I have never heard a single American pronounce the letter "H" with an actual "H" sound, did you not check that link? hit the play button and it CLEARLY says "Aitch"
Draitheryn said:
I admit there's hundreds of reasons why the world can't stand Americans, but this list is very nit-picky. A lot of the replies to this thread from Americans, however, have definitely put them back in their place.
then who were you talking about in the original post about the letter "H"?
because apparently you said that you pronounce it "Aitch", in which I confirmed through my own use of the letter and the link I provided that in America we say "Aitch" also. I'm still curious as to what is different and who says it differently..
I was speaking about the people who say Haitch, I was not saying Americans do it.
The difference in pronunciation is that instead of saying Aitch, like with no H on the front, as thought it starts with an 'A'. And saying Haitch, as though there were an 'H' on the start. It's hard to explain lol
It is usually English people who say Haitch.
1. It's not a rubber. It's an eraser. A rubber is something a bit different....although it *is* used to prevent mistakes.
2. You're putting it in your mouth and inhaling deeply, do you really want to call it a fag? It's a cigarette, chaps.
3. What does pram mean? I know it's a baby stroller but a stroller is for taking the baby for a stroll. You don't take the baby for a pram. Walking isn't called pramming. How did this word evolve? It sounds like some dreaded act performed by proctologists.
4. There must be a great many surplus U's kicking around the Isles. Why else would you throw them into color, flavor, and a thousand other words that don't require them?
5. Just who the hell is this Al Yoominneum guy, anyway?
disregarding the arguments, I just saw your profile and your motto, is by one of my favorite if not my favorite quote ever to come from a tv show, so kudos to you for that from myself.
I can't imagine why, most Americans speak "proper" English better than most Brits--if there is such a thing as a "correct" version of a tongue that appears to have arisen from Vikings trying to speak Frenchified German with a Welsh accent. Or something like that.
There's more formal, gentrified English, sure, but that varies from place to place quite a lot.
Trolley always sounds idiotic to me. Trolleys run on rails and go ding. That wire thing is a cart. As for transport/transportation--in America, transport is a verb and transportation is a noun (usually--there are rare cases when transportation may be used as a verb, but they're usually referring to teleportation and thus fictional). If you say "transport" as a verb, you sound like you're faking British mannerisms.
OK, I was a little mad at reading some of this, but it started to grow on me (<-is that phrase in there?). Its pretty funny.
"Normalcy"? Thank President Woodrow Wilson for that one.
Also, People use alternate and alternitive when either works, and I'm pretty sure if you tried using "fortnight" in America you'd get beat up.
I think American English sounds cooler (<- another one that should be in there) than British English.
I should make my own list of Britishisms.
1) Not recognizing its acceptable to add suffixes and prefixes to words to change their meanings.
2) Not pronouncing the H in word, as in "Bloody 'ell"
3) Its called a shopping cart, not a shopping trolley. Trolley are what tourist ride around San Francisco in.
4) They're call FRIES not chips
I'm Scottish and I have only ever heard people say "train station" I don't even know what else could be used (railway station perhaps, but it is a station for trains not railways.)
So does 'cake' = 'ceeaykayee'? Or does 'Escapist' = 'Ee-es-ceeaypee-eyestee?'?
'Zed' is the most widely accepted name for the letter and it reflects its origin, the greek letter 'zeta'. 'Zee' is an American invention, and they are welcome to it. Fine by me. The reason that non-Americans get annoyed by Americanisms is that they are bombarded by them day in and day out, not due to merit or worth, but solely due to economic power. Americans feel in no 'danger' of cultural subjugation or dilution because their aren't at all bombarded in the same way by foreign culture.
The D isn't added to how you pronounce Z as part of a word, it's merely part of the name of the letter Z. You don't pronounce the "ee" ending of the letter "P" after all - you don't say "stopee" you say "stop". Same thing with Zed.
It's how Z is pronounced in the rest of the English-speaking world. It's only Zee in the Americas. Here in Australia it's very definitely Zed, and it is in India too - which has the largest population of English speakers in the world.
