Pedestrian dangers - pavement flagstones and tree roots, remedies, cure, prevention

Raised paving stone caused accident. Bruising visible on face uner eye and on bridge of nose.

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

I look dreadful. After my acccident I seem to have aged overnight. Aged ten years. Miserable, baggy eyed, injured. I could not sleep, kept waking up, in pain, as I tossed and turned and winced. When I cleared my throat ed my chest hurt. When I winced my face hurt! 

I had a nasty accident. I was walking along the pavement which has small square flagstones. Many of them had been lifted by trees. I tripped over one of them and fell flat on my face. (Americans say sidewalk where the British say pavement.)  How can I prevent that happening again and how could you prevent it happneding to you or any elderly or accident-prone person you know?

Possible Protection

A padded balaclava to protect your nose and face.

The accident happened  January 27th, Saturday, at about 6 pm.

I was going to a friene' house for dinner. I felt very shaken. I thought that having my dinner and a drink would make me feel better and recover better than sitting around without supper in a hospital's A ad E department for hours, being kept up half the night. They probably would not do an x ray until morning, on Sunday, or Monday. So I would have to go home and come back. A waste of my time, and their, and a risk of cathing colds which are going around, a cold from all the extra walking about, or Covid-19. I would also have been at A & E a long way from home and if admitted my family would have to travel a long way.

I had a blocked nose all evening and had trouble biting. My teeth hurt. My nse hurt. My cheek hurt.

By the end of the evening I had devloped a dark bruise under my eyes. 

I went home, hoping in vain that it would all get better overnight. At around 5 am I woke and found I was dripping red blood from my nose. I realised that the blood in my nose has been interfering with my breathing.

 For American readers, pavement, the British word, means sidewalk in American wording.

Update, Monday. X-ray showed no broken bones. Good news. Doctors prescribed pain killers and medicine to reduce sewlling

Useful Websites

https://www.personal-injurysolicitors.com/trip-injuries-pavements/?

Please bookmark and share links to your favourite blog posts.

Americanisms and British English - do you know all of these?

 American - British

burrito - cylinder of pancake like thin bread to hold fillings, made from tortilla, found in southern USA

dish soap - washing up liquid

eraser - rubber

elevator - lift

Fall - autumn

faucet - tap

hack - tip

intersection - junction

make a right - turn right

shortening (butter or solid fat sold in blocks for making crumbles, tarts, pastry or bread, as opposed to stetchy fats or cooking oils sold in bottles, various brands in the USA, UK and Australia)

sidewalk - pavement

trash - rubbish

tortilla - Mexican flatbread, which looks like a pancake, originally made from maize, found in southern USA

British - American

autumn - Fall

junction - intersection

lift - elevator

pavement - sidewalk

rubber - eraser

rubbish - trash

tap - faucet

tip - hack

turn right - make a right

washing up liquid - dish soap

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shortening

Please share links to your favourite posts

American and British Words From Today

 An American asked, what is an HGV. Here goes:

UK - USA

1 HGV = heavy goods vehicle / large lorry - truck

2 HGV - truck and trailer/semi/ articulated truck/18 wheeler/big rig

3 lorry - truck

4 lorry driver - truck driver

While we're at it, a few more handy words:

UK - USA

1 car - automobile

2 (car) bonnet - hood

3 (car) boot - trunk

4 car boot sale (usually in a field or car park) - garage sale (usually in a garage)

5 car park - parking lot

6 high street - main street

8 pavement - sidewalk

7 road - pavement

8 turn right - make a right

9 petrol - gas

10 garage - gas station

Americanisms and British language equivalents

 

American - British

attorney - lawyer/solicitor

In the UK, a solicitor deals with paperwork, such as when buying a house. A barrister stands up to speak for you in court.

