Words of the Year 2009
I'm celebrating (for two-and-a-half minutes) a major milestone in the preparation of the book manuscript (FINAL VERSION--eek!) that is due by the 30th (double EEK!) by logging on briefly for a little cut-and-paste posting. (Spot the differences between this and last year's version!)Word of the Year season has begun. That means it's time for me to start the ball rolling for our little twist on WotY fever.Long-term readers will know that we have (at least) two Words of the Year here at SbaCL, and nominations are open for both categories as of now:1. Best AmE to BrE import

Sesame Street
While Grover takes/has her nap, a little reflection on her bi-dialectal language acquisition. She's six weeks short of being two, and (orig. AmE) talking up a storm. I'd wondered whether she'd get any Americanisms from me, but (a) I tend to use BrE words when in the UK and (b) I'm just her mother. It's not me she's going to get Americanisms from. It's Elmo.So, she says (BrE)

well done the
Often these days my blogging consists of answering queries from readers wondering about this or that thing they've heard or read. I'm going to turn that on its head and ask you about something. It's this little type of exclamation:In each Festival match of 30 overs we scored over 115 runs and on average only lost 4 wickets an innings – well done the batters.* [Derbyshire Cricket Board]Well done the players, we knew you had it in you and well done Juande Ramos, you sorted the tactics just right to get the best from our lads [comment on

this/these premises
I was in London yesterday, and blew some money on a black cab, since a cancel(l)ed train had made me late. While paused at a stop light, I read a notice outside a (BrE) railway station/(orig. AmE) train station that said something like "This premises closed for necessary maintenance", which left me wondering: whoever says this premises instead of these premises? When one encounters unfamiliar forms or usages in a dialect other than one's own, one

write (to) someone
Frequent contributor Marc wrote to say that he:received this comment about a draft letter I prepared:"Can you please put in I AM WRITING TO YOU NOT I AM WRITING YOU..thisis amercian and bad english."Comment is from an England-born Australian.I am willing to admit that this may be American English (and theletter is on behalf of an organization that is supposed to use"international" (i.e., British) English. But it's certainly not "badEnglish", is it? (And I do find it easier accepting criticism on myEnglish that is spelled and capitalized pr