While i can understand and in fact agree with some of these issues, it seems like they're taking offense with the fact that we have coined our own version of English. Its no worse than the New Zeland or Austrailan versions of the language and if they're of the mind that all forms of English are inferior to the home grown variety than they can fuck right off.
Language, for better or worse, evolves or it dies.
Besides we have to do somthing to cope with the fact that we'll never have those sexy accents you devilish bastards
I believe they're miffed because us silly Americans are the only colonials who went and changed how damn near everything is spelled.
And now they're extra annoyed because the internet, and many people learning English as a second language, seem to accept American English as the standard, so that all of their words like "centre" are technically misspelled. Seriously. It took me nearly an hour to explain 3 simple spelling rules that were different between Queen's English and American English to one of my classes, and they still were frightened and confused by "centre" because they couldn't find it in the dictionary, and it didn't look right to them.
The D isn't added to how you pronounce Z as part of a word, it's merely part of the name of the letter Z. You don't pronounce the "ee" ending of the letter "P" after all - you don't say "stopee" you say "stop". Same thing with Zed.
Also, anyone from any other English-speaking country than America come up with an alternative for Train Station? I think the dude that put that on the list was high.
Actually double and triple are wrong, it's twice and thrice. Just sayin'... ¬¬ I would be disgusted at my own use of shopping cart aswell. 'Math' - Inexplicably wrong. 'I hear more and more people pronouncing the letter Z as "zee". Not happy about it' - This also horrible.
Some people take things too far I guess and I can also assume i'm one of those people, so to add my own in - There is no such thing as a 'Britishism' because we invented the language.
Great list, found myself laughing when I realized I said 80% of these. You Brits have petrol, though, which is a kickass word. And zebra. All is forgiven. Even your strange pronunciation of the letter z (do you have a different alphabet song? how does "vee" rhyme with "zed"?)
1. It's not a rubber. Its an eraser. A rubber is something a bit different....although it *is* used to prevent mistakes.
2. You're putting it in your mouth and inhaling deeply, do you really want to call it a fag? It's a cigarette, chaps.
3. What does pram mean? I know it's a baby stroller but a stroller is for taking the baby for a stroll. You don't take the baby for a pram. Walking isn't called pramming. How did this word evolve? It sounds like some dreaded act performed by proctologists.
4. There must be a great many surplus U's kicking around the Isles. Why else would you throw them into color, flavor, and a thousand other words that don't require them?
5. Just who the hell is this Al Yoominneum guy, anyway?
1) It is made of rubber, as is that other thing you mentioned, however it's name came much later than the colloquial name for 'an eraser'. Anyway, an eraser doesn't prevent mistakes. It erases them, unlike a condom.
2) 'Fag' is short for '******', which originally meant a bundle of sticks. That they were exclusively used to burn heretics is a false origin. Brits never call cigarettes by the long form of the word, indicating that their name for it is slang. Thus, taking into account the euphemistic nature of slang, it is easy to see a cigarette as a bundle of sticks.
3) Pram is short for 'perambulator'. Perambulate: "1560s, from L. perambulatus, pp. of perambulare "to walk through, go through," from per- "through" (see per) + ambulare "to walk" (see amble)" (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=perambulate)
4) Because those words were imported from Romance languages. Additionally, England was occupied physically, culturally and linguistically by French speaking Normans for a very long time. This is was when many French and Latin words were introduced and the spellings to reflect those origins were enforced.
5) Aluminium/Aluminum: 1812, coined by English chemist Sir Humphry Davy (1778-1829), from L. alumen "alum" (see alum). Davy originally called it 'alumium' (1808), then amended this to 'aluminum', which remains the U.S. word. However, British editors in 1812 further amended it to aluminium, the modern preferred British form, to better harmonize with other element names (sodium, potassium, minium etc).
