Will American English Become the Norm?

[Echo]

I doubt that the American spelling of words will replace the European spelling. But honestly, it kind of irritates me when people start talking about how the American spellings are "wrong". They're NOT wrong! It's how we spell those words! Good lord....

[Ophelia]

I've no problem with American spellings when they are used by Americans but I have no wish to use them myself. What was wrong with the good old British 'ar*e' that nearly everyone now has to use the American spelling 'ass'?

 

I also made my feelings known to my bank when they issued me a bank card with the words 'expiry date' replaced with 'valid thru'

[sirinrob]

'America and Britain are two countries separated by a common language' attributed variously to GBS., Oscar Wilde and Winston Churchill, none of whom will own to it.

[Kylie]

I don't mind too much, I usually only see American spelling in books by American authors so that is fair enough and to be expected.

 

I have no problem reading American spelling in American books. What I have a problem with is the fact that, while publishers have retain original American spelling for the rest of the world, books written elsewhere that are published in America always seem to be changed to American spelling.

 

I think it's really insulting to Americans - as though they can't be intelligent enough to realise that 'colour' and 'color' are the same thing. I understand that in some books they even translate colloquialisms into words that Americans will understand. That's ridiculous.

 

Sorry, Echo, but I can't help but think of American spellings as 'wrong' because they were changed from the original English spellings for no apparent reason. I'll have to do some research as to why these words were changed, because as far as I can see there's no good reason to change the 's' to 'z' or remove the 'u' from 'colour'. I guess I don't think of them as being wrong now; they're just different. But I think it was wrong to originally change them. I hope that doesn't offend you

 

Grammar and spelling are things I'm really passionate, so this is just something that irritates me. I understand that languages change and evolve over time, but I've never been one to like change, which is my own problem.

[AbielleRose]

Out of curiosity (this is something I've wondered ever since discovering the series) what are your thoughts on the very first Harry Potter book- The Philosopher's (or in America, the SORCERER'S) Stone? I've always been curious as to why they changed the name of the very object that book is centered around.

[Kylie]

I actually thought of that book when I made my last post.

 

Again, it's not something I understand. I don't recall ever reading an explanation about why it was changed. It's very strange...

[AbielleRose]

I actually thought of that book when I made my last post.

 

Again, it's not something I understand. I don't recall ever reading an explanation about why it was changed. It's very strange...

 

I've never come across an explanation either, which is weird because they are two very different concepts. Yes, I can understand changing a word like favorite/favourite between international editions, but a whole word with a different meaning?

 

British English is very charming and I do personally like it better than American because it just feels more proper, though I get lost a bit when people start talking about crisps (chips) chips (fries) and all those words that are the same spelling wise but have a different meaning.

[Kylie]

While I may have a problem with different spellings, I love looking at different types of slang between England, America and Australia.

[AbielleRose]

The slang is great, I also love British swear words. They're so cute!

 

You would probably go crazy if you ever came to the midwest. People here tend to jumble phrases together into one big word when they talk. For example: 'Howaya doin?' A lot of people also place emphasis on different parts of the word.

 

My grandparents have lived all over the place, including Texas and Germany and they have very heavy unplaceable accents and use a very different form of English than the rest of our family. I guess its more old fashioned. They call couches 'davenports' pants 'slacks' (even jeans), say waursh instead of wash and they pronounce my hometown of Aberdeen (Aber- dean) ABBR- deen.

[Janet]

My grandparents have lived all over the place, including Texas and Germany and they have very heavy unplaceable accents and use a very different form of English than the rest of our family. I guess its more old fashioned. They call couches 'davenports' pants 'slacks' (even jeans), say waursh instead of wash and they pronounce my hometown of Aberdeen (Aber- dean) ABBR- deen.

I call a couch a sofa or settee! I only know of Davenport being a type of writing desk so I wonder where that came from - Germany, perhaps?

 

Slacks are what old people wear!

 

The one that tickles me is hearing a person's fringe called 'bangs' - it sounds funny to me! (No offence meant ).

 

Now I'm sitting here trying to say Aber-dean versus ABBR-deen and I can't hear any difference between the two!

[AbielleRose]

I call them bangs, in fact, I had no idea they were called something else!

 

The best way to describe ABBR-deen is think of saying first part rather loud and fast and then saying the second half in a normal talking voice. Its more pronounced, like the deen was an afterthought. Its bugged me my whole life.

 

Another one is the whole comforter/duvet/blanket issue. To gran, every blanket regardless of its make or purpose is a 'throw'.

[Vladd]

May I suggest a couple of books by Bill Bryson on this subject

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mother-Tongue-Story-English-Language/dp/0141040084/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269601104&sr=8-8

and

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Made-America-Bill-Bryson/dp/0552998052/ref=pd_sim_b_3

[Kreader]

I got used to people saying pants in the Caribbean when in the UK its trousers. I was babysitting and trying to get my young nephew ready for school. He was prancing about in his shirt and undies and I asked him where his pants were. He replied "but I am wearing my pants!". Pants are undies here.

[corina]

I recently did a thread on my mostly American friends forum titled "Diapers, nappies, next I will be rootin' for y'all".

 

I was recounting a story I had told about a cleaner here and said janitor. Just wanted to say the word (like your lef-tenant, Kylie!)

 

My kids say diapers from watching Family Guy.

 

But bangs oh dear, never used here for hair fringe. In fact something quite naughty, like rooting.

