A small linguistic cry of confusion - help, USA-based friends!

[heliophile_oxon]

Well I thought I knew ... that when people in the USA say "yard work" they mean what we Brits call "gardening"

But what is the difference in the USA between yard work and gardening?

I have to translate, would you believe a sentence from USAnian to Brit-speak, that refers to doing "yard work or gardening" and one that refers to "digging in the garden

Comments

[draycevixen]

I'm not a native but...

Yes, yard means garden.

However, "yard work" usually means things like raking and mowing and "gardening" usually means activities involving the actual plants like planting bulbs, etc. This isn't true all the time though and to a lot of Americans "yard work" would include gardening.

[heliophile_oxon]

Thank you, this is extremely helpful! And I see that you and merentha13 coincide pretty much exactly on your definition and distinctions, too.

How very tricky that the concepts don't cover exactly the same ground (as it were) - ain't language wonderful :-))))

Nothing like consulting the experts! (I thought of you, actually, as someone who would know both languages! *g*)

[draycevixen]

As you are converting this into "Brit speak" though I think it makes it much simpler in a way because Americans might consider them different things but we don't so... "gardening" and "digging in the garden" is all you really need.

[heliophile_oxon]

"gardening" and "digging in the garden" is probably pretty much what I'll go with ... but do you think it might be worth trying to do something with "grounds"?

[draycevixen]

some Americans use "yard" to mean everything around their house so "grounds" would be appropriate but not all Americans by any means. That's very much a regional thing.

It would probably ensure you cover all bases though.

[heliophile_oxon]

Right, thanks! I'll be able to add an explanatory note, too, just to mention the way the concepts differ.
One last question, if you've got a minute - do either yard or garden have any particular connotations with regard to size, do you think? (Like "grounds" implies a substantial area more than a tiny one in British)

[draycevixen]

Sorry, I was driving home from work.

"Grounds" to an American usually mean playing fields at the school level and sports arenas at the professional end.

Garden and yard have no related size connotation here. MG's uncle, a farmer, has a "garden" where he grows vegetables that's probably half an acre but it's not part of the farm. Our neighbours garden in a couple of raised beds in their yard.

I was agreeing with "grounds" in the connotation of meaning everything round your house as well as the garden but you're right, "grounds" might well be misleading to the English. I still think garden might be the best choice overall.

[heliophile_oxon]

Thank you Drayce! (time-zone intervened - I was asleep :-) )

All this has given me a pretty clear idea. It's funny how much even the apparently simplest things can turn out to have subtle/odd little differences.

Elucidation much appreciated!