Americanisms creeping in

Really don't like "you go girl!" or "hey girlfriend" just sounds phoney..............and "do the math"nooooooooooooooooo it's maths here please.

Having said that my children their girlfriends and other young grown up members of our family are of the "hi guys", "I'm good" variety, and if we are out it's a "can I get" all round , still waiting for a "I dunno" response. As for us the old fogies we try to set an example with our "please may I have" weirdos that we are

We're all of our time I guess

I say taxi and everyone I know also says taxi I must admit I thought that was general use in the UK although of course we do talk about the black cabs in London ?

Was just amused, reading a book set in WW2 (the latest Maisie Dobbs if there are other fans out there!) in which Maisie explains that 'taxi' is used by Americans, and British people say 'cabs'.
The author (Jacqueline Winspear) is usually spot on with her research - indeed her own older relatives are one of her sources, so I'm sure it is accurate.
I do say 'cab' occasionally - usually in London when I think about it - but I'm sure that 'taxi' was in common use in my 50s childhood. Was there a difference between London and the rest of GB?

gmarie ???

Evie64

I don't have problems with Americanisms generally and as others have said have found the majority of Americans I have met on my numerous visits to be very friendly.

However, I did correct a New Yorker when I overheard him telling someone (holding a conversation in Spanish) that "we talk English here".

'From the get go is still nonsense' - is it?
This was in regular use when I was a child - now it may have been an Americanism that came over during WW2, but my mother used it until her death and I occasionally do (usually when I'm thinking of her!)

Ha ha, gmarie, excellent riposte!

"Know what I mean?" Grrrr

Hi!

I just wanted to touch bases with you guys and give you a heads up. To address the elephant in the room, I'm an American. Re/ our strange wording, it's not rocket science; basically, we are just way too laid back. Literally, we don't sweat the small stuff. Do you know what I mean? No worries about offending us with this post! At the end of the day, we just suck it up. It is what it is.

So, listen up, I'm hoping to reach out! Let's grab a coffee, a few cookies or cupcakes (oops, my bad, "fairy cakes") and sit down to chat and decide what things will look like going forward. That would be awesome! I've been super excited to meet you all from the get go!

See you later and have a nice day!

Language is evolutionary. We all use language differently now compared to our grand parents! Certain things do ruffle feathers for me too but life is too short! As long as we communicate clearly, kindly and truthfully then I can overlook differences.

Written English is, or should be, very different from the spoken word.

I would have been in trouble had I written 'alright' in any essay I composed at school OPgrndtr. It is 'all right'.

Incidentally, when working with Viet-namese refugees way back in the late 70's, I made the mistake of translating, 'Are you all right' literally into Vietnamese.

As I result, I asked a very dignified and puzzled elderly couple, 'Is any part of you deficient?'

Oh dear Lorelei

People that start sentences with

That's my pet peeve. People who start sentences....

I was always taught "Inanimates 'that'- humans 'who' ".

Very few people heed this rule though

I was genuinely confused by "Can't be arsed". I asked my DD if it meant "I cannot be asked" because it would not be fitting. DD laughed and said no it means can't be bothered.

One phrase I used to like was when a certain colleague was asked how he was, he would always respond "Almost perfect thank you!"

May I explain some things? Are you alright? is used not as a greeting, but meaning (and not saying) you look ill.
You guys is a less formal way to say you people.
Our Mom is a short word for Mommy.
A purse is equal to handbag or shoulderbag.
See you later! is used to indicate that it was nice to see you (our regular customer), and I do hope to see you again later.
Hun is just a rude way of shortening Honey.
My Bad is a rude way of saying Please excuse my bad behavior.
From the get go is still nonsense.
No worries, Mate is the way we hear that one.
These are some things I have never heard in the US.
Nom Nom
hollibobs
Luvly jubbly
Some of your posts refer to a person who did not care to study proper grammar.

Thank you for reading this post. GNers are great.

I personally detest "very unique" - something is either unique, or it is not.

When a person is being interviewed they always start their reply with 'so'. Drives me mad too Craftycat.

I don't like 'reaching out' and the craze for 'supersizing' everything

rosecarmel - did you mean that 'bless your heart' is an Americanism?
My great-grandmother (born 1860 in the middle of the UK) used this expression, and so did my grandmother and her sisters - none had anything to do with the US!
I think it may be another of those 'travelled' expressions.
And this thread is reminding me of Billy Bragg saying that his English heritage was sold back to him by 2 Jewish guys from Brooklyn (meaning Simon & Garfunkle popularising Scarborough Fair) - but he meant it as an example of how language, poetry & song travel, not a criticism!

Here's another - 'off of' as in 'there's a utility room off of the kitchen' or I'm getting this cup 'off of' the shelf.

I thought we were criticising the American words in daily use in the UK, not the American people. Some of the nicest people I know are American including my cousin. She can say faucet and drapes, mom and even "have a nice day", though she wouldn't.
Language evolves and no doubt we will be suspecting our spelling of colour , labour and centre sooner than we think.

Mom for mum, purse for handbag, yeh yeh yeh (speaker becomes Dick Dastardly’s Mutley) and all of previous posts.
Find myself becoming a Jacob Reece Mogg fan girl ?

That's ok to say, Rosie- There are snobs in the US, too -- proof that Americans imitate as well ..

Well, I can only speak for myself, but I don’t understand all the bad feeling for all things American.

Having visited numerous times over the past 13 years, due to both DD’s 1 and 2 living there, I have to say I think Americans are generally a lot more friendly and polite than we are in Europe and their customer service is second to none.

Does it really matter that they speak American English or that some words have come into our vocabulary? There are far worse things to get annoyed about.

I expect my post will be deleted as causing offence but I'll speak my mind anyway. Imitation is supposed to be a form of flattery, which suggests that most British people admire the Americans and want to copy their ways.

This is something I cannot understand, as the Americans are inferior to us in so many ways. Our country as a whole is imitating theirs, and not to our benefit.