4 ms·

I have never, in my life, seen a more trivial and annoying list than this one: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14201796 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-1

I have never, in my life, seen a more trivial and annoying list than this one: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14201796 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14201796 To "wait on" instead of "wait for" when you're not a waiter - once read a friend's comment about being in a station waiting on a train. Seriously? And are these Americans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z9hbf-IRig http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z9hbf-IRig The whole list is like that.

JonnieCache 15y ago
That those things are trivial is kind of the point. Becoming disproportionately angry about arbitrary linguistic differences is a treasured national pastime in the UK. It's due to our very particularly neurotic class consciousness, and it's quite difficult to explain. UK english is a minefield of shibboleths which we use to pigeonhole each other with startling efficiency. It's explained better than I ever could by comedian David Mitchell in this short video: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2010/jun/10/language-wordsandlanguage http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2010/jun/10/la... And this one, which is more specifically about americanisms: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2010/may/20/language-usa http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2010/may/20/la...
- secretwhistle 15y ago
  Thanks for the background and links, which I wish I would have seen before posting my comment. I still think there is a bit of, not necessarily resentment, but a bit of annoyance at the upstart US, which comes across to most other countries as "unrefined." I think the major difference between Americans and Brits is that the US doesn't have centuries of history behind it. It's still very much a "young" nation in the overall scheme of things and shows its age quite often. (See also: the other comment I made.)
- shrikant 15y ago
  UK english is a minefield of shibboleths which we use to pigeonhole each other with startling efficiency. Classic example from my FB newsfeed: http://i.imgur.com/MWOjQ.png http://i.imgur.com/MWOjQ.png
- Lewisham 15y ago
  I think it's easier to explain than you think (and, for once, not at all due to the class system at all). Britain has been under relentless cultural assault from the US for decades. It is no secret, and no surprise, that it was Friends that introduced "can I get a" to the UK. This trend has accelerated with the Internet, where all English speakers tend to move towards the ubiquitous American English. Even something like programming acts as a vehicle for this. Try colouring something grey, for example. Language is a very tangible, day-to-day way of asserting cultural independence. See how France used to sing Eurovision in French every year. Sadly, even they now sing songs in English. This taps into a deep-seated concern in some of the British population that it will become a cultural 51st state. Certainly we identify more with the US than any of continental Europe. This is not necessarily unwarranted, but I think it unlikely. Even something as uniquely American as hip-hop was taken, adopted by young disadvantaged Londoners and transformed into grime instead. Britain's identity is formed by more than the media it consumes and it creates, but by the people who inhabit it. FWIW, I really do hate "could care less" as it's literally the opposite of what meaning is trying to be conveyed. I've personally picked up "bathroom" over "toilet". I think it's a great euphemism, which is, in itself, a traditionally British thing to do.
  - JonnieCache 15y ago
    >Even something as uniquely American as hip-hop was taken, adopted by young disadvantaged Londoners and transformed into grime instead. Actually, for years in the 80s the underground UK rap scene was dominated by british MCs rapping in fake west coast american accents. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h3Jd_PCrwQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h3Jd_PCrwQ Throughout the 80s and the early 90s there was an ever growing minority of MCs who rapped in english accents and mocked the imitators. A lot of this involved incorporating jamaican accents, which is a characteristic of the modern london accent generally. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ahFJmFcY98 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ahFJmFcY98 Eventually this became normal and most people have forgotten this earlier americanised stage.
secretwhistle 15y ago
A list like this coming from that source just seems like latent resentment to me. I'm sorry you didn't get to keep all that land directly south of Canada. Get over it. BTW: Your youtube link is kill.

JonnieCache 15y ago

That those things are trivial is kind of the point. Becoming disproportionately angry about arbitrary linguistic differences is a treasured national pastime in the UK. It's due to our very particularly neurotic class consciousness, and it's quite difficult to explain. UK english is a minefield of shibboleths which we use to pigeonhole each other with startling efficiency. It's explained better than I ever could by comedian David Mitchell in this short video: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2010/jun/10/language-wordsandlanguage http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2010/jun/10/la... And this one, which is more specifically about americanisms: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2010/may/20/language-usa http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2010/may/20/la...

secretwhistle 15y ago
Thanks for the background and links, which I wish I would have seen before posting my comment. I still think there is a bit of, not necessarily resentment, but a bit of annoyance at the upstart US, which comes across to most other countries as "unrefined." I think the major difference between Americans and Brits is that the US doesn't have centuries of history behind it. It's still very much a "young" nation in the overall scheme of things and shows its age quite often. (See also: the other comment I made.)
shrikant 15y ago
UK english is a minefield of shibboleths which we use to pigeonhole each other with startling efficiency. Classic example from my FB newsfeed: http://i.imgur.com/MWOjQ.png http://i.imgur.com/MWOjQ.png
Lewisham 15y ago
I think it's easier to explain than you think (and, for once, not at all due to the class system at all). Britain has been under relentless cultural assault from the US for decades. It is no secret, and no surprise, that it was Friends that introduced "can I get a" to the UK. This trend has accelerated with the Internet, where all English speakers tend to move towards the ubiquitous American English. Even something like programming acts as a vehicle for this. Try colouring something grey, for example. Language is a very tangible, day-to-day way of asserting cultural independence. See how France used to sing Eurovision in French every year. Sadly, even they now sing songs in English. This taps into a deep-seated concern in some of the British population that it will become a cultural 51st state. Certainly we identify more with the US than any of continental Europe. This is not necessarily unwarranted, but I think it unlikely. Even something as uniquely American as hip-hop was taken, adopted by young disadvantaged Londoners and transformed into grime instead. Britain's identity is formed by more than the media it consumes and it creates, but by the people who inhabit it. FWIW, I really do hate "could care less" as it's literally the opposite of what meaning is trying to be conveyed. I've personally picked up "bathroom" over "toilet". I think it's a great euphemism, which is, in itself, a traditionally British thing to do.
- JonnieCache 15y ago
  >Even something as uniquely American as hip-hop was taken, adopted by young disadvantaged Londoners and transformed into grime instead. Actually, for years in the 80s the underground UK rap scene was dominated by british MCs rapping in fake west coast american accents. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h3Jd_PCrwQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h3Jd_PCrwQ Throughout the 80s and the early 90s there was an ever growing minority of MCs who rapped in english accents and mocked the imitators. A lot of this involved incorporating jamaican accents, which is a characteristic of the modern london accent generally. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ahFJmFcY98 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ahFJmFcY98 Eventually this became normal and most people have forgotten this earlier americanised stage.

secretwhistle 15y ago

A list like this coming from that source just seems like latent resentment to me. I'm sorry you didn't get to keep all that land directly south of Canada. Get over it. BTW: Your youtube link is kill.