Americanisation of the UK

It’s mostly tacky and I hate it.

merlotgran

Mostly I let it wash over me but my DGCs laugh when I wince at Americans pronouncing, Van Gogh, herbs, compost and Djokovic (to name but a few)

And we don’t have janitors….We have caretakers!

We have janitors here in Scotland - or 'jannies' as they are usually called up here! The school janny is usually a much-loved member of staff.

I was surprised to find that the nursery in rural-ish Co Durham GC went to had a "Graduation". It was done with one "graduation" garment and hat swapped between the kids leaving for photo purposes. So did the village primary school, same idea, photos for parents. Kids loved it mostly. But weird.

And we don’t have janitors….We have caretakers!
We have always had janitors in Scotland. Schools couldn't function without the jannie.

Septimia

Learn Mandarin? At least all the Chinese at the Olympics looked happy and friendly (I'm not saying the Americans didn't).

Did they have a choice though!!!

I agree that some American celebratory customs are now becoming commonplace in the UK but promenading is nothing new c/f our Proms music series and its origins. Prom night in colleges seems to have originated at Princeton in the early 1900s; Baby showers were given by American church ladies, again in the early 1900s. These customs have taken a long time to get here.

Language is another matter. I think cookies and biscuits has been discussed before with cookies very much a Scots term that was taken to America.

Knickers is interesting as it originates in America via a novelist and a Dutch colonist.

Knickers is a colloquial contraction of knickerbocker(s) - a loose fitting garment gathered at the knee. Knickers is now used in the US for the shorts worn by boxers and footballers. The Liverpudlian kecks for trousers derives from knickers or knickerbockers.

Harmen Jansen Knickerbocker was a Dutch colonist most associated with Albany, New York.

American writer Washington Irving (1783-1859) used the surname to create the fictitious Diedrich Knickerbocker, the pretend author of Irving’s novel A History of New-York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty published in 1809. The character dresses in baggy-kneed trousers referred to as knickerbockers, later shortened to knickers.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diedrich_Knickerbocker

Knickerbocker is also used to refer to people who live in Manhattan and the short-form adopted for the city’s professional basketball team who are called the Knicks (and wear knickers to play in).

In 1900, The Times reported The Imperial Yeomanry.. in their well-made, loosely-fitting khaki tunics and riding knickers.

The earliest written British use of knickers for womens’ undergarments was in 1882. I recommend flannel knickers in preference to a flannel petticoat. (From The Queen - an illustrated journal that was published from 1861 to 1970.)

Pants comes from mid 14C to early 17C Middle French panatalon - also the Italian dramatic character Pantaloon (pantaleon) who worn long, straight close-fitting breeches.

Pants became trousers of any kind. In early use, the word was applied to men's trousers, but in the 20C extended to include those worn by both men and women. Panties were men's or boys’ short trousers.

Panties for women's or girls' underpants; especially short-legged pants with an elasticated waist - is a relatively modern term first used in the early 1900s in Australia.

In summary: Pants is French. Panties comes via Australia. Knickers comes to us from American fiction via a Dutch colonist. It’s all very international but if you insist on knickers as the correct term you were already using a word that originated in America.

merlotgran

Mostly I let it wash over me but my DGCs laugh when I wince at Americans pronouncing, Van Gogh, herbs, compost and Djokovic (to name but a few)

And we don’t have janitors….We have caretakers!

Beg to differ. Janitor meaning the person in a building, especially a school, who has charge of the cleaning, heating can be found in early 18C and 20C Scottish documents:

The Education Committee..had recommended that a janitor be appointed, and that he be responsible for all janitorial and cleaning work at the school, including maintenance of the gardens. Source: Aberdeen Press and Journal

Caretaker is much more general and has only been in use for someone who takes care of a thing, place, or person since the mid 1800s.

I am fine with Halloween, Proms, movies and all the other transatlantic imports. The one thing that puts my teeth on edge is the word "like" , drives me insane !

Mostly I let it wash over me but my DGCs laugh when I wince at Americans pronouncing, Van Gogh, herbs, compost and Djokovic (to name but a few)

And we don’t have janitors….We have caretakers!

sassysaysso

"I think much of these new phenomenons exponentially gathered momentum when MacDonalds hit our shores. Yeah! I blame the Golden Arches"

I blame Netflix and its output of substandard American drivel which showcases the American way of life and modern customs.

(Not anti American btw, my daughter lives there)

No am in no way anti American, we also have relatives there, tbh they are not happy with how things are over there anyway, and when they visit prefer not to see anything typically American but something typically British.
And I agree about the US offerings on Netflix and elsewhere, totally banal, tbh there are some great Spanish offerings on there.

I live in Ireland and so many young people born and bred here now speak with an American accent. They pick it up from TV and films. I have to say it really grates on me.

I think it matters because American big businesses are everywhere, causing smaller businesses to fail, I imagine even in Outer Mongolia there will be a MacDonalds and people drinking Coca Cola. In many high streets shops are boarded up but you can bet there is a MacDonalds, a KFC, and a Starbucks. Perhaps China will now do the same. Who knows?
Brexit was all about seizing back control from Europe but they had it wrong, it should have been about seizing back control from the US.
Perhaps it will all end with kids swearing allegiance to the Stars and Stripes.

