AMERICANISMS

I know this subject has been on before, started by Irene in 2010, but it’s crept deeper and deeper into the English language since then, and has now reached saturation levels.

It’s not so much about changing the language as replacing words that have been commonly used for a very long time, and I know the English language itself has changed radically over the centuries.

The other night on an advert on telly, they were advertising Werther’s Originals and, I noticed on one bag, were the words Werther’s Butter CANDIES! What happened to sweets?

There are many more which I detest and make me cringe. Which are yours?

Plus, they cawn’t talk proper like what wey con i’ Wiggin!

Cider has become Cidre and Centre has become Center.Chips have become Fries

They also take the u out of words as in color.

Is Cidre an Americanism?

Cidre is French, but I would never substitute an American spelling for an English one. Only idiots do that, and I hate the use of Z instead of S, as in Kidz etc.

The things that bother me more are the ones that are blatantly money making activities like Prom Nights where parents are expected to fork out a lot of money for evening wear, which the average kid in this country wouldn't dream of wearing.

Hallowe'en has become trick or treat; fairy cakes are now cup cakes; cookies for biscuits; cheerleaders. How did all that happen?

I was strolling down the sidewalk in downtown wigan a couple of days ago, Going to meet my broad in the diner at the junction of Mains and high St. two blocks down the street from the chapel, I ordered a bacon on a rye muffin with egg over easy and a side salad with mayo, they asked, " is that to go or ya eatin' in" , I said " I guess we're eatin' in but bring a doggy bag just in case" Sometimes my boss want to , touch base and. its usually ten klicks down the highway but, I can't say I've noticed any Americanisms

Behave yerself.

We were driving behind a van the other day for a heating Center. Can't they spell English? one Americanism that annoys me is "First off" instead of first of all.

"Off of"!

Anyone being interviewed nowadays, especially on tv always opens with “thanks for having me”. Never a simple “good morning/ afternoon/evening” which has been and is sufficient. More and more often this phrase has crept in.

I don't know if this has been imported from America but it irritates me when people say "up tick" and "down tick" instead of rise and fall. And last year, in the Library of all places, there was a very attractive poster decorated with Autumn leaves advertising books for the " Fall" !! Grrrr. !!

Even the Daily Mail as gardening content which uses the "Fall" instead of autumn or "Zones" This is a UK paper which should have UK gardening content.

Lyrics from the 60s,
I can't get NO satisfaction! And when people say, "that won't be happening, PERIOD" What's happened to full stop?

All comments made are things that I agree with, most especially "off of" and "fall".

Brasstoff: "I can't get no ....." isn't American per se. It's a double negative which should mean "I can't get any ....." or "I can get no....." Sadly, I hear a lot of English people use this double negative which makes me cringe. The most often of this is used in Police documentaries where the criminal says "I didn't do nothing wrong," which effectively means they did do something wrong.

When some one says "See you later" to a complete stranger more so in a shop

People say that to me all the time, Peter, over the phone. People I've never even met. I've often been tempted to reply "Okay, what time and where shall we meet."

Another one that aggravates me is when someone says "I'm going for a coffee", instead of "I'm going for a CUP of coffee!" It doesn't take long to say it correctly.

Another up coming one you hear more and more is,, " hey Bro",,,,

Has instead of as

When a check-out girl says to me See you later, I say what time do you want to meet up then.

Posted by: First Mate (2699)

Has instead of as

That's not an Americanism either. Not everyone can differentiate has and as, and know and no, and there, their and they're. Where and were, wear and we're. That's something many can't get their heads around and, it's not surprising. English isn't the easiest of languages to learn, even for the English, but this thread isn't meant to be a course in English comprehension.

It annoys me though mollie. Here we are criticising Americanisms when people cant get their heads round their own language.

I know what thi meanz mollie I have trouble with gramm ma Two too to 2 , there's know cure for stupid

gotten is another one that has crept in quietly...grr.

Another annoying phrase has crept in ...especially at a bar with the younger ones..."Can I Get"......annoys the life out of me....

Baby shower, where did that come from?

Aren't they all annoying? English people are adopting these terms, and I've seen/read people posting a particular one on here, and that's "woke." Another Americanism, without them realising it.

Tom: You're not stupid at all.

Posted by: First Mate (2702)
"It annoys me though mollie. Here we are criticising Americanisms when people cant get their heads round their own language."

Aye, alright, but let's just remember one thing. Some people have a disability named dyslexia (word blindness) but, as long as they can communicate, and people can understand them, then nobody should judge them. I'm the only person at work who knows how to use an apostrophe, despite explaining following a request to do so, and they still don't get it.

The birth of the ' auto spell' made me look unstupid because at Skool the teechers wrote me off as a duffer and I was told to sit at the back, Dyslexia had't been invented back then,

Well, it hadn't been recognised as a problem back then, so many school kids weren't diagnosed early enough. I have a cousin who could neither read nor write up until he was in his 20s. He just couldn't "see" words and how they were put together. To him it was just a jumble of mixed up scribble. He did learn eventually though, but it was hard work for him.

