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

[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.

[MarcusCole]

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

I think you are missing the point of the thread, the heading is a bit deceptive but is clearly lamenting the Americanisation of British English, our friends across the pond have their own version of it. The English Language has always been a bit of a word thief though, taking words from other languages and adapting them for our use. We need to be more accepting of these things.

But the next person to tell me it's sKedule not SHedule because they learnt it in school should be exiled.

[SwalePie]

I think you are missing the point of the thread, the heading is a bit deceptive but is clearly lamenting the Americanisation of British English, our friends across the pond have their own version of it. ....

You're right, I'll amend the title. Good point. Sorry also to Sid, I should have made it clearer.

[Moreton_Pie]

The increasing use of verbally starting a sentence in replying to a question with the word 'So' is sipping me off at the minute.

[ncfcog]

The increasing use of verbally starting a sentence in replying to a question with the word 'So' is sipping me off at the minute.

According to the urban dictionary people using 'so' to start a sentence are beginning their response with referring to their 'significant other'!

[SwalePie]

The increasing use of verbally starting a sentence in replying to a question with the word 'So' is sipping me off at the minute.

Yes that's been happening more and more of late, so much so that it's become the norm it seems.

[Magpies1959]

Yes it seems strange to me how women/girls/ladies/lasses, and any other term used for the female gender, has accepted this without a murmur, to being labelled a guy. If the tw*tty Americans had decided it was ok to call everyone 'gals', I would like to think there would be uproar from us blokes.

[Chauncey]

Did you have school dinners served by dinner ladies?

I take a packed lunch for dinner time