US - UK

drug store - chemist

diaper - nappy

elevator - lift

eraser - rubber

fall - autumn

hood (or car) - bonnet

parking lot - car park

real estate - property

rubber - Durex/condom

shopping cart - shopping trolley

sidewalk - pavement

trucker - lorry driver

trunk (of car) - boot

vacation - holiday

UK - US

autumn - Fall

bonnet (of car) - hood

boot (of car) - trunk

car park - parking lot

chemist - drug store + pharmacy

holiday - vacation

lift - elevator

lorry - truck

lorry driver - truck driver/trucker

Nappy - diaper

pavement - sidewalk

property - real estate

rubber - eraser

shopping trolley - shopping cart

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_English_vocabulary

see my other posts for more details

British English and American English - Do you know these words?

American English - British English
Lightning Rod - lightning conductor

Learn something new every day. I thought I new most American variations.
For example:

American - British
cookie - biscuit
diaper - nappy
eraser - rubber

faucet - tap
pavement - tarmac

sidewalk - pavement
soccer - football
truck - lorry

British - American
Biscuit - cookie
football - soccer
lorry - truck
nappy - diaper
pavement -sidewalk
rubber - eraser
tap - faucet
tarmac/road surface - pavement

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
Born in Britain. Has lived in the USA and Singapore.

Contact Angela through
Facebook
LinkedIn
Toastmasters International
Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Club
Meets Singapore time afternoon every third Saturday 2-5, next meeting Sept 15 2020.

Hi - Americanisms and Britishisms

UK flag

USA flag

BRITISH - AMERICAN
at the end of the day - ultimately
burgle - burglarize
boot (of a car) - trunk
car park - parking lot
chemist - drug store
disembark - deplane
estate agent - realtor
film - movie
for nothing - for free
give it / give it away - gift it
got - gotten
high street - main street
I'm okay / I am fine - I'm good
in the future - going forward
it's a bargain - it's a steal
lift - elevator
lorry - truck
maths - math
momentarily - shortly, in a moment, soon
my fault / my mistake - my bad
nappy - diaper
now - at this moment in time
pavement - sidewalk
railway station - train station
Rubber - eraser
shop - store
shopping trolley - shopping cart
solicitor - attorney
take away food - take out food
tarmac  - pavement
turn right - make a right
zed - zee



Pie a la mode - apple pie with ice cream, created in America. See Wikipedia.

AMERICAN - BRITISH
a la mode as in pie a la mode - apple pie with ice cream
at this moment in time - now
attorney - solicitor, legal representative
automobile, vehicle - car
burglarize - burgle
deplane - disembark
diaper - nappy
drug store - chemist
elevator - lift
eraser - rubber
free / for nothing - for free
gift it - give it - give it away
good to go - ready to go / leave /start
going forward - in the future
gotten - got
hood (of automobile) - bonnet
it's a steal - it's a bargain
math - maths
main street - high street
momentarily - soon, shortly, in a minute
my bad - my mistake, my fault, my error
movie - film
parking lot - car park
physician - GP
real estate - property
realtor - estate agent
rubber - condom, Durex, sheath, contraceptive
shopping cart - shopping trolley
shortly, soon, in a moment - momentarily
store - shop
take out - take away
train station - railway station
transportation - transport
truck - lorry
trunk (of an auto) - boot (of a car)
zee - zed

Flag of Singapore where they speak British English - and Singlish!

USEFUL LANGUAGE WEBSITES
Americanisms
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14201796

Travel Websites
singaporeair.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Changi_Airport
https://www.jewelchangiairport.com/
https://www.visitsingapore.com/en/
visittheusa.co.uk
visitbritain.com
visitbritainshop.com

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Life Is too Shirt!

We were amused by the slogan on the Ginkgo clothes shop: life is too shirt. A pun on life is too short.

Notice the hart above the shop name. Also the white lanterns in round or tangerine shape as well as the inverted cone style. I have shown coloured lanterns in another post.

You might also note in this photo other features of Hanoi in 2018-9, the uneven square paving stone. the motorbikes are parked on the pavement. The Hanoi coffee shops are every few yards, either ground floor or upstairs.

