# What are some \*subtle\* differences among various dialects of English? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 12, 2017, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145 "2017-09-12T06:34:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/81 "2017-09-13T11:55:25Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > American here, and I don’t quite agree. To me, “quite” can indeed imply “not bad, but I was kinda expecting it to be just a little better.” Interesting. I can’t think of a time I’ve heard it that way. I’ve heard “quite good” maybe used in the opposite situation, when you were expecting something to be bad, but it was good, as in “how was that movie?” “Oh, it was quite good, really.” Although perhaps the “really” is also adding to that contrary feeling. I can’t think of an instance where I’d hear “quite good” as being less than good but, ya know, dialects regional and all that. Speaking of adding “to” to the end of sentences, in Chicago (and other points of the Midwest, particularly Germanic areas like Wisconsin), “come with” is used for “come along” (or a similar structure.) For example: “Hey, Joe, I got two tickets to the ball game on Friday, ya wanna come with?” ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/82 "2017-09-13T12:21:50Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > The use of stood, versus standing. > > In North America we don’t use stood: always standing. > > “We were stood at the bar.” > “We were standing at the bar.” > Also, we don’t use the word nearly: always almost. > > “I nearly got hit by a car.” > “I almost got hit by a car.” > > Of course someone will be along shortly to tell me how wrong I am… > > ETA: When renting something in North America we use the same verb for both the, say car company renting a car, and me renting it from them. In the UK they rent the car and I “let” it. North American here, born in Pennsylvania, now living in Arizona. I’m probably more likely to say, “I was nearly hit by a car,” than to say, “I was almost hit by a car.” ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/83 "2017-09-13T12:32:51Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > There’s also the distinction between “college” and “university,” which is not a big distinction in the US, but is elsewhere. Here in the US, the phrase “I go to college” can mean “I’m attending university” (and, most often, universities are colloquially just called “college.” I found out years ago on this board that the phrase “I go to university” is not a N.A. English phrase. I had thought it was, but it turned out to be the influence of UK English on my own English, as I had been living abroad for several years at that time.) “I go to university” is a North American phrase; it’s used in Canada. In Southern Ontario, we also draw the sharp distinction between “college” and “university”. University offers four-year programs of study leading to degrees; colleges offer two-day and three-year programs leading to certificates or diplomas. ‘Colleges’ also include any number of private trade schools. A number of colleges in Ontario have started to offer four-year degrees, which generally indicates that they are trying to become universities. I’ve noticed people starting to use ‘uni’ for university as well, though that was not current when I was in university. Regarding ‘rent’ vs ‘hire’: we rent a thing, but hire a person. I rent a car (to drive it myself), but hire a driver, even if that includes a car (to sit in the back in luxury while the driver deals with the traffic). ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/84 "2017-09-13T12:35:44Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > American here, and I don’t quite agree. To me, “quite” can indeed imply “not bad, but I was kinda expecting it to be just a little better.” I’ve always interpreted quite as a stronger, more positive intensifier than what you’re describing. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/85 "2017-09-13T12:38:43Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > That isn’t accurate. “Quite good” is a synonym for “Very good” in U.S. English as well. It is a higher compliment than just “Good”. > [@pulykamell](#): > > Agreed. Quite right. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/86 "2017-09-13T12:40:52Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > American here, and I don’t quite agree. To me, “quite” can indeed imply “not bad, but I was kinda expecting it to be just a little better.” I’ve never encountered this usage ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/87 "2017-09-13T12:41:52Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > In Malaysian English – which is not some sort of bad English, but a true dialect with its own rules – the preposition is often dropped from phrasal verbs. > > Example: My Malaysian-born wife often asks me to “throw that [apple core or whatever],” rather than throw it _away_. Only sometimes do I then chuck the piece of garbage at her. 😉 > > Or “Don’t forget to pick Li’l Map!” Choose him from a lineup? Pick away at his scabs? She means pick him _up_, from school. Actually I’ve heard both these examples in Indian English ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/88 "2017-09-13T12:48:03Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I’ve never encountered this usage I consider “Quite” to be synonymous with “Pretty”. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/89 "2017-09-13T12:48:16Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > My dad grew up 400 miles south of where I did, so he had a lot of unique expressions that I never heard outside my own household. A couple that come to mind: > > Turn out the lights (instead of turn off) > My time (instead of “my turn” when playing a board game) > Frolnt room (instead of living room) “Turn out the lights” is a pretty common expression. In fact, there was a popular song by Willie Nelson called _Turn Out the Lights (The Party’s Over)_. Don Meredith would often sing that song on Monday Night Football when the score was lopsided in favor of one of the teams. