around

around, round

1. In general, BrE prefers round and AmE prefers around, both as an adverb and as a preposition, except in certain more or less fixed expressions or restricted collocations. In BrE it is usual to say all the year round, Winter comes round, The wheels go round, Send the book round, Show me round, whereas in all these cases AmE would normally use around.

2. Around is obligatory in fixed expressions such as fool around, mess around, sit around, etc, all around (as in All around there are signs of decay), and to have been around. In some of these, about is also possible, but not round.

3. BrE still tends to prefer about as a preposition meaning ‘approximately’, although around is also used (e.g. There are about/around 100 in all / Come about/around 4 o'clock), whereas AmE generally prefers around. See about.

4. However, the distribution of around and round is subject to considerable variation in practice, as the following examples show: (around as preposition)

• Jesse…moped around the house all day —Lee Smith, AmE 1983

• The area around Waterloo —R. Elms, BrE 1988

• They stood grouped around their luggage —M. Bracewell, BrE 1989

• (round as preposition)

• A map rolled up round a broom handle —Jeanette Winterson, BrE 1985

• He looked round the table as if daring anyone to smile —David Lodge, 1988

• (around as adverb) Stay around till she gets back —New Yorker, AmE 1989

• Hartmann's sunny…attitude was marvellous to have around —Anita Brookner, BrE 1988

• The devices have been around a while —USA Today, AmE 1988

• I went around to the front door —New Yorker, AmE 1989

• (round as adverb) In the end she talked me round —Nina Bawden, BrE 1987

• The news had gotten round pretty fast —New Yorker, AmE 1998.