Language, UK vs USA. (OT).
- Thread starter Curryman
- Start date
'Can I get....' instead of 'may I have'.
We also say 'please', which they rarely do.
I have an American cousin who left England with her parents, both English, when she was 4 y.o.
She is polite, unlike many Americans.
Her Dad, my 1st cousin, never lost his English (Blackpool) accent, although he lived in US for over 50 years.
We also say 'please', which they rarely do.
I have an American cousin who left England with her parents, both English, when she was 4 y.o.
She is polite, unlike many Americans.
Her Dad, my 1st cousin, never lost his English (Blackpool) accent, although he lived in US for over 50 years.
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Eventhepenguins
Well-known member
I find it odd, on TV and in the movies at least, when they're on the phone and nobody ever seems to say goodbye, or anything. The conversation just ends, and they both hang up
coloradoan
Well-known member
Yank here, really enjoying this thread. I'll throw in my favo(u)rite Americanism: y'all. Mostly used in the south, but gaining in popularity due to its gender neutrality. I love this word. How can the English language not have a plural "you"? Most words have 10 goddamn synonyms, but for some reason we decided it's fine to use the same word for addressing many people as we use for addressing a single person. Y'all offers a way out of this madness, and it sounds delightful.
Also, a sincere question for y'all: what's the difference between shit and shite? I understand that the latter is only an adjective, while the former can also be a noun or verb. But when comparing both as adjectives, are there times when one is more suitable than the other?
Also, a sincere question for y'all: what's the difference between shit and shite? I understand that the latter is only an adjective, while the former can also be a noun or verb. But when comparing both as adjectives, are there times when one is more suitable than the other?
Archibald Knox
Well-known member
Way, way back, about 20+ years ago I was in a company meeting in Houston, Texas (yee-haaa) in a godawful Yank team-building exercise (exercice?) where we had to describe how well we knew a colleague.
So I described my English colleague as someone who “liked to drink beer and smoke fags”. A Kentuckian in the room thought I meant that my colleague enjoyed getting drunk and shooting homosexuals !!
The English/Yank slang mismatch took a bit of explaining. Given the mass shootings in the USA he had every reason to misunderstand.
So I described my English colleague as someone who “liked to drink beer and smoke fags”. A Kentuckian in the room thought I meant that my colleague enjoyed getting drunk and shooting homosexuals !!
The English/Yank slang mismatch took a bit of explaining. Given the mass shootings in the USA he had every reason to misunderstand.
I always liked 'Y'all'. It sounds friendly.