Americanisms

[Omnis]

^ toilet is 'restroom' I believe.

Restrooms are public. "Where are the restrooms?"
Bathrooms are private. "Where's your bathroom?"

 

[Moglet]

I'd much rather have my sausage in gravy on biscuits. Actual biscuits, not cookies.

What are biscuits?

 

[Northstar]

What are biscuits?

 

[mattythedog]

^Wrong. They're scones.

 

[Northstar]

^Wrong. They're scones.

In the U.K. maybe.

This is a scone to Americans.

Although usually there isn't that much frosting.

 

[Moglet]

^Wrong. They're scones.

Indeed.

 

[TB]

Hungry is still hungry in the UK, right? 'Cause that's what this is making me.

 

[Adamgp]

I knew a guy in college that would use britishisms all the time, found it qbut I helped put an end to that.

One day I met him in the parking lot before school. After hearing me drive up he said "I'd love to have a peek under your bonnet", I knew what he meant, but I just stared at him then started yelling "I NEED AN ADULT! I NEED AN ADULT!"

 

[DG_Silva]

I personally don't mind Americanisms, but only in America. We have plenty of good words in the (proper) English language to use, there is no need to use the American alternatives. True, English is full of borrowed words, such as zeitgeist and schadenfreude, but that's simply because we don't have simple words to use for it, instead of 6 or 7 (like schadenfreude - taking pleasure in the misery of others).

 

[rocko100]

One Queston for the Brits, what the 🤬 is a crumpet?

 

[mattythedog]

One Queston for the Brits, what the 🤬 is a crumpet?

It's a thing which is sort of like bread, except not like it, it has holes in, and is very light. Good for toasting, and they're great with honey, especially because the honey oozes into the pores and you get a wonderful meal for a winters evening.
Edit: see here for more info.

 

[Wiegert]

One Queston for the Brits, what the 🤬 is a crumpet?

They're nice with butter, I can tell you that. I'm guessing that not many places across the pond sell crumpets, or am I wrong?

 

[axletramp]

English crumpet?

Aloominum or Aluminium, you decide. 💡

 

[Wiegert]

^ I saw that coming


Now I'm not sure if rocko100 was referring to the food or the slang term for crumpet. If it was the latter, then my previous post just became far more interesting.

Aloominum or Aluminium, you decide. 💡

The one with the extra syllable.

 

[axletramp]

^ I saw that coming

Don't call girls 'that'. It's neither the 1960's or nice.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

Are you a fan of Americanisms. Are you American and wish you spoke with British words. Do you prefer words to be spelt the way you spell them, or are they better/more logical elsewhere. Share your favourite/pet hate Americanisms here.

I'm American and I use British words.

 

[DG_Silva]

One Queston for the Brits, what the 🤬 is a crumpet?

A crumpet is basically a very thick batter made with self raising flour and yeast, fried in a pan after pouring the mixture into a metal ring. It's quite thick and stodgy, imagine a bagel with holes running through it. If you can get some, try it. There's nothing better than a crumpet toasted on the fire, and spread with butter and Bovril.....

Sod it, I'm gonna have some now!

 

[CodeRedR51]

^^^ Sounds like a thick pancake.

 

[DG_Silva]

Yes, very similar, but it uses yeast as a raising agent to make it lighter than an American pancake.

 

[Famine]

When Famine visited Florida, we were discussing the term GPS versus sat-nav; how Americans are fond of using acronyms instead of a simplified word, even if it takes longer to say, or more syllables...after all, Gee-Pee-Ess does take longer to say, despite being composed of just three letters. And he hit the nail right on the head: I responded, ...I think we Americans are very fond of acronyms, we're surrounded by them in play, business, government, and our day-to-day activities.

Interesting observation, I must admit.

It's something I first noticed when talking to someone studying obstetrics. Generally, the relevant hospital department is called "Obstetrics & Gynaecology". Brits shorten that to "Obs & Gynae" ("obz and guy knee") for four syllables, but our colonial cousins shorten it to "OBGYN" ("oh bee gee why en") for five syllables...

That said, I tend to use Americanisms if I can rationalise them as correct and eschew the Britishisms if I cannot. I also tend to moderate what I'm saying to my audience - more Americanisms in the US, fewer (or none) in the UK.

Speaking of rationalising...

However, my pet hate is the use of the word "Math".
It comes from the word mathematics (notice the plural), and because it talks about a whole range of processes, math is wrong.