On looking at the photo again carefully I see that to the right of the shop is one of those dark alleys, which I mentioned in my post on the food tour and toilets.



Life is too shirt, in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Travel information
For hotels
booking.com
Comparison site:
https://www.clicktripz.com/rates/search/index
For airlines
travelok.com
vietJetair.com (Comprehensive list of budget airlines in Wikivoyage.)
For transport
https://www.grab.com/vn/en/

Language
Duolingo.com 
(Remember to click on the sound symbol to hear how words are pronounced.) 

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.
Please share links to your favourite posts. I have several more on Hanoi, Halong Bay and Vietnam.

Scooting Around In Singapore - If You Can't Beat Them Join Them

Problem
E-scooters are increasingly common in Singapore. You hear a bell ringing. Then a second bell.

You look behind. You see it. You step aside - just in time.

Two minutes later they are far ahead of you or out of sight.

I look at the e-scooters with a mixture of admiration and envy. The people walking towards me are parting to let the scooter shoot past.

E-scooter overtakes me near Duxton Hill, Singapore.  Photo by Angela Lansbury.

I look at the e-scooter and think, 'I could do with one of those. But I bet they are expensive. And I only want one for this area. I can't take it home on the train.'

The solution could be hiring. Then you can work out whether you like it and whether it is a worthwhile investment for commuting. You might also like one on holiday, for spinning around fast, or amusing the family.

Scooter at Clarke Quay, Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Read more about them here:

Websites

https://www.goscoot.sg/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OBike

Author, Angela Lansbury.

Americanisms - cookout and more

Problem
Cookout? That is an Americanism. I am British.  I understand the word. At least, I understand the two root words. Cook. Out. But what are the implications? It is not a cold meal. That would be a picnic. 

Answers
As far as I can see, a cookout is what in the UK would be called a barbecue.  A meal for family and friends cooked outdoors.

Campers can cook differently. I've seen or heard of animals such as pigs being cooked buried with hot coals in countries such as Hawaii and the Philippines. You can cook over a tiny stove with a scouts group or hiking group. But a meal to entertain a small group would usually be a barbecue.

Americanism - British
cookout - BBQ
diapers - nappies
elementary school - primary school
high school - secondary school
highway - motorway
line up - queue

main street - high street
parking lot - car park

pavement - road / tarmac
roadway - road
route - motorway, major route
sidewalk - pavement

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Americanisms and Britishisms - Dinner Lady, tearaway, pavement, footpath

Problem
Americans ask the British and people who speak British English: What's a dinner lady? What's a tearaway?

Answer
British - American
dinner lady - school lunch supervisor
footpath, pavement - sidewalk
pavement - sidewalk
tearaway - wild

American
pavement - roadway, tarmac (paved road)
school lunch supervisor - dinner lady
sidewalk - footpath, pavement
wild - tearaway

I have several more posts on Americanisms and Britishisms. Please share links to my posts.

Author
Angela Lansbury
English teacher and language teacher. 

American and British English

Problem
When writing a book for an American audience you need to change your vocabulary. Even if you have lived in both countries, it is a constant challenge. Churchill said, We are divided from America by a common language.

Answer
Just make a list, stop worrying, enjoy the differences.

Stories
In an American hotel I phoned down and asked reception, "We're checking out. Can I have a porter?"
No porter appeared. After ten minutes I phoned again.
"Can I have a porter?"
"Ma-am, I'd gladly send you one if I knew what it was."
Thought for a minute. "A person to carry out suitcases.:
"You mean a bell-hop?"
"Yes, that's what I mean."
"Now I know who you want, Ma-am, I'll send one right away."

