Norman W. Schur (1907–1992)

I bought this book figuring I'd maybe browse through it a bit and then sit it on the reference shelf, but Anglophile and lover of language that I am, once I started flipping through it I found it interesting enough that I ended up keeping it out on my kitchen counter and reading it through a page or two at a time over the course of several months.

It is, as the title suggests, a dictionary of British English for Americans. And it really was interesting to peruse, partly because now I am show more finally able to remember whether a Brit means 6:30 or 7:30 when they say "half seven", partly because it was fun and interesting to boggle at some of the differences that made me wonder how on earth we ever manage to communicate with each other at all, partly because it's written with fun little touches of humor, and partly because I found it bemusing to note how many expressions that I find perfectly familiar and natural are flagged here as specifically British, and how many of the American translations weren't familiar and natural-feeling to me. Which is no doubt a testament to how varied America dialects are, and to how much American and British dialects have influenced each other.

Anyway, it seems likely to be very useful for the American reader encountering unfamiliar or confusing British terms. Probably a bit less so for American writers looking to write dialog for British characters effectively, as simply reading the entries surely won't always give you a good idea about who is likely to use the expressions in what contexts (although the author does often include some notes on that sort of thing). There are also appendices at the back covering topics including specialized vocabulary (like cricket terms or parts of a car), weights and measures, weird place name pronunciations, and some general systematic differences between American and British English. All of which made my head spin, skimming through it, but which could be very useful when it's needed, as a lot of it seems like might be hard to figure out how to search for on the internet. show less

According to the subtitle, this book is "entertaining" and "fun and instructive". It is, from "a fortiori" to "zeugma".

But sometimes it does get bogged down in origins, derivations and ostentatious definitions. You must pay attention. You can end up reading a quarter page description and still miss the definition. Definitions and examples could be made a bit more clear, concise. This would help to keep the eyes from glazing over.

Take it and small bits and like some other books that are must show more reads - [How to Read a Book] comes to mind - stay with it. It may not always be entertaining, but it is good for you. show less

Have you ever searched for the same vaguely obscene-sounding word to describe a self-igniting match and a 19th century band of political radicals?
After once again denigrating our feckless public officials, have you ever wondered how you would describe a politicial with an abundance of ""feck""?
Lying awake in bed at night, have you asked yourself why you have only malapert friends?
If you find yourself repeatedly asking these or similar questions, you may be in dire need of a book that offers show more a rich sampling of strange -- but always entertaining -- words and terms. Norman Schur, the irrepressible author of three critically acclaimed ""1000 Most"" dictionaries and BRITISH ENGLISH, A TO ZED, has now culled a witty lexicon from just those regions of the human imagination that only obscure words can describe.
Though all Mr. Schur's previous books have cleaved to the practical aim of enriching readers' vocabularies, this volume is a shameless display of outright word-worship. Here will be found the least remembered and most forlorn words still somehow alive -- if barely breathing -- in the English language. Although most readers will probably never run across, let alone use, any of the words lovingly scrutinized and resusciated by Mr. Schur in this volume, that does not mean any of them will soon be forgotten. Perhaps no lexicographer since Dr. Johnson has been able to stimulate all the body's humours so effectively through the discussion of etymology! show less

As an Australian, I was curious as to how much of our language had British as proposed to American origins. It seems that there is more American usage than I expected. But it was not conclusive, because it is unclear how common some of the idiomatic expressions are. (And I struggle to think that anyone would call themselves a Brownite these days.)

Reading a dictionary cover to cover is probably not the best entertainment (The Devil's Dictionary excepted). And if you encounter an unfamiliar show more word you are better off going to a conventional dictionary.

The descriptions we tend to be variable in length and quality. I stopped when it told me that a "bun" (Br) is the same as a "squirrel" (Am) with no further explanation. I have gone away puzzled. Are we talking about a bread roll, a hairstyle or a small furry animal (perhaps a bunny)? I went to Google, but this seems to defeat the purpose of having a "definitive guide" to British English. show less