"I think much of these new phenomenons exponentially gathered momentum when MacDonalds hit our shores. Yeah! I blame the Golden Arches"

I blame Netflix and its output of substandard American drivel which showcases the American way of life and modern customs.

(Not anti American btw, my daughter lives there)

Why does it matter? I can't understand why anybody is bothered by this. You can't preserve a society in aspic and customs, culture and language all evolve.
If you prefer to say "film" and "biscuit" etc., then do so - and nobody is compelled to eat KFC (thank goodness).

We’ll just have to keep a stiff upper lip…

Oh,wait, that’s an Americanism, first used in this country by Dickens in All The Year Round in 1870, , in an article called’Popular American Phrases’ in which to ‘keep a stiff upper lip’ was explained as meaning ‘to remain firm to a purpose, to keep up one’s courage’.

On the other hand, 20 years ago a micro-brewery in Michigan ran radio adverts claiming their beer was free of ‘additives and other bollocks’ which was possible despite strict broadcasting rules because nobody knew what that meant. I’m assured it’s commonly understood in much of the States now.

I can remember my husband telling me we were going to try this "new" American hamburger restaurant before went to the cinema (to see "The Sweeney", I think).

We spent ages trying to find the cutlery, and were horrified when we were told there wasn't any!

"Well, how ridiculous-this won't catch on"

we said.

Yes, it’s ‘films’ not ‘movies’.

And it’s ‘holidays’ not ‘vacations’.

But of course, ‘annual leave’ pops up all the time now also.

Interesting discussion- I'll maybe come back later.

Talking of McDonald's outfits, France has more McDos than the UK! Not much resistance there.
Most French people I know use the term le fast-food.

I meant to add, like you JudgeJane, my guilty secret, I love KFC, haven't had one for years though

I've really loved America when I've been there and aspects of their culture, but over there, just not here. A lot has been exported, the prom for example, as mentioned numerous times, the outfits, the hire of limousines, it all adds up. Surely the same amount of pleasure could be had from an end of term disco without the almost obligatory tack.. Immense pressure all round, the parents' purse, girls to compete with each other on how they look. Events around school are an industry in the US graduations take place from nursery even, so having gone through the system with those happening at year ends, the actual graduation from university has been superseded so many times, it may have been relegated to just another one! The demands expectations of keeping up are an immense pressure on the beleaguered parent over there. I remember seeing cars with stickers on their back window with "I'm a hockey mom" Oh God what does that even mean living vicariously through my child's sporting achievements, sounds hell!

Our high streets are very homogeneous, more so than France and Italy for example, but whilst my perception is that they retain their individuality more than us, they still have all the trappings of American multi nationals. On that note I did like this from a proprietor of a coffee shop in Rome when asked whether he was bothered about a Starbucks opening nearby he replied "not really, they serve hot drinks, we serve coffee!"

Baby showers take away the spontaneity of gifting a present to an expectant mother, this is what my friends and I did when we had our respective first babies on the way. Now it's been replaced by an organised event , in worst case scenarios, with a hand in hand conformity as to gifting. Even more ridiculous the gender reveal gatherings.

We were always far more low key, maybe it took us so long to recover from the austerity of the war, the US didn't have that. I think much of these new phenomenons exponentially gathered momentum when MacDonalds hit our shores. Yeah! I blame the Golden Arches

I too dislike many of those mentioned. As is said, when America catches a cold, the United Kingdom sneezes.

The one thing I not only dislike, but don't even understand is "graduation". How can you NOT graduate from primary school - you just do. Same with your next school - you finish and leave. However, you can succeed or fail at university so only those who succeed can graduate.

Whilst we're (usually!) proud of our children, I can't say I was proud of them for leaving their primary or secondary school - it's not like there was a choice.

I know - it's probably just me

stayanotherday

It is Jane as call me an idealist but I would prefer a country that looks after its citizens.

The end of year school disco, yes! I was shy but at least it was simple fun rather than all the pressure and money attached to proms. Shame your son couldn't go to his graduation but the university might accommodate by letting him tag along to a later time if he changes his mind

Yes I think proms are a bad idea, some kids from better off backgrounds arrive in a stretch limo, wearing designer dresses or tuxedos. I even heard of parents hiring a helicopter for their child’s prom. And friends of ours said their Dil hired someone to do their daughter’s make up and hair. Is costing parents thousands. And kids from poorer backgrounds will probs feel awkward.
The end of term disco is a much better option. We didn’t have anything to mark the end of the last school term, we just hung around near some allotments drinking barley wine and scoffing sweets.
I was sick as a dog and told my mum I must have a stomach bug.

It is Jane as call me an idealist but I would prefer a country that looks after its citizens.

The end of year school disco, yes! I was shy but at least it was simple fun rather than all the pressure and money attached to proms. Shame your son couldn't go to his graduation but the university might accommodate by letting him tag along to a later time if he changes his mind

Yeah it's all pretty tacky but it's been a two way process:

- The English language was imported into the US
- Many places names in the US are named after their UK counterparts and UK people
- The foundation of the US legal system is based on the English system though with many embellishments
- Scottish and Irish music was a huge influence on US country music
- They love our royal family and actors

There must be other examples.

I agree JaneJudge. Two weeks vacation, long working hours and no security or real workers rights. Public services disappearing to be filled with volunteers. You see that now with many libraries here.