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Annoying american terminology

vienna95

i didnt say you did! you are loopy!

I didn't say you said I did. Read more carefully.

This was just a light hearted thread about silly little things that occasionally we notice that Americans do that "annoy" us (in the loose sense of the word I'm sure).

Reply 81

SamTheMan

17

vienna95

what does it have to do with England?! they speak English, we speak English. yes there are differences, but no more than there are between a scottish version or British Regional examples etc. it is not OUR language. for formal purposes it is best to differentiate between UK English and US English or as they may prefer, American. if this is not your standpoint, which is absolutely absurd, tell me how many people you know in the UK that refer to the language as 'UK English' and dont submit themselves to a charge of double standards.

I was talking from a US viewpoint. As far as they're concerned, they speak "English" (well at least the majority do), what people speak in other countries isn't English. Just to prove my point that noone there refers to it as "American"

Reply 82

Vienna

12

This was just a light hearted thread about silly little things that occasionally we notice that Americans do that "annoy" us (in the loose sense of the word I'm sure).

sure.

Reply 83

TK

vienna dont pick on gimpy jus coz he wuvs me :tongue:

Reply 84

Vienna

12

SamTheMan

I was talking from a US viewpoint. As far as they're concerned, they speak "English" (well at least the majority do),

which they do.

what people speak in other countries isn't English.

which they dont. unless its an anglophone country in which case they distinguish between the two with a relevant prefix.

Reply 85

Vienna

12

Tinykates

vienna dont pick on gimpy jus coz he wuvs me :tongue:

pick on him?

Reply 86

SamTheMan

17

vienna95

which they do.

which they dont. unless its an anglophone country in which case they distinguish between the two with a relevant prefix.

exactly, glad we agree.

Reply 87

TK

vienna95

pick on him?

sorry

i thought you called him 'loopy'

Reply 88

SamTheMan

17

piginapoke

I get that in England.

why would you get that in England. A queue is a line formed when you're waiting. In the US, it's just a line.
People in the UK, "revise for exams". In the US, they only "study for an exam".
As you can see, they simplify things a lot.

Reply 89

PQ

Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

piginapoke

I get this in England:

I get that with my nearest and dearest :rolleyes:

*talks a LOT of crap* :smile:

Reply 90

....

1

piginapoke

I'm not really sure why people would be 'annoyed' though. Don't you just look at these differences and either find them mundane or amusing? I don't see why it would be actively annoying unless one was to take the stance of '"no that's wrong, idiots!" :tongue:

which is a bit daft really.

Guh enough of the overanalysis. I did say annoy in the loose sense of the word!

How can we make such a big thing out of something so tiny :tongue:

I agree Vienna that their choice of US English is respectful of other speakers of English outside of the USA.

Give elpaw his thread back! Meanies.

Reply 91

theaman

1

piginapoke

On another note, aren't there more people speaking 'US English' than English in the world?

Yes, I think so, but both the American and Englush cultures are beginning to influence each other's cultures, especially through influneces on slang words.

Reply 92

SamTheMan

17

piginapoke

Which smacks of what I was saying about judging your audience, as if you 'don't think' about what you're saying people might not understand.

On another note, aren't there more people speaking 'US English' than English in the world?

Actually probably not. Then again, it depends what you mean by "speak". There aren't that many people in the world who actually speak English as their mother tongue.

Reply 93

PQ

Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

SamTheMan

it depends what you mean by "speak".

careful - the thread might get moved to d&d if we get too hung up on definitions :wink:

Reply 94

SamTheMan

17

theaman

Yes, I think so, but both the American and Englush cultures are beginning to influence each other's cultures, especially through influneces on slang words.

I think Americans are becoming more and more aware of the characteristics of British English but they're not being influenced.
The influence is definitely one-way. Unless someone can give me a great example of a British expression, that has been adopted widely in the US.

Reply 95

theaman

1

SamTheMan

I think Americans are becoming more and more aware of the characteristics of British English but they're not being influenced.
The influence is definitely one-way. Unless someone can give me a great example of a British expression, that has been adopted widely in the US.

Well, I think the English influence on the American language doesn't seem to stem so much with the use of lexicon, but more to do with the English accent, and the way things are pronounced.

Reply 96

SamTheMan

17

piginapoke

I'm sure I was reading about people taking 'US English' courses in non-English-speaking countries rather than English courses. Although I do wonder just how different the two would be.

Funny enough, the countries where people try to learn "US English" are those that don't speak good English.

In Africa and Asia, where English is almost a second language for a lot of people, British English is used as a reference.