U.K. (or if you’re from there and have spent time in the U.S.), I think you’ll find this book charming. It’s a quick, entertaining read.
    • 4/5
      I received an ARC of this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program. Thank you to LT and to the publisher, Gotham Books (Penguin), for the opportunity to read and review it.It took me far too long to get around to reading That's Not English, and during the weeks I was reading it, I mainly picked it up to read in between novels. This is all completely my fault, and reflects the way my reading habits have changed since I initially requested the book. When I finally started reading it, I enjoyed it very much.Because the essays are very short -- the longest ones are seven or eight pages -- it really is ideal for picking up and reading a handful of essays in between reading longer books, or reading for a short while before bedtime. I hesitate to say that the tone is conversational, because of course it would be, it's about the ways people speak. Truly, the first word that comes to mind is "charming." It's full of good nuggets of information about specific word usage on both sides of the Atlantic, but also includes personal anecdotes from the author's life as an American-born woman living and raising a family in England.One side effect of my delayed reading of the book, which was published in April 2015, is that the world in which Erin Moore wrote it, and the world into which it was published, has already changed in a couple of noticeable ways. The main difference is the Brexit vote; Moore mentions the European Union a few times, and had no way of knowing that the UK would vote to leave the EU in the year following her book's appearance. The other thing is that she mentions Donald Trump a couple of times, in relation to the Miss USA Pageant and The Apprentice. Reading it within the last several weeks, I had a much more vivid picture when I encountered his name than if I'd read the book in early 2015. Instead of just "super-rich celebrity big mouth," which was my passing view of him, I've seen and heard enough of him in the last year and change, to have a more informed opinion.Any reader with an interest in dialects or slang, as well as true Anglophiles, will find something to enjoy in That's Not English. It's both informative and entertaining, and includes a solid bibliography for those who want to explore the topic further. Cheers, Ms. Moore.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed reading this book, one of the better non-fiction collection of essays I read in 2015. The author, Erin Moore, is American by birth growing up in Key West, Florida. She has always been a self-professed Anglophile so moving to London must have been a fulfillment of a childhood dream. Moore married into a British family and eventually relocated to London.In the introduction the author corrects some popular misconceptions about what it means to say England versus Britain or The United Kingdom.Evidently Great Britain includes the countries of England, Scotland and Wales. The United Kingdom includes not just Great Britain, but also Northern Ireland.There are 31 terms explained and compared in separate chapters. Some words have the same meaning on both sides of the Atlantic while others are way off. The chapter titled Tip means to leave a gratuity but in England it could also mean garbage dump. I suppose one would know which meaning was inferred by how it was used in conversation. As the author explains, tipping isn’t the norm in England while Americans find it compulsory.Other words that are different from our cultures are:Elastoplasts = Band-Aids“to go potty” is obviously a trip to the bathroom here while in England it means “to go a bit crazy.”A child goes off to nursery in England and goes to preschool is the U.S.Getting used to your child calling the letter Z zed and not zeeDiaper vs nappySneaker in the U.S. is a trainer in EnglandThe selected bibliography is excellent providing the reader with a lengthy list of book titles, blog addresses, periodicals and websites. This is handy as she mentions a few of the books in the various chapters. Also a good reference for the Anglophile seeking more reading material.
    • 4/5
      Two peoples, separated by a common language. Never has this been more clear than in this delightful little book. Thirty odd chapters begin with a word usage comparison and then wander off far afield. it is in these sections where the book shines with good cultural comparisons of British culture vs. American culture. Recommended for all who have spent time on both sides of the pond.
    • 4/5
      Funny and entertaining! For such an informative book, it was a surprisingly light read with a very anecdotal flair. The chapters are short and self-contained, making it easy to pick up and put down at leisure.
    • 4/5
      A diverting collection of essays on terms in English that mean different things to British folks and Americans, It was interspersed with anecdotes from the author, who is an American married to an Englishman and bringing up a girl in England. This book was quite good.
    • 4/5
      A bit scattershot and prone to overgeneralizing, but good if you just want a fun light read. I would've preferred more in-depth discussion of the cultural differences behind each term (and more in-text citing of sources to back up her claims). Either that, or Moore could've gone more of the memoir route and included more funny stories from her experience and that of other Americans in England. From the anecdotes included here, there's certainly the potential for a humorous fish-out-of-water work.
