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Americanisms
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I lived in America until I was seven, every so often the odd one creeps into my spelling or sometimes pronunciation.
What really annoys me are some of the more recent things that are coming into parlance from American English that just don't scan nicely even if technically correct. Things like:
* Irregardless and Irrespectivly
* "I could give a damn" when actually, you couldn't.
* to do something "on accident"
I'll post up more as I think of them but these ones really grind my gears! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Panties. Can't stand that word, they are k ickers or pants. When did they start creeping into our English language? Which ones do you dislike and why? "
I hate panties too drives me nuts it's knickers  |
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"I think the only one that mildly annoys me is aluminium...it is not aloominnumm (not actual spelling but how it bloody sounds to me when they say it).  "
Yes, I worked for a company. They were owned by an American aluminium company. So we heard that pronunciation a lot 
XX
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With the amount of American movies (films) made every year its not a surprise,
A huge amount of people around the world speak a version English as a second language and its usually American English
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An explanation for 'Aluminum.'
That's how it was spelled when it was first discovered. The world agreed to change it so it fit with its neighbours on the periodic table. America kept the original spelling. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Words misspelled with ER instead of RE, metre, centre etc....
And why do we get to choose any language for your keyboard or on a website drop down except English? English US is a language but so is English FFS! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"anyone mentioned fanny , dont like yanks either not the people the word!! lol"
Haha... I’m American and got schooled on what the fanny was earlier in the fab forums 
Color, favor, neighbor, butt, mom, I got tons I’m blanking on |
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"Panties. Can't stand that word, they are k ickers or pants. When did they start creeping into our English language? Which ones do you dislike and why? "
Correct me if I'm wrong but did Humphrey Bogart start the trend of Americanisms off , with the film Casablanca. Was that film the first mainstream film involving illicit meetings with the opposite sex.
Could it be all Humphreys fault?  |
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By *sGivesWood OP Woman
over a year ago
ST. AUSTELL, CORNWALL |
"Panties. Can't stand that word, they are k ickers or pants. When did they start creeping into our English language? Which ones do you dislike and why?
Correct me if I'm wrong but did Humphrey Bogart start the trend of Americanisms off , with the film Casablanca. Was that film the first mainstream film involving illicit meetings with the opposite sex.
Could it be all Humphreys fault? "
Absolutely |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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My mum was American and I lived there a bit growing up so don't think twice about them (actually have quite a few!) But find the kids here now have loads from the television... my pet hate one is 'gotten' |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I met an eccentric American who insisted on using the Queen's English for all his written work and also taught his children to abandon the Americanised spelling of everything.
Top man. Totally off his rocker though. |
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"I hate Sem I circle. Transmission, it's a gearbox. And stick shift it's a bloody gearstick. I could go on and on !! "
Sorry. Technically the gearbox is part of the transmission (which literally stands for transmission of power to wheels from engine), it could of course be manual (stick shift if you're over the water, in which case what you call the gearstick they call the shifter) or automatic, but there are other types of transmission which are neither such as CVT (continuously variable transmission) etc. |
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By *sGivesWood OP Woman
over a year ago
ST. AUSTELL, CORNWALL |
"I hate Sem I circle. Transmission, it's a gearbox. And stick shift it's a bloody gearstick. I could go on and on !!
Sorry. Technically the gearbox is part of the transmission (which literally stands for transmission of power to wheels from engine), it could of course be manual (stick shift if you're over the water, in which case what you call the gearstick they call the shifter) or automatic, but there are other types of transmission which are neither such as CVT (continuously variable transmission) etc. "
Trunk, it's a boot. Hood, it's a bonnet. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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The only things that really bug me are 'on accident' and their refusal to pronounce the letter H in some words, mainly words that begin with it. They arent 'erbs', they're 'herbs', dammit.
/E |
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'Hey, I got hit on last night', meaning....... 'erm, some bloke tried to chat me up last night'
and.....
'Hey, I hooked up with a guy at a party last week', meaning...... 'Got d*unk and shagged some bloke at someone's house last week' |
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"anyone mentioned fanny , dont like yanks either not the people the word!! lol"
We know the fanny is on the front side of a woman, I was confused when I first of Yasnks slapping women on the fanny in fairly public places.
Hate Gotten, Panties etc but I also dislike the the way many British people are losing the the ability to put a 'g' at the end of words like losing etc. In manchester it seems like lots can't pronunce the letters 'er'. Ladder becomes 'ladda.' |
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Biggest irritation is when they just make words up. The two most recent ones I came across I may even have uttered "What the fuck" out loud.
For those interested the words are:
Ideate (to discuss ideas and thoughts)
Burglarize
I couldn't even write them down without thinking WTF! Yes, I know, there are more important things in the world to be concerned about....  |
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Oh, and "momentarily". Used all the time in the US when they mean "in a moment". Just ignorance I suppose but it does grate slightly when a word like that is used to describe something different just because it sounds sort of similar to what they mean to say. And in this particular case, no, it's not "evolution of the language". I hope not anyway... |
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By *ustme6Man
over a year ago
tamworth |
Ohhh gawd I am so guilty of this ...spent twenty years working in the good old USA and still find myself calling it a cell phone...or asking where the nearest gas station is..not to mention the aluminum issue. .or the erbs. .  |
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By *G CoupleCouple
over a year ago
Newton Stewart |
I get irrationally annoyed when I hear someone in coffee shops/pubs or similar say, "Can I get...." when they mean "May I have..".
