Description

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Among English-speaking nations, the United States of America is as insular and unique as the Earth is compared to Mars. Within its borders it has a unique fusion of cultures; it has its own complex legal system; a sometimes frustrating political system based on constitutional checks and balances; its own traditions; its own food and ... its own variation of the English language. Which brings us to the purpose of this book: To show (hopefully in an accessible way) how the English language and culture of America diverged from the English language and culture of the English. And how, no matter how hard any country tries to resist, Planet Earth will eventually end up with one world language – a form of English uniquely fashioned by its most active guardians and developers: the Americans. Welcome to Amglish: Two nations divided by a common language (but united in their ability to tease each other about their respective versions of it)!

This is the ultimate cultural and linguistic survival guide for tourists and business travelers alike; the essential reference book to avoid making simple but shocking mistakes on either side of the Atlantic; the place where you can learn why Americans play a game called soccer, while most of the rest of the world plays a game called football (but not the American variety); the place where we reveal how the influence for the American national anthem was a mixture of bombs bursting in air and bawdy beer-soaked ale-houses. And we also examine the contradiction whereby many Americans revere God's work with oceans and sunsets, but think he did a lousy job on various human body parts.

The book also contains a comprehensive reference section that includes: The differences in pronunciation between American-English and British-English; Words that sound the same but are spelled differently; Words that look and sound the same, but which have different meanings from one side of the Atlantic to the other; and the biggest section of all, the "Amglish to Britglish" translator.

About the Author

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Mike Powell is a former British newspaper and radio journalist who hosted top-rated morning shows on several UK music radio stations before transitioning to station management. He was Program Director of County Sound (Guildford, UK) from 1984 to 1986 and then CEO from 1986 to 1991 - growing the group to eight radio stations. His innovations at County Sound included introducing the UK's first all-oldies radio station. He also designed the programming for award-winning station, Fox FM (Oxford) - a joint venture with Capital Radio (London). After taking County Sound to a full UK stock market listing, he departed to form radio investment, research and management company, Infinity Radio, which set up Pirate FM (Cornwall) with Mike as launch CEO. Infinity then merged with UKRD Group where Mike became CEO - eventually building the group to well over 20 radio stations and associated companies. While running UKRD, Mike Powell played a key role in launching Manchester's Kiss 102 and served as launch CEO of Berkshire's Star FM. In 1995, he launched the new County Sound Radio Network consisting of County Sound Radio, 96.4 The Eagle and Delta Radio. In 2001 Mike Powell Powell became Chairman of Infinity Media which then separated from UKRD to concentrate on digital platform technologies. In October 2002, he joined RCS as Vice President of its International division. In 2014 he became Senior Vice President International for RCS and Chief Compliance Officer of its Media Monitors subsidiary. In the UK he was appointed by the University of Surrey to the Panel which validated and monitored a new Media degree course at Farnborough College, where he subsequently became a visiting lecturer. He was a visiting lecturer in Media at Lancashire Polytechnic (now the University of Central Lancashire). In 2014 he was appointed to the International Advisory Panel for the new Ocean University (formerly Fujairah Media Academy) in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, where he will also be a visiting professor in Media Studies.