50 Americanisms That Brits Apparently Hate

[Xcelsior]

Some of the words that they describe I've never heard in my life, deliverable?

I'm British and this article just comes off as really pretentious, language evolves these people really need to get over it. The only one I have an issue with is 'I could care less' in place of 'I couldn't care less' and it's not an Americanism I've heard loads of people over hear say it. 'I could care less' implies you care a little 'I couldn't care less' means you don't care at all, therefore can't care less.

Seriously, what's wrong with 'train station'?

 

[GLo Jones]

Well, all this list told me is that Brits are intolerant of the way we speak, according to this little thing.

" 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"

Glad to see people disgusted to speak like an American. Screw you and your "trollies". I'll get my damn groceries the way I like, sir.

I'd say it's less about 'speaking like an american' than it is to do with the degradation of our own cultural identity.

Nowadays (an example of a rather old americanisation I believe), as everyone is so connected with those of different regions and dialects, people simply start to pick up phrases and terminology without realising. Thanks to the large proportion of American English speakers online compared to those of British English, it is far, far more frequent for BE speakers to be influenced by americanisms, and as always the backlash to these kinds of things is often 'over the top' and ridiculous.

 

[blasmeister]

Its 50/50. Yes i believe language should evolve but i do find americanisms infuriating, coupled with the godawful, ear raping accents i feel im obliged to be opposed to this nonsense infiltrating the nation through wank US media. It should evolve. Just not from the US brand of change. I guess i just dont like the US

Ear raping accents? I love language and really bear no hatred towards any singular country, but I'm from the Midwestern US, where if you ask, we have no accent. Not a big one anyway. So when I took a trip to London, your accent raped my ears with no lube. It's "like", not "loike", "right", not "roight", and "pawn shop", not "porn shop". Last one always made me laugh though. I never even went to one, I just asked where I could find it so they'd say it over and over again. Anyhow, one final thing: When I say I want chips, I want CHIPS. Not FRIES. C-H-I-P-S.

/rant, /trollface

I really did have a blast though.

pawn and porn are homophones, I thought?

And were you really legit annoyed about the chips thing? would be kinda surprised if you weren't aware of the whole crisps/chips/fries thing. If you're gonna visit you should at least make an attempt at the local language, right?

captcha: mare's nest... wut?

 

[darksakul]

I like to counter this argument with British Slang is more horrid than so-called "every day American slang".

Seriously, I hate it when I hear a Brit say Telly instead of Television, a Hover instead of a Vacuum Cleaner (Hover is a brand name, like I hate how Americans say Xerox instead of photocopy).
Series instead of season. Last but not least loo for toilet or bathroom, I can accept the term water closet, but Loo? It sounds french and I though the British hate the French.

Look in the 1770's we beat you guys up for liberty and your language (and you are not having it back), it is ours now, deal with it.

 

[Versuvius]

I like to counter this argument with British Slang is more horrid than so-called "every day American slang".

Seriously, I hate it when I hear a Brit say Telly instead of Television, a Hover instead of a Vacuum Cleaner (Hover is a brand name, like I hate how Americans say Xerox instead of photocopy).
Series instead of season. Last but not least loo for toilet or bathroom, I can accept the term water closet, but Loo? It sounds french and I though the British hate the French.

Look in the 1770's we beat you guys up for liberty and your language (and you are not having it back), it is ours now, deal with it.

HOOVER not Hover. Pft. You beat no one. You seceeded from british rule and were ruled by european immigrants who went to America. I suspect a terminal case of inbreeding put you where you are today.

 

[3quency]

Yeah well ... I don't like that they weasel an extra letter into aluminum.

And Favourite or Colour ... and those last few extra letters on the end of through. They put those there. They cheat at scrabble

(with apologies to Eddie Izzard)

But the i is supposed to be there... if anything, it's you guys who are leaving the letters out!
;D

 

[TheHitcher]

I'm in two minds about this list. Most of this only bothers me if I catch a fellow Brit using it. Other than that, why should Americans using American English bother me?

