British English A to Zed

From Booklist
In an effort to unravel the differences between British and American English, Schur published his first guide, entitled British Self-Taught: With Comments in American, in 1973. When a revised edition appeared in 1980, the title was changed to English English, and the 1987 revision was published as British English A to Zed. This latest edition has been revised by Ehrlich, coeditor of the Oxford American Dictionary.The approximately 5,000 Briticisms covered in this dictionary include words and phrases that Americans generally do not use at all (for example, dabs, meaning fingerprints) as well as terms used in both the U.S and Britain but that have different meanings (such as bomb, which in Britain means a smash hit, but in America indicates just the opposite). Entries indicate the American equivalent for each Briticism and usually provide additional explanation. Valuable supplemental material appears in two appendixes, the first of which outlines the basic differences between British and American English regarding syntax, pronunciation, punctuation, and spelling. The second appendix provides a means of identifying terms in specific areas, including currency, finance, weights and measures, and cricket. An index to American equivalents completes the volume. Ehrlich has put his stamp on the dictionary by condensing and rewriting significant portions of the work. He has dropped a large number of terms and has significantly shortened many of the remaining entries by deleting illustrative examples and editorial commentary. In addition, Ehrlich has added a handful of new terms, including finger (shot of booze), ruby wedding (fortieth wedding anniversary), and scrotty (crummy).British English A to Zed continues to be a useful source for public and academic libraries. Because this revision treats relatively few new terms, it is not an essential purchase for libraries that own the 1987 revision or its 1991 paperback reprint. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


From Book News, Inc.
A reference designed to ease Americans' confusion over British usage, explaining 5,000 British slang terms and common phrases, and translating each into its nearest American equivalent. Includes an index of Americanisms, and glossaries of cricket terms, rhyming slang, and units of measure. Originally published (hardcover) in 1987 by Facts On File. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.


Book Description
British English A to Zed gives readers immediate access to an alphabetical listing of either the thousands of "Briticisms" cited in the general entries or the correlating "Americanisms" that appear throughout the book. This updated edition features more than 5,000 entries, including new words, both formal and slang, and words from sources as diverse as London businesses and Bridget Jones's Diary.


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American Anglophiles will find this compendium a "clinking" (damn good) guide to current and outmoded Briticisms. Parts of speech are identified; pronunciation guides use common words rather than phonetics. Includes appended material on general differences between British and American English; and terms relating to units of measure, motor-cars, slang, musical notation, food, botany/zoology, cricket, and place-names. The index lists US terms followed by British equivalents, but not page numbers. First published as (Verbatim, 1980). The revision is by Eugen Ehrlich, as Schur is deceased. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)


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