Bum Bags and Fanny Packs : A British-American American-British Dictionary

by Jeremy Smith

This book is the first place to turn when you encounter a Britishism or Americanism. The dictionary illuminates differences in vocabulary, usage, pronunciation, spelling, and the history of English, how and why differences arose, and what those differences are. More then 2,500 entries are listed on each side with a set of tables that includes national holidays, presidents, kings and queens, and money. The dictionary is an easy-to-read, light-hearted, and sometimes irreverent catalogue of the difference between American and British English. With a tone that is deliberately informal, much of the intrinsic humor shines through, but never at the cost of accuracy or detail.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 2, 2005

Reviews

[Tony Bucci · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not read the entire "dictionary" portion of this book. I just browsed various parts of it. However, I did read the text portions of the book. The author does a good job of explaining the history of the English language and how various dialects developed. This book serves as a good reference guide. I also liked how the author used humor in places to lighten up what sometimes seems like trivial information.

[Sammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely hilarious dictionary of words and phrases the British use and what they actually mean - and visa versa with American language. As the title suggests, bum bags and fanny packs - where you can seriously go wrong calling a bum a fanny in the UK! Truly marvellous.

[Kiri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a bit of an anglophile, and this book is pure fun and a lot more comprehensive than one might think at first glance. The author covers a lot of ground beyond the comparison of British and American words - pronunciation, culture, history of the language, etc. Great stuff.

[DJ]

recommended reading from the Churchill Foundation