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Old August 19, 2008, 03:03 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by María José View Post
I heard these two words in an American show I watch with my daughter, and even though I can guess the meaning I might be wrong.
- The jocks ( the context was a group of teenagers in a high school talking about other kids). Are the jocks the popular guys?Guys who are good at sports
- MIT : I guess it's a college. Am I right?Massachusetts Institute of Technology (a school)
And one more thing I've just remembered:SB (you Americans use a lot more initials than the British and although I've managed to master some of them, many still escape me)Should be?
I have to admit I find initials and guessing what they stand for a great exercise, and besides they are very useful.
In some cases I choose to use the American word because it's a lot faster (I love talking about medicine and medical dramas...)
Some examples:
OR v. (operating theatre)
OB v. obstetrician or gynaecologistmore commonly ob/gyn
CBC v. blood testcbc(complete blood count)
It's true that in some cases it's not only a distinction between continents but also a question of context. And aren't some vocab differences becoming blurry in this mass media world of ours?
We still have differences in vocabulary. For example (one among many) just ask for an aubergine, and you'll get a funny look.
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