Americanism/Americanese - British English
à la mode - (Pie) with ice cream
aliens - visitors, people from outer space in science fiction films
attitude - bad attitude
attorney - lawyer
automobile - car
awesome - awe-inspiring, impressive, marvellous, wonderful
back in the day - in the past
baggage - luggage
bathroom - toilet
biscuit - savoury biscuit, savoury flat scone eaten with white sauce in the Southern States
bell hop - porter
buddy - friend, mate
bunch of people - group of people
burger - hamburger
butt - bum, bottom
can I get - I would like / may I have / ... please
candy - chocolate, sweets
catch a movie - watch a film
chips - crisps
close of play (sports term) - end of day or meeting
cookie - biscuit
crosswalk - crossing
deplane - disembark
do lunch - have lunch
done - finished
dove - dived
drug - dragged (past tense of drag)
dude - mate, man
elevator - lift
eraser - rubber
fall - autumn
faucet - tap
Fish and chips (same as English)
field hockey - hockey
for sure - certainly
freeway - motorway
fries - French fries (thinly cut)
French fries / fries - chips
garbage - rubbish
gas - petrol
get go - beginning, start
gifted to me - given to me
go-to man - Mr Fixit
good job - well done
good to go - ready to go
gotten - got
grits - grains of corn ground up and boiled/cooked (a bit like polenta, speciality of Southern states of the USA)
guys - people (of both sexes); girls and boys, folk
hacks - tips
heads up - warning or briefing (as if you literally had your heads up to see danger or action coming)
heaping tablespoon - heaped tablespoon
I'm good - I'm well
issues - problems
j
k
l
make a left/right - turn left/right
math - maths
Mom - Mum
moment in time - moment, time
movie - film
my bad - my (bad) mistake, my fault, my error, my bad thought / speech / action , mea culpa (Latin for my fault); sorry I did that, sorry I got found out / caught / oops
New York cheesecake - baked cheesecake
on line (New York expression for in Line)
on sale - reduced price
over easy - (eggs) cooked both sides
passed - died
pavement - built up road, roadway
period - full stop
play period - break time
q
reach out - contact
realtor - estate agent
regular size - standard size
rent it out - let it out
rest room - toilet
ride - lift
rubber - condom, Durex (brand)
sidewalk - pavement, path
skinny dipping - nude bathing (dipping in water showing your skin)
skinny latte - coffee with skimmed milk
snuck in - sneaked in
so - really / very
soccer - association football
Spring Break - Easter Holiday
stand in lie - queue
totally - yes
touch base - get in touch
trash - rubbish
truck - lorry
two times - twice
u
vacation - holiday
w
x
y
zee - zed

British English - Americanism

a
baked cheesecake - New York cheesecake
biscuit - cookie
break time - play period
bum, bottom - butt
car - automobile
certainly - for sure
chips - French fries
cooked both sides (eggs) - over easy
contact - reach out
crisps - chips / potato chips
died - passed
disembark (aircraft) - deplane
dived - dove
dragged - drug
Easter holiday - Spring break
engaged (sign on toilet door) - occupied
film - movie
finished - done
Fish and chips - Fish and chips (same in American)
free - for free
full stop - period
gas station - garage
get in touch - touch base
given - gifted
group of people - bunch of people
guys - boys, men
hockey - field hockey (as opposed to ice hockey)
holiday - vacation
I would like - can I get
I'm well - I'm good
j
k
lawyer - attorney
let it out - rent it out
lift - elevator
lift - ride
lorry - truck
luggage - bagage
man, mate - dude
mate - buddy
maths - math
motorway - freeway
Mum - Mom
Mr Fixit - the go-to man
n
on sale - available
Pavement - sidewalk
petrol - gas
porter - bell hop
problem - issue / challenge
queue - line, line up, stand in line
ready to go - good to go
really / so
route (pronounced root, a French word, as in r o u t i e r) - rout pronounced r o w t rhyming with out
rubber - eraser
rubbish - trash, garbage
s n e a k e d in - snuck in
standard size - regular size
start (noun) get go
tap - faucet
time - moment in time
tips - hacks
toilet - rest room
turn left/right - make a left/right
twice - two times
u
v
watch a film - catch a movie
well done - good job
x
yes - totally
zed - zee (last letter of the alphabet)

Stories
I was arguing in a supermarket over the novelty of Pepperidge Farm cookies which I wanted to buy. The whole joy of going overseas is to try new things. I saw about ten varieties and wanted one pack of each, to do a taste test comparison.

