"England and America are two countries divided [separated] by a common [the same] language. (attributed to Shaw despite not appearing in his writings, see Oxford Dictionary of Quotations [4th edn., p. 638, quote no. 31]. See also Esar & Bentley, 1951, Treasury of Humorous Quotations; earlier attributed to Shaw in the Reader's Digest, November 1942.)"

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Added on April 10, 2026
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Academics from IrelandPlaywrights from IrelandNovelists from IrelandVegetariansMystics
Original Language: English

Sources

The quotation is thought to derive from an Oscar Wilde short story, where the following appears: "Indeed, in many respects, she was quite English, and was an excellent example of the fact that we have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language" (Wilde, "The Canterville Ghost", 1887). See Accessed 13 December 2022.