How to Speak Brit

How to Speak Brit PDF Author: Christopher J. Moore
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1592408982
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 129

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Book Description
The quintessential A to Z guide to British English—perfect for every egghead and bluestocking looking to conquer the language barrier Oscar Wilde once said the Brits have "everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language." Any visitor to Old Blighty can sympathize with Mr. Wilde. After all, even fluent English speakers can be at sixes and sevens when told to pick up the "dog and bone" or "head to the loo," so they can "spend a penny." Wherever did these peculiar expressions come from? British author Christopher J. Moore made a name for himself on this side of the pond with the sleeper success of his previous book, In Other Words. Now, Moore draws on history, literature, pop culture, and his own heritage to explore the phrases that most embody the British character. He traces the linguistic influence of writers from Chaucer to Shakespeare and Dickens to Wodehouse, and unravels the complexity Brits manage to imbue in seemingly innocuous phrases like "All right." Along the way, Moore reveals the uniquely British origins of some of the English language’s more curious sayings. For example: Who is Bob and how did he become your uncle? Why do we refer to powerless politicians as “lame ducks”? How did “posh” become such a stylish word? Part language guide, part cultural study, How to Speak Brit is the perfect addition to every Anglophile’s library and an entertaining primer that will charm the linguistic-minded legions.

How to Speak Brit

How to Speak Brit PDF Author: Christopher J. Moore
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1592408982
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 129

Get Book Here

Book Description
The quintessential A to Z guide to British English—perfect for every egghead and bluestocking looking to conquer the language barrier Oscar Wilde once said the Brits have "everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language." Any visitor to Old Blighty can sympathize with Mr. Wilde. After all, even fluent English speakers can be at sixes and sevens when told to pick up the "dog and bone" or "head to the loo," so they can "spend a penny." Wherever did these peculiar expressions come from? British author Christopher J. Moore made a name for himself on this side of the pond with the sleeper success of his previous book, In Other Words. Now, Moore draws on history, literature, pop culture, and his own heritage to explore the phrases that most embody the British character. He traces the linguistic influence of writers from Chaucer to Shakespeare and Dickens to Wodehouse, and unravels the complexity Brits manage to imbue in seemingly innocuous phrases like "All right." Along the way, Moore reveals the uniquely British origins of some of the English language’s more curious sayings. For example: Who is Bob and how did he become your uncle? Why do we refer to powerless politicians as “lame ducks”? How did “posh” become such a stylish word? Part language guide, part cultural study, How to Speak Brit is the perfect addition to every Anglophile’s library and an entertaining primer that will charm the linguistic-minded legions.

Teach Yourself Accents: North America

Teach Yourself Accents: North America PDF Author: Robert Blumenfeld
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 0879108908
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 134

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Book Description
Are you doing a play by Tennessee Williams? Or one of David Mamet's plays set in Chicago? Need to learn a Southern or Boston or New York or Caribbean Islands accent quickly, or do you have plenty of time? Then Teach Yourself Accents – North America: A Handbook for Young Actors and Speakers is for you: an easy-to-use manual full of clear, cogent advice and fascinating information. Contemporary monologues and scenes for two are included, and audio tracks feature extensive practice exercises. Perfect for the young acting student, the book will help anyone beginning a study of accents to get a rapid handle on the subject and use any accent immediately, with an authentic sound. More experienced actors who need an authoritative quick guide for an audition or for role preparation will find it equally useful, as will speakers who want to improve a specific accent or liven up a presentation with an apt anecdote. This second volume of the new Teach Yourself Accents series by Robert Blumenfeld, author of the best-selling Accents: A Manual for Actors, covers General American, the most widely used accent of Standard American English, as well as Northern and Southern regional accents, AAVE (African-American Vernacular English), Hispanic, Caribbean Islands, and Canadian English and French accents.

Anglotopia's Dictionary of British English

Anglotopia's Dictionary of British English PDF Author: Jonathan Thomas
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781482014211
Category : English language
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Guide to differences between English as spoken in the USA compared with the UK.