My husband thought we should buy one packet of biscuits, eat frugally, and sensibly, and low calorie, low sugar, no more than one biscuit between two per day for a week, and buy a different pack the following week.

From the far end of the supermarket I could see a member of staff scurrying towards us. She had clearly spotted two Brits arguing about why NOT to buy her products.

I assumed she was going to tell us to be quiet, and not disparage the supermarket's premium biscuits, nor discourage any less prejudiced and less penny-pinching customers from buying.

It turned out that she just loved our accents and wanted to know where we were from.

Tips
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4508804/Countdown-s-Susie-Dent-reveals-love-Americanisms.html#comments

Author
Angela Lansbury, author, speaker, teacher of English and languages. Please share posts.

Today's Americanism: the candy and cookie in the trash can

I find lots of Americanisms when Americans comment on forums.

American English - British English

baggage - luggage
hood (of car) - bonnet
trunk - car boot
candy - sweet / dessert
cookie - biscuit
convenience store - corner shop
cop - police / bobby / Mr Plod
correction officer - prison officer / prison guard
drug store - chemist / pharmacy
elementary school - junior school
eraser - rubber
first floor - ground floor
second floor - first floor (and so on)
garbage - rubbish
IRA - tax office / inland revenue/ income tax office
Kleenex - paper hankie(s) / tissues
Mom - Mum /mother
on consignment - second hand shop / sale or return shop
pavement - tarmac / road / roadway / motorway
sidewalk - pavement
Pop - Dad/father
private school - public school (one of the grander and more expensive private schools, originally
rubber - Durex, condom
sticking plaster - Elastoplast (brand name)
sticky tape - Sellotape (brand name)
church schools which were later opened to the fee paying public)
public school - state school, council school
rookie - fresher (college/uni) / novice
senator - member of Parliament / MP
store - shop
take out - take away
thrift store - charity shop
trash can - dustbin / litter bin / rubbish bin / waste paper basket / wheelie bin
truck - lorry
I guess - I suppose / I think
I figure - I guess / I presume
go figure - how absurd / whatever / who'd have known/ who'd have guessed/ who knows why / well I never / well, what do you know / live and learn
vacation - holiday
WTF - what the hell

So an American might say:
There's candy and cookies in the trash can.
A British person would say:
There's sweets and biscuits in the litter bin.

Please send me more suggestions. Polite ones!
Angela Lansbury, author, travel writer and photographer, language teacher, speaker

American and British English - auto to yard

American - British

auto /automobile - car
bus (as in Greyhound bus, single decker long distance) - coach
candy - sweets / confectionary
closet - cupboard
consignment - second hand sale or return store, where donor and shop share profits
comforter - duvet (bedding)
diaper - nappy
drug store - chemist
eraser - rubber
fall - autumn
hack - tip
hood - bonnet (car)
hooker - prostitute / street walker
hose - stockings / tights
Jello (brand name) -  jelly
jelly - jam
line - queue
pavement - tarmac / roadway
pickup / pickup truck - HGV, trailer ?
program - programme (theatre)
program - program (computer)
purse - bag (lady's handbag)
rubber - condom / Durex
Run - ladder (in stockings / tights)
Kleenex/tissues - paper hankies (Kleenex is a brand name so I have given it a capital letter)
sidewalk - pavement
subway - underground / London tube
store - shop
story - storey (level of building)
story - story (tale in book)
thrift store (cheap shop) - charity shop
truck - lorry
trunk - boot (car)
tuxedo - man's formal jacket with no tails, named after place where tails were cut off - dinner jacket
wallet / coin purse - purse
yard - garden

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, speaker and author.

