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> Only Americans (to the extent I know) differentiate jail and gaol. Jail and prison. You inhabit a very different reality than everybody else. Americans do no

> Only Americans (to the extent I know) differentiate jail and gaol. Jail and prison. You inhabit a very different reality than everybody else. Americans do not differentiate jail and gaol; Americans don't use the word "gaol" under any circumstances, ever. It is not a part of American English.

ggm 2y ago
I apologise for mixing terms. Jail and Prison? Do you disagree this is a point of difference? Americans also don't seem to talk about being on remand. In police custody is unwieldy, I agree.
- int_19h 2y ago
  "jail" and "prison" are the American English words in question. Although that distinction is rarely relevant in casual conversation in practice. People say "jail" and mean "prison" all the time.
- thaumasiotes 2y ago
  As int_19h notes, there are people (in the US) who believe that there is a difference between the meaning of the word "jail" and the meaning of the word "prison". And as int_19h also notes, those people are wrong; Americans will just be confused if you try to use the words differently. It's similar to the insistence of a group with near-perfect overlap that crimes for which jail time isn't a possible punishment can't be correctly referred to as "crimes".
  - LordKeren 2y ago
    While they are often used interchangeably, it is not uncommon for people to make the distinction between jail and prison in the US. It can definitely come across as a “Frankenstein’s monster” type of pedantic correction, but they truly do mean two different ideas in the US
RajT88 2y ago
American here. Never seen the word written before.
- gabeio 2y ago
  Same had to actually look it up and at least Merriam-Webster lists the word as “chiefly British spellings of JAIL, JAILER”. Which at least hints that the dictionary writers thought it is less common out side of Britain.
- shiroiushi 2y ago
  Obviously, you haven't visited any colonial American sites. It used to be the normal spelling.
  - t-3 2y ago
    I've also seen the spelling used in old westerns, which I just so happened to be reading in jail.
    - wink 2y ago
      Non-native speaker here and I learned the word gaol from some fantasy literature only a couple years back.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
- Cthulhu_ 2y ago
  It's a common spelling in fantasy video games and books, but it feels kind of performative. These same games will have voice actors pronounce "ye" as it's written, unaware that the y is a typographic substitute for Þ. "ye olde" is pronounced "the old". But likewise, there's some VAs that clearly only ever read a word, like in the newer God of War games where a character mangles "prescient".
- throaway89 2y ago
  It's the traditional spelling. You'll see it in the British Isles, and on some old buildings here in Canada.
PostOnce 2y ago
I dropped out in the first semester of 9th grade and even I know the word gaol, because I read books written before last year.
- otteromkram 2y ago
  Yes, but how often do you use it in your vernacular? Since that's the topic being discussed, then first portion of your statement wasn't necessary.
  - t-3 2y ago
    It's the same word, just an alternate spelling which is now defunct.
- recursive 2y ago
  I graduated from high school and even got a bachelor's degree. I've read several books written before last year, and have talked to dozens of people. I've never heard or seen the word gaol. And if I had, I'd probably assume it was "goal" misspelled. I make no assertions of being particularly smart or literate, but only typical.
- beowulfey 2y ago
  Knowing the word exists is a different thing than using it in daily speech. I, and I'm sure most people, would be very surprised to hear there are populations of the USA where "gaol" is used regularly.
donohoe 2y ago
American here (another) but also Irish (moved here in my 20s)… Americans never use ‘gaol’. It’s rarely used in Ireland but definitely a term there.
mahoho 2y ago
That's not true. Plenty of ill-behaved FFXI players (myself included) once served time in Mordion Gaol. https://www.bg-wiki.com/ffxi/Mordion_Gaol https://www.bg-wiki.com/ffxi/Mordion_Gaol

ggm 2y ago

I apologise for mixing terms. Jail and Prison? Do you disagree this is a point of difference? Americans also don't seem to talk about being on remand. In police custody is unwieldy, I agree.

int_19h 2y ago
"jail" and "prison" are the American English words in question. Although that distinction is rarely relevant in casual conversation in practice. People say "jail" and mean "prison" all the time.
thaumasiotes 2y ago
As int_19h notes, there are people (in the US) who believe that there is a difference between the meaning of the word "jail" and the meaning of the word "prison". And as int_19h also notes, those people are wrong; Americans will just be confused if you try to use the words differently. It's similar to the insistence of a group with near-perfect overlap that crimes for which jail time isn't a possible punishment can't be correctly referred to as "crimes".
- LordKeren 2y ago
  While they are often used interchangeably, it is not uncommon for people to make the distinction between jail and prison in the US. It can definitely come across as a “Frankenstein’s monster” type of pedantic correction, but they truly do mean two different ideas in the US

RajT88 2y ago

American here. Never seen the word written before.

gabeio 2y ago
Same had to actually look it up and at least Merriam-Webster lists the word as “chiefly British spellings of JAIL, JAILER”. Which at least hints that the dictionary writers thought it is less common out side of Britain.
shiroiushi 2y ago
Obviously, you haven't visited any colonial American sites. It used to be the normal spelling.
- t-3 2y ago
  I've also seen the spelling used in old westerns, which I just so happened to be reading in jail.
  - wink 2y ago
    Non-native speaker here and I learned the word gaol from some fantasy literature only a couple years back.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
Cthulhu_ 2y ago
It's a common spelling in fantasy video games and books, but it feels kind of performative. These same games will have voice actors pronounce "ye" as it's written, unaware that the y is a typographic substitute for Þ. "ye olde" is pronounced "the old". But likewise, there's some VAs that clearly only ever read a word, like in the newer God of War games where a character mangles "prescient".
throaway89 2y ago
It's the traditional spelling. You'll see it in the British Isles, and on some old buildings here in Canada.

PostOnce 2y ago

I dropped out in the first semester of 9th grade and even I know the word gaol, because I read books written before last year.

otteromkram 2y ago
Yes, but how often do you use it in your vernacular? Since that's the topic being discussed, then first portion of your statement wasn't necessary.
- t-3 2y ago
  It's the same word, just an alternate spelling which is now defunct.
recursive 2y ago
I graduated from high school and even got a bachelor's degree. I've read several books written before last year, and have talked to dozens of people. I've never heard or seen the word gaol. And if I had, I'd probably assume it was "goal" misspelled. I make no assertions of being particularly smart or literate, but only typical.
beowulfey 2y ago
Knowing the word exists is a different thing than using it in daily speech. I, and I'm sure most people, would be very surprised to hear there are populations of the USA where "gaol" is used regularly.

donohoe 2y ago

American here (another) but also Irish (moved here in my 20s)… Americans never use ‘gaol’. It’s rarely used in Ireland but definitely a term there.

mahoho 2y ago

That's not true. Plenty of ill-behaved FFXI players (myself included) once served time in Mordion Gaol. https://www.bg-wiki.com/ffxi/Mordion_Gaol https://www.bg-wiki.com/ffxi/Mordion_Gaol