    • 4/5
      That's Not English is a collection of anecdotal stories on various words that occur in American and/or British English but with slightly different meanings. The stories come from the author's life -- an American who has moved to Britain.The writing is fine and many of the stories are humorous. The chapters are brief and make for light reading. Sadly, after about the 6th chapter, I got bored. While the stories are entertaining, I wanted more information on why the meanings and usage diverged. If a person has either lived in the UK or has studied the history of the English language, that person may be disappointed by this book.Overall, good, but not very satisfying to me.
    • 4/5
      As a Brit who has lived in America for over 20 years, I found a lot to not only agree with but chuckle at. It was a very quick and enjoyable read that touched on many of the linguistic quirks that have shaped the English language on both sides of the Atlantic.
    • 5/5
      Reading about words is always an irresistible meta-pleasure for me, but Erin Moore’s book about the differences between British and American English adds another layer of fascination by exploring the cultural reasons behind the word use variations--why it is that two nations who share so much, including a common language, still can’t completely understand each other. I considered myself fairly fluent in “British”, I read lots of British novels and love to watch BBC shows, but almost every chapter taught me something I didn’t realize about the variations between the way everyday words are used on either side of the pond, and what the cultural implications of those differences are. For me the word “quite” has always made whatever word it modifiers stronger--”quite pretty” means “very pretty” in my lexicon--but according to Moore adding “quite” to “pretty” in England qualifies “pretty” instead, so saying someone is “quite pretty” would be translated to something like “fairly pretty” in Ameri-speak. Moore uses “quite” to go into amusing and enlightening detail about the well-noted difference between the way Americans tend to express themselves with a lot of enthusiasm, whereas the British are more inclined to understatement.Moore is an American who married into a British family, so she’s learned the differences between the two versions of English firsthand. That’s Not English has thirty-some short, entertaining, and informative chapters, each focused on the varied uses or non-uses of one word (including some words I’d never heard of--mufti?), and what those differences of language indicate about the culture and mindset of the two nations. I read a free advanced review copy of this book supplied to me by the publisher through the website LibaryThing. Review opinions are mine.
    • 4/5
      "That's Not English: Britishisms, Americanisms, and What Our English Says About Us" by Erin Moore is, of course, about the English language and how two nations have such different meanings for so many different words. As Bertrand Russell stated, "It is a misfortune for Anglo-American friendship that the two countries are supposed to have a common language". A sentiment shared by many others, to be sure. As the author delves into the many differences, it becomes clear that this isn't simply a matter of semantics, but has sociological implications as well. Each chapter in the book deals with contrasting usage and how the language changed once it crossed the ocean.Take, for instance, the word "quite" - to Americans it means 'very', yet to the British it has a more inferred meaning of 'rather', a distinction the author notes as a "subtle way of damning with faint praise". You might be interested to learn that the American meaning predates the British by more than one hundred years. In another chapter she explains why the English seem to be very, very sorry all the time. Apparently it has something to do with their "short tempers" so an apology will be needed at some point, so why not just get it over with right at the start? How would you answer the question, "Did you pull?". If you gave a 'nudge, nudge, wink, wink' answer, you understand it means you got lucky last night. An entire chapter on complex and diverse lexicon of the mating habits and vernacular of meeting, dating, and shagging - who knew?At just 215 pages, this is a quick and easy read. The explanations and descriptions of the many more examples are entertaining, eye-opening, intriguing, and somewhat familiar (to Anglophiles, at least) and will leave you with a deeper understanding of the US vs UK vocabulary and just how much we have changed our common language.Highly recommended for logophiles, Anglophiles, lexicographers, and everyone else that wants to learn what exactly a brolly, pram, and trainers mean in American.
