50 Americanisms That Brits Apparently Hate
- Thread starter Shock and Awe
- Start date
Recommended Videos
I think "bangs" was a legitimate complaint. What's wrong with saying "fringe"? At least that gives you some clues as to what it actually means if you've never come across the term before. "Bangs" just sounds bloody stupid.drisky said:
Ha many of these are funny and legitimate complaints but others are downright ignorant of cultural differences. For example:
Bottomline: Snobby Brits are snobby and Ignorant Americans are ignorant. I'm glad I'm Canadian!
Edit: Oh I forgot one thing I don't like about Brits - using "Petrol" instead of "Gas" and then complaining about us using "Gas". Does your car actually run on Petrol[eum]? Because last time I checked they use Gas[oline]!
Things can mean more than one thing. "Alternate" CAN be used as "Alternative" depending on the context. Google Dictionary: Alternate (adjective) - to take place of; alternative.
Bottomline: Snobby Brits are snobby and Ignorant Americans are ignorant. I'm glad I'm Canadian!
Edit: Oh I forgot one thing I don't like about Brits - using "Petrol" instead of "Gas" and then complaining about us using "Gas". Does your car actually run on Petrol[eum]? Because last time I checked they use Gas[oline]!
From here on I have my reaction to every one of the fifty. At first I thought that I was about even on the Agree-Disagree scale, but I realized that there were a few that also I was completely neutral on- especially the ones that are a matter of a single word like cart versus trolley- but I eventually realized that plenty of them were just too nit-picky for even my frivolity with this language which between us is semi-common. So while I started out keeping track of whether or not I agreed I ended up settling for a simple letter at the end of each to simplify my sometimes outrageous metaphors, exaggeration, and late-night (nearly 2 AM here) sourness.
To wit-
A - agree
D - disagree
N - neutral
W - wildcard
To wit-
A - agree
D - disagree
N - neutral
W - wildcard
1. Really now? You are complaining about how people order their food or coffee or ice cream or whatever? D
2. Yeah, "least worst" is pretty silly, isn't it? A
3. Normally it's "two-times" or "three-times" and they are used to extend the standard from the higher numbers where we don't have words like "double" or "triple" for, say, 27x or 43x. D
4. Brevity pal. Brevity twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. D
5. I want to rip out my hair when I hear the word "deplane." In fact, I think reading and typing it made about an ounce of blood squirt out of my forehead from the frustration. A
6. I'm not too concerned about "waiting on" versus "waiting for" although "waiting for" is the better option. N
7. What else could it be but what it is? D
8. If it is worn on the side it is a side bag maybe? Or if it is in the front is it a sack then? Don't really care about the word, but if this was getting at the usage of, then I suppose I can kinda see a bit of a point. N
9. Normally the people who say "touch base" make me cringe rather than the phrase itself. A
10. No, even if it has become one. A
11. Because transport is the very thing that is transporting you, while transportation is a method of getting from one place to another. That's how I view it anyways. D
12. Dialects/accents/speech impediments my friend. Also, "value added?" What in the blazes do you mean by that? How are you connecting those two things? D
13. Sometimes it is said that someone had their birthday, but most commonly here in Crazyland (just rewatched some Big Picture episodes) someone "has a birthday" when they celebrate their birthday, not just when the day passes. When the day passes you have changed age irrevocably and thus, turned. D
14. Carts versus trollies is just a matter of preference for which word you want to talk about for a metal cage without a top wherein you place foodstuffs, cleaning products, electronics, and other things purchased at stores. You would also probably be set on edge by the fact that Google Chrome doesn't recognize trollies. N
15. I hope your alternative to "gotten" isn't "acquired." Those would all insult all my burger-eating proclivities. Yes, all forty-six of them. N
16. Personally I use, "I'm fine," most frequently. D
17. A fringe could be anywhere at the border of hair, but in Eagleland it is most frequently used for the hair that goes down over the forehead and face, specifically the kind that doesn't extend beyond those. D
18. I take my food out of the place of acquiring pre-made meals and you take it away from similar locations, what's the big fuss? N
19. Amused by the general proclivity to turn words inside out with absurdities of throwing random prefixes and suffixes on them? Because if you are then you'd either find me hilarious or quickly start hating Americanisms. Then probably kill me. A
20. ... Really now? The placement of an indefinite article? D^42
21. Your example would make me pull out my hair because it is using it in a very loose manner, while "heads up"s in general are just notifications made fairly close to the time of the event, such as, "Thought I'd give you a heads up- there is a flock of geese chasing after you." N
22. The stopping place of trains? It bothers you that much? N
23. I prefer the wordy version of put something in alphabetical order myself. A
24. It is lazy, but better to get through something briskly than with an insincere apology. D
25. Normalcy is terribly abnormal to me. A