I'm pretty sure they don't really want to go and get whatever it is themselves.
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I get irrationally annoyed when I hear someone in coffee shops/pubs or similar say, "Can I get...." when they mean "May I have..".
I'm pretty sure they don't really want to go and get whatever it is themselves.
This one really does my nut. It makes me want to give them a slap.
"
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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And of course, always remember to turn off your faucets before stepping on to the sidewalk to check under the hood of your auto before going on the highway, in case you need gas.  |
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By *arrapsMan
over a year ago
port talbot |
Basil, they pronounce it ba zil, yet they pronounce the male name as basil.....
One thing that really pisses me off is when someone asks
“ can I get “ to a shop assistant.... I want to scream. “ it’s May I have “ you fricking moron |
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I have just got back from Mexico. One lunch time I was standing in front of the Chef, he was going to cook me a Prawn in Chilli Spaghetti. He asked what I wanted the Spaghetti cooked in, I said Butter. Blank stare, he repeated the question, I said Butter. The American girl behind me in the queue said to the Chef....I think he means Budder. Oh right said the chef. I bloody hate Americans. |
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One thing I can't ever get my head around is the mealtime practice of cutting up food, putting the knife down, and then transferring the fork from the other hand to eat...
....many years ago in an edge-of-town diner in Pensacola, Florida, I became aware that the waitresses were stood huddled together watching me eating - after about five minutes, the one who'd served me came over and asked "Excuse me, hun, but were you brought up to use a knife and fork like that?"...
....I couldn't resist, and proudly announced, "Of course, I'm British!" |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I get irrationally annoyed when I hear someone in coffee shops/pubs or similar say, "Can I get...." when they mean "May I have..".
I'm pretty sure they don't really want to go and get whatever it is themselves.
"
Especially when it's followed by "to take out..." |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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There are a few that seem to have crossed over into management speak, at my office, and I hate them!
I think the worst is "reach out".
" So the payment for client A is delayed. Someone needs to reach out to treasury and chase it".
Idiots! Why not just speak to them instead? What good is waving your arms at then going to do?
Bloody morons! Arghhh!
Ok. Rant over.
Oh wait, and math.
You do the math.
Just no.
It's maths. You don't study math, you study mathematics. Notice the s on the end there? Maths!
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By *atcoupleCouple
over a year ago
Suffolk - East Anglia |
"There are a few that seem to have crossed over into management speak, at my office, and I hate them!
I think the worst is "reach out".
" So the payment for client A is delayed. Someone needs to reach out to treasury and chase it".
Idiots! Why not just speak to them instead? What good is waving your arms at then going to do?
Bloody morons! Arghhh!
Ok. Rant over.
Oh wait, and math.
You do the math.
Just no.
It's maths. You don't study math, you study mathematics. Notice the s on the end there? Maths!
"
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Panties. Can't stand that word, they are k ickers or pants. When did they start creeping into our English language? Which ones do you dislike and why? "
im with you on the panty thing and ass instead of arse grrrrr
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I think the only one that mildly annoys me is aluminium...it is not aloominnumm (not actual spelling but how it bloody sounds to me when they say it). "
Actually you're wrong, the original spelling was aluminum, it was changed to aluminium by others and the British version was used in American scientific circles until the original spelling became the norm in North America. |
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"I think the only one that mildly annoys me is aluminium...it is not aloominnumm (not actual spelling but how it bloody sounds to me when they say it).
Actually you're wrong, the original spelling was aluminum, it was changed to aluminium by others and the British version was used in American scientific circles until the original spelling became the norm in North America."
There is so many other things posted here that people think are Americanisms that are really just words that are used by British people without even knowing it.. Funny that..  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Panties. Can't stand that word, they are k ickers or pants. When did they start creeping into our English language? Which ones do you dislike and why? im with you on the panty thing and ass instead of arse grrrrr"
Yh the word panties Makes me cringe a bit, as for arse/ass it depends what your talking about. obviously if your saying “nice ass” instead of “nice arse” then your probably a jackass |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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dont see the issue. Surely you just call things what you want to ie knickers or panties.
lived in the US for 5yrs and love the expressions used.
Us Brits can be quite up our own ass and whingey over minor things. If the meaning is clear I dont care how its said or what form of the langugage is used.
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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""have a nice day" to you folks too....
p.s i'm watching!!!! "
When challenged about the insincerity of hotel staff in the US compared to less polite British staff, an American once responded:
"I'd rather be told to have a nice day by someone who didn't mean it, that be told to bugger off by someone who did" |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Mom
Ask anyone from the midlands... It's mom there.. Not an americanism"
"That's how they say it in the Midlands" isn't usually given as an example of correct language!
I live here but hate writing 'mom' |
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I blame YouTube. 
