Comments on: Horrible Americanisms?

By: Stan Carey

Stan Carey — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:13:30 +0000

One Americanism I love is Fall, a simpler and more evocative word than autumn.

It’s worth stressing that Standard English is a dialect, albeit a very widespread and influential one. Its success stems from historical circumstance rather than inherent superiority. Moreover, there is no standard Standard English (as I recently wrote elsewhere).

While it’s easy to denounce Americanisms (or Britishisms or Irishisms or any other foreign linguistic variety), it’s also a waste of time. For the most part, people can and will use whatever form of language they want. English belongs to everyone and to no one, and it’s all endlessly interweaving. “Hating on” certain geographical forms of it would seem to indicate, as JD remarks above, a kind of cultural defensiveness.

By: Edward Drohan

Edward Drohan — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:21:34 +0000

Canada must be strange – in most of the world ‘Scotch’ is a drink, not a language. Edward Drohan

By: Viviana

Viviana — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:30:22 +0000

These topics make me feel really good =)

“In Canada we have enough to do keeping up with two spoken languages without trying to invent slang, so we just go right ahead and use English for literature, Scotch for sermons and American for conversation.” – Stephen Leacock

artofwordsbiz.wordpress.com

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:43:57 +0000

I want to thank the British for giving us a great language. We’ve improved it and modernized it for them.

By: DJ

DJ — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:47:19 +0000

I`m from Canada and I teach English in China.
I often point out to studetss that language is always in a state of flux. That is, that it is always changing. We don`t speak English now the way we did 500 years ago (Where art thoust from?) and we probably won`t speak English 500 years from now the same way we do now.
With the concept of globalization and the rapid development of China, as an example, I`m sure we won`t. I even find myself talking “Chinglish” sometimes .(You come from where?) After being here for so long I sometimes question as to whether there is anything wrong with some of it since afterall the object of language is communication. Losing my kneejerk use of prepositions is also another corker.
BTW. The use of “You come from where?” is short for “Where did you say you come from?” when asking for confirmation. In an initial exchange the correct sentence would be, “Where do you come from?” since in English we usually put the question words at the front of a sentence. It all has to do with front loading the important information at the start of a sentence.
What really messes things up is variations. When you add “Where are you from?” what more often than not comes out is Q “Where are you come from?” A ” I am come from China.”
The beat goes on.

By: Laine Cole

Laine Cole — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:12:29 +0000

When I was a kid my dad used to tell me about how much he loved Elvis. To him Elvis was on fire with talent and artistry and power. He said his dad used to block his ears and shake his head and say: What is that noise you’re listening to? That’s not music. His dad pretty much banned Elvis from being played in the house.
As I got older and started blasting my own favourite tunes from my bedroom, I could just feel my dad holding back on his desire to say: Do you call THIS music? Sometimes he couldn’t contain himself he had to say it. I wonder at what point I will say the same thing to my kids.
Anyway. I guess my point is:
I wonder when in the 15th century the Middle English speakers started saying to each other: What is becoming of our language? (Except it would have been written differently). They would have seen: His soote shoures maken melody, and asked: ‘What happened to the ‘e’ in melodye??!! Oh here we go…’ (Except it would have been said differently).

[The sweet showers making melody]

By: Norbert Dąbkowski

Norbert Dąbkowski — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:49:27 +0000

I’m a teacher of English, not a native speaker of it. That should set the background for what I would like to say here. Refering to the most pervasive, influential and the largest version of English, maybe one explanation could be offered to be a minor part of the occurence. Some of us, learners of the beautiful language, may “get” the impression that some, or many, British people are rather intolerant or disproving when in contact with us, timid and humble, learners. Which in turn might put the Americans in our “favor” for their being generally more appreciative of one’s efforts.
For me, any kind of variation is just wonderful material to be molded into what we need to convey our message. The problem lays in mastering it to a sufficient level…
Greetings to all!

By: Odile Lombard-Pelletier

Odile Lombard-Pelletier — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:50:36 +0000

My mother is British : I was taught “English English”. I am also French, live in France and teach English to French students. I must say that I, myself, have of course had to accept a change in the language as years go by. But being constantly in touch with people of different nationalities, I must acknowledge that most of them love the English traditional accent which they understand better and like to listen to. Also, there is something to say about spelling ; for instance the American tendency to cut out some letters (ex.colour vs color). This is getting worse with today’s “text messaging” habit. What will remain of the language in a hundred years ? I am just asking, not criticizing….

By: Raffaella

Raffaella — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:31:39 +0000

Hello,

I know the insatiable ubiquitousness of ‘get’ can make u addicted to this verb, as a main verb (just get) or as a phrasal verb (the many sides of get: ‘get up, get over, get on, get of etc.). However I do feel that ‘get’ somehow saves us from the many downsides of ‘have’..

cheers,

raffaella

By: Shane

Shane — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:13:43 +0000

@Russ

Yep but that was a snippet of ‘When you call me, you can call me Al’. Different to saying ‘I think he’s called Al’.

I love both PS and CC however. Christmas Vacation about to get its annual 20 viewings ’round my gaff.