26. No comment on burglurize, but vandalize is alright in my book. ... You know, as a word. N
27. I prefer to use frequently, but I don't feel any emotion when I hear "often times." N
28. It is, "Oh my gawd!" The w is important as it emphasizes the word by altering the phoneme slightly, but not beyond recognition. W
29. Fortnightly is an anachronism here in the United States of Comerica. D
30. Two distinct words, definitely. The only alternative is chaos! Unless you are saying someone is an alternate, such as in sports. A
31. Just an expression. Like... I dunno, to be terribly stereotypical, bloody. Do you mean something is actually covered in the blood of something? I mean, if it was it would make me shout in surprise, but unless that happened enough in history I don't see how else it could become a common exclamation. D
32. Not sure what he's getting at here. Maybe we should just go forward from here. N
33. Deliverable is the capacity to be delivered. If it is used in any other way more hair will be pulled from my head. A
34. Sometimes to be long-winded I say, "A million and another half," because I don't want to say "a million and a half." A
35. "Reach out" generally implies that someone is teetering on the edge of something, such as morality, sanity, etc. D
36. Math is already a shortened version of another word, so why should it then be subject to pluralization rules? D
37. Please, please, please just say medium over and over again until they get it, or specify a quantity of what you want, I don't care, just don't say, "Regular Americano." This insistence on randomly assigned names for sizes must be killed and then butchered and then fed to sacrificial goats. A^43
38. If that is your worst horror then let my top it by saying that when I read "expiry" I thought of a tower where you deposit meat that has gone bad. D
39. Agreed, Scotch is a drink. That I don't drink, but a drink nonetheless. A
40. Depends upon how "south" or "country" you want to sound. N
41. See 40 N
42. We use full stop over here in the land of burgers and faces carved into mountainsides to signify a large vehicle is coming to a stop. Like a spaceship. W
43. Oh god, I think my life just shortened reading that word. A
44. I like to think of a season as a part of a show that comes out in one go, such as, oh, I dunno, if a show has new episodes come out every fall/autumn SEASON and the series is the entirety of the show. Although if there was only ever one season it is most definitely just a series and not a season. You can ask for a second season, but so long as there isn't the original still isn't a first season. D
45. Depends upon how much you want to sound like you jumped off a legal document. N
46. Personally I think that letters in an alphabet should incorporate as few other sounds as possible. Vowels are generally necessary, but for consonants no other consonants should be heard in the saying of that letter. D
47. This is one of the reasons I can't watch the Olympics with much dedication. Or talk about them afterwards. A
48. Actually- to your irritation I am sure- people over here (okay, I've run out of fake names for the US) do say, "I got something for cheap," if they got it for a significantly reduced price. D
49. The alternative to, "Turn that off already!" being...? D
50. "I could care less," versus, "I couldn't care less," is similar to the, "Not good," versus, "Not bad," difference. Although in the case of, "I could care less," one is actually expressing such emotional detachment from the subject that they can't be bothered to change any feelings towards it. It's like cursing. You could spew all the curses you like, but aloof mannerisms will almost always anger people more. D
2. Yeah, "least worst" is pretty silly, isn't it? A
3. Normally it's "two-times" or "three-times" and they are used to extend the standard from the higher numbers where we don't have words like "double" or "triple" for, say, 27x or 43x. D
4. Brevity pal. Brevity twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. D
5. I want to rip out my hair when I hear the word "deplane." In fact, I think reading and typing it made about an ounce of blood squirt out of my forehead from the frustration. A
6. I'm not too concerned about "waiting on" versus "waiting for" although "waiting for" is the better option. N
7. What else could it be but what it is? D
8. If it is worn on the side it is a side bag maybe? Or if it is in the front is it a sack then? Don't really care about the word, but if this was getting at the usage of, then I suppose I can kinda see a bit of a point. N
9. Normally the people who say "touch base" make me cringe rather than the phrase itself. A
10. No, even if it has become one. A
11. Because transport is the very thing that is transporting you, while transportation is a method of getting from one place to another. That's how I view it anyways. D
12. Dialects/accents/speech impediments my friend. Also, "value added?" What in the blazes do you mean by that? How are you connecting those two things? D
13. Sometimes it is said that someone had their birthday, but most commonly here in Crazyland (just rewatched some Big Picture episodes) someone "has a birthday" when they celebrate their birthday, not just when the day passes. When the day passes you have changed age irrevocably and thus, turned. D
