Friday, August 01, 2008

How different is our English?

A person who travels to US first time, that too people like me after learning English(like what i thought it was) for 23 yrs, is bound to bump into some of these clashes. This may not be a comprehensive list, but indeed some of those I came across in these 7 months. You don't really speak English here, you speak American...

In US,

a) you don't take a bath, you take a shower
b) you don't fill a bucket of water, you fill a pail of water
c) you don't buy ladies finger, you buy Okra
d) you don't wash your clothes, you laundry them (quite acceptable)
e) you don't call it curds, you call it Yogurt
f) you don't call it capsicum, you call it peppers
g) you don't ask for a parcel, you ask for a to-go
h) you don't buy a Pepsi/coke, you buy a Soda
i) you don't reverse your car, you backup
j) you don't "wear" seat belts, you buckle-up

Are we so different?

Just trying to provide an example of how it would sound in both the versions. Excuse me for the grammatical mistakes. I am bad @ both the Indian and American versions :)

American:
I woke up in the morning and took a shower and cleaned my car with a pail of water. Stopped by at the grocery store to pick up Okra, peppers and Yogurt. Also picked up a soda. As i was backing up from the parking lot, someone bumped into my car and i banged onto the wheel cos I had forgot to buckle up. Stopped by taco bell for a Burrito. As i was running out of time, I ordered for a to-go and came home to laundry my clothes.

Indian:
I got up in the morning and took bath. Then washed my car with a bucket of water. Went to the shop to buy ladies finger, capsicum and curds. Then i also bought a Pepsi. I was taking reverse from the parking lot and someone dashed my car from behind and I hit my head on the steering because I had forgotten to wear seat-belt. Then I Stopped at taco bell for a Burrito. As I was getting late, I took a parcel and came home to wash my clothes.

Is there anything wrong in any of these versions?

PS: Comments welcome to suggest more, if you have come across something similar!!!

2 comments:

shweths said...

u don have an ofc num, u have a work num

u don have a "zero"..all u have is an "o"

Sneha said...

This is English (US). The one in England is English (UK).The one in India is slowly becoming Ameringland English (UKS) :-)