“Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” is a song written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin for the 1937 film Shall We Dance. The most famous performers were: Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.
1. The song lists some differences between the American and British English in general.
While listening click on the word in bold which you think might rather be the British English version/pronounciation. (Look out! They often have the exact same spelling but different pronounciation.)
‘Things have come to a pretty pass, our romance is growing flat.
For you like this and the other, while I go for this and that.
Goodness knows what the end will be, oh, I don’t know where I’m at.
It looks as if we two will never be one, something must be done.’
‘You say either, I say either,
You say neither, I say neither.
either, either, neither, neither-
Let’s call the whole thing off.
Yes you like potato and I like potato,
You like tomato, I like tomato.
potato, potato, tomato, tomato -
Let’s call the whole thing off.
But oh, if we call the whole thing off, then we must part.
And oh, if we ever part, then that might break my heart.
So if you like pyjamas, I like pajamas,
I’ll wear pyjamas, give up pajamas .
For we know we need each other, so we better call the calling off off.
Oh! Let’s call the whole thing on.’
‘You say laughter and I say laughter,
You say after and I say after.
laughter, laughter, after, after -
Let’s call the whole thing off.
You like vanilla and I like vanilla,
You sarsaparilla and I sarsaparilla.
vanilla, vanilla, oh chocolate, strawberry-
Let’s call the whole thing off.
But oh, if we call the whole thing off, then we must part.
And oh, if we ever part, then that might break my heart.
So if you go for oysters and I go for ersters,
I’ll order oysters and cancel the ersters.
For we know we need each other, so we better call the calling off off.
Let’s call the whole thing on.’
Repeat from the beginning…
2. IDIOMS
Choose the correct definition according to the song‘s context.
‘”come to a pretty pass”
a) encounter a difficult situation
b) the opportunity was missed
“our romance is growing flat”
a) our love is not interesting any more
b) our romance is getting more balanced
“Let’s call the whole thing off”
a) Announce the news to everybody
b) Stop, cancel the whole activity
“we must part”
a) we must help each other
b) we have to be separated
FUN FACT and a little American movie history.
As mentioned above this song was written in 1936 for the movie Shall We Dance (1937); Introduced in Shall We Dance by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
In the film, Fred (Peter P. Peters from Pittsburgh, PA, aka Petrov, a ballet star) and Ginger (Linda Keene, a well known night club singer/dancer) have run off to Central Park to escape reporters who are after the story of their rumored marriage. Having decided to do a little roller skating, they take a break on a bench where they bicker about the pronunciation of “either” and “neither.” Obviously it’s about a couple who are very different and who seldom agree on anything. At the end they can’t even agree on calling off the relationship because they claim they “need” each other. This leads, of course, to the two of them singing “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off.” The pair then dances to the melody on their skates.
3. Match the words with the sentences by dragging them from the boxes.
Example: In the UK, you play football; in the US, you play soccer.
1. In the UK, you eat biscuits; in the US, you eat cookies.
2. In the UK, you buy a return ticket; in the US, you buy a roundtrip.
3. In the UK, you take a lift; in the US, you take an elevator.
4. In the UK, you go to the cinema; in the US, you go to the movie-theater.
5. In the UK, you wear trousers; in the US, you wear pants.
6. In the UK, you go on holiday; in the US, you go on vacation.
7. In the UK, you wait in a queue; in the US, you wait in a line.
8. In the UK, you put petrol in your car; in the US, you put gas in your car.
9. In the UK, you drive a lorry; in the US, you drive a truck.
10. In the UK, the third season is autumn; in the US, the third season is fall.
11. In the UK, you wear a jumper; in the US, you wear a sweater.
12. In the UK, you eat sweets; in the US, you eat candies.
13. In the UK, you live in a flat; in the US, you live in an apartment.
14. In the UK, you eat chips; in the US, you eat French fries.
15. In the UK, you eat crisps; in the US, you eat chips.
16. In the UK, you throw away rubbish; in the US, you throw away garbage.
17. In the UK, you throw rubbish in the dustbin; in the US, you throw garbage in the trashcan.
British English vs. American English
1. In the US the Principal is in charge of a school, in the UK it is the headmaster.
2. In the US you would go to the movie-theater to watch a movie, in the UK you would go to the cinema to watch a film.
3. In the US bedroom your clothes would be kept in the closet, in the UK a wardrobe.
4. In the US suspenders keep up your pants, in the UK braces keep up your trousers.
5. In the US a baby would wear a diaper, in the UK a nappy.
6. In the US you would have jelly on your bread, in the UK you would have jam.
7. In the US your address has a zip code, in the UK your address has postcode.
8. In the US you use scotch tape, in the UK you use selotape.
9. In the US you turn on the faucet for water, in the UK you turn on the tap.
10. In the US you put on your sneakers to go jogging, in the UK you put on your trainers.
11. In the US if you cut yourself you would use a band-aid, in the UK a plaster.
12. In the US if you are not charged for a telephone call it is toll-free, in the UK it is free-phone.
13. In the US a proctor watches the students during an exam, in the UK it is an invigilator.
14. In the US your letters and parcels are delivered by the mailman, in the UK it is the postman.