There are some differences between American English and British English. Some differences are quite interesting.

When my friend Lily from London used the word “larder”, I didn’t know what it meant. Realizing I didn’t follow her, she used another word. I finally knew she wanted to find something to keep some food. The next word came up when we were planning a lunch date. She jotted down the date and time in her diary, while I marked my calendar. If she called me on the phone, she would ring me up. But if the line was busy, she would say the line was engaged.

Most times, I can know what Lily means. Last week, she regretted sending her boys to watch an early morning tennis game without their fleeces. I thought that she meant without their jackets or something like that. Other times, we have to ask each other. She recently told me a funny tale about a pissed woman. I wondered what had made the lady angry. It turns out that pissed means drunk.

Here is one more example. My British friend Jane was filling out a ticket at the grocery store recently. She asked the young man to help her if he had a rubber. When she noticed he didn’t follow her, she quickly asked for an eraser, which, in England, is often called a rubber. In order to communicate well with British people, we Americans should learn some words that the British use differently. And I think people who learn English as a second language should also realize that there are differences between American English and British English.

Telephone calls in the UK and USA are very similar, with most differences being minor and almost everything being mutually (相互) understandable. However, there are a few interesting differences in how British and Americans speak on the phone, including some potential misunderstandings.

Answering the phone in the UK and USA

The standard way of answering a work phone in English is some part of "Good morning/ afternoon/ evening…Limited/ Corp…Department…Section…speaking. How can/ may I help you?" The only thing that differs in that is that "How can I help you?" is more common in Britain and "How may I help you?" is more standard in the US.

With a home phone or mobile, just answering the phone with "Hello?" is standard in English. If you can see who is calling and know them well, it has become more common to greet them by name straightaway instead, e. g. "Hi Steve. Thanks for calling me back". More informal greetings in that situation would be "Yo, Steve" or just "What's up?" in the US and "Alright Steve?" in the UK, with Americans perhaps more likely to use these kinds of more informal phrases. Americans are also more likely to use affectionate phrases like "Hi Honey" or "What's up, bro?", with the British phrase "Alright, mate" being both less common and not actually being so friendly.

Polite language at the beginning of calls in the UK and USA

"Thanks for…" and "Sorry for…" are not only equally likely in different forms of English, but seem to be very popular at the start of phone calls worldwide. The only small UK/USA difference is the rather cute British verb "ring" in "Thanks for ringing me back" and "Sorry to ring again so soon, but…". The more standard language "Thanks for calling me back" and "Sorry to call again so soon, but…" are used in both the UK and USA.

What’s the deal with new words? Where do they come from and how do they go from unknown to official? First, new words have to circulate in culture to make it into the dictionary. They have to be used and understood. Words have a much better chance of getting added to the dictionary if you see them in print or hear them in conversation. It’s actually a full-time job to search popular communication to figure out what new words are surfacing in our vernacular（方言）. Lexicographers get to decide which words make it into the dictionary, and they do so by reading widely across industries and disciplines. However, they also make decisions about which idioms make it in.

Dictionaries can sometimes get over 1,000 new words per year. In 2019 the Merriam-Webster added over 600 in April and another 500+ in September. After lexicographers decide which words will be included, they write a new definition. Some existing words also gain additional meanings, and there are usually thousands of revisions. The dictionary is a constantly changing work-in-progress, just like the language it describes and defines. For instance, the word “peak” recently went from being just a sharp, pointed end to also being something at the height of popularity. Occasionally fake words actually end up in the dictionary by mistake.

If you have a word that you think should be in the dictionary, you’re welcome to get in touch with the lexicographers and suggest it. However, the word needs to be fairly popular. It has to have “widespread, frequent, meaningful usage”. For instance, OMG was added to the dictionary in 2009 after lexicographers had observed it in general use for about 15 years.

New words spring from new technologies and disciplines, but they’re very often invented by authors and writers who love language and play with it to create new meanings. One of the greatest creators was William Shakespeare who created over 1,700 new words often by adapting usage and using new compounds. He’s responsible for words like eyeball, excitement, fashionable, and lonely. “Hard-boiled” was invented by Mark Twain.