Subject: Divided by a common language
Posted by: lesley153
Date: Sep 27 12
Us limeys - well, some of us - grumble about American infiltrating our language. Here are fifty examples:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14201796
Guess what! (some) Americans are now grumbling about English infiltrating theirs.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19670686
(Here you will see P Obama chuffed to bits at the prospect of a top-notch natter with PM Cameron.)
Are we bothered?
Posted by: lesley153
Date: Sep 27 12
Us limeys - well, some of us - grumble about American infiltrating our language. Here are fifty examples:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14201796 Guess what! (some) Americans are now grumbling about English infiltrating theirs.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19670686 (Here you will see P Obama chuffed to bits at the prospect of a top-notch natter with PM Cameron.)
Are we bothered?
37 replies. On page 2 of 2 pages. 1 2
supersal1 
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Bill Bryson's 'Mother Tongue' is a fascinating read on the subject. I love his assertion that if we want to know how English was spoken in Shakespeare's time we would do well to listen to Yosemite Sam! I find the whole subject really fascinating and in most cases would say 'vive la difference'. However, when I hear someone asking in a shop 'can I get?' I have to restrain myself from shouting 'No, it's not self service, the assitant will get it for you'. Reply #21. Sep 28 12, 5:13 PM |
trojan11
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One of the problems for foreigners, when listening to US style English, is all those harshly delivered consonants and crushed vowels. To many Latinos and Brits, all Americans sound like Bruce Lee. Reply #22. Sep 29 12, 8:49 AM |
lesley153
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More problems for foreigners - some feedback about the original article. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19929249 Who would ever have expected Americans to stand in a queue for the bloody loo? Reply #23. Oct 17 12, 3:20 PM |
Greatguggly
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I thought it was Bruce Li. There I go crushing "E's" lol I've never heard of "chav". But I recognize all the others. Anyway, Autumn's here, innit? I'd better get off me bloody bum (ew) and rake some leaves before me woman gets her knickers in a knot and sends me on holiday...or to hospital. If I lived in a flat I wouldn't have to worry about that! Reply #24. Oct 17 12, 4:57 PM |
| Greatguggly
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I've also noticed that over here we say "around" and you drop the A. And you say "turn up" while we say "show up". Reply #25. Oct 17 12, 5:03 PM |
| lesley153
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Very convincing! Except knickers aren't knotted, they're twisted, as in "Don't get your knickers in a twist!" We say round and around, depends on the context... Reply #26. Oct 17 12, 6:11 PM |
| trojan11
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"'ere innit," GG, innit! And it's 'ospitall (os-pit-all) agin, innit, son, eh? My woman? Nah! It's, 'er what's indoors, trouble n strife, or, that bleedin' ol nag basket. For vivid expletives in the vernacular of London and the south east of England, please refer to Boyle's law and the Reggie Kray book of modern English as what it should be spoken like. Reply #27. Oct 17 12, 7:01 PM |
| Greatguggly
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Bleedin' ol nag basket! Wow, that would go over real well! I learned what little London-speak I do know from the Rolling Stones. Very strange considering what I just posted on the "One Direction, Justin Bieber" thread on the music board....that Lennon McCartney and Harrison taught me the English language. Reply #28. Oct 18 12, 10:03 AM |
Aussiedrongo
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Aww leave it out Guv. You avin a larf mate. Dint Ringo teach ya nuffin eever. Reply #29. Oct 20 12, 11:29 PM |
C30
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Dew yew talk loike yew should dew, yew talk better than yew do dew..............! Pick the bones out of that! Lol Reply #30. Oct 21 12, 2:48 AM |
Mixamatosis
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Using the term "song" to describe music with no singing in it. Saying "I'm hurting" to mean I'm in pain. In England hurting is a transitive verb (ie. it's followed by a person or object) so a legitimate response to "I'm hurting" would be "Who are you hurting?" Unnecessary lengthening of words such as burglarize instead of burgle. The fact that default spellchecks are American so when spelling English correctly, it underlines words as incorrect. This undermines the language in the UK for the internet generation. Calling football "soccer". Calling the "attack" in football the "offense". Calling football managers "coaches". Reply #31. Jul 04 16, 11:42 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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Taking offence to instead of taking offence at. Different to instead of different from. Bored of instead of bored with. Reply #32. Jul 04 16, 11:50 PM |
Mommakat
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Face it, the Mother tongue of English has been bastardized for so long, few people are aware of what is correct in this day and age. Reply #33. Jul 05 16, 12:03 AM |
| Mixamatosis
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I forgot "different than" instead of different from Reply #34. Apr 15 17, 2:33 AM |
MotherGoose
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From the Oxford English Dictionary (the generally accepted authority on the English language: Different from, than, or to? Is there any difference between the expressions different from, different than, and different to? Is one of the three ‘more correct’ than the others? In practice, different from is by far the most common of the three, in both British and American English: Example - We want to demonstrate that this government is different from previous governments. (British English) Example - This part is totally different from anything else that he's done. (American English) Different than is mainly used in American English: Example - Teenagers certainly want to look different than their parents. Different to is much more common in British English than American English: Example - In this respect the Royal Academy is no different to any other major museum. Some people criticize different than as incorrect but there’s no real justification for this view. There’s little difference in sense between the three expressions, and all of them are used by respected writers. Reply #35. Apr 15 17, 11:24 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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Going back to the original text,I think this thread wasn't designed as a "right or wrong" thread but more just to highlight differences in different versions of English. I was just highlighting a difference. Reply #36. Apr 17 17, 6:15 AM |
| MotherGoose
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"Going back to the original text,I think this thread wasn't designed as a "right or wrong" thread but more just to highlight differences in different versions of English. I was just highlighting a difference." That's all I was trying to do too. Sorry if you took it the wrong way. I thought the information about usage given above was interesting. Reply #37. Apr 19 17, 7:59 AM |
37 replies. On page 2 of 2 pages. 1 2
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