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<a https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7467335'> Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

American vs British English

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British > American.
It annoys me the most when British people, especially teenagers in my experience, say the American equivalent. Such as couch instead of sofa. That annoys me so much.
'Math' is the worst :facepalm:

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Reply 23
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ElinD
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Original post by PsychadelicScarf
It annoys me the most when British people, especially teenagers in my experience, say the American equivalent. Such as couch instead of sofa. That annoys me so much.


That's what I meant! I was just wondering if anyone else felt the same or whether I was just odd!
Reply 24
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ElinD
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Original post by Viva Emptiness
Not racist at all :rofl: It annoys me more when people use the wrong word entirely.


Thanks! It's not all that annoying, because I'd expect it since we live in such a mixed society! I understand what you mean about using the wrong word though. I like the posts people have put about their teachers using both!
I can't really comment much because my speciality is making up words, for instance if I know the noun I'll just add in any appropriate ending to make up an adjective if I don't know what it is!
I suppose I'm just a tad more patriotic than I would like to believe! :-)
Reply 25
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ElinD
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Original post by Beatlemania
Why would that be classed as racist?


In this day and age, I really don't know with some people! Personally, I hardly consider anything racist, least of all this, but I was sure that somebody would comment that my view is insulting to American people!! It's also the kind of thing that my little brother would say in jest, so... I'm just a little wary of hurting someone's feelings!
lol, this thread :redface:
used to live in Canada where they said 'aluminum', 'math' and 'chips' - and got so confused here at first when the chemistry teacher said 'aluminium', my timetable read 'maths', and the 'chips' turned out to be what I'd expected as 'french fries' and it was actually 'crisps' I was looking for
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by budgerigar42
Lol, I'm American and I say aluminum.
Is your teacher American?

We're both British and live in Britain. I'm not sure where you she was brought up/born or what nationality her parents are though
Reply 28
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ElinD
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Original post by C0balt
What if I'm an international student and uses British words and American words at the same time?
I say Aluminium but I say tomato with American accent lol


Is suppose that's different. I was thinking along the lines of British teenagers using American words even though they learnt the English ones as default! :-) As I'm British I could argue that Brits started the English language! However, if you're an international student it's nice that you're studying in English at all! :-)
Original post by Law-Hopeful
'Math' is the worst :facepalm:



It makes just as much (if not more) sense than maths...

I don't get why British people get so annoyed at people using different words than what we're used to. Americans love it when we say British words.
Original post by cant_think_of_name
It makes just as much (if not more) sense than maths...

I don't get why British people get so annoyed at people using different words than what we're used to. Americans love it when we say British words.

It sounds revoltingly wrong. 'Soccer' is vomit-inducing too.

Because why use second rate American English words when you can use the proper English words?
Reply 31
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ElinD
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Original post by happysmile
lol, this thread :redface:
used to live in Canada where they said 'aluminum', 'math' and 'chips' - and got so confused here at first when the chemistry teacher said 'aluminium', my timetable read 'maths', and the 'chips' turned out to be what I'd expected as 'french fries' and it was actually 'crisps' I was looking for


Nice to have someone with the opposite perspective! It's exactly the same for us, because when I first heard aluminum I didn't have a clue what it meant, and when I see American spellings for the first time now I assume that they're American, but I used to think that they were mistakes! Also, they have a lot of different names for foods in America, which has you put a little more though into reading a recipe for instance, and if I went there I would probably not know some of the items on menus, because of food culture differences as well!

It's funny because the student room has underlined aluminum as wrong! Usually it's the other way around! Nice job lol!! :-)
Original post by Law-Hopeful
It sounds revoltingly wrong. 'Soccer' is vomit-inducing too.

Because why use second rate American English words when you can use the proper English words?


Not sure if you are joking... I will bite, anyway. Languages evolve. They're just different. I see nothing wrong with the American way of saying things, or the British way.
Reply 33
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ElinD
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Original post by Law-Hopeful
It sounds revoltingly wrong. 'Soccer' is vomit-inducing too.

Because why use second rate American English words when you can use the proper English words?


Hang on a minute! I would have to disagree with that, because it's just like looking at a foreign language and saying the same about its words! To Americans, it ​is proper English - it's just different!
Original post by PsychadelicScarf
It annoys me the most when British people, especially teenagers in my experience, say the American equivalent. Such as couch instead of sofa. That annoys me so much.


I didn't even know that was an American word. To be fair, it was originally a British word, its one of those words like 'gotten' that was originally used in the UK at the time of the British Empire in America, but got forgotten here.
Original post by Copperknickers
I didn't even know that was an American word. To be fair, it was originally a British word, its one of those words like 'gotten' that was originally used in the UK at the time of the British Empire in America, but got forgotten here.


You're right, I'd forgotten about that one. Most of the American-isms we have were originally from British English... :wink:
Reply 36
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ElinD
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Original post by cant_think_of_name
Not sure if you are joking... I will bite, anyway. Languages evolve. They're just different. I see nothing wrong with the American way of saying things, or the British way.


Too true .. Our English evolved from Latin, French, Celtic languages, etc. American English has just been around less, and been less isolated in the modern day world than British English was thousands of years ago. If you think about it, British English, if anything, has changed more since the Americas were first colonised, so the two languages are still remarkably similar!
I'm English and have an American pen pal from Ohio. I always videochat her but have never met her, it's crazy how much she rubs off on me. Formally, I use English words but when it comes to slang etc I'm so American. I say things like Rachet, Kill Em, I'm Weak etc. It's the funniest thing because my friends just look at me with one of them "wtf are you talking about" faces :')
Reply 38
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ElinD
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Original post by Copperknickers
I didn't even know that was an American word. To be fair, it was originally a British word, its one of those words like 'gotten' that was originally used in the UK at the time of the British Empire in America, but got forgotten here.


Yeah, I thought couch was a British word too! I'd personally say sofa but I've heard my grandmothers use it! I personally use gotten, and again never realised that it was considered American!!
Original post by ElinD
Hang on a minute! I would have to disagree with that, because it's just like looking at a foreign language and saying the same about its words! To Americans, it ​is proper English - it's just different!

British English >>>>>>>> American English.

That is all.

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