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/90 "2017-09-13T12:58:00Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Best as I can tell, there are two “nices” in American English: there’s the “short nice”, which is often negative; and there’s the “long nice”, or “niiice”, which is an unequivocal compliment. I bet you said the latter and she heard it as the former. Good observation. There’s also “extra long nice” which is sarcastic. When somebody does some crazy driving maneuver a common response is “Niiice move a\*\*hole!” Or hearing about some really messed up people with 8 kids, all heroin addicts, etc.: “Niiice!” It’s distinctly pronounced “ni-i-ice” with a little wobble between each “i” sound. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/91 "2017-09-13T13:17:34Z")
In the UK, “bent” can mean "homosexual (not straight). Americans will tell someone they’re angry at to “get bent,” meaning “get out of here.” ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/92 "2017-09-13T13:18:44Z")
UK - Maths US - Math The argument can be made that “Maths” is a shortened form of “Mathematics”, but every cite I could find say that either form is correct. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/93 "2017-09-13T14:09:20Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > “I go to university” is a North American phrase; it’s used in Canada. Ah, thanks for the correction and further explanation. I have a feeling somewhere in the back of my brain I knew this (perhaps from the Straight Dope thread about a decade ago that I referenced), but completely forgot about it. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/94 "2017-09-13T14:10:31Z")
I have an editor who prefers “toward”, “backward” and “afterward”, while I prefer “backwards” and “afterwards” nearly always and quite often use “towards”. The versions with the “s” on them are apparently more common in British English, but my personal background is US Southern English which I suspect also embraces the “s” forms. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/95 "2017-09-13T14:14:39Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > I have an editor who prefers “toward”, “backward” and “afterward”, while I prefer “backwards” and “afterwards” nearly always and quite often use “towards”. The versions with the “s” on them are apparently more common in British English, but my personal background is US Southern English which I suspect also embraces the “s” forms. I grew up with both forms, but the “-s” less forms have become engrained in my writing, at least, because of American style guides (like the Associated Press Manual of Style) that drop the “unnecessary s.” That said, when speaking, I will often use the “s” forms, as in the phrase “Come towards me” or “Your shirt’s on backwards!” I’m from the Great Lakes dialect group. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/96 "2017-09-13T14:17:23Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > In Malaysian English – which is not some sort of bad English, but a true dialect with its own rules – the preposition is often dropped from phrasal verbs. > > Example: My Malaysian-born wife often asks me to “throw that [apple core or whatever],” rather than throw it _away_. Only sometimes do I then chuck the piece of garbage at her. 😉 > > Or “Don’t forget to pick Li’l Map!” Choose him from a lineup? Pick away at his scabs? She means pick him _up_, from school. My wife is ethnically Tamil, raised in the US by immigrants from India. She and her parents also often says things like “you can throw those leftovers”, leaving out the “away”. She also often leaves off the direct object of the verb “give”. For example, if one if our kids is pestering her to hurry up with the food, she might say, “I’m giving you!” I don’t know if that’s a feature of her parents’ dialect, or just something she does to set my teeth on edge. ETA: on the topic of “throw” vs. “throw away”… Plenty of Americans say “toss” to mean “throw away”. “Can you please toss those leftovers”. But “throw” sounds off. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/97 "2017-09-13T14:58:23Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Everyone here knows it’s “Californinian wine”. 🙂 > . I prefer grape wine myself. Californian wine is a little too close to soylent green for my tastes. Speaking of California-ism. When I moved to Pennsylvania I had to work hard to eliminate the phrase “yeah, no.” from my speech. Something I said without thinking about it, which was always understood in my native California to mean “I fully understand but disagree” made people quite visibly angry with me out here. “did you just say yes no? Which is it?” was a common response. Followed by much eye rolling and exasperated sighing. Occasionally arm flapping. Pissed people right off. ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/98 "2017-09-13T15:10:35Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > It’s “needs washed.” And it makes me feel all homesick. All we need are some multiple modals and I’ll feel right at home. This is called the “need + V-en” (where en stands for passive participle) construction by academics and is most common in Western NY, Western PA, Eastern OH, and Northern WV. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/99 "2017-09-13T15:12:54Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > When I moved to Pennsylvania I had to work hard to eliminate the phrase “yeah, no.” from my speech. Something I said without thinking about it, which was always understood in my native California to mean “I fully understand but disagree” made people quite visibly angry with me out here. Hmm. I fully understand and use “yeah…no.” Perhaps it’s just a California-ism that’s made its way into my dialect, but it’s certainly used and understood around here. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145/100 "2017-09-13T15:58:15Z")
Bayard and Acsneray – interesting. My wife is specifically from the Indian Malaysian community – her parents speak Tamil – so maybe it’s more of an Indian English thing rather than a Malaysian English one, \*lah. \* [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-subtle-differences-among-various-dialects-of-english/796145.md?page=6)