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My understanding is this preference is a little known schism in Britishisms and American English. In American English, a scheme is an unscrupulous, nefarious p
by gausswho 2y ago
My understanding is this preference is a little known schism in Britishisms and American English.
In American English, a scheme is an unscrupulous, nefarious plan villains make. Often accompanied with riotous laughter.
In British English, it's more general. Like a plan, but with superficial consensus and often spreadsheets. Trees die, but people don't. You see this neutral usage in government discussion regularly.
It also reminds me: Europeans speaking English often use 'simple' before they start demonstrating things. Often painfully non-obvious things. Really boxes my ears. If it was simple I wouldn't be asking for an explanation and now you're insulting me.
- alphabetter 2y agoExactly this. As a British English speaker that works a lot with the US it was an early learning. In British English a "scheme" has no negative connotations. It's commonly used in all kinds of legitimate places - for example the company you work at will have a "pension scheme". In U.S. English it has a connotation that it is nefarious in some way.
- sentientslug 2y agoYeah, this always throws me off. In American English I’d always use the word “program” instead.