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

Description

With a foreword by Lynne Truss. An expat's witty, insightful exploration of British and American cultural differences through the lens of language In this brilliant transatlantic survival guide, Erin Moore examines the key differences between the British and the Americans through their language. You'll discover why Americans give - and take - so many bloody compliments and never, ever say 'shall' (well hardly ever), as well as what the British really mean when they say 'proper', why they believe it is better to be bright than clever and how the word sorry has at least eight different meanings for them.

Erin Moore (Author) Erin Moore grew up in Florida, where the sun shines and the tea is always iced. A former editor at a New York publisher, she now lives in London. Follow her blog- erinmoorebooks.com Lynne Truss (Foreword By) Bestselling author of Eats, Shoots and Leaves and Talk to the Hand, Lynne Truss is a journalist, arts and book reviewer, sports columnist and a regular broadcaster for BBC's Radio 4. She's had two plays performed at the Edinburgh Festival, including 'Hell's Bells' in 2012. Her latest book is Get Her Off The Pitch- How Sports Took Over My Life. Nine Lives is her fourth novel, and the first in over ten years.

Lively, thought-provoking book -- Brian Viner * Daily Mail * As many of us know, straddling the Atlantic can be quite uncomfortable-and it doesn't help that the word 'quite' doesn't always mean what you think it means. This is a brilliant guide to the revealing differences between two branches of English from a writer who is funny, smart, and almost worryingly observant. I was charmed from first to last. As an English person I will say, 'Oh, jolly well done,' but I'd like to add: 'Good job! -- Lynne Truss The ocean that divides England and America is awash with linguistic wreckage and cultural tumult. But Erin Moore's study of these infested waters is serene, assured and hugely entertaining. They should hand her book out at border control * Simon Garfield, author of Just My Type * As an American expatriate and book editor who lives in London, Moore is in an ideal position to see the truth to the longstanding joke that British English and American English are different languages. In this witty book, Moore delves into specific linguistic differences, unpacking what they say about our respective cultures. Moore manages to create a text that is eminently readable, clever (in the sincerely-intended American sense) and thought-provoking, gently breaking down some of the cultural stereotyping that plagues both Americans and British. The end result is something readers can readily share with friends on both sides of the ocean. * Publishers Weekly * clever, witty and thoroughly engaging * Bookseller *