Potato, potahto

It is English, but is it American English? 10 unique terms

English is the official language of more than 50 nations across the world, so it’s not surprising that English speakers from different parts of the world have developed dialectal variations with unique vocabulary. But, being English —especially American English— used as an international common language, one would think that American vocabulary would have spread to foreign English speakers. While it has in some cases, certain terms are still unique to American English. Let’s have a look at some of them!

This might be the best example of a uniquely American term, though it is technically derived from the original name of the sport. Internationally known as football, soccer was originally called ‘association football’ to distinguish it from ‘Gaelic football’. With time, the popularity of the sport became associated with the term football, except in the U.S., where Gridiron or American football was more popular. So, for Americans, American football became just ‘football’, and association football became ‘soccer’.

Eggs are an integral element of American diners, where a specific vocabulary was developed to quickly explain the type of egg desired in the least amount of time. Where other English speakers would simply ask for a fried egg, Americans know that there are several ways to fry an egg: over easy is just one of them.

Have you ever wondered why the U.S. has a Postal Service but not postal codes? It’s not that they don’t exist; they just have a different name. The ‘Zone Improvement Plan’, or ZIP, was created to make mail services more efficient, but nowadays it’s key for analyzing demographics, sales, and the types of data. While the name ‘Zone Improvement Plan’ might sound strange, it was chosen with the ZIP acronym in mind to suggest that mail would zip along using the system.

Whether you use condo to mean an owned apartment of any kind or as a certain type of building, both are terms mainly used in America. Other English speakers would just say flat or apartment, and would use the term commonhold (UK), strata (Australia and parts of Canada), or divided co-ownership (Francophone Canada) for a building with common areas and services.

Let’s address the obvious first: yes, bodega is a Spanish word. However, it has a unique meaning in American English. While for Spanish speakers it means a winery, in the U.S., it refers to a specific type of convenience store or deli, traditionally owned by Hispanics.

If you hear the word ‘silverware’ in the UK, it won’t mean what you think it means. Kind of. For Americans, the term ‘silverware’ encompasses all eating utensils, including forks, knives, spoons, and even chopsticks. Outside of the U.S., it is more common to say ‘cutlery’, while silverware is used for cutlery actually made from silver.

While words such as ‘university’ or ‘school’ are typical when discussing higher education, ‘college’ is the more commonly used term in the U.S., even present in the names of famous institutions. In other English variants, ‘college’ can be used to talk about trade schools, vocational training, or a university’s residential hall.

If we consider that Canadians also use the term ‘period’ for the punctuation mark, we could say that this term is uniquely North American, but it’s a term other English speakers commonly associate with the U.S. In other parts of the world, ‘full stop’ is the preferred name. What a mouthful!

Again, why do we have a Postal Service but prefer the term ‘mailman’? It’s just a matter of use. Originally, ‘post’ was used for domestic letters, while ‘mail’ was used for letters sent abroad. While the term ‘postal service’ is common to all English variants, mail and its derivatives, such as mailman, are now the norm in American English, while other English dialects tend to use post.

Although Canadians might sometimes use ‘nightstand’ to talk about this piece of furniture, outside of American English, it is common to use the term ‘bedside table’. Originally, the word nightstand implied a furniture piece with built-in storage, while a bedside table was simpler, but nowadays they are equivalent terms.

Birds of a feather

What is the "swan song"? Fly high with these 10 bird-themed idioms

Image: Boris Smokrovic

Whether you love getting outside to watch birds in their natural habitat or prefer staying indoors with a good book, this article has something for everyone. In everyday conversations, we often use many phrases that feature our feathered friends as the main characters. From the famous "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" to some lesser-known expressions, today we're exploring the meanings and origins of 10 fun bird-related idioms that also teach us valuable lessons.

Image: Daria Drewnowska

It is believed that this expression gained fame thanks to falconry, a popular sport during medieval times. In this practice, a hunting bird –usually a falcon– was trained to catch other birds or small animals. The falcon would often perch on the trainer's hand, which inspired the well-known idiom. While catching prey was important, the hawk had far greater value than the other birds in flight, making it essential to take good care of it.

Thus, this phrase highlights the importance of appreciating what you already have over uncertain possibilities and the wisdom of playing it safe rather than risking everything.

Image: alexandru vicol

It seems like every mom has a sneaky bird friend watching the kids and reporting every bit of mischief and little white lie, doesn't it? Or at least that's what we were led to believe as children (well, if you had a pet parrot, this might actually be true).