As you can see, English reveals a wealth of history in its words, spelling and grammar. Changes made today will also join that continuum. Arguing about it is like dressing in plate-mail armour to fight a cake.
Oh you high class British people, holding onto your "proper" English and not letting it change. That's how middle English become modern English. Middle English never changed so the commoners came up with a better version that succeeded the rigid minded older English. Oh ho ho, you silly myopic people.
I found this article while browsing the BBC website, and as an American this is pretty damn funny.
1. When people ask for something, I often hear: "Can I get a..." It infuriates me. It's not New York. It's not the 90s. You're not in Central Perk with the rest of the Friends. Really." Steve, Rossendale, Lancashire
2. The next time someone tells you something is the "least worst option", tell them that their most best option is learning grammar. Mike Ayres, Bodmin, Cornwall
3. The phrase I've watched seep into the language (especially with broadcasters) is "two-time" and "three-time". Have the words double, triple etc, been totally lost? Grammatically it makes no sense, and is even worse when spoken. My pulse rises every time I hear or see it. Which is not healthy as it's almost every day now. Argh! D Rochelle, Bath
4. Using 24/7 rather than "24 hours, 7 days a week" or even just plain "all day, every day". Simon Ball, Worcester
5. The one I can't stand is "deplane", meaning to disembark an aircraft, used in the phrase "you will be able to deplane momentarily". TykeIntheHague, Den Haag, Holland
6. To "wait on" instead of "wait for" when you're not a waiter - once read a friend's comment about being in a station waiting on a train. For him, the train had yet to arrive - I would have thought rather that it had got stuck at the station with the friend on board. T Balinski, Raglan, New Zealand
7. "It is what it is". Pity us. Michael Knapp, Chicago, US
8. Dare I even mention the fanny pack? Lisa, Red Deer, Canada
9. "Touch base" - it makes me cringe no end. Chris, UK
10. Is "physicality" a real word? Curtis, US
11. Transportation. What's wrong with transport? Greg Porter, Hercules, CA, US
12. The word I hate to hear is "leverage". Pronounced lev-er-ig rather than lee-ver -ig. It seems to pop up in all aspects of work. And its meaning seems to have changed to "value added". Gareth Wilkins, Leicester
13. Does nobody celebrate a birthday anymore, must we all "turn" 12 or 21 or 40? Even the Duke of Edinburgh was universally described as "turning" 90 last month. When did this begin? I quite like the phrase in itself, but it seems to have obliterated all other ways of speaking about birthdays. Michael McAndrew, Swindon
14. I caught myself saying "shopping cart" instead of shopping trolley today and was thoroughly disgusted with myself. I've never lived nor been to the US either. Graham Nicholson, Glasgow
15. What kind of word is "gotten"? It makes me shudder. Julie Marrs, Warrington
16. "I'm good" for "I'm well". That'll do for a start. Mike, Bridgend, Wales
17. "Bangs" for a fringe of the hair. Philip Hall, Nottingham
18. Take-out rather than takeaway! Simon Ball, Worcester
19. I enjoy Americanisms. I suspect even some Americans use them in a tongue-in-cheek manner? "That statement was the height of ridiculosity". Bob, Edinburgh
20. "A half hour" instead of "half an hour". EJB, Devon
21. A "heads up". For example, as in a business meeting. Lets do a "heads up" on this issue. I have never been sure of the meaning. R Haworth, Marlborough
22. Train station. My teeth are on edge every time I hear it. Who started it? Have they been punished? Chris Capewell, Queens Park, London
23. To put a list into alphabetical order is to "alphabetize it" - horrid! Chris Fackrell, York
24. People that say "my bad" after a mistake. I don't know how anything could be as annoying or lazy as that. Simon Williamson, Lymington, Hampshire
25. "Normalcy" instead of "normality" really irritates me. Tom Gabbutt, Huddersfield
26. As an expat living in New Orleans, it is a very long list but "burglarize" is currently the word that I most dislike. Simon, New Orleans
