Separated by a Common Language

This post is inspired by a poll that Ellen Jovin, aka the Grammar Table, ran in September. Before I get into that, let me point out that there is a Kickstarter to support the documentary about her spreading grammatical joy across all 50 US states. It'd be lovely to be able to see that film in a (BrE)...

 So I tweeted this recently... Difference of the Day: I seriously cannot believe that I've never done BrE 'fit for purpose'. Thanks for suggesting it @MHanson62. What to give for an AmE equivalent? Nothing so well used... #DotD pic.twitter.com/u2flTPlXZt— Lynne Murphy (@lynneguist) July 13, 2022...

The annual preamble  (you can make that rhyme if you try hard enough)Each year since 2006, this blog has designated Transatlantic Words of the Year (WotY). The twist is that I choose the most 'of the year' borrowings from US-to-UK and from UK-to-US. This year's WotY posts are a bit later...

I’ve written about off of on this blog before, in reaction to British complaints about it as a horrid Americanism. In my day job, I’m writing about it again from different angles, so I was thrilled to see that some researchers in Helsinki and Stockholm have undertaken much more wide-ranging and in-depth...

On occasion, I invite people whose insights I trust to contribute guest posts for the blog. On rare occasions, they deliver the goods! I hope you enjoy this one on terminology in the game of contract bridge.   My mother could never understand how I was allowed a (AmE) college/(BrE) university...