Americanisation (the) of our language

Well, just in case we get too pally, Marydoll

As well as Gaelic, there's Doric, Insular Scots, Lallans (which I think is made up!) and Norn, which is extinct as a first language.

I'm a proud Doric spikker but I ken that we're a' Jock Tamson's bairns.

Daisy79

May I ask about one particular phrasing I’ve never understood? Why do Brits say “fell pregnant?” It sounds like an illness or accident.

I never heard this until I was in my 20s. (A long time ago, obviously!). People used to say ‘expecting a baby’, or similar.

To be frank my mother would have put ‘fall pregnant’ in the same category* as ‘a bun in the oven’, or what an adult nephew once said to his elder sister - ‘I hear you’re up the duff again.’ ?
*to her, vulgar if not decidedly ‘common’.

Funnily enough, my American niece on a previous visit loved ‘up the duff’’, especially when spoken in her cousin’s northern accent - ‘Oop the doof’. Said she was going to import it to the US!

Oh that's awful, to make someone feel uncomfortable about communicating with others.
Really so unkind.
I have only realised since using gransnet that I must leave a trail of teeth gnashing people in my wake, with my terrible, lazy accent.

Alegrias1

We're on the same page Marydoll

Alegrias, you are scaring me! We rarely agree. ???
Pax! ?

AGAA4. English is the main language spoken in Scotland. I live in the Lowlands and do not know one person, who speaks Gaelic.
Lessons in schools and university are taught in English and as far as I know all legal documents are in English. The same English, which is used in England.

I am a bit of a purist/pedant, but I believe every form of English is valid and we should respect that. Live and let live, it is harming no-one.

I'd say we have several AGAA4

Like my mum and most of my family, I grew up speaking a language that is as different from English as Norwegian is from Swedish. When she was young my mum was told that what she was speaking was "bad" English, with the result that she is always nervous about speaking to other people who speak "properly".

Maybe that's one of the reasons I find this mockery of other people and their language so wrong.

Marydoll

People in Scotland speak the Queens English too!

MaryDoll Scotland does have her own language as does Wales that's why I mentioned England.
I live in Wales btw.

We're on the same page Marydoll

People are proud of it, as if it somehow makes them superior.
That's the issue.
Just ride roughshod over others in an attempt to look "better" than.

I did find it amusing a first, Alegrias, but I can't get my head around the prejudice shown here. What makes it even more shocking is the fact that some posters don't see that it is unacceptable in this day and age.

I agree Marydoll as I said earlier on this thread it's seems quite usual to mock Americans on GN. The generalisations often made about American people are quite shocking.

Marydoll

Alegrias1

So I avoid books from America.

I'm sorry, this is just getting comical. ??

.... and very prejudiced. It is shocking and certainly not comical.

I'm disgusted at the narrow-mindedness of some posters.

I don't disagree Marydoll, but when faced with such ridiculous comments I think laughter and ridicule is a good response.

I don't know about you, but when I read Steinbeck I'm always correcting his spelling in my head. And as for Toni Morrison...

People in Scotland speak the Queens English too!

I think that people in England want to retain their language and as do the Welsh here in Wales.
There is nothing wrong with American English as that is their language but I do understand when such a lot of that language is being used in England some people feel that their native English is in danger.
However there is no need to be rude and some of our American GNs have been upset by this thread and rightly so.

Alegrias1

^So I avoid books from America.^

I'm sorry, this is just getting comical. ??

.... and very prejudiced. It is shocking and certainly not comical.

I'm disgusted at the narrow-mindedness of some posters.

So I avoid books from America.

I'm sorry, this is just getting comical. ??

I can't stand Americanisms and I can hardly read an article or a book without wanting to correct the spelling. So I avoid books from America.

Annoying things, to add to what is already on here:

Paycheck instead of salary or salary/wage slip.

"Pay the check" or ask for the 'check' instead of paying the bill or invoice, or asking for the bill or invoice.

Very poor misuse of the language and very lazy spelling. It grates on my nerves!

Daisy79

May I ask about one particular phrasing I’ve never understood? Why do Brits say “fell pregnant?” It sounds like an illness or accident.

A hundred or so years ago it often was an accident Daisy. I gather falling pregnant comes from being a fallen woman if a girl got pregnant "out of wedlock". It was always the woman's fault and she fell from grace, was no longer welcome and brought shame on her family. Often, especially in poorer families, a wife becoming pregnant was far from welcome as it meant another mouth to feed. It was also the woman's fault if she didn't get pregnant when the husband wanted an heir. All down to the woman of course and nothing to do with the man!

Re "Uptalking". My Australian cousins from Sydney all do this. And people from Suffolk tend to as well. Its one way to tell the Norfolk accent from the Suffolk. I didn't realise it was done in the USA. Perhaps in some states?

I’m all for discussion of language but this thread has some awful prejudices. It honestly shows “grans” as intolerant, narrow minded, miserable…….I’ll stop before I swear!

Lucca

A commonly occurring post “ I haven’t read the thread but I’ll just add another rude comment”

I thought I was the only one, who thought that, Lucca,
It has been explained twice already, that culpable homicide is a legal term in Scotland, yet posters continue to complain that it is an Americanism.

Although I used it daily, when I was teaching, I never realised it was called uptalking. Every day is a school day on GN.
Putting aside the xenophobia and rudeness for a moment, as a lover of language/ languages, I'm loving this thread.

grannybuy

Mom and cops!

I’m absolutely certain we played cops and robbers as children ….in England.

There are parts of the UK where “mom” is used.

A commonly occurring post “ I haven’t read the thread but I’ll just add another rude comment”

Alegrias1: "Shall we go for it?"

I have better manners than that.

Summerlove:

Back years ago when I worked in the service industry, I would often be in charge of closing the business which included making sure other employees did their work before leaving. There were a lot of men that I worked with.

One day, as I was checking out a male employee, another female employee said she loved working with me, . I asked if it was because I made everyone do the job they had to before they went home. She said yes, but also you are so nice about it they cant say no.

I didn't realize it at the time, but I was using uptalk. It was a very effective way to get things done as a woman without drama or disrespect. It was like me asking "could you please do your job and go home? Thanks!"

I have found uptalk very useful in various aspects of my life as a woman, especially in such a patriarchal society. And I don't have to be called the name of a female dog either, as we know often happens when women are assertive.

May I ask about one particular phrasing I’ve never understood? Why do Brits say “fell pregnant?” It sounds like an illness or accident.