Replacing words with others

1

Hello

Last question today (I promise)

I’ve been trying out the ‘false friends’ function as this is often a problem when I translate into English GB

The problem is that it seems to work fine for the words below provided by LanguageTool but only if the word is by itself and not part of a compound noun

In other words, LT seems to detect ‘cookies’ or ‘diaper’ but not ‘baby buggy’ or ‘checking account’ (2+ words)

Is this a bug?

Thanks

#American words confused with British ones
#(c) 2012 Marcin Milkowski
#Licensed under LGPL
#The list includes mostly words from British English vs American English / American English vs British English - USA vs UK
baby buggy=pram
bathroom=toilet
bellboy=page
braid=plait
bureau=office
busy=engaged
#can=tin
#candy apple=toffee apple
carnival=funfair
#checking account=current account
chips=crisps
cookies=biscuits
#correctional officer=prison officer
#cotton candy=candyfloss
curb=kerb
detergent=washing powder
diapers=nappies
#dishwashing liquid=washing up liquid
drapes=curtains
#drunk driving=drink-driving
elevator=lift
emcee=compere
eraser=rubber
faucet=tap
#Ferris wheel=big wheel
#fish sticks=fish fingers
flashlight=torch
#free time=spare time
freeway=motorway
turnpike=motorway
#French fries=chips
garbage=rubbish
garters=suspenders
gas=petrol
grippe=flu
highway=main road
hood=bonnet
intersection=crossroads
jelly=jam
knapsack=rucksack
#motorway exit=ramp
movie=film
#moving van=removal van
#nail polish=nail varnish
oatmeal=porridge
pacifier=dummy
pants=knickers
#panty hose=tights
#parking lot=car park
#parking meter attendant=traffic warden
pitcher=jug
#private school=public school
#public holiday=bank holiday3
purse=handbag
#ramp1=slip road
#recess=break (play time)
#report card=school report
#! rubber !=condom
#rubber boots=wellingtons
run=ladder
scallion=spring onion
#Scotch tape=Sellotape
sedan=saloon car
sidewalk=pavement
#*sink=basin
skillet=frying-pan
slicker=mackintosh
stocks=shares
#street light=lamp post
streetcar=tram
student=pupil
suspenders=braces
sweater=jumper
taps=last post
thumbtack=drawing-pin
#toilet=!toilet (but the loo not the room)
trash=rubbis
trashcan=dustbin
#trolley car=tram
truck=lorry
trunk=boot
undershirt=vest
vacation=holiday
washcloth=flannel
windshield=windscreen
yard=garden
zipper=zip

2

On Do 01.11.2012, 07:13:34 you wrote:

In other words, LT seems to detect ‘cookies’ or ‘diaper’ but not ‘baby
buggy’ or ‘checking account’ (2+ words)

Is this a bug?

Either a bug or a missing feature, it depends on how you look at it :slight_smile:
Technically, this is not the false friend feature, it is a different rule
(BritishReplaceRule), which is also why it doesn’t work with phrases.

Regards
Daniel

–
http://www.danielnaber.de

3

Hello dnabler

Thanks for helping out.

Yep, the list is a bit buggy cos I’ve now noticed that LT will pick up on

Let’s take the elevator (and tell me that ‘elevator’ is US English)

but no message comes up when I type

Let’s take a/the/two can(s) of tomatoes (it doesn’t tell me that ‘can’ is US English

I tried solving the space problem by adding a regular expression [\s] for ‘space’ between the two words but that didn’t work.

But I’m very grateful for LT as it is freeware.

It’s just that LT is there to eliminate mistakes so to have confidence in it, the lists should technically work 100%, otherwise it is misleading (you add expressions and think you are on safe ground)

Bye

4

On Do 01.11.2012, 12:10:04 you wrote:

It’s just that LT is there to eliminate mistakes so to have confidence in
it, the lists should technically work 100%, otherwise it is misleading
(you add expressions and think you are on safe ground)

Actually, not many people edit that list. You can have more powerful
checks, including regular expressions, if you write rules (i.e. edit
grammar.xml) as described on http://www.languagetool.org/development/. It’s
a bit more complicated but it’s what more people do, thus it’s more robust.

Regards
Daniel

–
http://www.danielnaber.de