Any more Americanisms, apart from "have a nice day?"

Happy holidays instead of happy Christmas!

Oh yes, Tuddy. That's another one. Also, when they say Happy New Year's, instead of just Happy New Year. New Year's what? Or is it New Years for every year to come in the future? Who knows?

"are you going to the stadium at the weekend to watch the Warriors game against the Leopards"?

Bb can I get as annoyed me for 5 yrs!

One of the Best ones ever was


" Hey be careful out there "....

Tom, that was from Hill Street Blues, years back.

I absolutely lived for that programme..

Yea it was a good un.

yep it was probably

the Best of Americanisms ever

I am going to the shopping mall and I want a ball park figure for a job that needs doing

I heard something entirely new when watching The Chase tonight. A contestant was being questioned about what she did for a living and she said she used to be a teacher, but had "now decided to take a Segway and do something else!"

Eh? No, she wasn't American, but Segways were invented there. I nearly spit out my cup of tea hearing this.

Mollie, she probably said she'd "done a segue" when changing jobs!

So what's a Segway? are they better than Galloway's?

Tonker:

No, she definitely said Segway. Made me laugh.

Tuddy:

A Segway is a two-wheeled personal transporter, wheels side by side with a platform in the middle to stand on, and handle bars to hold on to.

Just looked what they are Mollie, I should have known, I had a go on one on holiday once.

Its a musical term meaning, Switching channels , So trying something new but still on the same radio

She was a primary school teacher. She made a segue into adult education.
Hope this helps

Who thought up the titles for school years? When I was at school you where in primary school 1st to 4th year then secondary school 1st year to 4th/5th year now its years eg. year 6 year 9 etc Did this come from America

We did't need the yanks to confuse our system, When i went to the same skool as you the classes were, A- being the cleverest then, B being less clever then. C being lesser cleverer and, remedial being fic,
Although I was undiagnosed Dyslexic and non numeral. I manged to score enough points to be in , 1A in the first year,
The second year now changed the goal posts and made the communial classes to be girls and Boys and, they changed the ABC+ remedial to Girls went to G 2 and boys went to B2, the idea was for the fis to learn from the clever and reach a better standard for the skool BUT, On my skool record it shows me slipping from. 1A to 2B and to the unknowing did me no favours, It spoiled my chance of getting to Oxford

We now have Highways which is a North American saying

Tom, It's probably as well that you didn't go to Oxford, you could have ended up as Professor Plum!!!!

Peter, we had 'highwaymen' in England before America was invented! And don't forget, Americans speak English, so who do they copy their words from?

Thats a good point Tonker because the American's we're talking about were English, The Native Americans speak Injunisums and did't like the pale face invaders who stole their land and killed the buffalo

Going for a drive in a car has become ‘going on a road trip’. What’s that about?

Shopping mall is another, we used to have shopping centres.

a situation in a cafe or bar and there's yourself with wife and kids and the waitress comes up and say's, " hey are you guys ready to order today ?"

another is they never say, Its there, or now, Its always got to be,
right there and right now which, puts an urgency about it,,,,

And, going to the movies, instead of the pictures.

You see how they're infiltrating?

Tonker:

They don’t speak English. They speak American. Americans say doos, not dues, dook instead of duke, and I recently heard a Buddha temple being pronounced Boodha temple, but, let’s face it, when they had a president like George W Bush who said “Is our children being educated” and “There is no word in French for entrepreneur” then what else can you expect? Being pedantic though, there's no true English language either, is there.

The only true Americans are the Native Americans who spoke/speak their own tribal languages.

I remember my very first trip to America and we arrived in our hotel at 10.20pm and, i was gasping for a pint but the bar had shut so, I asked,
" hey where can I get a beer nearby, is there a pub ? " The receptionist said,
" there's a nine eleven two blocks down the street " I went to bed thirsty that night because, I was jet lagged and it took me 10 hours to figure what it meant

BOUY We say BOY the Yanks say BOOWY

Another one that I've noticed, but it's not a word. Most of the new Barber's shops that are springing up on every corner, have red, white, and blue poles, the American style. Traditional British Barber's poles are red and white. they represent blood and bandages, as Barbers were also surgeons originally. So you could nip in for a trim and have a knee replacement at the same time.

Never seen those Tuddy, and never knew the significance of the red and white poles before, but that makes sense.

It's surprising how many things come into mind well after they arrive here. It's so subtle that nobody really notices until we've been brainwashed into accepting them.

Whatever next?

I have noticed all the new barbers are turkish

"hafta sonu icin bir sey, efendim"?

ore yed....

There must be a dozen Barbers in Wigan town centre, and another dozen within ten minuets walk of the town centre. what's going on, there's so many of them they can't all be profitable.