We're way off the subject on this thread, now! I noticed the differences - US has similar dif's by individual states (even cities), all overlaid with "national" holidays.

With so many local exceptions and additions I often cannot figure out what's open and what's closed on any given holiday (except federal holidays, as you say). e.g., Patriots' Day in Massachusetts - schools open? Banks open? State employees at work? PO open? Retail open?

"InfoPlease" lists the following as state holidays and I've added a couple of local holidays, I am aware of (sorry, this is long):

Jan. (Friday before third Mon.), Lee-Jackson Day: Va.
Jan. 19, Confederate Heroes' Day: Tex.
Jan. 20, Innauguration Day (every four years): DC+environs
Feb. 12, Lincoln's Birthday: Conn., Ill., Mo., N.J., N.Y.
March 2, Texas Independence Day: Tex.
March (first Tues.), Town Meeting Day: Vt.
March 5, Pulaski Day: City of Chicago
March 17, Evacuation Day: Mass. (in Suffolk County, only)
March 26, Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day: Hawaii
March (last Mon.), Seward Day: Alaska
March 31, Cesar Chavez Day: Calif., Colo.

Moveable Feasts
(Variable holidays, falling on different dates every year.)

Mardi Gras, Mardi Gras Day: Ala. (in Baldwin and Mobile Counties, only), La.
Good Friday, Good Friday: Conn., Del., Hawaii, Ind., Ky. (half day), La., N.J., N.C., N.D., Tenn.
April (third Mon.), Patriots Day: Maine, Mass.
April 21, San Jacinto Day: Tex.
April (fourth Mon.), Confederate Memorial Day: Ala.
April 26, Confederate Memorial Day: Ga.
April (last Mon.), Confederate Memorial Day: Miss.
April (last Fri.), Arbor Day: Nebr.
May 10, Confederate Memorial Day: S.C.
June (first Mon.), Jefferson Davis' Birthday: Ala.
June 11, King Kamehameha I Day: Hawaii
June 17, Bunker Hill Day: Mass. (in Suffolk County)
June 19, Emancipation Day: Tex.
June 20, West Virginia Day: W.Va.
July 24, Pioneer Day: Utah
Aug. (second Mon.), Victory Day: R.I.
Aug. 16, Bennington Battle Day: Vt.
Aug. (third Fri.), Statehood Day: Hawaii
Oct. 18, Alaska Day: Alaska
Oct. (last Fri.), Nevada Day: Nev.
Nov. (day after fourth Thurs.), (Day After) Thanksgiving: Del., Fla., Iowa, Kans., Ky., Md., Mich., Nebr., N.H., N.M., N.C., Pa., S.C., Tex., Vt., Va., Wash., W.V.
Nov. (day after fourth Thurs.), Robert E. Lee's Birthday: Ga.
Nov. (day after fourth Thurs.), Lincoln's Birthday: Ind.
Nov. (day after fourth Thurs.), Family Day: Nev.
Dec. 24, Christmas Eve: Ark., Wis.
Dec. 26, (Day After) Christmas: Ky., Mich., N.C., S.C.
Dec. 31, New Years Eve: Wis.

Maybe because I live in a geography that is so close to several other states, I have managed to confuse myself on holidays NH, MA, CT, VT, RI and NY and Maine....

Goodness, what a lot.

We have Christmas Day and Boxing Day (25/26 December), New Year's Day, Good Friday and Easter Monday, then the first and last Mondays in May (for May 1st and a "transfer" of what used to be Whit Monday/Pentecost) and the last Monday in August.

Scotland also has 2 January and St Andrew's Day (for 30 November) but not (officially) Easter Monday; and their August BH is the first Sunday (as it used to be for the rest of us).

Northern Ireland has St Patrick's Day and Orangemen's Day (Battle of the Boyne) in July.

Jeff,

I wasn't going to continue this discussion, and I really didn't want to contradict you again, BUT your list is really misleading. Having lived in or very near several of the states you include in your comprehensive list, I must say that I've never found banks closed on the day after Thanksgiving in Delaware, Kansas, NC, or PA. Nor, do I believe, are they closed on the day after Christmas in NC. Your list may simply indicate what some private businesses may VOLUNTARILY do, though that may be what you meant.

Ann

The question isn't whether you "found the banks closed" the question is did you know the answer BEFORE going to the bank, itself or the school, or the post office, etc. DID YOU KNOW? Could you have answered the question? I could not and that's my only point. I am not declaring anything concerning what is actually open or closed on any given holiday. I am saying it's confusing to me when I lump all the institutions (bank, schools, state offices, post office, etc. )together. And further, I cannot remember the answers from year to year.

Your comment, "Nor, do I believe..." indicates to me that, like me, you're just not sure about the banks, schools, etc. on some of these days...

