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Tap or Faucet

exchemist

Veteran Member
U.S. english does have a bit of french influence. :D
Not only that but in English there is virtually a whole class system based around use of French/Latin vs. German/Saxon words. We have two words for a lot of things and almost invariably, the "sophisticated" or "genteel" term for something will be of French origin, while the "coarse", "common" or "Vulgar" word with be Germanic.

It all goes back to the Norman Conquest and the imposition of a Norman aristocracy. The Court spoke French for several centuries after 1066, I understand.
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
Not only that but in English there is virtually a whole class system based around use of French/Latin vs. German/Saxon words. We have two words for a lot of things and almost invariably, the "sophisticated" or "genteel" term for something will be of French origin, while the "coarse", "common" or "Vulgar" word with be Germanic.

It all goes back to the Norman Conquest and the imposition of a Norman aristocracy. The Court spoke French for several centuries after 1066, I understand.
This is something I really hate. I often use this when I'm writing,

 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
Not only that but in English there is virtually a whole class system based around use of French/Latin vs. German/Saxon words. We have two words for a lot of things and almost invariably, the "sophisticated" or "genteel" term for something will be of French origin, while the "coarse", "common" or "Vulgar" word with be Germanic.

It all goes back to the Norman Conquest and the imposition of a Norman aristocracy. The Court spoke French for several centuries after 1066, I understand.


And i think french is a pain

Dont forget the Anglo Saxon influence which seems to have migrated to America well
 

Father Heathen

Veteran Member
Not only that but in English there is virtually a whole class system based around use of French/Latin vs. German/Saxon words. We have two words for a lot of things and almost invariably, the "sophisticated" or "genteel" term for something will be of French origin, while the "coarse", "common" or "Vulgar" word with be Germanic.

It all goes back to the Norman Conquest and the imposition of a Norman aristocracy. The Court spoke French for several centuries after 1066, I understand.
Interesting. I had presumed that a lot of the differences between U.S. and U.K. english was due to the influence of non-english colonies and later non-english immigrants.
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
Though I suppose he may surface for a bit when Bozolini (Ave Il Duce) tries to do a deal with the EU. But he will do miserably in the election and I doubt anybody will listen to him.

Mostly likely he will do a bunk across the Atlantic and comfort Trump in his bunker. As a Guardian columnist puts it: "The future is bright. The future is orange."
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
Interesting. I had presumed that a lot of the differences between U.S. and U.K. english was due to the influence of non-english colonies and later non-english immigrants.
That I don't know. I have the feeling that in some ways US English is older, so it may be the Brits that have changed it, e.g. aluminum/aluminium.
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
That I don't know. I have the feeling that in some ways US English is older, so it may be the Brits that have changed it, e.g. aluminum/aluminium.
Many new science words were introduced during the Enlightenment period, both before and after the US Revolution, so I think this may have led to a lot of the disparity. Many new words were introduced for medicine, physics, industrial items &c. by which time we'd diverged as separate nations. Not to mention they had many immigrants from Germany and Italy during the 19th century.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
Cilantro vs coriander.
Here in the states cilantro is normally the fresh plant and coriander are what I am assuming are the dried and powdered leaves of it. I got into Indian cooking and found many of the recipes to be English ones. They will sometimes use such vague terms as a "green pepper". What kind of green pepper? I can go to the grocery store and find at least five different varieties, if not more, of peppers that are green. Here if it just said "green pepper" one would assume a green bell pepper, which is so mild that it does not belong anywhere in an Indian meal.
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
Here in the states cilantro is normally the fresh plant and coriander are what I am assuming are the dried and powdered leaves of it. I got into Indian cooking and found many of the recipes to be English ones. They will sometimes use such vague terms as a "green pepper". What kind of green pepper? I can go to the grocery store and find at least five different varieties, if not more, of peppers that are green. Here if it just said "green pepper" one would assume a green bell pepper, which is so mild that it does not belong anywhere in an Indian meal.
I think there may be one or two dishes that use what you call a green bell pepper. Obviously it is not for heat, but then not everything in Indian cooking has to be fiery. The staple for heat seems to be those little green chillies, about as long as a little finger.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
Armoire is a specific french style, something like this
View attachment 34700
But i am afraid the furniture industry has grabbed the chic name and applies it to boxes for the bedroom.

I am stuck with the word closet meaning toilet, water closet. Not the place i would like to store clothes.
It has been a few years, but in the U.S. a wardrobe used to be a standing cabinet with doors as in the armoire in your picture with shelving in the lower part and a rod going across near the top so that one could hang clothes that one did not want to fold. An armoire usually involved drawers of some sort, and rarely would have a rod. If one had a lot of sweaters one might keep them in the top part of an armoire.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
I think there may be one or two dishes that use what you call a green bell pepper. Obviously it is not for heat, but then not everything in Indian cooking has to be fiery. The staple for heat seems to be those little green chillies, about as long as a little finger.
And those may be an Indian pepper but here I usually use a Serrano pepper. One thing that I wonder about was what was Indian cooking like before the Americas were "discovered". Many of the foods that they use came from the New World, peppers and tomatoes are at the top of the list. Though they do use potatoes too.
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
Many new science words were introduced during the Enlightenment period, both before and after the US Revolution, so I think this may have led to a lot of the disparity. Many new words were introduced for medicine, physics, industrial items &c. by which time we'd diverged as separate nations. Not to mention they had many immigrants from Germany and Italy during the 19th century.


I often think that if the early settlers had taken an OED with them there wouldn't be so many differences
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
Here in the states cilantro is normally the fresh plant and coriander are what I am assuming are the dried and powdered leaves of it. I got into Indian cooking and found many of the recipes to be English ones. They will sometimes use such vague terms as a "green pepper". What kind of green pepper? I can go to the grocery store and find at least five different varieties, if not more, of peppers that are green. Here if it just said "green pepper" one would assume a green bell pepper, which is so mild that it does not belong anywhere in an Indian meal.


Yes, in the UK, "green pepper" what i think you would call a bell pepper
81sZof2MhgL._SY355_.jpg
 

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
Brits extract water from the tap; Americans extract water from the faucet.
Thinking more about this:

For me here in Canada, the fixture in a kitchen or bathroom is both a tap and a faucet, but the thing on the side of the house that you'd attach a hose to is a tap, not a faucet.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
Yes, in the UK, "green pepper" what i think you would call a bell pepper
View attachment 34706
For Indian cooking they usually are referring to a hot pepper when they say that. In the U.S. without a qualifier a "green pepper" would be a green bell pepper. When shopping I have seen bell peppers, Anaheim peppers, poblano, shi****o, Serrano, and jalapeno peppers. All green. I like heat but have never cooked with a habanero pepper, Perhaps partially because one needs to wear gloves when cooking. Once I cooked a meal with a couple of Serrano peppers that I diced finely. No gloves. I washed my hands several times after that as part of cooking the meal. Then took a shower later that day and after shampooing my hair, effectively another very deep hand washing, I accidentally touched my eyes as I washed my face. Big mistake. There was still capascium from the peppers on my hands. I could just imagine how that would have felt with a habanero.
 
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