[net.nlang] The American Language

chip@dartvax.UUCP (Brig Elliott) (08/04/84)

Any English-speakers who want to browse through a fascinating book
on American English (its history, development, etymologies, and differences
from British English) should read:

     The American Language    (H. L. Mencken)

and its various supplemental volumes.  It's fat, answers lots of questions,
brings up words you haven't ever heard of--and is vastly amusing.  Usenet
flames are mild as milk compared to Mencken's.

(As a final aside, it strikes me as surprising that the English are
displeased with American English.  The British isles have a much larger
range of English than we, and many of the dialects are more peculiar.
And modern BBC ("King's") English is a fairly new invention, not a great
high holy bit of history.  But I am being too dignified.  Surely some
Australian reader will give us a bit of invective...?)

                          Brig Elliott    ..dartvax!chip