Thursday 9 October 2014

A Lexicon of Transatlantic Prolixity


YANKEE INGENUITY (or, never use one syllable where several will do).
Fuelled in recent years by politicians' efforts to sound 'folksy', a trend started by Ronald Reagan, and which reached its bathetic nadir when George W. Bush referred to the perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist atrocity as "the folks who did this".


advocating for                        = advocating
affirmative                              = yes
all of                                       = all
alongside.                              = with
apartment                              = flat 
apple cider                             = cider
arrive into                               = arrive at
at the exact same time          = simultaneously
at this time                             = now
at this moment in time           = now
at this point in time                = now
attitude of mind                      = attitude
authored                                = wrote
automobile                             = car
available to buy instore now  = on sale
baby carriage                         = pram
back in (e.g. 2011)                 = in
back in the day                      = previously
backside                                = back
backstory                               = history
bagpiper                                = piper
barbershop                            = barber
based off of                           = based on
based out of                          = based in
be advised that                      =
beat out                                 = beat
better understand                  = understand
burglarized                            = burgled
cash rich                                = rich
catch on fire                           = catch fire
change out                            = change
chase down                           = chase/find
clothes iron                           = iron
creamer                                 = jug
crew members                      = crew
Do Not Enter (roadsign)        = No Entry
drop back                              = drop
expiration date                      = expiry date
family members                    family
ferryboat                               = ferry
field hockey                           = hockey
finished up                            = finished
first up                                   = first
flashlight                                torch
freedom fries                         = chips
free up                                   = free
furlough (US army)                = leave (UK army)
furloughed                             = laid off
garbanzo beans                    = chickpeas
garner                                   = get
gasoline                                = petrol
get ahold                               get hold
gifted (verb)                           = given
gifted with                              = given
going forward                        =               
graduate degree                    = degree 
handed to                              = given
hating on                               = hating
head in from                          = come from
head out from                        = leave from
head out to                            = go to
head up                                 = head
helmed                                  = lead
Hide and Go Seek                 = Hide and Seek
horseback riding                    = riding
horse jockey                          = jockey
impacting on                          = affecting
house party                           = party
incentivize                             encourage
in lock step                            = in step
inside of                                 = inside
invest into                              = invest in
issue                                      = problem
iteration                                 = version
laundry iron                           = iron
liquid water                            = water
listen up                                 = listen
marching in lock step            = marching
movie                                    = film
meet with                              meet
meet up with                         = meet
multiple                                 = 's' suffix
multiple times                       = often                                 
necktie                                  = tie
night crawler                         = worm
obligated                               = obliged
off of                                      = off
oftentimes                             = often
on a daily basis                     = daily
on a regular basis                 = regularly
optimal                                  = best
outside of                              = outside
parking lot                             = car park
park up                                  = park
particle board                        = chipboard
penned                                  = wrote
percentage points                 = %
pitcher                                   = jug
play catch up                         = catch up
power outage                        = power cut
prebook                                 = book
preorder                                order
proactive                               active
reach out to                           = contact
relocate                                 = move
report back                            = report
roadmap                                = plan
resolve (verb)                        solve
sauté                                     = fry
sea turtle                               = turtle
sheepherder                          = shepherd
showcase (verb)                    = show
shutter(ed)                             = close(d)                                 
sign off                                   = sign
sign off on                              = sign
skyrocketing.                         = rocketing
smokestack                           = chimney
smoking pipe                         = pipe
speak with                             = speak to
step change                           = change
switch out                              = swap
taxidermied                            = stuffed
tea kettle                                = kettle
tear up                                   = cry
teeter totter                            = seesaw
track record                           = record
transfer over                          = transfer
transfer into                           = transfer
underneath of                        = underneath
up and running                      = working
upcoming                               = coming
urban legend                         = urban myth
variety meats                         = offal
visit with                                 = visit
wait in line                              = queue
wait up                                   = wait
water turtle                             = terrapin
water fountain                        = fountain
worrisome                              = worrying
zero                                        = no



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