Sometimes the US words Flummox me

@Twostep suggested not to disregard origin of the word. It was old English and pronounced "erb" on the East side of the pond, too, until moden times, and then west side of the pond kept it that way. Hmmm. Why did ya'll change it to Herb??!! Am so confused.
 
"Jersey" is the word that bugs me the most, to me it is like the shirt a basketball player wears.

CooCooforCoCoPuffs said:
The ones that always get me is "AXed" for "asked"
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The original pronunciation of "asked" was "ax":

  • Origins: The pronunciation "ax" comes from the Old English verb "acsian". It was a formal written form in Old English and Germanic over a millennium ago.
  • Prevalence: "Ax" was the typical pronunciation in England's south and Midlands, while "ask" was more prevalent in the north. In North America, "ax" was widely used in New England and the southern and middle states.
  • Standard pronunciation: "Ask" became the standard pronunciation.
 
Bretrick said:
US words on left
Period… Full Stop
Teeter Totter… for See Saw
Bangs…Fringe
Erbs…Herbs
Sneakers…Trainers
Sweater…Jumper
On and On and On…
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Not all regions in America use "Sneakers" some regions only use "Tennis shoes"; I think northern states use tennis shoes, but then again it may be specific to certain states or just east west, north south.

No wonder Americans seem strange to the rest of the world: we are America but we are also Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas...

We had to learn ALL those states, ALL those capitals of states....whew. No wonder half of us never learned there are "states" in the likes of Germany!
 
MaidMarian said:
I’ve heard “th” pronounced as “f” as in : The door was locked, so I went frew the window.
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Cockney sounds are unique. The letters "th" are often pronounced like an "f." In London's East End you might hear: "nuffink." Translate that as: "nothing." It's actually derived from what was once termed, prison slang. Apples & pears for stairs is almost common place, but back in the mid nineteenth century, up the apples, meaning upstairs, would have prison guards totally perplexed.

It speaks volumes for the flexibility of English, as a language, when rhyming slang enters the lexicon of the English speaking world.
When we get down to brass tacks, we’re talking about facts. The “raspberry” as in a rude sound derives from raspberry tart, which of course, rhymes with.

A couple of very common rhyming slang expressions in Brit-speak are: Telling Porkies, porky pies, lies. Scarpered, that's derived from the Scapa Flow, the name of the sea water around Scotland's Orkney Islands. Scapa Flow, meaning go, hence scarpered.
 
horseless carriage said:
Cockney sounds are unique. The letters "th" are often pronounced like an "f." In London's East End you might hear: "nuffink." Translate that as: "nothing." It's actually derived from what was once termed, prison slang. Apples & pears for stairs is almost common place, but back in the mid nineteenth century, up the apples, meaning upstairs, would have prison guards totally perplexed.

It speaks volumes for the flexibility of English, as a language, when rhyming slang enters the lexicon of the English speaking world.
When we get down to brass tacks, we’re talking about facts. The “raspberry” as in a rude sound derives from raspberry tart, which of course, rhymes with.

A couple of very common rhyming slang expressions in Brit-speak are: Telling Porkies, porky pies, lies. Scarpered, that's derived from the Scapa Flow, the name of the sea water around Scotland's Orkney Islands. Scapa Flow, meaning go, hence scarpered.
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Thank you! That was very interesting!
 
Bretrick said:
I don't use erbs - I use Herbs :LOL:
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The French would pronounce "erbs". My French relatives always leave out the letter h in the beginning of a German word, since they do it in French. I'm sure that they'd do it in English too. By the way: The Italians also omit to pronounce the h as the first letter.
:ROFLMAO:
French ancestors? Or you were French in an earlier incarnation? :ROFLMAO:
 
horseless carriage said:
Cockney sounds are unique. The letters "th" are often pronounced like an "f." In London's East End you might hear: "nuffink." Translate that as: "nothing." It's actually derived from what was once termed, prison slang. Apples & pears for stairs is almost common place, but back in the mid nineteenth century, up the apples, meaning upstairs, would have prison guards totally perplexed.
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Foreigners who learn English sometimes can't pronounce the "th" correctly. They often use the 'f" instead for avoiding to spit on all near bystanders :ROFLMAO:

I don't envy people who got dentures and must learn again to pronounce the th.
 
Bretrick said:
I don't use erbs - I use Herbs :LOL:
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If anyone says Herbs without keeping the H silent will anger Miss Grammar. That's what we called my 4th Grade English teacher, Mrs Harrington. It seemed like everything anyone in my class would say to her would result in her saying "Grammar!" and slapping her ever present ruler on her desk. 👩‍🏫

So you're saying it correctly for here and there...

By the way, you should go visit Boston. Or Bahtstun as they say in their Bostonian accent. Using the famous example, when they say "Park your car in Harvard Yard" what you hear sounds like "Pahk yah cah in Hahvud Yahd."

Maybe they just don't like the letter R? :)
 

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