autumn

[howsmyenglish]

Someone told me last year that "autumn" was a more British word and "fall" a more American one. Is that right? And how about Australia, Canada, etc.? I like both words. Autumn, because it is just beautiful, and fall, because it's about leaves falling down. In Czech, there is this word "Listopad", which means "November", but which literally means "fall of the leaves" ("list" means a leaf, "pad" is the root of the verb that means "to fall"). Actually, most names of months in Czech are descriptive... is there a name for such words? Like, October is "říjen", which has to do with the word for the color orange/red (as in "red hair"). Or, May is "květen", which has to do with the word that means "flower". Do I still need to explain my love for this language?

But let me come back to autumn. We don't really have one where I live. Nor do we have a spring. And I like all seasons, I like that they come one after the other and make life less monotonous. But right now, after the Czech autumn I miss it so much! Once my foot feels better, I plan to go shopping, get lots of pumpkins, decorate them and put them all up. I've never done this in my life, Halloween was never really part of my life (seeing as I've never even been to the US). But decorating our place with pumpkins and watching Halloween'y films is the best I can come up with to surround myself with the feel of autumn. Ikebana made out of yellow/red/orange leaves would be nice, but we just don't have such leaves.

But the bright idea of googling "autumn ikebana" resulted in the thought that yellow, red and orange flowers in a pumpkin can be substituted for leaves! That does look nice. And, maybe, I can wear all red. yellow and orange clothes... with a bit of brown... I wonder if I have suitable clothes that can be combined like this... *walks towards the wardrobe, muttering*

Comments

[yarrowkat]

one hears both autumn & fall in American usage all the time; i like the sound of the word autumn better so i tend to use it, and the possibility for confusion is less. outsiders in New Mexico say "there's no fall here!" but that's because they want leaves to turn red, and most leaves here are evergreen, or turn yellow - the cottonwood forest along the river is a scintillant gold, probably next month. you have to travel out of the city to see any other color, and to know where to go. we're going camping in a canyon full of Rocky Mountain maple trees next weekend for precisely this reason.

[yarrowkat]

indeed there should. and possibly the scent of dry leaves in the air.

[howsmyenglish]

Yeah. We spent one whole morning just walking in a park in Cesky Krumlov - it was full of wonderful and different trees and this smell, the smell of dried leaves. I remember waking there and thinking, I could live here. Just for this smell. (but I probably couldn't, it's so hard to make a new country your home.. I should know, having done this twice..)

[iddewes]

Yes autumn is more British English and fall is more North American (in Canada fall is usually said too). I am British but grew up in Canada.

[dewline]

Speaking from my own corner of Canada, I find the two words used interchangeably.

[howsmyenglish]

That's good to know!

[howsmyenglish]

Thanks!

[iddewes]

By the way Listopad is also in Polish and Ukrainian, I assume the month names are similar in all those languages. At least some of them anyway.

[howsmyenglish]

True. But in my mind, I like to think Czech is special. Like a friend :D

[thanatos_kalos]

Autumn and fall are used interchangeably in American and Canadian English, though 'fall' might be a touch more common (it's more informal). Autumn is more commonly used in British English; I'm not sure about the other World Englishes. :)

[howsmyenglish]

Thank you :)

[thanatos_kalos]

:)

[heartonsnow]

Here in UK we always say Autumn, we never say Fall as a season.

I have just been discussing how "daddy long legs" are insects in UK but spiders in USA!!!!

..............I think google has a lot to answer for.

[howsmyenglish]

"daddy long legs" are insects in UK but spiders in USA!!!!
I've never heard of those! Google says they're spiders... what kind of insects are they in British English?

[heartonsnow]

They are flies that fly but they have really LONG LEGS!!!!!

They are horrible and google lies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[thewayne]

In Phoenix, we have two seasons: broiling and not as hot. Here in southern New Mexico, it's hot and fairly pleasant. On the mountain, it's nice or cold. The leaves are changing colors right now. We're mainly a pine forest which are kind of perennials, but we do have oaks and aspens.

[howsmyenglish]

The forest sounds lovely! But I'm not quite sure whether "fairly pleasant" and "nice" are any different from each other? :D

The seasons we have are broiling and "rains". The rains are shorter, but one gets so tired from the cold they create inside of usually unheated houses with very thin walls, that one is actually glad when the broiling season starts. If the period between the two lasts over two weeks, we're happy and call it autumn or spring!

[kat_lair]

Was just reading about your wonderful trip to Praha and rest of the Czech, sounds so lovely. Sorry about your foot though but hurray for realisation on what might help... :D

Autumn is my favourite seasons and Halloween my favourite holiday. I just love the aesthetic and bein able to cosy up with woolly socks and candles and spooky movies. Have you thought about scented candles with autumny scents? That might help with creating the atmosphere :)

[howsmyenglish]

I just love the aesthetic and bein able to cosy up with woolly socks and candles and spooky movies.
Yes, me too! Not cold enough for woolly socks here, but still. Any spooky movie suggestions?

[kat_lair]

I tend to like movies like Hocus Pocus, Addams Family and Practical Magic... more on the funny side :D

[howsmyenglish]

Oh, thanks! I don't think I know the first one!

[deird1]

I'm a little late to this post, but thought I should mention: in Australia it's definitely "autumn".

[howsmyenglish]

Thanks! :D