A break down in the language barriers?

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I don't believe that many of you ppl could understand me. Maybe Ducktapehero or ppl like that.  I am from Southern U.S.
Tennessee to be exact (the Hills) My typing is a lot better sounding than my southern draw.  Ppl from an hour or so away can't understand me sometimes, thanks goodness my typing is better.  And I have had the urge to type "mate" a time or two myself in the short time I have been here  My linguistics are still terrible I just know how to spell big words 

Just as well your typing's ok then mate
We have the same problem here, we have so many dialects, and accent and in some places you may as well be speaking martian

[Poncho65]

Thing is I can speak very clearly in my head but when it comes out I sound like a redneck hick  just as long as I don't start answering myself in my head  I guess I'll be alright 

[MultiMat]

Because he's a comedy god, and we're not

Very kind of you Mike saying "we're not" and not "you are not"

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Because he's a comedy god, and we're not

Very kind of you Mike saying "we're not" and not "you are not"

I KNOW where my gift's lie

[Dunc]

Cor blimey govner , up the apples and pears  I try to come across correctly but dont go out of my way to . What you see is what you get . Flashlight is a big no for me . Its a torch . Isnt a flash light something that costs over a $100  . I think I must of caught a few bad habits of the forums and my grammar is nothing to write home about .


Great thread . You blokes over the pond must think us Brits a funny lot 

Dunc

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I'm not across the pond, and I think we're strange

[Roadie]

I'm not across the pond, and I think we're strange

No no we're normal, everyone else is strange

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I'm not across the pond, and I think we're strange

No no we're normal, everyone else is strange

Well your a lot smarter than me, so I guess your right

[Roadie]

Well America was a colony of us Brits so therefore we are the originals and they are the "new" versions. Ergo we are normal they are "different" (i.e. strange ) All simple logical steps!!

[Benner]

Absolutely nothing to do with this thread.  I just liked this picture. 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Well America was a colony of us Brits so therefore we are the originals and they are the "new" versions. Ergo we are normal they are "different" (i.e. strange ) All simple logical steps!!

Your logic is as ever impecable mate

[Roadie]

Poor pooch!! How could they do that to it!

[Roadie]

Your logic is as ever impecable mate

And i got to use the word "ergo"

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Double word score for Ryan

Btw my boy thinks the dog is dead funny

[Benner]

Double word score for Ryan

Btw my boy thinks the dog is dead funny

And how old is Jack?

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Double word score for Ryan

Btw my boy thinks the dog is dead funny

And how old is Jack?

5 years 5 months

[Benner]

Double word score for Ryan

Btw my boy thinks the dog is dead funny

And how old is Jack?

5 years 5 months

So my sense of humour is that of a 5 year olds then.    I'd prefer to think that he is ahead of his time and has the sense of humour of a 23 year olds I think. 

[Roadie]

Double word score for Ryan

And what do points make.....prizes!! Where's my prize

Btw my boy thinks the dog is dead funny

Childish sense of humour that kid

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Double word score for Ryan

Btw my boy thinks the dog is dead funny

And how old is Jack?

5 years 5 months

So my sense of humour is that of a 5 year olds then.    I'd prefer to think that he is ahead of his time and has the sense of humour of a 23 year olds I think. 

Were blokes, we don't have to grow up

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Double word score for Ryan

And what do points make.....prizes!! Where's my prize

Btw my boy thinks the dog is dead funny

Childish sense of humour that kid

Don't make me send him round to have a word with you

[Benner]

Double word score for Ryan

Btw my boy thinks the dog is dead funny

And how old is Jack?

5 years 5 months

So my sense of humour is that of a 5 year olds then.    I'd prefer to think that he is ahead of his time and has the sense of humour of a 23 year olds I think. 

Were blokes, we don't have to grow up

Phew! 

[Roadie]

Don't make me send him round to have a word with you

"Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the kids of war"

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Don't make me send him round to have a word with you

"Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the kids of war"

Put it this way, we were having a bit of a play fight on saturday, and he got a tad carried away and punched me in the throat , and it still hurts to swallow now (proud, if battered daddy moment )

[NutSAK]

Flashlight is a big no for me . Its a torch . Isnt a flash light something that costs over a $100  .

BTW, "Torch" doesn't make sense to Americans because, to us, that word describes only something that emits flame.

[DaveK]

Flashlight is a big no for me . Its a torch . Isnt a flash light something that costs over a $100  .

BTW, "Torch" doesn't make sense to Americans because, to us, that word describes only something that emits flame.

Neither does:

Chips
Crisps
Nappies
Fanny
Holiday

or

Whiskey 

I bet you pronounce Multitool different to us too.........

[Dunc]

Flashlight is a big no for me . Its a torch . Isnt a flash light something that costs over a $100  .

BTW, "Torch" doesn't make sense to Americans because, to us, that word describes only something that emits flame.

Neither does:

Chips
Crisps
Nappies
Fanny
Holiday

or

Whiskey 

I bet you pronounce Multitool different to us too.........

What like

Aluminium
Data
laboratory
 

If you want to see something really funny whatch an American say ALOX 

Bottom Video and watch the whole thing

http://www.guntalk.tv/gtv/library.php?category=47

Also at 4mins 27secs he mentions the Secret society 

[Roadie]

If you want to see something really funny whatch an American say ALOX 

Wow, never even thought to say it that way

[jock1]

Don't make me send him round to have a word with you

"Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the kids of war"

Put it this way, we were having a bit of a play fight on saturday, and he got a tad carried away and punched me in the throat , and it still hurts to swallow now (proud, if battered daddy moment )

I share your pain I was the victim of a big runny up one in the family allowance (god take the pain but leave the swelling please)

[NutSAK]

Flashlight is a big no for me . Its a torch . Isnt a flash light something that costs over a $100  .

BTW, "Torch" doesn't make sense to Americans because, to us, that word describes only something that emits flame.

Neither does:

Chips
Crisps
Nappies
Fanny
Holiday

or

Whiskey 

I bet you pronounce Multitool different to us too.........

I was only explaining why we don't use the word in the same context.  Most of those words make sense to me, but they may have different meanings--chips is a good example.  I was not commenting on different pronunciations.

Pronunciations are another topic.  Let's take ALOX for instance, since you mention it.  ALOX is an abbreviation for "aluminum (or aluminium) oxide".  So, the pronunciation should be AL from aluminium + OX from oxide.  Or, in other words, AL as in Alfred, + Ox as in oxen.  I can't view videos at work, so I'm not sure what Dunc is referring to above, or how that particular American pronounced it.

Pronunciations cannot be generalized, as meanings usually can.  For instance, you mentioned the word "data" and "multitool" above.  Some Americans, such as myself, pronounce it as "dayta" (with "long a" sound), some don't.  Some Americans, such as myself, also pronounce "multi" as multee, some don't.  There are separate dialects here too, but they aren't as numerous as they are in the UK.  Who is to say which pronunciation is right or wrong?

On the subject of torches--the "flashlight" was invented in the US in the 1890's (patented in 1903).  The term "flashlight" was used because the batteries available in 1903 were not powerful enough to give a long, steady stream of light.  They were only powerful enough to light their energy-inefficient carbon filaments for brief "flashes".

[NutSAK]

I find it interesting that Brit Sir Humphrey Davy discovered aluminum and named originally named it thus, a name which matches its Latin root.  It wasn't until an anonymous contributor to the Quarterly Review read about the discovery and suggested the name aluminium be used instead, because it had a more "classical" sound. 

At the time, the precedent naming convention of metals in the periodic chart ended in -ium.  However, there have been numerous other metals since added to the chart ending in -um, such as platinum and molybdenum.