 

And we wear thongs on our feet:smile2:

 

 

To answer the OP, yes!

[StephenKingman]

Ireland and England have almost completely been 'Americanised' in the past decade and i blame the rise of popular shows like Friends, Hannah Montana and The Simpsons. When i was growing up, nobody EVER used the word ''dude" when describing someone else- it was exclusive to the americans and their skateboard-grinding youth. Now everyone over here says it, whilst downing a double mocca latte or some other american beverage that has sprung up all over these isles. I dont mind a lot of American culture and phrases but its not a good thing to be using more and more of their words and grammar as we will soon lose our national identity and start thinking and acting just like the Yanks and a lot of what makes us so unique (castles, scenery, Royal Family, Guinness etc) will fade away and the excess of American culture will take its place.

 

Doesnt help that garbage shows like The Hills dominate many of your channels-whatever

[Angel]

I don't think that we have become totally Americanised - yet. Tiger seriously rants if she hears any hint of Americanism in this house - LOL!! I know I will say to DS and DH if they say 'garbage', trash or anything like it we both start on about the Queen's English. Many of Tiger's friends are the same. So there is hope that more people (judging by the response on this thread!) feel the same

 

I certainly do feel - passionately that we must try and keep our culture and our Britishness - that is what makes us unique and 'quaint' as the Americans think of us. I think that even the TV companies are beginning to realise the increasing backlash of this as Virgin have launched their own channel dedicated purely to 'Good Old Blighty' and only ever screen British programmes.

[Kylie]

When i was growing up, nobody EVER used the word ''dude" when describing someone else- it was exclusive to the americans and their skateboard-grinding youth.

 

I think the word 'dude' has come and gone in Australia. I very occasionally here someone say it, but I wouldn't say it's part of our lingo.

 

This thread has inspired me to dig out Bill Bryson's Made in America and Mother Tongue. I might bump one or both of these up the TBR pile and report any interesting facts here (there are bound to be loads!)

[jemimapd]

I'm an American and I agree about the 'couldn't' vs 'could' thing. I always say 'couldn't.' You're right.The difference in meaning is pretty obvious.

 

But the herb thing is different. I think that just depends on what you're used to and where you come from. Silent h or not, it's just a dialectal thing; has nothing to do with obvious logic. I prefer the silent h, partly because Herb is a man's name.

 

Didn't know that about the billions. Pretty scary when you can't even trust math!

[Vladd]

But the herb thing is different. I think that just depends on what you're used to and where you come from. Silent h or not, it's just a dialectal thing; has nothing to do with obvious logic. I prefer the silent h, partly because Herb is a man's name.

 

Didn't know that about the billions. Pretty scary when you can't even trust math!

 

Or even the maths. With the herb thing I'm with Eddie Izzard.

[Johnny Carson Whit]

I think the word 'dude' has come and gone in Australia. I very occasionally here someone say it, but I wouldn't say it's part of our lingo.

 

This thread has inspired me to dig out Bill Bryson's Made in America and Mother Tongue. I might bump one or both of these up the TBR pile and report any interesting facts here (there are bound to be loads!)

 

The word 'dude' is mainly used in the UK now by middle aged, middle class men. I absolutely hate it when someone says it to me - 'you ok dude' Aghh go away!

 

I am waiting for David Cameron to use it on his election campaign, i'll be amazed if he doesnt say it at least once.

[jankensan]

I love the diversity of the English language. I always await the new word announcements for the Oxford English Dictionary with great anticipation to see what gets in there each time.

The more variety the better as far as I'm concerned, it would be boring if English was standardised across the ocean, whether that be the American version of the British version.

I think it's amazing that one language can diversify, adapt to the environment and develop along totally different lines based on geography, migration patterns etc. It's a truly adaptive medium. You could never standardise that.

[corina]

The word 'dude' is mainly used in the UK now by middle aged, middle class men. I absolutely hate it when someone says it to me - 'you ok dude' Aghh go away!

 

I am waiting for David Cameron to use it on his election campaign, i'll be amazed if he doesnt say it at least once.

 

Johnny CarsonWhit, my teens say "dude" all the time. I think is from watching too much South Park

[Christie]

I can understand why they use some words but I just hate the word 'pacifier'! I just can't imagine my baby brother asking for one! Its soo much easier to say 'dummy'!

[willoyd]

I can't abide by American spellings because they are things that were purposely changed from the original (and therefore correct) English spelling. Why change the 's' to a 'z' in 'Americanized'? It's unnecessary. I love the English language and hate to see it b*stardised (am I allowed to say that?) by any other country. It gets on my nerves.

 

You have to be careful here! Adding the Greek -ize suffix is perfectly acceptable in British English, and is indeed the original way of writing: -ise is the more recent alternative. The OUP for instance still insists on -ize as a house standard. It's required in American English, but we Brits now have a choice. Personally, I stick to -ise (not least because that was what I was taught, because it's easier not having to work out the times when -ise is actually required, and because I can never work out when it's the Greek suffix and when not!), but don't condemn out of hand -ize as being 'unBritish'! Indeed, it could be argued that Americanize is more British than Americanise, and is dated as Late 17th century in origin in my Shorter OED!

Edited April 24, 2010 by willoyd

[Ooshie]

^ You're quite right - I used to work for someone who had had a classical education, and he always used -ize when appropriate. As I had a very ordinary education, I always use -ise to be on the safe side!