why do the British...

[JR]

...not know how to spell words like tire and neighbor?ou

It's neighbour, humour, tyre and cheque

Check (yeah, different than "cheque" ) your OED for the definitive answer

 

[wedgewood]

... (actors) nail the American accent. Idris Elba as Stringer Bell is my favorite. (Though Dominic West as Jimmy McNulty did kinda fail big time). Seriously, has there ever been one American actor who could master a British accent?

 

[slappy4428]

... (actors) nail the American accent. Idris Elba as Stringer Bell is my favorite. (Though Dominic West as Jimmy McNulty did kinda fail big time). Seriously, has there ever been one American actor who could master a British accent?

Conversely... I do remember reading here there is one word that most British actors, when trying an American accent, can't master and is a giveaway. Think it was in reference to Linus Roache as an example. Can't find it, but if anyone knows the keyword I'd love to read it again. Think Starman posted it.

 

[deskslave]

... eat prawn-flavoured chipscrisps?

Fixed, you roustabout Yank. Now, sod off, the lot of ya.

 

[Oscar Gamble]

...prefer to drink their beer warm?

 

[kingcreole]

... miss penalty kicks?

 

[cortez]

avoid becoming fat slobs?

 

[bigpern23]

... lose their accents when singing?

 

[Buck]

avoid becoming fat slobs?

According to the most recent NHS report on obesity, physical activity and diet in England:

• In 2009, almost a quarter of adults (22% of men and 24% of women aged 16 or over) in England were classified as obese (BMI 30kg/m2 or over).

• A greater proportion of men than women (44% compared with 33%) in England were classified as overweight in 2009 (BMI 25 to less than 30kg/m2).

• Thirty-eight per cent of adults had a raised waist circumference in 2009 compared to 23% in 1993. Women were more likely then men (44% and 32% respectively) to have a raised waist circumference (over 88cm for women and over 102 cm for men).

• Using both BMI and waist circumference to assess risk of health problems, for men: 19% were estimated to be at increased risk; 14% at high risk and 20% at very high risk in 2009. Equivalent figures for women were: 14% at increased risk, 18% at high risk and 23% at very high risk.

• In 2009, around three in ten boys and girls aged 2 to 15 were classed as either overweight or obese (31% and 28% respectively), which is very similar to the 2008 findings (31% for boys and 29% for girls).

• In 2009, 16% of boys aged 2 to 15, and 15% of girls were classed as obese, an increase from 11% and 12% respectively in 1995. Whilst there have been marked increases in the prevalence of obesity since 1995, the prevalence of overweight children aged 2 to 15 has remained largely unchanged (values were 15% in boys and 13% in girls in 2009).

• In 2009/10, around one in ten pupils in Reception class (aged 4-5 years) were classified as obese (9.8%). This compares to around a fifth of pupils in Year 6 (aged 10-11 years) (18.7%). Boys were more likely to be obese than girls for both groups. In 2009/10, 13.3% of pupils in Reception class and 14.6% of pupils in Year 6 were reported as being overweight.

 

[ColdCat]

. . .spell airplane "aeroplane?'

 

[Football_Bat]

... lose their accents when singing?

The exception is Billy Bragg.

 

[Captain_Kirk]

You're all a bunch of wankers. With all these libelous comments, you're lucky not to be remanded to prison.

And if they skiptomyloo, that may explain some things....

 

[TigerVols]

...drive on the wrong side of the road?*



*actually, because it's the lingering result of a long-ago protest by Anglo-Saxons living in Brittany, IIRC.

 

[Stitch]

think they won World War I and II.

 

[Bubbler]

... **** off Col. Saito from Bridge On The River Kwai?

Oh yeah. I remember.

"I hate the British. You are defeated, but you have no shame. You are stubborn, but have no pride. You endure, but you have no courage."

 

[TigerVols]

...colonize, since they are wankers?



It's a ****e state of affairs to be in, and all the fresh air in the world won't make any f'ing difference.

 

[Killick]

All these posts, and no one has brought up the only British quirk that puzzles me: Aluminum.

They pronounce it "al-U-mini-yum" as if it's spelled "aluminium." They can get all over us for the "h" in "herb" all they want, and probably rightly so. But, at least we're only making a letter silent. They're adding a second "i" that isn't there!

 

[dreunc1542]

All these posts, and no one has brought up the only British quirk that puzzles me: Aluminum.

They pronounce it "al-U-mini-yum" as if it's spelled "aluminium." They can get all over us for the "h" in "herb" all they want, and probably rightly so. But, at least we're only making a letter silent. They're adding a second "i" that isn't there!

It can be spelled either way: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium.

 

[Buck]

It's not really spelled either way; one is an American spelling and one is British spelling.