 

[Kair]

When you have a population of 300 million where a larger than usual proportion of the population are severely unintelligent, you are bound to create many bad lingual habits.

Uh, yeah, that's what we call evolution, which happens to EVERY living language ever. Actually no, there is a type of language that never changes, we call them extinct.

That was not my point. The point was the high degree of change and that the change is not an improvement.

 

[WhySoElitist]

things that should have been on this list
its pronounced stew-pid not stoo-pid
its pronounced tewb not toob
it is spelt colour not color
they are biscuits not cookies
it is a footpath not a side walk
it is take away not take out

 

[Amphoteric]

Also its pronounced due-tee. Not doodie for the word Duty.

 

[wangdalfthegay]

hahahaha. I'm from the UK, and this thread reminds me so much of an English teacher I had when I was at primary school (what you US Americans would call 'elementary' or 'grade school.') who would have a ***** fit every time I used 'Americanisms' in my written work, bearing in mind that I used to watch waaaaay too many American TV shows and whatnot when I was little.

but "Train Station"?? REALLY? everyone says Train Station. yes it's wrong (the proper term is Railway Station) but it's easier and everyone uses it. evolution of language. i'm all for simplification because it makes the English language easier to learn for foreigners, which means I don't have to learn theirs

edit: after reading my own post, I'm acutely aware that the phrase '***** fit' probably isn't British English. and I don't care. ***** fit sounds good.

edit edit: most people i known pronounce tube as "choob." "tewb" just makes you sound like a nancy.

 

[megamanenm]

When you have a population of 300 million where a larger than usual proportion of the population are severely unintelligent, you are bound to create many bad lingual habits.

Uh, yeah, that's what we call evolution, which happens to EVERY living language ever. Actually no, there is a type of language that never changes, we call them extinct.

That was not my point. The point was the high degree of change and that the change is not an improvement.

Okay then, how do you improve a language?

 

[WhySoElitist]

things that should have been on this list
its pronounced stew-pid not stoo-pid
its pronounced tewb not toob
it is spelt colour not color
they are biscuits not cookies
it is a footpath not a side walk
it is take away not take out

oh btw im australian so i aslo hate a few of the things thast the brits say like calling Pakistanis and Indians Asian and saying i'll be working ten while five instead of ten to five.

 

[Lerasai]

This feels like small children fighting over a toy.
"It's mine now, you can't have it back!"
"You're not even playing with it right!"
(hair-pulling and eye-poking ensues)

 

[Versuvius]

things that should have been on this list
its pronounced stew-pid not stoo-pid
its pronounced tewb not toob
it is spelt colour not color
they are biscuits not cookies
it is a footpath not a side walk
it is take away not take out

oh btw im australian so i aslo hate a few of the things thast the brits say like calling Pakistanis and Indians Asian and saying i'll be working ten while five instead of ten to five.

Most dont call Pakistanis and Indians Asian...we call them...pakistanis and indians if it comes up. As for the ten while/to five...for us its nine while/to five. Jammy Aussie bastards working less hours.

 

[The Funslinger]

This is amusing? I see various people complaining about the British use of English and I don't really see how this is much different.

Well, we're the English, so on matters of the English Language, we win by default.

In all seriousness though, this is what we in the business call a twat article. None of us take that seriously, and personally, I couldn't give a fuck how someone speaks. Unless it's really chavvy.

 

[aashell13]

I found this amusing really, given that most of these idioms and the received pronunciation didn't take hold until after we told the brits to shove off...

Also, I understand the australian dialect is quite distinctive, shall we complile a list of australianisms that british people love to hate?

 

[gamefreakbsp]

Some of these are legitimate. Most are retarded.

 

[G96 Saber]

This is amusing? I see various people complaining about the British use of English and I don't really see how this is much different.

Well, we made it, so yep, it's amusing.

 

[E.Blackadder]

It's just like NZ and Australia. You guys insist on saying 'feesh and cheeps' then have the cheek to turn around and tell us we're saying 'fush and chups' when we are clearly talking about fish and chips! I'm happy to say I've never heard the dreaded 'I could care less over here though.