As an American, I would argue that the word "mathematics" is wrong and annoying. Math refers to the concept and is all-encompassing and universally disliked. But "mathematics" seems to refer to a collection of individual mathematical processes, of which there are many. Which ones is he talking about? Don't know because he didn't specify. But if you say "math" then you know he's not referring to any process in particular and simply generalizing the entire field.

We dont say mathematics all the time, it is constantly shortened to Maths (notice the plural)

If you call it Maths here, yew myte be wunna dem queer fawren folks. It's Math. We only say Mathematics when reading off a college degree major.

I know, and therefore maths is also wrong unless you're referring to specific problems which need to be identified.

The field is called "mathematics". "Math" is a contraction. "Maths" is a concatenation - it should be "math's" to indicate the missing letters. I hate concatenations, because I am a Sheffield Wednesday supporter and seeing them written as "Sheffield Weds" irritates the blind blue 🤬 out of me. The "s" is NOT after the "d" in Wednesday, nor is it after the "h" in mathematics.

Wednesday -> Wed or Wed's
Mathematics -> Math or Math's

I use "math" and "mathematics" because they are right.


Incidentally, why can no-one on television pronounce "Wednesday"? Or, for that matter "secretary"? It's "Wed-ns-day", not "Wens-day" and "Seh-cruh-teh-ri" not "Sek-ut-ree". Get. It. Right.

 

[dhandeh]

It seems to me, that the 'American' method of using words is just a lazy way. I'm surprised they haven't changed trough to troff, through to thru (officially anyway), enough to enuff etc. Anything to make it phonetically pleasing.

 

[Max Powers]

I'm pretty curious though... what dialect of American is it and where do the people come from that pronounce Wash as Worsh? It's not Worshington.

Western Pa, West Virginia, some of Ohio.

It's called pittsburghese around here and it's just awful. Downtown becomes dahn tahn, you all becomes yinz, rubber bands are gumbands for some reason.

I'm very happy to say I don't speak like that, despite being from around here. The people who do are referred to as yinzers.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Here in Arizona we have a city called "Prescott". I pronounce it just like it looks, but apparently the official way to say it is "Presket". Drives me nuts.

 

[Famine]

It seems to me, that the 'American' method of using words is just a lazy way. I'm surprised they haven't changed trough to troff, through to thru (officially anyway), enough to enuff etc. Anything to make it phonetically pleasing.

I present to you:

Faucet (tap)
Pitcher (jug)
Winningest (best)

Here in Arizona we have a city called "Prescott". I pronounce it just like it looks, but apparently the official way to say it is "Presket". Drives me nuts.

Would you like some British place names?

Southwark - Suth-uk
Worcester - Wuss-tah
Beaulieu - Byu-lea
Manea/Stonea - May-knee/Stow-knee
Ravenstruther - Ren-streh
Kilncadzow - Kil-kayg

 

[Terronium-12]

A crumpet is basically a very thick batter made with self raising flour and yeast, fried in a pan after pouring the mixture into a metal ring. It's quite thick and stodgy, imagine a bagel with holes running through it. If you can get some, try it. There's nothing better than a crumpet toasted on the fire, and spread with butter and Bovril.....

Sod it, I'm gonna have some now!

What are those, nooks and crannies? Looks like an English Muffin to me.

 

[Pupik]

Here in Arizona we have a city called "Prescott". I pronounce it just like it looks, but apparently the official way to say it is "Presket". Drives me nuts.

There's a lot of that throughout America. I suppose it's mostly a clash between the perceived pronunciation and the native tongue or accent of those who settled it (or took over it, borrowed the name).

 

[Beeblebrox237]

Western Pa, West Virginia, some of Ohio.

It's called pittsburghese around here and it's just awful. Downtown becomes dahn tahn, you all becomes yinz, rubber bands are gumbands for some reason.

I'm very happy to say I don't speak like that, despite being from around here. The people who do are referred to as yinzers.

Hey, don't bash Pixbur-sorry, Pittsburgh. It is a great city.

 

[terminator363]

Amazing video this ^

I like English a whole lot better than American.

 

[Villain]

Famine, you'll have a fun time in the Pacific Northwest. So many landmarks there are still Chumash (shoe-mawsh) and other Native American pronounciations. For example, in Portland is the Willamette River (will-am-it).

What I can't stand is people who are American using British-isms to sound smarter (or something?). For example, an American student graduating from high school and going on to further their education and says they are "off to university."

You're not "off to university," you're "going to college."

 

[bergauk]

We dont say mathematics all the time, it is constantly shortened to Maths (notice the plural)

Maths... This term bugs the hell out of me. It just sounds wrong.