27. "Oftentimes" just makes me shiver with annoyance. Fortunately I've not noticed it over here yet. John, London
28. Eaterie. To use a prevalent phrase, oh my gaad! Alastair, Maidstone (now in Athens, Ohio)
29. I'm a Brit living in New York. The one that always gets me is the American need to use the word bi-weekly when fortnightly would suffice just fine. Ami Grewal, New York
30. I hate "alternate" for "alternative". I don't like this as they are two distinct words, both have distinct meanings and it's useful to have both. Using alternate for alternative deprives us of a word. Catherine, London
31. "Hike" a price. Does that mean people who do that are hikers? No, hikers are ramblers! M Holloway, Accrington
32. Going forward? If I do I shall collide with my keyboard. Ric Allen, Matlock
33. I hate the word "deliverable". Used by management consultants for something that they will "deliver" instead of a report. Joseph Wall, Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire
34. The most annoying Americanism is "a million and a half" when it is clearly one and a half million! A million and a half is 1,000,000.5 where one and a half million is 1,500,000. Gordon Brown, Coventry
35. "Reach out to" when the correct word is "ask". For example: "I will reach out to Kevin and let you know if that timing is convenient". Reach out? Is Kevin stuck in quicksand? Is he teetering on the edge of a cliff? Can't we just ask him? Nerina, London
36. Surely the most irritating is: "You do the Math." Math? It's MATHS. Michael Zealey, London
37. I hate the fact I now have to order a "regular Americano". What ever happened to a medium sized coffee? Marcus Edwards, Hurst Green
38. My worst horror is expiration, as in "expiration date". Whatever happened to expiry? Christina Vakomies, London
39. My favourite one was where Americans claimed their family were "Scotch-Irish". This of course it totally inaccurate, as even if it were possible, it would be "Scots" not "Scotch", which as I pointed out is a drink. James, Somerset
40.I am increasingly hearing the phrase "that'll learn you" - when the English (and more correct) version was always "that'll teach you". What a ridiculous phrase! Tabitha, London
41. I really hate the phrase: "Where's it at?" This is not more efficient or informative than "where is it?" It just sounds grotesque and is immensely irritating. Adam, London
42. Period instead of full stop. Stuart Oliver, Sunderland
43. My pet hate is "winningest", used in the context "Michael Schumacher is the winningest driver of all time". I can feel the rage rising even using it here. Gayle, Nottingham
44. My brother now uses the term "season" for a TV series. Hideous. D Henderson, Edinburgh
45. Having an "issue" instead of a "problem". John, Leicester
46. I hear more and more people pronouncing the letter Z as "zee". Not happy about it! Ross, London
47. To "medal" instead of to win a medal. Sets my teeth on edge with a vengeance. Helen, Martock, Somerset
48. "I got it for free" is a pet hate. You got it "free" not "for free". You don't get something cheap and say you got it "for cheap" do you? Mark Jones, Plymouth
49. "Turn that off already". Oh dear. Darren, Munich
50. "I could care less" instead of "I couldn't care less" has to be the worst. Opposite meaning of what they're trying to say. Jonathan, Birmingham
The part they have a problem with is bold in the actual article.
1. Your right. May I PLEASE get a...
2. Worse Case Scenario.
3. Two-facing. Back-Stabbing.
4. That'd be a waste of time. o-o
5. We'd say dis-plane but it sounds like display, yo.
6. Your right. Waiting on. Better?
7. "Let it be." -Beatles
8. Dare I mention past glories
9. Home RUN!
10. physicality: [fiz-i-kal-i-tee] (v. plural); the physical attributes of a person, especially when overdeveloped or overemphasized. What's wrong with transportation?
11. What's wrong with transportation?
12. Never heard that before.
13. If we threw 20, you'd asked us what we threw.
14. Trolley yes...I think of SF Trolleys. Cart I think of a Shopping Cart. Problem?
15. a Verb.
