why is this place so republican?

[Jon]

math = maths?

Yes. To us Brits, math sounds like it is singular, rather than the field of mathematics.

 

[Isaac]

don't you mean it sounds plural because you say it plural? now i'm confused

 

[Jon]

If I say maths, to me it is like mathematics. If I say math, it is like saying mathematic, which to me sounds singular rather than referring to the field of mathematics. But if you are born learning a different version of English, then math will sound the same as maths to a Brit.

In an earlier post, I said IQ etc are acronyms, not abbreviations. I was wrong. Apparently, acronyms are a type of abbreviation. So, abbreviation is the umbrella term, under which one category are acronyms. So, IQ is both an acronym and an abbreviation.

 

[AngelSpeaks]

I haven't heard of the first 4 letters thing before. So I did a quick Google and came up with: IQ, Mr, Mrs, MA, CEO, DIY, Dr., NW, MD, CFO, PA. It seems to vary quite a lot. Not sure if things like LOL are considered abbreviations or not, or come under some kind of alternative definition?

Edit: LOL of course is an acronym, not an abbreviation. And that also means IQ, CEO, MD etc comes under acronym too.

There are standard two letter abbreviations for states and US Territories.

 

[Pat Hartman]

If you address a women whom you know to be married as Mrs, she will only be offended if she is a snowflake and belongs to the segment of the population who are offended by anything they disagree with.

 

[ColinEssex]

I think I read something years ago that some letters were omitted from American English to save ink when using typewriters and printing. For example, color instead of color. Maybe math is another example?

Don't yanks say 'faucet' instead of 'tap'? Or 'gasoline' instead of 'petrol'?
Col

 

[ColinEssex]

Can anyone define what a woman is nowadays,

Excellent title for a new thread
Col

 

[Jon]

Don't yanks say 'faucet' instead of 'tap'? Or 'gasoline' instead of 'petrol'?
Col

Maybe gasoline was used when ink wasn't so expensive.

 

[ColinEssex]

Maybe gasoline was used when ink wasn't so expensive.

I'll bet the yanks don't have paraffin.
Col

 

[conception_native_0123]

Don't yanks say 'faucet' instead of 'tap'?

i say 'tap' all the damn time.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Well, Messrs is an abbreviation of a French oddball (excuse me: irregular) plural of monsieur (My Lord) but Mrs. is actually an abbreviation of Mistress, usually the title of the "Lady of the house." Both Mister and Master derive from "Magister" - teacher. Miss is, of course, not an abbreviation. Ms. is just a generic word synthesized for the purpose of being ambiguous. John (NG), if you were addressing a young woman instead of a young man, you might have used Mlle - for mademoiselle. Down here in south Louisiana we tend to see the French abbreviations more often because in the Lafayette, LA area, there are still French-language radio stations that play a lot of Cajun and Zydeco music.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

I'll bet the yanks don't have paraffin.

Actually, we do - or at least we used to, because you could buy candle-making kits with wicks, molds, and blocks of paraffin. They sometimes came with a type of paint that would stick to room-temperature paraffin. I had one of those 65 years ago.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Here in the USA, we say "faucet" when it is for water but "tap" when it is for beer or similar spirits. We say gasoline because there was a brand name called Cazelline (named after a British person, John Cassell) in the 1860s. How often do people make the mistake of taking a brand name and forever associating it with a more generic product. Look at "Kleenex" - which is a tissue. Or "Ping Pong" - which is a brand of a table tennis kit.

 

[JonXL]

If I say maths, to me it is like mathematics. If I say math, it is like saying mathematic, which to me sounds singular rather than referring to the field of mathematics. But if you are born learning a different version of English, then math will sound the same as maths to a Brit.

I think that was the point of an earlier post: mathematics is not plural. BE treats it like delicatessen (delicatessen/deli/delicatessens/delis). But that seems to come from a confusion on the meaning of the S (it doesn't denote plurality - at least not in PDE -, but, as you allude to, merely indicates 'the field of' or similar).

 

[Jon]

Do the Americans use Mathematic, or do they only use Math?

 

[NauticalGent]

Math, as in "Which math class are you taking?"
Answer: "algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus"

Sometimes when we are speaking in general, we will us arithmetic - "Reading, writing and arithmetic" or if you're from the south - "Reading, riting an rithmetric"

 

[Jon]

So in America, they never use Mathematics or Mathematic?

 

[NauticalGent]

So in America, they never use Mathematics or Mathematic?

At times, we might say "proficiency in mathematics has declined"

Don't think I have EVER used or herad mathematics in the singular, except for here that is...

 

[Jon]

I'm asking because of the Math vs Maths thing. Ultmately, it is up to each country to decide what to do!

 

[Isaac]

Actually, we do - or at least we used to, because you could buy candle-making kits with wicks, molds, and blocks of paraffin. They sometimes came with a type of paint that would stick to room-temperature paraffin. I had one of those 65 years ago.

The great thing about the US: we have ALL ethnic foods