Gransnet forums

Culture/Arts

Americanisms taking over

(21 Posts)
Bramblewitch Wed 26-Jun-24 15:00:58

Does anyone else feel that Americanisms are creeping in by the back door and that British culture is being subsumed? What's wrong with icing or biscuits? Why are frosting and cookies creeping in even to the BBC?

keepingquiet Wed 26-Jun-24 18:09:16

I hate it too, but the English language is real and organic and robust, we pick up and discard words all the time.

One phrase I wish we would adopt though, is often times. I hear Amercans use it a lot and it sounds so much better than very often!

Products will come and go- wait until the Chinese really take over lol!

Freya5 Wed 26-Jun-24 19:06:40

"Oftentimes, first used in Middle English from 1150-1500, and first evidence is from before 1398 in the poems of John Gower."
So not an Americanism as I found when researching it from uncle Google. I find it interesting that our old language is still carried on across the pond. Much nicer than some that is used in the UK today.

NotSpaghetti Wed 26-Jun-24 19:13:21

Icing and biscuits aren't at all the same as frosting and cookies.
There's room for both.

I don't want to call my boot the trunk though! grin

NotSpaghetti Wed 26-Jun-24 19:46:07

Most "Americanism" are actually older English than the English we use now.
Thete was another thread about this recently.
I think it was in Pedants' Corner...

TerriBull Wed 26-Jun-24 19:53:07

When I read Bill Bryson's "Made in America" a long while ago, it was interesting to know how many Americanisms are rooted in old English.

Sago Thu 27-Jun-24 07:04:04

It’s gotten too much!

Curtaintwitcher Thu 27-Jun-24 07:14:01

Many British people admire the Americans and want to be like them. The internet has a lot to do with it, though. American words and spellings are on search engines, so naturally they are creeping into our language.
We should be very careful though. Generally speaking, the Americans have lower standards than ours and we shouldn't copy everything they do.

keepcalmandcavachon Thu 27-Jun-24 08:53:19

Sago

It’s gotten too much!

gringringrin

Indigo8 Tue 03-Sept-24 17:22:46

I like to do crosswords online (yes I know) and often they appear as being from a British newspaper but when I come to do them they are clearly aimed at Americans.

For instance a town I think of as being in an English county is in Omaha. Hockey is always played on ice with pucks. And that is before we get onto spellings.

The names of famous American sportsmen often crop up and for some reason Rita Hayworth, the IRS and the NRA.

I could go on but I won't. Has anybody else experienced this?

Redhead56 Tue 03-Sept-24 17:37:17

It’s So So annoying!

Indigo8 Tue 03-Sept-24 17:58:14

I know, I can think many things that are more annoying.gringringrin

NotSpaghetti Tue 03-Sept-24 18:01:32

Many British people admire the Americans and want to be like them.

Is that really true? I've never heard or read it anywhere, curtaintwitcher

Babs03 Tue 10-Sept-24 11:30:39

I like to do puzzles etc., online. Already do wordle and quordle - both American with American spellings. Tried sporcle a quizzing site, but again, American, with lots of questions on ex presidents, baseball etc.
Am hooked on Outspell, a form of scrabble but again American spellings.
Are there any good quizzing sites etc., online that are not American??

Rekarie Tue 10-Sept-24 11:58:30

I don't like gifted either. But I've discovered I use it myself. No hope for me

lizzypopbottle Wed 11-Jun-25 16:35:18

I had a message from a friend today telling me he'd put new tires on his bike. I told him in no uncertain terms that Americans may well put tires on their bikes but we put tyres on ours!

And people that drives me nuts. People who! 'That' is for things. 'Who' is for people, please!

JamesandJon33 Wed 11-Jun-25 17:23:04

I had a real tussle with laundromat, in a book I had written. I had to be really ,really definite that there were no laundromats in 1950’s Wales.

Luckygirl3 Wed 11-Jun-25 17:32:58

Sago

It’s gotten too much!

I quite like gotten!

Luckygirl3 Wed 11-Jun-25 17:33:43

Rekarie

I don't like gifted either. But I've discovered I use it myself. No hope for me

It is interesting how some nouns are becoming verbs - I quite like gifted.

Oreo Wed 11-Jun-25 20:40:17

Freya5

"Oftentimes, first used in Middle English from 1150-1500, and first evidence is from before 1398 in the poems of John Gower."
So not an Americanism as I found when researching it from uncle Google. I find it interesting that our old language is still carried on across the pond. Much nicer than some that is used in the UK today.

It’s where their language came from in the first place, with the white settlers in when, the 1500’s? I quite like Americanisms tbh.😃

Oreo Wed 11-Jun-25 20:42:23

I know it’s an old thread ,but an interesting one anyway.