16. I am swell.
17. Long Pieces of Hair in front of my face, takes a while to say.
18. Take Out the taxes so I can be taken away.
19. Until you observe never assume and replace it with suspect.
20. Same Difference.
21. Usually a warning where I was raised if someone had a hot dish for example they'd say "head up" as they pass by.
22. Train Station. Syn to: railway station.
23. I suspect you enjoy numerical order then?
24. Shall we write you a letter of apology some other time? Though I will admit it's rather annoying were you expecting a sorry?
25. Both come from the latin word normālis
26. Alright I'm going to have to agree with you. That is bizarre.
27. Ironically it originated between 1350-1400 within Middle English.
28. Bizarre indeed.
29. I suppose we could be bi-winning but I doubt it.
30. alternate is a noun, alternative a verb why we would switch one for the other is beyond me. Crazy kids.
31. Hike. Raise. Increase. Ascend.
32. If you want to get literal please don't be taken a back.
33. On the off chance that they can't you'll find it might be deliverable but might not be give to deliver.
34. 1,000,000 1/2, 1/2 1,000,000? 1,500,000. 500,000.
35. Never understood that, as I do comprehend it gives a more helpful meaning. Asking just seems rather neutral.
36. I have never heard Maths before.
37. What happen to Grande?
38. Who knows.
39. Wow, I'd love to meet those people.
40. That is irratating.
41. That's just crazy kid talk.
42. Which is stronger? Full Stop! End of Discussion. or Period! End of Discussion.
43. Oh hell, that's not right.
44. Alternative?
45. issue: 1275?1325, problem: 1350?1400 your just too up to date I'm afraid.
46. Got an alternative.
47. ...What?
48. I got it for a buck. I got it for free.
49. Please, turn that off already.
50. The Former indicates that you could care far less than you already are. To couldn't care less is to limit yourself thus creating a finish line compared to an insult.
I responded to all those for no reason. Other than to laugh while reading them.
While i can understand and in fact agree with some of these issues, it seems like they're taking offense with the fact that we have coined our own version of English. Its no worse than the New Zeland or Austrailan versions of the language and if they're of the mind that all forms of English are inferior to the home grown variety than they can fuck right off.
Language, for better or worse, evolves or it dies.
Besides we have to do somthing to cope with the fact that we'll never have those sexy accents you devilish bastards
I believe they're miffed because us silly Americans are the only colonials who went and changed how damn near everything is spelled.
And now they're extra annoyed because the internet, and many people learning English as a second language, seem to accept American English as the standard, so that all of their words like "centre" are technically misspelled. Seriously. It took me nearly an hour to explain 3 simple spelling rules that were different between Queen's English and American English to one of my classes, and they still were frightened and confused by "centre" because they couldn't find it in the dictionary, and it didn't look right to them.
A valid point, however English is a fucked up language reguardless. Its in fact one of the most difficult languages to learn. Mainly because we many of our words either mean the same thing but are spelled differntly or vica versa.
Its part of the reason why we started tinkering with it to begin with.
While i can understand and in fact agree with some of these issues, it seems like they're taking offense with the fact that we have coined our own version of English. Its no worse than the New Zeland or Austrailan versions of the language and if they're of the mind that all forms of English are inferior to the home grown variety than they can fuck right off.
Language, for better or worse, evolves or it dies.
Besides we have to do somthing to cope with the fact that we'll never have those sexy accents you devilish bastards
I believe they're miffed because us silly Americans are the only colonials who went and changed how damn near everything is spelled.
And now they're extra annoyed because the internet, and many people learning English as a second language, seem to accept American English as the standard, so that all of their words like "centre" are technically misspelled. Seriously. It took me nearly an hour to explain 3 simple spelling rules that were different between Queen's English and American English to one of my classes, and they still were frightened and confused by "centre" because they couldn't find it in the dictionary, and it didn't look right to them.
A valid point, however English is a fucked up language reguardless. Its in fact one of the most difficult languages to learn. Mainly because we many of our words either mean the same thing but are spelled differntly or vica versa.
Its part of the reason why we started tinkering with it to begin with.
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