Americanisms

Two countries divided by a common language. Here are some of today's discoveries:
Foods from an article on food on a stick: ice lollies (known as popsicles in the US) and lollipops (also known as suckers and hard candy). Watch out for mistake in stationery and drug stores.

USA -UK
bobby pin - kirby grip
candy - sugar
cookie - biscuit (the US version is often large size and thick)
diaper - nappy
drug store / pharmacy - chemist
eraser - rubber
hard candy - lollipops
jelly - jam
Jello (brand name) - jelly
Kleenex - paper tissues / paper hankies
mom - mum
muffin - cup cake
pants - trousers
panty hose - tights
pavement - roadway / road surface / Tarmac
popsicles - ice lollies
roller coaster - big dipper
rubber - condom
sidewalk - pavement
soother/teether - dummy
suckers - lollipops
temple (Jewish) - synagogue
underpants - pants

Angela Lansbury, author and speaker (public speaking and radio), has lived in Rockville, Maryland and Connecticut, USA; London, England; and Singapore.

British English and Americanisms - hose, power outage, consignment store

In today's Daily Mail in the US section I read about a power outage. In the UK we would say power cut.

US-UK
a la mode-French for in fashion but in the USA a pie a la mode is a pie or dessert having additional cream, often whipped cream. (Check with the serving staff what they mean or look at the menu pictures.)
boardwalk-deck (or promenade, although a promenade is often concrete)

billfold - wallet
consignment store-sale or return shop for secondhand fashions
dime store-bargain basement/cheap shop
eraser-rubber
hood-bonnet (part of a car)
Hoover-vacuum cleaner
hose-stockings
Kleenex-paper tissues, paper hanky
make a right/left-turn right/left
over easy- (fried egg) cooked both sides, over meaning turned over, easy meaning whites are slightly runny
power outage-power cut
sidewalk-pavement
pacifier-dummy
purse-bag
pavement-tarmac/road
pleased to meet you-how do you do (formal)
rubber-Durex/condom
trunk-boot

UK - USA

bag - purse

deck - boardwalk

Durex - rubber

dummy - pacifier

bonnet (front of car) - hood

egg cooked both sides - over-easy

how do you do (formal) - pleased to meet you

paper hankie - Kleenex

pavement - sidewalk

power cut - power outage

purse - coin purse

rubber - eraser

stockings - hose

turn right - make a right

(dessert) with cream - a la mode

vacuum cleaner - Hoover

wallet - billfold

I compiled this list from what I found different living in Rockville Maryland and on visits to the USA from England and also on websites and in newspapers. Somewhere in storage I have at last two books of dictionary style translations. One is a small and inexpensive paperback.

For a more comprehensive list go to Wiki comparison of American and English.

Angela Lansbury, author, travel writer, translator and tutor of French and English, A level, conversation, packaging, written work, websites.

Update on Eating Mangoes Dropped From A Tree

My family have risked their lives eating a mango dropped from a tree onto a pavement. (NB, being English, when I say pavement I mean what Americans call a sidewalk, the area for pedestrians.)

The Mango was half missing already. So did it have worms inside it?

Two members of my family risked everything by eating it. I did warn them, "If you eat half eaten fruit, you will get worms and drop dead, or vice versa."

Unfortunately I only muttered it to myself.  I'm generally considered something of a spoilsport. I call it cautious.

One person picked up the mango and washed it and cut it up, and ate half of the remainder,  and washed it. They said it tasted delicious but was a bit tough and stringy.

Other Singaporean residents say many local fruits have to be picked when green and ripened in the house.

One person has gone to lie down. This could be too much drink (alcohol), or not enough water (dehydration), or getting old, or the dreaded mango.

Maybe I can write a song:
Ten Singaporeans sitting on a bus
Ten Singaporeans sitting on a bus
One fell off, but didn't make a fuss
Nine Singaporeans sitting on a bus.

How about
Ten Singaporeans waiting for a bus
One had missed dinner, but didn't make a fuss
He picked a found mango, it happens all the time
From the ground by the bus stop - then there were nine.