14. Carts versus trollies is just a matter of preference for which word you want to talk about for a metal cage without a top wherein you place foodstuffs, cleaning products, electronics, and other things purchased at stores. You would also probably be set on edge by the fact that Google Chrome doesn't recognize trollies. N
15. I hope your alternative to "gotten" isn't "acquired." Those would all insult all my burger-eating proclivities. Yes, all forty-six of them. N
16. Personally I use, "I'm fine," most frequently. D
17. A fringe could be anywhere at the border of hair, but in Eagleland it is most frequently used for the hair that goes down over the forehead and face, specifically the kind that doesn't extend beyond those. D
18. I take my food out of the place of acquiring pre-made meals and you take it away from similar locations, what's the big fuss? N
19. Amused by the general proclivity to turn words inside out with absurdities of throwing random prefixes and suffixes on them? Because if you are then you'd either find me hilarious or quickly start hating Americanisms. Then probably kill me. A
20. ... Really now? The placement of an indefinite article? D^42
21. Your example would make me pull out my hair because it is using it in a very loose manner, while "heads up"s in general are just notifications made fairly close to the time of the event, such as, "Thought I'd give you a heads up- there is a flock of geese chasing after you." N
22. The stopping place of trains? It bothers you that much? N
23. I prefer the wordy version of put something in alphabetical order myself. A
24. It is lazy, but better to get through something briskly than with an insincere apology. D
25. Normalcy is terribly abnormal to me. A
26. No comment on burglurize, but vandalize is alright in my book. ... You know, as a word. N
27. I prefer to use frequently, but I don't feel any emotion when I hear "often times." N
28. It is, "Oh my gawd!" The w is important as it emphasizes the word by altering the phoneme slightly, but not beyond recognition. W
29. Fortnightly is an anachronism here in the United States of Comerica. D
30. Two distinct words, definitely. The only alternative is chaos! Unless you are saying someone is an alternate, such as in sports. A
31. Just an expression. Like... I dunno, to be terribly stereotypical, bloody. Do you mean something is actually covered in the blood of something? I mean, if it was it would make me shout in surprise, but unless that happened enough in history I don't see how else it could become a common exclamation. D
32. Not sure what he's getting at here. Maybe we should just go forward from here. N
33. Deliverable is the capacity to be delivered. If it is used in any other way more hair will be pulled from my head. A
34. Sometimes to be long-winded I say, "A million and another half," because I don't want to say "a million and a half." A
35. "Reach out" generally implies that someone is teetering on the edge of something, such as morality, sanity, etc. D
36. Math is already a shortened version of another word, so why should it then be subject to pluralization rules? D
37. Please, please, please just say medium over and over again until they get it, or specify a quantity of what you want, I don't care, just don't say, "Regular Americano." This insistence on randomly assigned names for sizes must be killed and then butchered and then fed to sacrificial goats. A^43
38. If that is your worst horror then let my top it by saying that when I read "expiry" I thought of a tower where you deposit meat that has gone bad. D
39. Agreed, Scotch is a drink. That I don't drink, but a drink nonetheless. A
40. Depends upon how "south" or "country" you want to sound. N
41. See 40 N
42. We use full stop over here in the land of burgers and faces carved into mountainsides to signify a large vehicle is coming to a stop. Like a spaceship. W
43. Oh god, I think my life just shortened reading that word. A
44. I like to think of a season as a part of a show that comes out in one go, such as, oh, I dunno, if a show has new episodes come out every fall/autumn SEASON and the series is the entirety of the show. Although if there was only ever one season it is most definitely just a series and not a season. You can ask for a second season, but so long as there isn't the original still isn't a first season. D
45. Depends upon how much you want to sound like you jumped off a legal document. N
46. Personally I think that letters in an alphabet should incorporate as few other sounds as possible. Vowels are generally necessary, but for consonants no other consonants should be heard in the saying of that letter. D
47. This is one of the reasons I can't watch the Olympics with much dedication. Or talk about them afterwards. A
48. Actually- to your irritation I am sure- people over here (okay, I've run out of fake names for the US) do say, "I got something for cheap," if they got it for a significantly reduced price. D
49. The alternative to, "Turn that off already!" being...? D
50. "I could care less," versus, "I couldn't care less," is similar to the, "Not good," versus, "Not bad," difference. Although in the case of, "I could care less," one is actually expressing such emotional detachment from the subject that they can't be bothered to change any feelings towards it. It's like cursing. You could spew all the curses you like, but aloof mannerisms will almost always anger people more. D
I really don't get the train station one. Even newspapers from the 19th century call it that. Perhaps he means to call it a 'Railway Station' but I would imagine the two are quite interchangable.
