British English for American Readers: A Dictionary of the Language, Customs, and Places of British Life and Literature

(Hardback)

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How does a vicar differ from a rector Is a marquis a lord Where are the Home Counties Is someone who is "dead chuffed" happy or angry Americans reading British literature, come upon such unfamiliar terms and generally have to rely on contextual clues. For the legions of readers of Dickens and Trollope, of Agatha Christie, John LeCarre, and P.D. James, of Muriel Spark and Iris Murdoch, of Noel Coward and Tom Stoppard - to name a few - as well as viewers of British film and television imports, this helpful and entertaining guide defines the kinds of things that British authors thought needed no explanation. Part dictionary, part guidebook, part almanac, part gazetter, part history, part sociology, this lexicon has no specialty, for it deals with British culture in general. David Grote's guiding principle was to select terminology with the potential to confuse readers who know only American English. Consequently, the volume is organized as a dictionary, with entries for concepts, items, and names that might create confusion. Entries are arranged alphabetically, from ten basic categories: 1) titles, ranks, and honours; 2) widely used words not part of the typical American vocabulary; 3) words used differently in America and Britain; 4) customs, terminology, and activities of daily life not shared by Americans; 5) governmental organizations; 6) political and legal customs and methods; 7) communities, and places often used in literary works; 8) foods and common commercial products; 9)common animals and plants not found in the same form in America; and 10) basic social practices that differ considerably from modern American practice. Ideally kept on hand for ready referral when immersed in fictional Britain, this dictionary is intended to enhance many hours of random or systematic browsing. A true "companion" to British literature, its concern is not authors and literary history, but the slang, bureaucracy, stereotypes of places, food and products used in daily life, social organization and hundreds of such homespun items.

Reviews

. . . It should also be of interest to linguists and students of comparative literature as it is a reminder of the considerable divergence between British and American English.-ALR
"For Americans facing British culture in books, on TV, or in media, this dictionary really fills a void. What is bubble and squeek How do you roger Who is a Yob . . . This dictionary answers questions like these and more that our American dictionaries of the English language don't. It's also great fun to read for no reason at all. Recommended for most collections."-Library Journal
A work will serve students of British literature, television, and film well and delight Anglophiles in general. Strongly recommended for circulating and reference collection in all academic and public libraries.-Choice
Here is a book to answer questions about British terms. British English for American Readers has entries in one alphabet for words in these categories: titles, ranks, and honors; widely used words not part of the typical American vocabulary; words used differently in America and Britain; customs, terminology, and activities of daily life not shared by Americans; governmental organizations; political and legal customs and methods; communities and places often used in literary works; foods and common commercial products; common animals and plants not found in the same form in America; and social practices that differ from modern American practice. The entry Battersea tells a good deal about this area near the Thames; tea and cheese describe the many varieties of each and the customs associated with these foods; BBC gives a short history of this famous organization. Author Grote, a magazine editor, points out that he is not British and therefore knows which British terms need explanation. British English places emphasis on place-names, especially in London. Terms from other parts of the British Empire, especially India, are included. An asterisk in the text of an entry indicates a word that has its own entry. Seven appendixes explain more mysteries of British life, including money and values, reigns and historic dates, class structure, calendar of holidays and festivals, military ranks, and honors and initials. British English, A to Zed, by Norman Schur (Facts On File, 1989), covers much the same ground as British English for American Readers, but each book has many unique terms and features. The title under review has unusually broad coverage, including elements found in guidebooks, almanacs, gazetteers, and history and sociology books. On the other hand, A to Zed has a list of automotive terms, cricket terms, and information on British punctuation and style. It includes occasional quotations by way of illustrating word meanings. A smaller library owning A to Zed could bypass purchase of British English, but libraries could certainly use both books. Eminently browsable, British English provides the type of pleasure found by dipping into Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable or Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia, where one learns something for the pure fun of it. British English is appropriate for all public libraries and for libraries in educational institutions from high school through graduate school.-Booklist
Provides definitions and explanations of those words, phrases, slang terms, titles, events, and localities that American readers of British fiction and viewers of British movies and television programs have wondered about.-Nineteenth-Century Literature
." . . It should also be of interest to linguists and students of comparative literature as it is a reminder of the considerable divergence between British and American English."-ALR
""For Americans facing British culture in books, on TV, or in media, this dictionary really fills a void. What is bubble and squeek How do you roger Who is a Yob . . . This dictionary answers questions like these and more that our American dictionaries of the English language don't. It's also great fun to read for no reason at all. Recommended for most collections.""-Library Journal
"A work will serve students of British literature, television, and film well and delight Anglophiles in general. Strongly recommended for circulating and reference collection in all academic and public libraries."-Choice
"Provides definitions and explanations of those words, phrases, slang terms, titles, events, and localities that American readers of British fiction and viewers of British movies and television programs have wondered about."-Nineteenth-Century Literature
"Here is a book to answer questions about British terms. British English for American Readers has entries in one alphabet for words in these categories: titles, ranks, and honors; widely used words not part of the typical American vocabulary; words used differently in America and Britain; customs, terminology, and activities of daily life not shared by Americans; governmental organizations; political and legal customs and methods; communities and places often used in literary works; foods and common commercial products; common animals and plants not found in the same form in America; and social practices that differ from modern American practice. The entry Battersea tells a good deal about this area near the Thames; tea and cheese describe the many varieties of each and the customs associated with these foods; BBC gives a short history of this famous organization. Author Grote, a magazine editor, points out that he is not British and therefore knows which British terms need explanation. British English places emphasis on place-names, especially in London. Terms from other parts of the British Empire, especially India, are included. An asterisk in the text of an entry indicates a word that has its own entry. Seven appendixes explain more mysteries of British life, including money and values, reigns and historic dates, class structure, calendar of holidays and festivals, military ranks, and honors and initials. British English, A to Zed, by Norman Schur (Facts On File, 1989), covers much the same ground as British English for American Readers, but each book has many unique terms and features. The title under review has unusually broad coverage, including elements found in guidebooks, almanacs, gazetteers, and history and sociology books. On the other hand, A to Zed has a list of automotive terms, cricket terms, and information on British punctuation and style. It includes occasional quotations by way of illustrating word meanings. A smaller library owning A to Zed could bypass purchase of British English, but libraries could certainly use both books. Eminently browsable, British English provides the type of pleasure found by dipping into Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable or Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia, where one learns something for the pure fun of it. British English is appropriate for all public libraries and for libraries in educational institutions from high school through graduate school."-Booklist

Author Bio

DAVID GROTE is a playwright, writer, and magazine editor. His books include The End of Comedy (1983), Script Analysis (1984), Staging the Musical (1986), Theater: Preparation and Performance (1988), and Common Knowledge: A Reader's Guide to Literary Allusions (Greenwood Press, 1987).