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Hi Jeanne-

I suppose American mustard is sweeter since our manufacturers like to put sugar in everything!  To me the key difference is that it is much less spicy than other kinds of mustard so depending on your preference for spice, I might adjust the amount. In terms of the way American mustard looks (bright yellow), I think the mustard I most closely associate with English pubs is the closest but with more of a kick.  Frankly, I pretty much use Dijon mustard in any recipe calling for mustard unless there is an obvious reason to use something else.

From manufacturer's statement: 

American yellow mustard is very heavy on the turmeric, light on actual mustard taste. Avoid at all cost ... it has no redeeming qualities. You can live a very pleasant life without ever trying French's Classic Yellow Mustard. A nice Scandinavian yellow mustard makes a quite suitable replacement ... they are also a light flavored mustard but at least it is mustard you taste.

Okay, I will admit to having fostered a teenager who kept sneaking "American mustard" into the house and it did no harm. It's just that throughout my childhood, I thought I hated mustard. As an adult I discovered it was the turmeric that I enjoy only in small amounts ... smaller than in American mustard.

When I was a kid, post-WWII, French's mustard was the only kind available.  It was nicknamed "ballpark mustard" after the hot dogs sold at baseball games.  Now there are choices.  But watch the Costco customers, some of whom drop in to the warehouse retailer ONLY to grab a $1.50 hot dog and soft drink, when they "finish" their purchase.  9 times out of 10, the little pump serving a strip of neon-yellow mustard is chosen over the neighboring pump labeled "deli mustard", aka Dijon.  There is a time and place for all tastes, and I'm not a Food Snob...I also go to Costco just for the dogs!

I've eaten my share of Costco dogs - Polish with saurkraut and deli mustard. It's not snobbery - honest, I don't like turmeric in my mustard and never have ... it's one of those preferences I can't explain, it simply is. My Mother wouldn't let either my sister-in-law or me make potato salad - I put in paprika which she hated; she put in French's Yellow Mustard which I hated. Mother didn't want to hear us argue.