My list is what it is - a list of holidays...I have no idea who or what operates on any of them. I included it to illustrate a potential source of confusion, that's. Now, if I went to a bank on Patriot's Day and found it open, I'd have answered only that one question and only after actually having to check. And would I remember that answer next year or the year after? I dunno.

In UK, since eight are referred to specifically as Bank Holidays, everyone knows the answer to that question on those days.

Don't get me wrong, I'm saying it's confusing and difficult to remember: taking all the holidays and all the institutions makes it hard to remember, that's all. The fact that I chose "are the banks open today?" as an example wasn't meant to be taken literally, so much as (with all the other questions people ask on holidays about what is or is not open)an example or two or three or four of the confusion factor...the source of which is all the federal holidays, differing state holidays and unique local holidays.

My question to you would be for instance, "Are the schools open on Patriot's Day in Massachusetts? Post Office? State Offices?" The banks may be the easiest part of the confusion to solve, since they relate directly to the federal holidays, but the others make it a jumble...without even mentioning retail.

WHATTTT????????

You're right, I'll shut up...but....Oh never mind...

UK: controversy

US: controversy

Now you've started one, Jeff. There are Big-Endians and Little-Endians in the UK, some arguing that it's CONtroversy (because the important part of the word is the CONTR- bit) and most simply sticking to the general practice of stressing the second syllable for reasons of euphony. Do Americans really say controVERsy? Strikes me as a bit contRAIRy....

No, Patrick. The first syllable is accented: CON-tro-ver-sy.

Ann

Much like the word insurance (INsurance or inSURance) in the US, there are (at least) two pronunciations of the word "controversy" here (and in UK, see PatrickLondon's comment above): AppalAnnie is correct that accenting the first syllable is common, but I hear the accent frequently on the third syllable, as well...could be another one of those "regional" things, I guess. Interesting though, that I've only heard the variant "controVERtial" pronounced one way anywhere...

That's because the final syllable of controversial is more voiced. The final consonant gives it a substance the vowel ending of controversy hasn't.

This is a topic near to my heart. Since moving to the UK 4 years ago, I think my husband (British) has pointed out more than umpteen words that have the voiced emphasis on the last part when there are two words together.. such as in Robin HOOD. I try now to say things the 'British' way but often forget. Other examples are the shopping centre BlueWATER, sometimes I hear HeathROW and sometimes I hear HEATHrow.

That's interesting. I think I say BLUEwater, like most of the people I hear (not that I've ever been there), but I think I've said both HEATHrow and HeathROW - I suspect it depends whether you're going on to add "Airport".

Yes, adding the 'airport,' does seem to make a big difference. These days, who wants to talk about HeathROW OR HEATHrow. :-)

Another one my DH has pointed out to me previously is Robin Hood. I've always said it ROBIN Hood. He says Robin HOOD.

This one drives me crazy! I have a friend who insists it should be OLIVE oil and not olive OIL. But there's only so much integration a person can accommodate. Isn't it enough that one remembers to say petrol instead of gas and GARage instead of garAGE?

You are right, Beebee. I am tired of integrating! Or maybe it's inteGRATing. :-) The one that always gets me is biscuits for cookies.. or calling a cafe a caff. I'm done venting now.

U.S. Happy
U.K. Chuffed

quote:

Originally posted by zuriga:
You are right, Beebee. I am tired of integrating! Or maybe it's inteGRATing. :-) The one that always gets me is biscuits for cookies.. or calling a cafe a caff. I'm done venting now.

Agreed. That is beyond pedantic; it's pernickety. We used to say caff as a joke to imitate those who didn't know better, as in those who ate at a transport caff. Like Harold in Steptoe and Son who, trying to impress his father with his culture said of a piece of music "That's WAG-ner." (not VARG-ner). Pronunciation varies within the UK. Several pages back on this thread I noted that in the UK garage may be pronounced gar-AGE, GAR-age, or GAR-idge.

As for chuffed. It is not as though "happy" is not used in the UK, "chuffed" is just a useful synonym. It also has the connotation of "pleased". Generally, something makes you chuffed, whereas happiness can be a state of mind. So 'chuffed' = 'happy/pleased' but not 'happy/content'.

Another of my favorite words is gobsmacked. It has a connotation that no American equivalent will ever quite equal. :-)

I started back through this thread to try to find if anybody has ever given a definitive answer on the "near" side and the "off" side of a car. After about 3 pages, I gave up and just decided I would ask: Which is the passenger side and which is the driver's side?

The passenger side is the nearside (because it's the one nearest the kerb).

Jonathan

Jonathan, thank you for the clarification. However, it still seems convoluted to someone on the other side of the pond.