Americanisms

[horizon]

This is from the Mark Beaumont thread in touring:

Anybody up for following this - I am sure it hasn't been cycled yet!

Here's a quote from it:

"He'd had a go at Rockall once before, with his friend, the clubbable castaway Ben Fogle, but the weather had been too tricky and they had turned their sailboat back..."

Just a small footnote on this for those who might (sadly perhaps?) be interested. There is no such thing as a "sailboat" in UK English; as far as I know it is an Americanism, and a pretty ugly one at that. The Guardian also recently used "finish line" in a major headline. American English doesn't use "-ing" in the same way as we do so this is a plea to use it where it belongs.

As I said, for those who might be interested! By the way, I am open to correction/argument on this.

[meic]

You can fight a rearguard action but your grandkids will be talking American English not the UK (? ) English which you are so fond of.

Yr iaith fain as we call it.

It could be worse, you could be fighting for your language's very existence from the threat of a more prominent language's prescence, rather than just a merger/modification.

[mw3230]

Buddy, you gotta suck it up!

[horizon]

On the way to the "train" station, no doubt.

[kwackers]

Worth pointing out that Americans are having the same discussion, many English words and sayings have been recently finding their way over there too.

[mw3230]

Worth pointing out that Americans are having the same discussion, many English words and sayings have been recently finding their way over there too.

The French have similar discussions also. A inevitable outcome of increased travel and the easy access to the web.

[Mick F]

I hate Americanisms too, but perhaps I'm a little like King Canute and the tide.

We bought a new frying pan from Morrisson's yesterday.
Oh no we didn't, we bought a Fry Pan!

Next to the cooking utensils were some other kitchen equipment - storage jars with sealable lids - Coffee, Sugar, Flour, Tea ...............

Instead of "Biscuit Barrel" we had "Cookie Jar".

[patricktaylor]

I hate Americanisms too ...

And me. One that crops up a lot is program, which I think is correct only in the case of a computer program. Someone told me the other day that rack (as in pannier rack) is an Americanism. I never knew that. Of course pannier is a Frenchism - I like those.

I sometimes wonder - for example check instead of cheque - who decided to spell it differently? Did someone suddenly decide check is better or did it somehow evolve through ignorance?

[whoops]

Color, center, high flange, fenders, Campy, fixie,

[whoops]

Of course pannier is a Frenchism - I like those.

So that's where "Barnstable Pannier Market" in Devon got name. Obviously because of the French onions.

[thirdcrank]

A few years ago, one of the royals, possibly Camilla when she was still Mrs P-B, was driving a car which "was in collision with a cyclist." The intitial media reports referred to a cycle fitted with baskets. I presume somebody referred to panniers and somebpdy else looked up pannier in the dictionary.

[ferrit worrier]

I hate Americanisms, full stop. English is English. Why do we have to endure the corruption of our native language. Ok I know that it's made up of arabic numbers and variants of many european languages. but its ours. And we don't have a BATHROOM at work we have a ladies or gents toilet ARGGGGGHHHHHHH.

ARGGGGGGHHHHHHHH
sorry folks
Rant over

Malc

[hubgearfreak]

i'm loving this thread. <<that's a joke.

we don't talk the same language as our grandparents did, my granny suggested that my walking boots were gay and groovy, she meant a nice colour and with a deep tread. so the language is constantly evolving.

for us to concern ourselves about it, just means that we're becoming the old duffers that we (should have) despised as adolescents. it's the natural order of things, as is the relentless corruption of english. relax, live with it...as mick says, you're king canute* if you think you can do anything.

like meic says, be glad you're not welsh, manx or a speaker of some other obscure, silly and dying language

*although this is the popular canute context, i think he was actually showing that he wasn't all powerful
http://www.inspirationalstories.com/0/91.html

[meic]

A capital W please.

[hubgearfreak]

given that i didn't use capitals for english, canute or granny, meic, i'm hardly gunna bother for the welsh