    • 4/5
      This is a very fun book about the linguistic differences that divide the British English-speaker from the American English-speaker, and how this phenomenon reflects the cultural divergence between the two societies. The author grew up in the U.S. but now lives in Britain, and so she considers herself “bilingual.” This collection of short witty chapters (which can be read in any order, and savored in pieces), explains why.In many instances, words sound the same but mean something different in America than in Britain. And of course there are many words that are unique to each culture: When it rains in Britain, you look for a brolly, versus an umbrella in the States, and when your baby needs changing, you reach for nappies in Britain instead of diapers as in the U.S. In America, if you want a saloon, you are probably looking for a drink, whereas in Britain, you are undoubtedly car shopping. We may talk about something addictive as being like “eating M&M’s” but the English say it is “moreish.” We scarf our snacks, but they snaffle them. What they snaffle could be biscuits, which would be cookies to Americans, or it could be Cadbury’s chocolate, which the British much prefer to Hershey’s. Some of the word differences are slight: whinging versus whining, takeout versus takeaway, jam versus preserves.Then there is a whole category of words that mean the same thing, but connote something different. For example, “quite.” The British use it to qualify, or more precisely, to “damn with faint praise” while the Americans use it to emphasize. The British are apt to refer to their heterosexual spouses as their “partners” whereas Americans like to reserve that term for gay couples. The cultural differences also reveal many laugh-out-loud differences. The Puritanical Americans can’t bear to say the word “toilet” - they much prefer euphemisms like “powder room.” Americans may swear a lot, but they use the same old swear words all the time. The British, on the other hand, are apparently much more creative in that regard, even making up their own to get around censorship restrictions. They also make up and use lots of nicknames. Prince Charles is “Chazza,” Paul McCartney is “Macca,” and Christmas is “Crimbo.”Some of the cultural differences are bizarre at first glance, but understandable once you see the reasoning behind it. It turns out that in England, redheads are referred to as “Gingers” and taunted and ridiculed, even bullied and targeted for violence. If you recall your history however, you will remember the intense animosity between England and Ireland, the results of which are still clearly visible in Ireland in the many ruins of so-called “Cromwell’s Towers” that even now dot the Irish countryside. [The Cromwell in question would be Oliver Cromwell, the sadist who oversaw massacres of Catholics in Ireland in the 17th Century. Over a third of the Irish population died, either killed by soldiers or dead of starvation. Others had their land appropriated, and new anti-Catholic laws imposed barbarous restrictions on the rest. When Cromwell’s forces destroyed a castle, they left one tower behind, lest anyone forget the crime of being Catholic. You can read more about Cromwell’s conquest of Ireland here.] Then there are more benign cultural differences, like a preference for hot tea in Britain versus iced tea in America (85 percent of the tea Americans drink is iced), or drinking tea generally in Britain (residents of the U.K. each consume around 5 pounds of tea per year, versus less than one half pound in America), versus coffee in America.Evaluation: The author peppers her explanations of the differences between American and British English with many humorous anecdotes. You won’t be able to resist sharing many of the little stories she includes. I laughed a lot and learn a lot reading the many fun and interesting facts in this book.
    • 4/5
      Light reading, and entertaining from start to finish, Erin Moore's "That's Not English" manages to educate the reader on differences in vocabulary between America and Great Britain, while at the same time commenting upon the respective cultures.Any one of the short essays in this book could have easily been expanded into a much longer piece; indeed, my one greatest complaint is how lightly the book touches each topic. Moreover, the author's assertions are quite wide-reaching in places, while her evidence is very much anecdotal.Although not a work of scholarship, "That's Not English" achieves the purpose of popular armchair linguistics, which is to entertain and inform at a level accessible by anyone.
    • 4/5
      As an American married to an Englishman and living in England, Erin Moore is in a good place to contrast some divergent uses of our common language and to speculate on the reasons for the diversity. That's Not English is an amusing series of short essays that begin with a linguistic focus and then wander off wherever her heart desires. For example, in her chapter on "Trainers" (British English for American "sneakers" or "running shoes"), she begins with the shoes, goes on to discuss why Americans use gyms more than the English, and ends up contrasting the two styles of recruiting for their armed forces. It's fun and informative and very current. That topicality may strongly appeal to readers this year but may also date the book so that readers in five years won't touch it. On the other hand in thirty or so years, our grandchildren may love it as a source for what it was like in the olden days - assuming that any of them are still reading.Thank you for several hours of fun, Early Reviewers!
    • 4/5
      This book was a very easy, fun read. It was really interesting how much background and research the author put into the book. I really enjoyed the chapters on Scrappy, Partner, OK and Tea.
