Just did a search, and once again - as I suspected - North American usage preserves older forms that the British eventually changed or discarded:


https://eclecticlight.co/2015/04/18/in- ... en-courbe/

It's an interesting article with a lot of in-depth stuff I didn't know. I found a couple of other sources on the subject, but they were too cursory for comfort; this was the best so far. Articles clarifying the history behind differences between British and North American English are usually not hard to find, but the topic of "curb" vs. "kerb" took more work, for some reason.

_________________
"Time is the wisest counselor of all." - Pericles

"I remain not entirely convinced of it." - Nano

Yes. I'd expect the American to be more primitive.

_________________
"Only connect!"

https://youtu.be/ezbWVysJAOY
https://tapm.bandcamp.com/

What, the Canadians too?

Perspective, Ben. It's no less valid to think of the British as gone astray.

_________________
"Time is the wisest counselor of all." - Pericles

"I remain not entirely convinced of it." - Nano

If I asked the mods to revise this thread ... each would do something different. Drives me crazy.

That's slightly intriguing. What does "revise" mean in the US? (I'll look it up in a minute, but it's still interesting to ask ...)

[EDIT: I've looked it up. I can't see a difference in meaning between British and American usage on this one ... ]

_________________
"Only connect!"

https://youtu.be/ezbWVysJAOY
https://tapm.bandcamp.com/

Not every dictionary seems to be in complete accord; for example, I found my go-to, Merriam-Webster, for once uncharacteristically inadequate in addressing North American usage and, I would say, in its incompleteness could even be called wrong. Here's a better entry (Google) that covers Tunborough's matter:


The second meaning comes as a surprise, and is one I wouldn't ever have used or even known up to now. I would revise (amend!) the first, though, because it stipulates written matter, and yet "revising one's opinion" (in the sense of changing it) would be very normal usage in my area.

_________________
"Time is the wisest counselor of all." - Pericles

"I remain not entirely convinced of it." - Nano

Yes, in this country (and in the U.S., too, I think), revising involves going back and changing. British sources like the Open University use it where we would use "review" ... no changing involved. See https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/revise definition 4:

One thing that the US and Canada appear to have in close common is usage. Given Canada's Commonwealth status I can never be 100% confident about it, so I often check, but it does for the most part seem to be the case.

_________________
"Time is the wisest counselor of all." - Pericles

"I remain not entirely convinced of it." - Nano

I didn't know, until I looked it up, that the British meaning of to "revise", meaning to go over a subject, for an exam, for instance, was not used in the States. However, language is always dependent on context, and there's no possible interpretation of to "revise" in the context of this thread other than to "amend". I certainly wouldn't be reviewing it in order to fix it in my memory. So the following can't be true:

_________________
"Only connect!"

https://youtu.be/ezbWVysJAOY
https://tapm.bandcamp.com/

Fair enough. When I wrote that, I didn't realize that the British usage of "revise" had a narrower meaning than simply "review". We've both learned something.

I take it, then, that in the above case one would say "revise FOR an exam". That would bring me up short and be cause for clarification. But if one said "revise the exam material" in the same sense, I would never have grasped the original intent at all. I would have thought of changes being made and think to myself, But what difference would that make? You'd have to change it all, and you can't, you misguidedly hopeful cheat.


In practical terms I see your point; the probabilities are vanishingly small. But strictly speaking, grammatically it is still correct, am I right?

First "pants", and now "revise". Sigh.

_________________
"Time is the wisest counselor of all." - Pericles

"I remain not entirely convinced of it." - Nano

Correct. One could also, however, "revise maths" for an exam, as in the sentence, "Don't interrupt me now, I'm revising my maths."


Not to mention "suspenders".

_________________
"Only connect!"

https://youtu.be/ezbWVysJAOY
https://tapm.bandcamp.com/

Oh, what you call "braces". Here's what I mean when I use that word:

Either


Or

_________________
"Time is the wisest counselor of all." - Pericles

"I remain not entirely convinced of it." - Nano

Yes, the teeth "braces" are still "braces". Context would determine, again. The ones for legs would have to be "leg braces".

_________________
"Only connect!"

https://youtu.be/ezbWVysJAOY
https://tapm.bandcamp.com/

See, to me "revising one's maths" would first and foremost mean correcting one's calculations. But now I know to be on the lookout for certain cues, like the British "maths" as opposed to the North American "math", or hearing a British accent, or simply knowing that a writer is from that region.

Who knows what mayhem a misunderstanding could unleash?

_________________
"Time is the wisest counselor of all." - Pericles

"I remain not entirely convinced of it." - Nano