Finding America

Me and Tarah

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I've talked extensively about the different words Britain and America have for the same meaning, but what about cases where they use the same word with a different meaning. As a second sequel to last month's video, here are eight more such words.

The lead word to this video—"Derby"— was chosen very specifically to coincide with what would have been the upcoming Kentucky Derby, a popular horse racing event here in the United States. While the event has been postponed due to COVID-19, I decided to throw my hat into the ring nonetheless.

If British-American language comparisons were a game of Top Trumps, the word "Derby" would be among the most sought-after of cards. Not only does each country offer a different pronunciation (British English treats the first vowel like that in "sergeant" and American English like that in "Kirby"), but both sometimes use it to mean different things.

This should not overshadow the fact that certain definitions are common to both countries. For instance, both Britain and roughly thirteen U.S. states count "Derby" among their list of place names, while the notion of "derby" as a horse race—or a race in general—is observed on either side of the Pond.

But in Britain, the word denotes local sports encounters between two teams from the same city, such as the Manchester Derby between City and United. In the U.S., a derby hat is more-or-less what the British refer to as a bowler hat—made famous by Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, and internet sensation, Laurence Brown. 

Watch the video below to get a load of the other seven words up for scrutiny, and don't forget to leave a comment.


2 comments:

  1. I hate that angle shot. Consider putting your 2nd camera towards the front but in a tight shot. Also, think about a green screen behind you and use attractive photos or footage behind you. If you have a side camera, you need to look directlyat it. Otherwise you look slightly shady and its uncomfortable for the viewers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! This was not our normal set up - just a failed experiment.

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