The idiom "a little bird told me" is used as a playful way to share information from a source that can't be revealed. And it has an interesting possible origin. It is believed that this expression originated from ancient mythologies, where birds were thought to announce events, serving as messengers of the gods.

Don't let your guard down; you never know when a little bird might be watching!

Image: Karl Callwood

Hunting birds with stones must be one of the oldest forms of hunting, and it's actually the origin of a well-known phrase. Of course, hitting just one bird is no easy task, so imagine the feat of hitting two with one throw; that would demand either extraordinary skills or a rare stroke of luck. Thus, "Kill two birds with one stone" is used to refer to efficiency: Solving two problems or completing two goals with a single action when it could have required much more effort.

This phrase first appeared in written English in the 17th century. Fortunately, we have gentler versions nowadays, such as "Feed two birds with one scone." Sweet, isn't it?

Image: Pedro Forester Da Silva

Aurora Musis Amica is a Latin proverb that means "Dawn is the friend of the muses." As we can see, the idea of getting up early for its benefits has been valued since ancient times.

Inspired by the natural behavior of birds that wake at dawn to find the best and most food, the popular English idiom, "The early bird catches the worm" conveys the same idea: If you arrive first, you'll probably get the best. In fact, many languages have similar sayings. For instance, in Spanish, there's a popular phrase that goes, Al que madruga, Dios lo ayuda, which translates to "God helps the early riser."

Image: David Wilson

Here is one undeniable fact: Birds of a feather flock together. Science says so, not just us.

William Turner, an English naturalist and botanist, wrote in his 1545 book The Rescuing of the Romish Fox: "Birds of on kynde and color, they flocke and flye allwayes together." Inspired by this natural behavior of birds and other animals, the famous idiom was born to describe how we often come together and form groups with others who share similar interests, preferences, and characteristics.

Image: Wolfgang Hasselmann

Whenever someone completes an arduous task, leaves an unpleasant situation, or –who knows– even goes through a divorce, you might hear the phrase "free as a bird."

This phrase draws from how we perceive a bird's flight: unrestrained, independent, and fulfilling. It's hard to find a better way to describe freedom, right?

The Beatles expressed this sense of release perfectly in their song titled exactly as this idiom. "Free as a Bird" was composed and recorded by John Lennon 3 years after the band's breakup, but it wasn't released at the time. Almost two decades later, in 1995, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr released a studio version that included Lennon's demo.

Image: Diane Baker

It's well known that hawks stand out for their incredible skills and features. Among these, their vision and accuracy are particularly impressive. The hawk's eye is infallible: It examines the situation with precision and always succeeds when hunting its prey.

For this reason, hawks' vision is often used in figures of speech to represent careful and detailed observation. In fact, the "Hawk-Eye" is a system used in many sports –such as tennis– to review and analyze moves that may cause confusion. So, when we "watch someone like a hawk," it means we're paying close attention, observing them carefully, and noticing even the smallest details. Have you ever felt like you were being watched this closely?

Image: Sven Piper

Realizing that we've missed a long-awaited opportunity can be quite frustrating, but maybe we can add a little humor to the situation with a clever bird-inspired idiom.

When someone says "The bird has flown," they're telling you that what you were looking for is gone; In other words, it's too late. In this case, the bird represents the chance or desired thing that has slipped away.

This idiom is clear: Once a bird has escaped, it's unlikely to return to its cage. You've probably heard "That ship has sailed," a similar popular expression that symbolizes the same idea.

Image: Dmitry Beloglazov

Are you one of those who feel happy with just a cup of coffee and a cookie, or do you prefer a hearty meal? We're definitely in the second group!

The expression "eat like a bird" doesn't refer to large predators like hawks or eagles that consume big prey but rather to small birds, such as sparrows. Why? Because to "eat like a bird" means to eat very little or have a small appetite.

While the origin of this idiom is not well documented, it has been used in English since at least the 19th century. After all, who could feel full after eating just a handful of seeds?

Image: melethril

If you are an artist or an art fan, you've probably come across this idiom more than once.

"Swan song" was originally used in artistic contexts to refer to the final and most dedicated work of a writer, composer, or painter. Over time, the expression expanded to other contexts, referring to the final important action of someone before retiring from their field. For example, it might describe a lawyer's last case or a professor's final lecture.

But where does this idiom come from? If you've ever been near a swan, you'll know that they are usually silent. However, in medieval times, it was believed that swans sang a beautiful song just before they died as a grand finale. Poetic, right?