My mother mentioned Wellingtons today as what she used to call "boots". Was that a brand name of a boot that just caught on? I think I remember English people calling boots "rubbers" also (and erasers).
made of stone - You're probably right - the movie I saw was set in the '20s, I think. "Trunk call" might have meant actually using a phone in a kind of trunk for long distance. You brought back another old memory with "on" versus "at". Yes, in the U.S. we say "call me at ....." I remember my aunt asking one of us if someone was "on" the phone. We thought she meant were they talking on the phone right then, but she meant were they hooked up to the phone line! This was also a long time ago - I'm way in the dark ages!
As for standard English, Goldiegirl is right - the news anchors here are examples of "standard American English". I think they're taught to get rid of any obvious accents (from the north or south). Thank goodness it's not the "President's English", otherwise none of us would understand what anyone else was saying! We'd all have "fuzzy English"!
undrentide - I remember subways in England called "the underground" or "tube". Nowadays in the U.S. "Subway" is also a famous sandwich shop!
Mycernius - I thought the word "fanny" was used only in the American south as a term for "bottom"! That's the only place I've heard it. It's interesting that Canadians use it, too. Though as Grammarsauras said, it's probably becoming an old term. "Cool" is an old term that's still used here today, meaning "swell" or "neat". "Fanny packs" are becoming popular here, a kind of purse you wear around your waist.
Goldiegirl - I haven't heard of a "bubbler" - what is it?
EmporerHirohito - The term "cellar" seems to be used in the U.S. to mean a cellar that's separate from the house (like in old movies when you see someone opening a door to steps going underground, usually with an oil lamp and wind blowing like a tornado is coming). Goldiegirl might know more about this being from the midwest where tornadoes are common (and Wisconsin had a few only a couple of days ago)! We do use "basement" for cellar in the house.
"Letter box" is "mail box" in the U.S. "Coke" is also a slang for cocaine here. I've also heard people use "coke" for any soft drink.
About 1st floor versus ground floor - I got confused in a hospital recently when in the elevator there were buttons for "ground floor" and "basement"! I think the basement was below the ground floor. But then there was 1st floor, etc.
Another difference - Americans say "he's in the hospital", while the British say "he's in hospital."
Obeika - I've heard "galoshes" used here for boots.
EmporerHirotito - "Gum" is also called "chewing gum" or "bubble gum" here in the U.S. But just "gum" is probably used more often.
:bikkuri:
