Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic American English versus British (and other) English

I’ve been reading a lot of authors from across the pond lately and I don’t recall ever seeing anyone “named”. Does anyone know why? Does “naming” have a different shade of meaning over there? How would someone indicate an alias versus a legal name?

In American English, “calling” someone something appears to have a slightly different meaning than the other English variants. (Though I think the Canadians may be on my side here.) In American English there is a distinction between the sentences, “A boy called Harry Potter,” and “A boy named Harry Potter.” I always think, “If he’s called Harry Potter then what’s his real name?” when I hear the “called” version of the sentence.

In AE “calling” more indicates a preference of address or a nickname. If someone is introduced as “called” then it can be safely assumed that a nickname is being used, rather than something they would sign on a check.
“Naming” on the other hand usually indicates a legal designation or a less formal variant (i.e. Harry rather than Harold).

Examples in AE might be:
“Call me Daniel”. (OK, Scardino was a wierdo but it still makes my point.)
His name was Clive Staples Lewis but he preferred to be called “Jack”.
He was called David Bowie but his name was David Jones.

Thoughts?

From Alice in Wonderland.

I love questions like this, because everyone's got an opinion (much as everyone's got a navel). Let me mention some differences I've noted.

In the US, no one writes "no-one" with the hyphen. Many, if not most, Brits do.

In the US, no one but recent arrivals say or write "whilst." It's correct in British English, I know, but it always jars me.

In the US, very few use the phrase "round the bend" unless they're talking about a winding road on a hillside.

There's a scene in the TV series Frasier where the character Daphne Moon says, "It doesn't matter how often I hear them called an elevator, a truck, or a crossing guard. To me they'll always be a lift, a lorry, and a lollypop man."

American writers and speakers tend toward overstating the case: "It was the greatest thing I've ever seen!" while many Brits understate the case: "It was mildly interesting." (Not a great comparison, but I think the point is the most valid one ever made.)

In the US, a biscuit is bread served at a meal, often filled by the diner with butter and/or preserves. In Britain it's a cookie, which has always puzzled me when watching BBC. (And that's not the only example.)

As shown in dcarson's Carroll quote, many Brits enclose speech in single quote marks and put embedded quotes in double marks. The US is the reverse.

Confusing, no?

A famous wit whose name escapes me at the moment once described the US and Britain as two nations divided by a common tongue. I think he was right.

dcarson, the Dodgson quote was the funniest thing I've read in days. Thanks!