Gasoline is a distillation fraction of Petroleum so both terms are correct.fundayz said:
I am an American-at least that's where I was born- and many of these phrases and the problems others have with them seem reminicsent of new slang to people who used old slang. Also, I hate the english language. It is so complicated, and I dont see why we need 5 words for beauty. If we ever get a global language that everyone in the world speaks, I sure hope it isn't English, even though it's my native language.
http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19990112lithium.jelly said:
Apparently it has to do with horses, like pony tail. The connection between the first use of "bang" might not be there anymore, but plenty of words have completely different meanings. Also, living in America, I've never heard of it being fringe, so I can't use a term I've never heard of before. I see how fringe makes more sense, its just not used in my vocabulary that way, and I don't find it to be a big deal.
The BBC article forget one Americanism that Brits absolutely loath even more then all 50 put together and that's the bastardised pseudo remakes of perfectly good British shows such as The Office, Skins and Being Human. Whats next Shameless.......Oh Wait.
Oh well I'm sure Americans are just as pissed off at the patronising Britishisms of British Celebrities showing up on their TV screens every ten seconds due to an apparent lack of home grown talent such as Gordon Ramey, Jamie Oliver, Anne Robinson, Jo Frost and who can forget everyone favourite high jeaned tosser Simon Cowell
Oh well I'm sure Americans are just as pissed off at the patronising Britishisms of British Celebrities showing up on their TV screens every ten seconds due to an apparent lack of home grown talent such as Gordon Ramey, Jamie Oliver, Anne Robinson, Jo Frost and who can forget everyone favourite high jeaned tosser Simon Cowell
Half are bad grammar issues (which are likely found all over the world, as opposed to being primarily an American problem), the other half are silly or just plain stupid things that only someone looking for things to hate would really find that big of a problem.
There are a few I agree with though, normalcy was totally pulled out of someone's ass and put in a presidential speech and now the dictionary just HAS to have it.
There are a few I agree with though, normalcy was totally pulled out of someone's ass and put in a presidential speech and now the dictionary just HAS to have it.
What a story, Britain.
Usually I'd be against the States in something like this, but honestly, does anyone actually care about anything but the last one? Yeesh.
Usually I'd be against the States in something like this, but honestly, does anyone actually care about anything but the last one? Yeesh.
Many Americans find maths to be awkward to say, so we use math as an alternative. Also, what the hell is a "regular Americano"? I have lived in the US all my life and I have never once heard that phrase used for any reason at all. Train station seems perfectly valid, as does shopping cart. "That'll learn ya" is only seriously used in specific regions of the US and it is used elsewhere because it is hilarious. I have never heard "two-time" or "three-time" used in the way described by the second person, "Oftentimes" is never one word, "Eaterie" has never been spelled with an "ie" in the US, and I had no idea that former prime minister Gordon Brown cared so much about our numerical idiosyncrasies. Also, I use "season" for TV when describing an American program, and "series" when describing a British programme. However, I agree zealously about "could care less" when used in place of "couldn't care less".
I'm not surprised. They hold onto a vestigial monarchy for the lulz, so why not petty gripes about language.
This is what bugs me about grammar nazis, people seem to forget that language changes over time, and they get upset about it. All languages will change over time, slang will become so widely accepted that it becomes proper, new words are thought of, and others cease to be used in everyday language.
Wrong. THOSE Brits are nitpickers. You're generalising all of us because of some people who speak up about what they hate.CODE-D said:
Finally, here is a topic that I can relate to. May I add to that list? As a Brit currently living in America (particularly a rural part of America), one pet peeve of mine is saying, "Ya'll" as opposed to "you all"...like as in "Ya'll come back now, ya' hear?" instead of "You all are welcomed back any time".
Wait what? I wanted to be all reasonable-like and side with the poor, oppressed Americans who are being hated on by everyone, but how the buggery have so many people gone their entire lives without ever discovering that you're the only people who say 'zee'? I don't like it when people act like the ignorant American stereotype is true, but you're making it difficult to not support that opinion... Do Americans just not learn about the rest of the world?
(I'm finding it difficult to be SHOCKED AND APPALLED without sounding flame-ish. Please don't interpret this post as an attack.)
(I'm finding it difficult to be SHOCKED AND APPALLED without sounding flame-ish. Please don't interpret this post as an attack.)
Face it America, you couldn't care less regarding the colour of an Axe and fail to realise that it isn't English International, it's proper English.