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.

PASS THE FISH SAUCE

Go Beyond Mayonnaise, Ketchup & Mustard: 10 Condiments To Spice It Up!

Image: JACQUELINE BRANDWAYN

Sure, there is nothing wrong with good old mustard, mayonnaise, and ketchup. But those classic flavors would be even more appreciated if given a rest for a while. And, in the meantime, here are ten condiments from all over the world that have been waiting on the benches for their day on the spotlight on your diner table. Did you ever hear about oyster sauce? Or lingonberry jam? Take a quick look and see if any of these flavor enhancers tempt you!

Image: Davide Cantelli

Let us start this list with a sauce that is served throughout the Balkan nations as a relish or a side dish. The so-called "Serbian Salsa", ajvar is a condiment made principally from sweet bell peppers and eggplants.

The relish became a popular side dish throughout Yugoslavia after World War II and is made of roasted peppers. Ajvar can be consumed as a bread spread or as a side dish. Ajvar has a few variations. One variation contains tomato and eggplant, and another green bell peppers and oregano.

Image: Viviana Rishe

Hoisin sauce gives a tangy glaze to any dish. Essentially a Chinese barbecue sauce, this condiment lies at the intersection of brown sauce and hot sauce. Peking ducks are almost always dressed with hoisin sauce.

This is a thick, fragrant sauce commonly used as a glaze for meat, an addition to stir fry, or as a dipping sauce. It is dark-colored, sweet, and salty. Although regional variants exist, hoisin sauce usually includes soybeans, fennel, red chili peppers, and garlic.

Image: Nick Karvounis

A Korean sauce, gochujang is a savory and spicy hot pepper paste that gives many dishes from its country of origin their unique taste. It is made from chili, fermented soybeans, sticky rice, and salt, it’s mostly combined with other condiments when used.

Traditionally, it would be naturally fermented over years in ceramic vessels on an elevated stone platform in the backyard but these days it is prepared in a more industrial environment.

Image: Caroline Attwood

As the name implies, fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish. Its pungent smell may come as a shock to the first-time user but it is a flavor one gets used to. It helps enhance the taste of the ingredients it touches.

It is mixed with sugar, chili, lime juice, and garlic, and due to its ability to add a savory umami flavor to dishes, it has been embraced globally by chefs and home cooks. It can be used as a seasoning during or after cooking and as a base in dipping sauces.

Image: NordWood Themes

A familiar name to many, chutney is made of fruit or vegetable marinated in vinegar, spices, and sugar, chutneys can be sweet, savory, or spicy. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt, or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion, or mint dipping sauce.

Vinegar was added to the recipe for English-style chutney that traditionally aims to give a long shelf life so that autumn fruit can be preserved for use throughout the year or to be sold as a commercial product. In Western cuisine, chutney is often eaten with hard cheese or with cold meats.

Image: Ashim D’Silva

Miso is a byproduct of soy sauce, but it has a life of its own. Apart from being used to make soup, the paste can be served directly as a topping on rice.

High in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals, it is used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables, fish, or meats. Different varieties of miso have been described as salty, sweet, earthy, fruity, and savory.

Image: Kiyoshi

Another familiar name on the list, aioli begins with a ground garlic paste before whipping in egg yolk, olive oil, and mustard. The emulsion is sometimes seasoned with lemon juice, saffron, or chili. It is a perfect dip for seafood, veggie crisps, or french fries.

The names mean "garlic and oil" in Catalan and Provençal. It is found in the cuisines of the Mediterranean coasts of Spain and France.Some versions of the sauce are closer to a garlic mayonnaise, incorporating egg yolks and lemon juice, whereas other versions lack egg yolk and contain more garlic.

Image: Tyson

Perhaps it is more than "just" a condiment, as it also has steamed, fried sausage, usually pork, typically cut into bite-sized chunks. But in this case, we are highlighting the curry ketchup that goes with it.

Currywurst sauce is based on spiced ketchup or tomato paste topped with curry powder, or a ready-made ketchup seasoned with curry and other spices. The dish is often served with french fries.

Image: Raphael Nogueira

As exotic as the name sounds, it is not a rare condiment. Oyster sauce is a viscous dark brown condiment thickened with corn starch, made from oyster extracts, sugar, salt, and water.

Oyster sauce is saltier and is used more often in everyday cooking than hoisin sauce. It’s as suitable for marinating a steak at home as it is for dressing boiled choi sum.

Image: Fábio Alves

Lingonberries grow on a short evergreen shrub in the Arctic tundra throughout the Northern Hemisphere from Eurasia to North America. And, in Sweden, these little berries are used to make delicious jam that is used as a condiment for meat courses, such as meatballs, beef stew, or fried herring.

Traditional dishes such as potato pancakes, spinach pancakes, and black pudding are commonly combined with lingonberries. The jam can also be paired with oatmeal porridge, mashed potatoes, and some desserts.