O/T:- Creeping Americanisation of British English usage.

[Jeekay56]

Personally I have dinner at dinner time (in the evening) and lunch at lunchtime.

Did you have school dinners served by dinner ladies?

[slack_pie]

Here's another: "I could care less" - a turn of phrase that literally means the opposite of what it's intended to mean. Why?

[lunaspie]

Of course there are dozens of other creeping Americanisations in this era of globalised entertainment and media but this one is all over the place at the moment. It grates every time I hear or read it. Does anyone else find it annoying?

Nope.

[magpie_mania]

I don't like it when someone in a shop or cafe, when asked what they would like says, 'Can I get .....'

Sounds so wrong!

[lunaspie]

See also 'gotten'.

Please try not to emulate those misbegotten sonsofbitches who don't realize the word came over with the Puritans.
Leave them to their ill-gotten gains.
And don't even get me started on 'soccer.'

[BigFatPie]

It can go the other way, thankfully; a podcast by and for Wrexham’s new American ‘fans’.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcas...s/id1654990836

[sidders]

Because it's called English doesn't mean we English own it. if it wasn't for the Americans speaking English our language wouldn't have the dominant position it does. Everyone in the world wants to speak English in order to enhance their job prospects. But no one nation can lay claim to owning a language anymore than it owns the oxygen in its atmosphere.
Languages are not static. Why is 'different than' wrong and 'different from' right? Does it matter, as long as it doesn't confuse communication? If languages were static we would have no problem for example understanding the language of Shakespeare's day because it wouldn't have developed. By the same token, how we talk now will need a language expert by the year 2200, never mind 3000.
For me the one 'Americanism' I rail against is the use of 'you guys' regardless of gender or age. It assumes audiences are made up of one humongous mass with no individual entities. As a teacher, I much preferred 'blokes' or 'chaps' or 'lasses' or 'ladies'.
Fascinating thread, by the way.
El Sid

[ncfcog]

As a teacher, I much preferred 'blokes' or 'chaps' or 'lasses' or 'ladies'. El Sid

I can assure you if you were teaching now that would definitely get you into hot water. Gender misinformation, there's a new and pertinent phrase.

[SwalePie]

Here's another: "I could care less" - a turn of phrase that literally means the opposite of what it's intended to mean. Why?

Yes very bizarre that one!

[upthemaggies]

And don't even get me started on 'soccer.'

I'd guess fans older than 55ish may not necessarily associate that word with America so much. Oxford University coined it in the 1880s and it was a word that was being used here in the 1960s and early 70s before the American Soccer boom circa 1977, the two main ITV regional Sunday afternoon highlights shows that began with 1965/66 season were christened "World Of Soccer" (ABC Midlands and North) and "Star Soccer" (ATV London, which became the Midlands show three seasons later).

FKS, the major Football cards/stickers brand before Panini took hold, always named their collections "Soccer Stars 1970/71" etc.

I don't think there was any notable acknowledgement of American Soccer over here until their bi-centennial tournament in 1976 in which England took part along with Brazil and Italy. The USA couldn't put out a team that could compete at the time and so they had a "Team America" side which included ageing foreign stars - Bobby Moore and Pele among them - who were playing in the US league. Jasper Carrott then did a peak time ITV documentary on the US soccer boom in 1979 which is on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98fxgdzftGM