OT - Gaol

DonDaddyD
DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
edited November 2009 in Commuting chat
Pedant moment.

You're going to gaol

Or

You're going to jail

Basically, in the office I stumbled onto a conversation about the dictionary on the computer being automatically set to US.

Somehow we came upon American words adopted by the UK.

Apparently jail/gaol is one of them. It means jail. How did you guys let that one go. Much prefer the UK version, though better stil is the word prison.
Food Chain number = 4

A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
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Comments

  • Coriander
    Coriander Posts: 1,326
    It's one of those Americanims that is actually an old English word that was in common use when Brits were first populating the US. It's fine.

    Other examples are gotten and faucet.
  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    Ummm.... Don Gaol IS the UK version.

    Is that what you meant?

    Definition
    gaol noun verb
    /dʒeɪl/ n v
    UK old-fashioned for jail

    From the Cambridge English Dictionary
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
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    2012 Felt F65X
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  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    Sorry I wrote it backwards.

    Gaol, is the English. Jail is the American.

    I prefer prison.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    DonDaddyD wrote:

    I prefer prison.

    :lol:
  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    The one that drives me nuts is: "He was hung"

    NO!!!

    It is "He was HANGED"


    muttermuttermutter
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    Kieran_Burns wrote:
    The one that drives me nuts is: "He was hung"

    NO!!!

    It is "He was HANGED"


    muttermuttermutter

    He was hanged like a horse?

    no that's not right
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    I prefer prison.

    After the female commando poll, you may get your preference!!! :P
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    Coriander wrote:
    It's one of those Americanims that is actually an old English word that was in common use when Brits were first populating the US. It's fine.

    Other examples are gotten and faucet.

    I'm fairly sure most of them are, old english it's not american that changed but english are you where. but you'd have to look it up.
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    I hate - sidewalk = pavement; candy = swegers; apartment = single end; store = corner shop; realator = scum
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    edited November 2009
    Personally I dislike "momentarily" meaning "in a moment"[us] rather than "for a moment"[english]
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    Wallace, why on earth do you hate a dialect? How's it your problem?
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • vorsprung
    vorsprung Posts: 1,953
    American English adds more color to our language
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  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    edited November 2009
    After the female commando poll, you may get your preference!!!

    They're locking people away for wondering about girls undergarments?

    Have you turned to page 3 in the Sun? Seen FHM, NUTS? Max Power, Maxim or even watched Sex in the City (pearl thongs...)

    Sheesh what's next, everyone is forced to be vegetarian?

    That's it! I'm moving to Holland.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    vorsprung wrote:
    American English adds more color to our language

    taxi!
  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    Wallace1492 wrote:
    I hate - sidewalk = pavement; candy = swegers; apartment = single end; store = corner shop; realator = scum

    Sworse than that! sidewalk = pavement, pavement = road. Over there, you should always ride on the pavement. :shock:
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • greg66_tri_v2.0
    greg66_tri_v2.0 Posts: 7,172
    Alooo-minum.

    Or-reg-no.

    Like, totahlee ahhsum pronunciation, dude!.
    Swim. Bike. Run. Yeah. That's what I used to do.

    Bike 1
    Bike 2-A
  • Agent57
    Agent57 Posts: 2,300
    Oscar Wilde wrote "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" in 1897. True story.
    MTB commuter / 531c commuter / CR1 Team 2009 / RockHopper Pro Disc / 10 mile PB: 25:52 (Jun 2014)
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    UndercoverElephant wrote:
    Wallace1492 wrote:
    I hate - sidewalk = pavement; candy = swegers; apartment = single end; store = corner shop; realator = scum

    Sworse than that! sidewalk = pavement, pavement = road. Over there, you should always ride on the pavement. :shock:

    and the men wear suspenders.

    Think of it DDD...........
  • schlepcycling
    schlepcycling Posts: 1,614
    Greg66 wrote:
    Alooo-minum.

    Or-reg-no.

    Like, totahlee ahhsum pronunciation, dude!.

    This will start an arguement but Aluminum is the correct old English spelling and the 'I' was added to make it easier to say.
    'Hello to Jason Isaacs'
  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    Wallace1492 wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    I prefer prison.

    After the female commando poll, you may get your preference!!! :P
    Don't prod him, please.

    As for the funny spellings of olde-English, I always found Geoffrey an odd one.
    4537512329_a78cc710e6_o.gif4537512331_ec1ef42fea_o.gif
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    biondino wrote:
    Wallace, why on earth do you hate a dialect? How's it your problem?

    Eh, I dont hate any dialect, dont stop me hating (well maybe a bit strong, disliking then) certain words or phrases. These were examples that I cringe at. It's not my problem at all.... World would be poorer without tha variety of dialect, know wha i meen Jimmy?
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    Greg66 wrote:
    Alooo-minum.

    Or-reg-no.

    Like, totahlee ahhsum pronunciation, dude!.

    Now you have "Valley Girls" by Frank Zappa going off in my head...... "Gag me with a spoon why dont you...."
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • White Horse
    White Horse Posts: 161
    will3 wrote:
    vorsprung wrote:
    American English adds more color to our language

    taxi!


    Don't you mean "Cab!"??
  • PBo
    PBo Posts: 2,493
    will3 wrote:
    vorsprung wrote:
    American English adds more color to our language

    taxi!

    shouldn't that be "cab!"

    edit: bu99er off white horse! :D
  • _Brun_
    _Brun_ Posts: 1,740
    schlepcycling wrote:
    Greg66 wrote:
    Alooo-minum.

    Or-reg-no.

    Like, totahlee ahhsum pronunciation, dude!.
    This will start an arguement but Aluminum is the correct old English spelling and the 'I' was added to make it easier to say.
    Not quite. Aluminum was the original spelling, but the 'i' was added in order to conform to other elements discovered at the time, such as potassium, magnesium etc. It certainly doesn't make it easier to pronounce.

    The reason for the dropping of the 'i' by the 'mericans is contentious. It was either because it's easier to pronounce without it, or because of the spelling on an advertisement (which could possibly have been a mistake, since the publisher of the advertisement used 'ium' in all his patent applications).
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    sarajoy wrote:
    Wallace1492 wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    I prefer prison.

    After the female commando poll, you may get your preference!!! :P
    Don't prod him, please.

    That's unnecessary.

    But anyway

    Which is preferred Gaol or Jail.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    sarajoy wrote:
    Wallace1492 wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    I prefer prison.

    After the female commando poll, you may get your preference!!! :P
    Don't prod him, please.

    That's unnecessary.

    But anyway

    Which is preferred Gaol or Jail.

    I can't believe you didn't start a poll on this.
  • _Brun_
    _Brun_ Posts: 1,740
    Jail of course, unless you're also going to start referring to the Morpeth as Ye Olde Pub.
  • Sewinman
    Sewinman Posts: 2,131
    I would say - 'oi geez (hard g), yooor gan daan mate, doin a bit of bird'.
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    will3 wrote:

    I can't believe you didn't start a poll on this.

    Polls are so last month... dude!
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game

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