Oh, But It Is! Reviewing "That's Not English!" by Erin Moore

That's Not English! Britishisms, Americanisms, and What Our English Says About Us

In which the author, Erin Moore, reflects on various ways the English language is used in different cultures.

Moore was born in Florida but moved to England, married an Englishman, and had English children. Hers is less a study of linguistics than an affectionate comparison of two cultures that are close to her personally: the one she was born into, and the one she chose. Since “the one she chose” is England, it’s understandable that the slant would be slightly in that direction. However, her tone is (usually) less of an Anglophile fangirl and more “Look at this nifty phrase or word! Why don’t they use it in America?”

Unlike some of the other books I’ve read on the topic, this book is less concerned with dry linguistics, being drawn from various anecdotes and experiences she had as an American fish out of water. There is a less formal feel in her prose, making this a good introductory book on this topic. 

There are a few American/British differences that may be obvious to some people already. The whole “You say chips, I say crisps, you say lift, I say elevator…” sort of thing is touched upon, for instance. However, in general, Moore takes a word that is unique to one or other culture, and then delves deeper into the meaning of the word, its significance in the culture, why it’s important, why it’s used in one place more than another, and whether it may be useful to use in other cultures or situations.

It sort of reminded me of They Have a Word for It, which I’ve discussed previously. That book looked at various words in different languages that the author believed would benefit the English language.

That’s Not English! does the same thing—only they’re words that are already in the English language…they just are not as universally used for various reasons.