    • 5/5
      This book surpassed all my expectations, for it was not just a linguistic comparison of British versus American English, as the title might lead you to believe - it was much more: the author, having lived in both countries and having experienced both cultures, plus having done a lot of research, delved into history, customs, traditions, human characteristics, ethics, politics - you name it. And she did it expertly, with charming wit and without bias. I found myself smiling a lot, frowning a lot, having "you don't say!" expression on my face a lot, and nodding a lot in recognition of my own observations on the subject. (My favorite linguistic difference that made me smile was the "EXIT" sign - which in British English is "WAY OUT". Now, imagine seeing THAT everywhere you go!...). A great read.
    • 4/5
      Erin Moore's "That's Not English: Britishisms, Americanisms, and What Our English Says About Us" was a nice read for any basic to middling anglophile such as myself. Many of the language differences discussed were fairly common knowledge, but the explanation of the cultural mindsets helped to explain why such differences occur. I did learn a few new words to add to my vocabulary and some of my assumptions were corrected about words I already knew.My main arguments with the book occurred when regional eccentricities were not taken into account in an effort to paint a broad picture of either American or British culture. However, that would have required a much more in-depth study than this book was meant for so it can be overlooked for the most part. Moore's book gives the reader a quick, witty overview of American and British language and culture that I would have no problem recommending to my friends.
    • 4/5
      The people who supply books for Early Review on LibraryThing must hate me. I always start my reviews when I find something that drives me nuts. But who can sit still upon coming across a statement such as "Yet it's fair to say that the rhythm and tone of all English accents (maybe even all British accents) sound more like each other, to the American ear, than they sound like his own -- which is why he lumps them all together" (Page 110 in my pre-release copy). Um -- Cockney, Yorkshire dialect, West Midlands speech, and Received Pronunciation sound alike?" Guid 'eavans! I ken nae aboot yeu, fella, but I can tell them apart!Bottom line: Maybe you shouldn't be taking this as a last word on either British or American English. But then, it isn't really a book about British or American English. It's about British and American cultures, as revealed by our English. It's organized about particular words, often words used somewhat differently on the two sides of the water. And often the results are intriguing, informative, occasionally even funny. If you've never been to the other nation, it can be an easy way to learn something about the other nation.Of course, there are many things this book is not. It is not a guide to all types of English (Australians, Irish, New Zealanders, even Canadians need not apply, and as for Scots, it appears that the universe ends at Hadrian's Wall). It is not in any way a book about linguistics or accents -- sad for me, since I enjoy studies of dialects, but your kilometreage may vary. It isn't even a complete study of linguistic or cultural differences. If you want to prepare for a trip overseas, this won't help you much. But if you want to have your mind travel to England without your posterior leaving the couch (or the loo, as may be), this book may be for you.
    • 4/5
      Interest in language differences between British and American English, and the cultural differences they signify, seems to be unending at least on one side of the Atlantic. The U.S. has plenty of Anglophiles who consume imported British television on public broadcasting stations, read British authors, and keep up with Royal Family news.Erin Moore's That's Not English joins a long line of books on British vs. American English. Moore is an American whose family has made their home in London. Moore has selected 31 seemingly simple words or phrases that are used differently on either side of the Atlantic. However, language isn't really the main focus of the short essays. Culture is her primary theme. Moore incorporates stories from her own experiences into each essay. In four years of living in England, I didn't pick up on some of the nuances of language and culture that Moore discusses. In my early twenties and living away from home for the first time, I was probably oblivious to some of the differences. Others may have a more recent origin. For instance, I never once heard Christmas referred to as Crimbo in the 1980s.The first essay discusses differences in the British and American usage of the word “quite”. I certainly hadn't picked up on all of the the shades of meaning Moore highlights in this chapter, and this is the chapter I found most useful. I was both amused and slightly puzzled when Moore proceeded to use “quite” in subsequent chapters. I was never completely sure how I was supposed to interpret those passages. Was I to assume that she is American and writing for an American audience, or that she has lived in England long enough to adopt the English usage of the word?This book won't be the best or last word on this subject, but nevertheless it's a good book that should be popular among Anglophiles for a time. It would make a great birthday or holiday gift for Anglophiles, English majors, or family or friends planning a trip to London or other parts of southern England.This review is based on an advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.