Confusing English

English is often called an international language. But the way it is
used varies greatly around the world.

What is familiar and obvious in one cultural context may be strange and
confusing in another, even where both use nominally the "same" language.
This exercise is intended to help trainee website content authors
appreciate that local cultural and other assumptions affect the way that
their text is received.

Study each of the following items and identify which parts may cause
communication difficulties in an international/intercultural setting.
Discuss how differences may affect the usability of your website and
suggest alternative wording. There are often several aspects to consider
- not just just a single right/wrong answer.


1. The boxing champion weighed in at 13 stones 7 lbs
Comment: Stones, lbs (pounds) and oz. (ounces) are non-metric weights
sometimes still used in Britain. In the US, human body weight is
expressed in lbs (pounds).

2. The table is 6' 6" long and 3ft 3in. wide
Comment: The use of foot, feet (ft) and inches (in) is still common in
Britain even though it started changing over to the metric system more
than 30 years ago. British consumers are becoming increasingly familiar
with metric units of measurement for example centimetres (cm) and
millimetres (mm). The single apostrophe is often use to mean feet, and
the double apostrophe used to mean inches.

3. Birmingham is about 90 miles from London as the crow flies
Comment: Kilometers are more internationally recognised than miles. This
item also assumes that we are talking about Birmingham, England rather
than say Birmingham, Alabama, in the USA. There is also a place called
London in Texas! The expression 'as the crow flies' is rather
old-fashioned and unnecessarily colloquial.

4. The currency exchange rate is about $1.60 the £
Comment: Many countries besides the United States use the $ as a
currency symbol although the value is very different. The £ symbol can
also mean other currencies besides the British pound sterling.

5. It will cost you $29 to replace that item
Comment: What currency is this? Is it clear from the context whether you
mean US dollars or the currency of another country?

6. This new DVD player will set you back £180 ex.vat
Comment: The colloquial (informal) expression 'will set you back' might
not be internationally understood. The expression 'ex.vat' might be
familiar in the UK but cause difficulties in an international setting.


7. Some states permit right turn on red and some don’t
Comment: In some parts of the world, you are allowed to drive through a
red traffic light if the junction is clear and you don't need to cross
other traffic lanes. For British and other readers that normally drive
on the left and whose laws do not allow any traffic to pass red, this
sentence may be totally mystifying!

8. Road accident statistics indicate that turning right is more
dangerous than turning left
Comment: This assumes that cars drive on the left and hence need to
cross oncoming traffic in order to turn right.


9. He was nabbed for doing 110 on the M6 while under the influence
Comment: This assumes that you are familiar with 'nab' to mean 'caught'
or 'arrested' by the police. Also that you know the M6 is a major
highway, that the 110 means miles per hour. Note that 110km/hour would
be within the legal speed limit for this type of road. The expression
'under the influence' means containing excessive amounts of alcohol in
the blood. Note also that the term 'motorway' is British; in the US you
are more likely to hear 'expressway' or 'freeway'.


10. Please fill in your surname, christian name, dob and postcode
Comment: Most people do not have a 'Christian name' and may find this
usage offensive. The abbreviation 'dob' needs to be clearer. The term
'postcode depends on the local postal system and other English-speaking
countries may have a different term such as ZIP code. Even the concept
of 'surname' is not the same in different countries.


11. The car’s rated fuel consumption is 6,9 L/100km
Comment: Although fuel for cars (petrol (GB), gas (US) and diesel) in
Britain is usually sold by the litre (liter), fuel consumption is still
often expressed in miles per gallon (mpg) i.e. the distance the car is
expected to travel for a given amount of fuel. However, in most of
Europe, fuel consumption is expressed as the amount of fuel required to
cover a certain distance, usually 100 kilometers. As a consequence, more
economical cars have a higher mpg or a lower figure for liters/100km.
Note also that the decimal point is written as a comma in most of Europe
but as a full-stop (US: period) in some countries including the US and
Britain.


12. A brand new Nissan Micra will set you back at least six grand but
you can pick up an S-reg for less than two
Comment: In UK contexts, the expression 'six grand' probably means
£6000. 'S-reg' refers to the age of the vehicle with older vehicles
usually having licence (US: license) plates with an earlier letter of
the alphabet. The expression 'set you back' has several colloquial
meanings; in this context it means 'cost'.


13. Heat 2 oz of butter to 350 degrees (gas mark 4)
Comment: This is probably from a British cookery context. A metric
equivalent for 2 ounces should be provided, and the temperature stated
in degrees Celsius not Fahrenheit.


