In a message dated 02-03-11 11:56:49 EST, Lori Allen writes:

<< The fact of the matter is, British English and
 American English differ greatly.  My favorite example is that of a "Fanny
 Pack", which is understood in Americas as being a small bag one wears around
 one's behind.  However, in England, "Fanny" refers to the birth canal, to
 put it politely. >>

Actually, I've never understood where the term "fanny pack" came from.  It
doesn't seem accurate for either British OR American usage, since it's worn
on the waist, either at the hip or at the belly.  A fanny pack on an actual
American fanny would look pretty ridiculous.  To swing this back to the label
discussion to make it a little more relevant, I think the moral is: don't use
slang in a label!

I think the biggest areas of difference between American and British (and,
for that matter, between adult and teenage) usage involve slang.  Slang is
often regional or class-based, while more formal usage remains uniform.
Other than that, I've always felt that alleged American/British differences
are greatly exaggerated.  I don't think they differ "greatly" at all.  And I
hardly think that a few differences in spelling and terminology for
technological objects, such as names for vehicles and vehicle parts,
constitute different dialects.  "Lorry" is one of the first British terms an
American learns, and a couple of English movies usually provide ample
training.  And by the way, I daresay that ALL the Texans I know, know what a
lorry is: so whoever wrote that, watch your hyperbole.

David Haberstich

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