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American - English English - American is a handy, pocket sized book which acts as a two way mini dictionary of useful terms for peopole on either side of the pond.

American- English English - American Book Review

Last edited by Asha - Scot./Eng. Culture; 09/30/11 05:32 PM.

Asha Sahni
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Asha, yes a "pocketbook" was a term that means what the British would call a handbag. If you were actually talking about a small book - or later just a paperback book (before some of them got quite big!), it was a "pocket book," two words. I don't know if that's still the case, what with nobody reading books anymore anyhow.

Did you read about when the rioters in parts of London looted the stores in the shopping areas, the only one that didn't have anything stolen was Waterstones the booksellers?

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Originally Posted By: Mona - Astronomy
Did you read about when the rioters in parts of London looted the stores in the shopping areas, the only one that didn't have anything stolen was Waterstones the booksellers?


That is so sad.... I love that store. The last few times I was there, there was one between the hotel and the tube station... no better place for breakfast - coffee, a pastry and a new book!

That says so much about our society today... although I love my Nook, it makes me sad to think that there's going to be a time -- probably sooner than later -- where bookstores aren't around the corner any more. We've had one of our two large chains go out of business just in the past month.


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Thanks Mona for the info. re pocketbook. And interesting about nobody stealing from Waterstones. This could be taken 2 ways - that books are respected or that they are completely not wanted...


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Debra I really hope we don't lose bookshops. To quote from a review I did for Scottish Culture which sums up my thoughts on the matter:

"Try as I might I do not get the same satisfaction from reading text on a screen that I do from holding a book in my hand � the weight of the book, the feel and texture of the paper, the satisfying thud as a half read book closes, ready to offer up its secrets next time � all attract me and have made me a book hoarder."

I found it really sad to see Borders go. I've also seen, over the past couple of decades, nearly all the independent bookshops I used to know disappear.


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Hi Asha,

Here is a made-up sentence with a few Americanisms which kind of came out of left field while I was eating some candy, french fries, and Canadian bacon.

My buddy had a conniption that he was fired because he was late to work due to the freeway being like a parking lot.

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Thanks for that one Les. So did your made up buddy look like this? computer

I had to look up conniption as it wasn't a word I had come across before... and (far be it from me to really know the intricacies of American language!) to me the word "that" after "conniption" feels like it sits somewhat uncomfortably gramatically - the dictionaries seem to indicate that "conniption" is a noun rather than a verb.

Last edited by Asha - Scot./Eng. Culture; 09/25/11 03:03 AM.

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Conniption, great word. And, Asha, a Guardian writer met this word just a few months before you. Conniptions make newspaper headlines

No, you wouldn't "have a conniption" followed by "that" or "about," maybe followed by "because". To express the idea of a fury of nuclear proportions, I remember the expression "fits and conniptions."

And of course there are "hissy fits." I see those as closer to a temper tantrum, without the explosive power of a conniption, but could be wrong. Some people seem to have hissy fits, but I think they're supposed to be thrown rather than merely had. I read that "true Southerners" pitch a hissy fit, which is the same.

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Thanks for the link Mona - glad to see anotehr person who had never come across the word! Thanks also for the information about how the word can be used. "Hissy fits" I have heard of, and seen - more often with women or girls who are determined to get their way, whatever the cost...


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Poppycock or some such rubbish! LOL
I used "that" to stand for "due to the fact that" in the abbreviated form. Whether that's proper English English or not...?

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