Sorry to Pry

The more I watch American TV programmes and read books by American authors, the more baffled I become at the apparent separation of meaning of two similar words: pry and prise.

In UK English (sorry, US Vixens, but I think of it as "proper" English!) the word prise means, for example, to lever off a lid; pry is to be nosey.

Yet time after time, on TV and in print, I find that US speakers of English use pry to mean the same as prise means in the UK.

If that's so, what on earth do you use for being nosey? (And don't say, "to be nosey"!)

As for "proper English", I remember a story I heard a British broadcaster tell about an experience he had talking to a woman from the American South. I can't remember where whe was from, but let's say Kentucky. It began with an expression of surprise from her:

"Oh, you speak English! I didn't know y'all spoke English in England." He assured her it was so. She then asked:

"How long y'all spoke English in England?"

The man thought for a moment, considering the history of the language, right back to Chaucer in the 14th century, and replied:

"For about 600 years."

"Oh," said the wise southern woman, "we've always spoke English in Kentucky."

He decided he couldn't argue with that!