American vs British English - do we understand each other?

[JAS_OH1]

( Mod edit: new thread on language differences. KKA)

Need to have a popup kitchen somewhere where we all turn up and cook different things for everyone to taste!

That would be funny with a bunch of kitchen chiefs (not chefs, but rather bossy cooks who might or might not be control freaks, LOL) trying to cook together in the same kitchen. Also would be funny to hear the difference between the US cooks and the European and UK cooks trying to communicate.

UK cook: "Hey, hand me that aubergine." US cook: "The what? Oh yeah, right. Eggplant."
US cook: "I need a zucchini over here." UK cook: "You mean courgette."
And cornflour and cornstarch are not the same thing in different countries, we have baking powder and baking soda, jello, jelly, gelatine, jam...and more.

 

[Morning Glory]

UK cook: "Hey, hand me that aubergine." US cook: "The what? Oh yeah, right. Eggplant."
US cook: "I need a zucchini over here." UK cook: "You mean courgette."
And so forth.

Oh, I think we would all understand those terms but there could be other differences...

 

[JAS_OH1]

Oh, I think we would all understand those terms but there could be other differences...

I would know now after being part of this forum for awhile, but 3 years ago I wouldn't have had a clue, nor would most American cooks who haven't been around the forum much or exposed to UK and European cooking.

 

[Morning Glory]

I would know now after being part of this forum for awhile, but 3 years ago I wouldn't have had a clue, nor would most American cooks who haven't been around the forum much or exposed to UK and European cooking.

Well perhaps just me and other UK cooks. I think we see and hear a lot of Amerucan lingo here.

Off topic...

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

True true.
Since google removed the UK version of google and then removed the UK filter option too we see mostly the same content as you but plus uk results.
However because the US sites get so many more hits due to the much larger population US results are usually at or near the top.

It can sometimes be hard now to find the UK version of a recipe which is sad.
The rest of Europe is fairly safe as google has to stick with that countries language, not so in English speaking countries.
My sons know what American ingredients are called to the extent I find myself correcting them and say things like it’s no that’s American, it’s coriander in English

 

[TheSoloChef]

I assume the Americans call a Prawn Cocktail a Shrimp Cocktail?

 

[Morning Glory]

I assume the Americans call a Prawn Cocktail a Shrimp Cocktail?

I've seen it called either on American websites.

 

[TastyReuben]

I assume the Americans call a Prawn Cocktail a Shrimp Cocktail?

Generally, yes.

I've seen it called either on American websites.

Not making a joke at all, but usually, when you see dishes that have an established American variant of a name suddenly shift to the UK (or European) version, it’s a signal that your host here is putting on airs, or in the case of a restaurant, adding another 25% to the price.

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

Generally, yes.



Not making a joke at all, but usually, when you see dishes that have an established American variant of a name suddenly shift to the UK (or European) version, it’s a signal that your host here is putting on airs, or in the case of a restaurant, adding another 25% to the price.

That’s hilarious. They think they’ve gone la-di-da?

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

Mind you that happens here too except in French

 

[JAS_OH1]

True true.
Since google removed the UK version of google and then removed the UK filter option too we see mostly the same content as you but plus uk results.
However because the US sites get so many more hits due to the much larger population US results are usually at or near the top.

It can sometimes be hard now to find the UK version of a recipe which is sad.
The rest of Europe is fairly safe as google has to stick with that countries language, not so in English speaking countries.
My sons know what American ingredients are called to the extent I find myself correcting them and say things like it’s no that’s American, it’s coriander in English

I like how you assume that Americans don't speak English, LOL. Okay we gotta stop or we are going to get in trouble for continuing to go off topic.

I assume the Americans call a Prawn Cocktail a Shrimp Cocktail?

Mostly a shrimp cocktail. Some American's might think it involved a game of chess (get it? Prawn/pawn LOL). Well traveled Americans or foodies would understand though.

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

I like how you assume that Americans don't speak English, LOL. Okay we gotta stop or we are going to get in trouble for continuing to go off topic.



Mostly a shrimp cocktail. Some American's might think it involved a game of chess (get it? Prawn/pawn LOL). Well traveled Americans or foodies would understand though.

Americans assume they don’t speak English too. A lot of the drop down menus to select your language on a websites in Spain will give you the option of Spanish or American!

Chess? I’ll have the King Prawn cocktail then please

 

[JAS_OH1]

Americans assume they don’t speak English too. A lot of the drop down menus to select your language on a websites in Spain will give you the option of Spanish or American!

Chess? I’ll have the King Prawn cocktail then please

I was a member of another forum (not cooking related) and was having a discussion with a woman who lived in the Western part of the US and I mentioned how much I loved Mexico, and she said she disliked Mexican immigrants because they refused to learn how to speak American. I explained to her that we spoke English in America and she kept arguing with me about it, and I tried to explain that we speak an Americanized version of the English language (with lots of words borrowed from other languages), and I asked her why did she think when she was in school the class was called "ENGLISH" but like a dog with a bone, she wouldn't let it go, LOL I had to stop "talking" to her.

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

I was a member of another forum (not cooking related) and was having a discussion with a woman who lived in the Western part of the US and I mentioned how much I loved Mexico, and she said she disliked Mexican immigrants because they refused to learn how to speak American. I explained to her that we spoke English in America and she kept arguing with me about it, and I tried to explain that we speak an Americanized version of the English language (with lots of words borrowed from other languages), and I asked her why did she think when she was in school the class was called "ENGLISH" but like a dog with a bone, she wouldn't let it go, LOL I had to stop "talking" to her.

I suppose in a way it’s fine and dandy to have it recognised as a separate language?

 

[JAS_OH1]

I suppose in a way it’s fine and dandy to have it recognised as a separate language?

No! It's butchered to pieces and the grammar from some people who don't speak any other languages can be quite cringey. It drives me nuts that some people can't focus on their one and only language and get it right, when we have so many people here from other countries who speak 2 or more fluently.

And for the record, I like words that we spell with a "z" to be spelled with an "s" and I also like "colour" over "color" and so forth.