Divided by a Common Language

Divided by a Common Language PDF Author: Christopher Davies
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 9780547350288
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
This guide to the language differences between the United States and United Kingdom is “a fascinating collection full of all kinds of surprises” (Minneapolis Star Tribune). Taxi rank . . . toad in the hole . . . dustman . . . fancy dress . . . American visitors to London (or viewers of British TV shows) might be confused by these terms. But most Britons would be equally puzzled by words like caboose, bleachers, and busboy. In Divided by a Common Language, Christopher Davies explains these expressions and discusses the many differences in pronunciation, spelling, and vocabulary between British and American English. He compares the customs, manners, and practical details of daily life in the United Kingdom and the United States, and American readers will enjoy his account of American culture as seen through an Englishman’s eyes. Davies tops it off with an amusing list of expressions that sound innocent enough in one country but make quite the opposite impression in the other. Two large glossaries help travelers translate from one variety of English to the other, and additional lists explain the distinctive words of Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. This delightful book is the ideal companion for travelers—or anyone who enjoys the many nuances of language.

British English, A to Zed

British English, A to Zed PDF Author: Norman W. Schur
Publisher: Facts on File
ISBN: 9780816042388
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 430

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Book Description
Provides information about British pronunciation, punctuation, and word use in comparison to American styles.

The Prodigal Tongue

The Prodigal Tongue PDF Author: Lynne Murphy
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1524704881
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 370

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Book Description
CHOSEN BY THE ECONOMIST AS A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR An American linguist teaching in England explores the sibling rivalry between British and American English “English accents are the sexiest.” “Americans have ruined the English language.” Such claims about the English language are often repeated but rarely examined. Professor Lynne Murphy is on the linguistic front line. In The Prodigal Tongue she explores the fiction and reality of the special relationship between British and American English. By examining the causes and symptoms of American Verbal Inferiority Complex and its flipside, British Verbal Superiority Complex, Murphy unravels the prejudices, stereotypes and insecurities that shape our attitudes to our own language. With great humo(u)r and new insights, Lynne Murphy looks at the social, political and linguistic forces that have driven American and British English in different directions: how Americans got from centre to center, why British accents are growing away from American ones, and what different things we mean when we say estate, frown, or middle class. Is anyone winning this war of the words? Will Yanks and Brits ever really understand each other?

How to be a Brit

How to be a Brit PDF Author: George Mikes
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0141927011
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 302

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Book Description
The hilariously accurate, witty and indispensable manual for everyone who longs to attain True Britishness 'Got me in tears of laughter' 5***** Reader Review 'Laugh-out-loud hilarious, witty and insightful' 5***** Reader Review _______ Born in Hungary, George Mikes eventually spent more than forty years in the Britain observing behaviours and misbehaviours of local and foreign Brits. With essential chapters such as "How to Avoid Travelling", "On Shopping", "In Praise of Television", "On Not Complaining" and "How to Panic Quietly", you'll get to know Britain like never before. Loved by readers and authors alike, How to Be a Brit contains Mikes's three major works -- How to be an Alien, How to be Inimitable and How to be Decadent. If you're British, you'll love it; if you're a foreigner, you'll appreciate it. Queuing: "An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an orderly queue of one." How to plan a town: "Street names should be painted clearly and distinctly on large boards. Then hide these boards carefully." Sex: "Continental people have sex lives: the English have hot water bottles." George Mikes's perceptive bestseller provides a complete guide to the British Way of Life. _______ 'Hilarious and informative essays about the British way of life' 5***** Reader Review 'So many people have tried to describe the English mentality . . . This book is as near as you can get!' 5***** Reader Review

The Ultimate Cockney Geezer's Guide to Rhyming Slang

The Ultimate Cockney Geezer's Guide to Rhyming Slang PDF Author: Geoff Tibballs
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1407028316
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
Would you Adam and Eve it? Over a hundred years after it was first heard on the streets of Ye Olde London Towne, Cockney rhyming slang is still going strong, and this book contains the most comprehensive and entertaining guide yet. Presented in an easy-to-read A to Z format, it explains the meaning of hundreds of terms, from old favourites such as apples and pears (stairs) and plates of meat (feet) to the more obscure band of hope (soap) and cuts and scratches (matches) through to modern classics such as Anthea Turner (earner) and Ashley Cole (own goal), as well as providing fascinating background info and curious Cockney facts throughout. Also included are a series of language tests so that readers can brush up on their newfound knowledge on their way to becoming a true Cockney Geezer. All in all, The Ultimate Cockney Geezer's Guide to Rhyming Slang is well worth your bread and honey to have a butcher's.

The Very Best of British

The Very Best of British PDF Author: Mike Etherington
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780953696819
Category : English language
Languages : en
Pages : 138

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Book Description


Brit-think - Ameri-think

Brit-think - Ameri-think PDF Author: Jane Walmsley
Publisher: Chambers
ISBN: 9780245547218
Category : Great Britain
Languages : en
Pages : 180

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Book Description