14. The deadline is 8.30 on 1/12/2003
Comment: This is a very ambiguous expression as it is assumed that
'8.30' is a time but it is not clear if this is in the morning or in the
evening. Many countries use both the 24-hour clock and the 12-hour clock
system depending on the context. The date is also highly ambiguous;
1/12/2003 refers to January 12, 2003 in the USA but to 1 December 2003
in many other countries. Global websites should be quite explicit, and
if necessary add the relevant timezone.


15. His bed and breakfast was only 500 yds from a local shopping centre
Comment: The distance is expressed in non-metric units. The British
spelling of 'centre' would be 'center' in American English but the term
itself, 'shopping centre', might need localising to for example,
'shopping mall'. In this context, the term 'bed and breakfast' probably
refers to inexpensve overnight accommodation provided in a converted
house instead of a hotel.


16. He wanted to build a mansion on a half acre plot but eventually
bought a condo for a knockdown price
Comment: Land area is traditionally expressed in acres in British and
American contexts, whilst in most of Europe, the hectare is the
preferred metric unit (10 hectares is approximately 25 acres). However,
other units are used in many parts of the world, for example in Thailand
(even in English language publications) the size of a plot of land is
usually expressed in square wah. The US term 'condo' is short for
'condominium' and refers to an apartment in a shared-ownership block. In
British English, the term 'flat' is more common but 'apartment' is also
used.


17. Road accident statistics indicate that turning right is more
dangerous than turning left
Comment: This assumes that people drive on the left-hand-side of the
road, as in the UK. For countries that drive on the right, the statement
would need amending to make its meaning clearer.


18. The collision badly damaged his car; he needed a new fender, hood
and windshield. He also bought two new tires and put them in his trunk
Comment: There are major differences between British and North American
names for various parts of cars (automobiles).


19. She aims to leave the country before the end of the tax year so that
the Inland Revenue cannot catch her
Comment: The start and end dates of the tax year vary from country to
country so if it is significant in a particular context, you may be
advised to make it explicit. This is not always easy because in some
countries, the "tax year" is not fixed the same for everyone. For
example, in the US you may be able to opt for different months. There
are many different types of tax so it may be advisable to be explicit
about that too. The expression 'Inland Revenue' is British and in other
parts of the world a different term is likely to be more familiar, e.g.
'IRS' in the USA. It may be preferable to make the meaning of 'the
country' explicit if it is not obvious to readers wherever they live.


20. They went to the Kings Head for a swift half before closing time
Comment: In British contexts, the 'Kings Head' is likely to be a pub or
bar and it is clear that the 'half' refers to a half-pint (about 250ml)
of beer. Traditionally, English pub opening times have been strictly
controlled although this is now more relaxed.


21. Visitors to the restaurant have a delightful range of choice: roast
beef, pork, frogs legs, sheeps' eyes, stewed rat, fried locusts, dogs'
testicles, eggs and caviar
Comment: You should appreciate that 'delightful' food has very different
meanings in different cultures and religions. The cow is a sacred animal
in some religions and the pig, and hence pork, is 'unclean' in several
religions. In many other cases, local custom may vary from elsewhere. In
British custom, eating cats and dogs is likely to cause offence and
eating horsemeat is also likely to cause a reaction. In Russian and
western culture, it is not unusual to think of 'caviar' as a very
attractive, high status food but often the origin (fish ovaries) is not
known. Some readers will feel strongly about force-feeding of calves to
produce veal or certain other production methods. Furthermore, many
visitors may be vegetarian by religious belief or personal choice.


22. The offices are closed until after New Year's day
Comment: Different calendars are in use in different parts of the world
and the new year begins at different times in various countries.


23. He wanted to meet them next Friday but they decided to meet this
Thursday
Comment: 'This' and 'next' regarding days of the week, weekends, and
months often causes confusion and should be avoided. If today is Friday,
some people call the following Monday (3 days later) as 'next Monday'
but others will call it 'this Monday' and use 'next Monday' to mean a
week later. Usage is inconsistent within British English and elsewhere.


24. The police were ordered to stop drinking after eleven
Comment: Very ambiguous! Was it the police themselves that should stop
drinking? More likely the police received the order to stop members of
the public from drinking. Drinking what? Probably alcohol. After eleven
what? Eleven pints? Eleven o'clock in the morning or eleven o'clock in
the evening? Probably 11pm because that is the standard legal closing
time for pubs in England. Also for how long? Just that evening? Until
next day? Forever? Taken literally, perhaps the police received the
order after 11 o'clock! Notice also that we take it for granted that we
are talking about pubs and bars - but it doesn't actually say so. Maybe
they're going to stop you drinking at home too!

Taken from:
http://www.active-media-solutions.co.uk/international/