Two countries united by a common laughter: a rant.

People complain about Americanisms creeping into British English, because...oh, for the usual reasons. 

There is one good reason for regret, however, that no one seems to consider.

A friend phoned the other day from Gulfport, Florida. Although he's lived in America for several decades his accent has never moved further west than Yorkshire, and I think this is the reason I expect to understand him. This being the case, when he told us they were having an addition at home then naturally I understood that his living-at-home unmarried daughter was expecting a baby. 

I wasn't immediately sure exactly how much to celebrate.

As it transpired, however, congratulations and commiserations were both unnecessary. 

Apparently the addition was just an extra bathroom.

A universal language would deprive us of a lot of joy, you know.

Word To Use Today Just For Fun: addition. Or extension (though heaven knows what an extension is in the USA). Addition comes from the Latin addere to add, from ad, to, plus dere to put; extension is also Latin and comes from extendere to stretch out.

PS The said daughter may not have a baby on the way, but she does now have a job with benefits. Apparently in Florida this doesn't imply a job so lowly paid that the state is obliged to give her a top-up.