Separated by a Common Language/Quotes

• Main
• Laconic
• Quotes
• All Subpages
• Create New

England and America are two countries separated by a common language. —George Bernard Shaw

They say that Britain and America are two countries separated by the Atlantic Ocean. And it's true! —Eddie Izzard

Firebolt: Ms. Rowling, after the first book, you stopped converting English words to American words. Is there any reason for this? J. K. Rowling: Actually, we didn't stop, but the number of words that were changed has been greatly exaggerated! We only ever changed a word when it had a different meaning in “American,” for instance, the word “jumper,” which in England means “sweater” and here, I believe, is something that only little girls wear! —AOL interview with J. K. Rowling October 19, 2000

In Canada we have enough to do keeping up with two spoken languages without trying to invent slang, so we just go right ahead and use English for literature, Scotch for sermons and American for conversation. —Stephen Leacock

The Americans are identical to the British in all respects except, of course, language. —Oscar Wilde

The American language differs from the English in that it seeks the top of expression while English seeks its lowly valleys. —Salvador de Madariaga, Americans are Boys

One of the strongest prejudices that one has to overcome when one visits Australia is that created by the weird jargon than passes for English in this country —Valerie Desmond

There even are places where English completely disappears. Why, in America, they haven't used it for years! —Professor Henry Higgins, My Fair Lady

---

Back to Separated by a Common Language