Vive la différence

“ENGLAND and America are two countries divided by a common language.”

I always thought it was Winston Churchill who coined this phrase in his speech to the American Congress at the height of the Second World War, but it was not. Churchill adapted it from George Bernard Shaw who, in turn, probably borrowed it from Oscar Wilde: “we have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language.”

As with many epigrams there is a grain of truth in it and this one could easily have included Australia in the same sentence. But does the same hold true with regard to nautical terminology between these English speaking peoples?

I have lived and sailed in America and Australia and there have certainly been times when I’ve heard a boating term and asked myself “what?” – I am sure the