"Can I Get A...?" English people Talking and Behaving Like Yanks

[Lyndhurst 14]

Marlton / Lyndhurst

If we want to be puerile, insulting, superior and rude about our American cousins with their mangled english vernacular and irritating mannerisms, then we will. This is NSC. Ranting is healthy. Its the law.

Fair comment .......but the fact that most Brits (including those that are initially anti-American) who go to work in the States never return to the UK, unless they can help it, speaks volumes more the “rants” on this thread

 

[NMH]

Anyone who says "Can I GET a... coffee/drink in the pub/something off the menu" is a PRICK. Pure and simple. Same with saying "I'm good!" when someone asks how you are. And the same goes for people eating their dinner just with their fork like they are a toddler.

Any others or has that covered it? I have not mentioned inner city gun crime in the How We Ape Americans rant as I am learning the Binfest rules now.

Back off, asshole.
If you are saying "anyone" talking like that, you must be calling all Americans PRICKS, and that is goddam racism you sonofabitch.

 

[drew]

not being funny mate but telling people to get a life, whilst swearing in internet abbreviations, does detract a little from your otherwise admirable stance.

Thank you. Must say that I don't think I have been quoted as much in a single thread.

I would just qualify that when I say evolve, I do mean over a reasonable period of time. I would not want the the written language to degenerate into text.

As for our friends the Americans, I did read somewhere but can't recall where that their accent is more akin to some of our regional dialects as ithey were in the 17th century (except of course for toffs). It could therefore be said that our language and dialect has improved in 300 yrs whereas they have stayed the same. I might be wrong though. Wish I couldl remembe where I read it.

 

[The Spanish]

Back off, asshole.
If you are saying "anyone" talking like that, you must be calling all Americans PRICKS, and that is goddam racism you sonofabitch.

I refer the Right Honourable (with a 'u') Gentleman to the title of the thread.

"Can I Get A...?" English people Talking and Behaving Like Yanks

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Think I'll take a raincheck on this thread

 

[chez]

Anyone who says "Can I GET a... coffee/drink in the pub/something off the menu" is a PRICK. Pure and simple. .

Spot On. That's wound me up for years. I once had a lad ask me for a top up card in my off licence. It went a little something like this:

Him: Hi, Can I get a £5 O2 top up please?
Me: No, you cant.
Him: Why not?
Me: Coz I keep them in the till and you're not allowed in there.


He looked at me as if I was mad but I think I made my point!!

 

[The Large One]

Sorry that you can't see the irony or understand the historical significance that this is exactly what has happened to the "English" language as used by the "English" for at least 10 centuries. Multiple generations of brain dead morons = the language being used today. It just happened that those multiple generations of brain dead morons were military, tradesman and diplomats who brought back expressions that found there way into the lingo.

Cheers (origin Old French)

If you have a point to make about the evolution of the English language, start another thread.

Meanwhile, this is nothing to do with evolution - this is to do with correct and incorrect grammar. 'Evolution' in this context only occurs when people who don't know better, and are ignorant of basic meaning, finally catch up with the correct use of the language.

 

[Nottseagull]

And the same goes for people eating their dinner just with their fork like they are a toddler.

How do you expect me to eat my Chinese - with a knife??

 

[clapham_gull]

As a limey stuck here for over 20 years, it strikes me as a very strange rant. The "English" language isn't a stable and monolithic set of agreed conventions. Regional nuances effectively create multiple forms of the language and your annoyance is clearly more an anti-American outburst, than a argument that Americans are ruining the "English" language. After three hundred years of colonization and enforcing our language on those colonies, there are dozens of "English" languages, South African, Nigerian, Indian, Canadian, Australian etc etc.

yeah, whatever

 

[Nottseagull]

And by the way, English isn't "our" language. The English language that is used in England today is derived from Latin, Germanic and various Nordic influences. It has changed since people started using it, read The Canterbury Tales, and it will change as cultures converge in the future. If you want to start an anti-septic rant, then bring it on, or reuse the dozens that have been started over the years of NSC. Trust me, the yanks could care less if you think they are stupid wankers.

It's "couldn't care less"! It doesn't make sense saying "could care less"! Why don't Americans get this? More to the point, why don't you?

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

With snow forecast for Manhattan by the end of November I will need to winterize my car – just hope that with all the turmoil on Wall Street that the owner of my apartment block is not forced to foreclosureize.

 

[Nottseagull]

If you have a point to make about the evolution of the English language, start another thread.[

Come on now, it's hardly off topic!

Meanwhile, this is nothing to do with evolution - this is to do with correct and incorrect grammar. 'Evolution' in this context only occurs when people who don't know better, and are ignorant of basic meaning, finally catch up with the correct use of the language.[/QUOTE

]

Absolutely spot on, innit (a classic if unfortunate example)

 

[Billy Mays]

I say most of those things. Lived in the States for 4 years. Can't help it.
You just pick them up. Also agree with Lyndhurst 14. Most "Brits" living over here wouldn't return by choice. America is far from perfect but , in my humble opinion , it has the edge on lil' ole' England.

Y'all take care now y'hear and of course have yourselves a nice day.

 

[GNF on Tour]

FFS get a life. If language did not evolve then we would all go around asking 'How art thou' etc. Haven't you anything more important to get annoyed with? I'm sure you will find something in this post to complain about.

poof

 

[GNF on Tour]

As a limey stuck here for over 20 years, it strikes me as a very strange rant. The "English" language isn't a stable and monolithic set of agreed conventions. Regional nuances effectively create multiple forms of the language and your annoyance is clearly more an anti-American outburst, than a argument that Americans are ruining the "English" language. After three hundred years of colonization and enforcing our language on those colonies, there are dozens of "English" languages, South African, Nigerian, Indian, Canadian, Australian etc etc.

poof

 

[Juan Albion]

Got to love a thread where people in the UK say the Yanks don't speak correctly - and then constantly refer to the USA as 'America'.

America is a continent, boys and girls, not a country. We often divide it into North, South and Central America.

 

[GNF on Tour]

Got to love a thread where people in the UK say the Yanks don't speak correctly - and then constantly refer to the USA as 'America'.

America is a continent, boys and girls, not a country. We often divide it into North, South and Central America.

So the new American President (as quote regularly used on CNN) is also in charge of Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Honduras as well as then? He is going to be a busy boy.

 

[BensGrandad]

The expression that annoys me is ' at this present moment in time' what is wrong with now. Why use 6 words to say what 1 can cover adequately or at the worst if now will not cover it why not say at this or the moment.

 

[Peteinblack]

It is the constant ise of 'like' in sentences - usually by women under the age of 30 - and also their random use of 'Oh My God' as a form of verbal exclamation mark.


"I'm, like, walking down the street, and I'm, like, oh my God, I met my friend, and we're like, oh my God, where are you going, and she's, like, oh my God, I was, like, coming to see you, and I'm, like, oh my God, that's just so cool...."

Stupid inarticulate bimbos.

 

[Trufflehound]

It is the constant ise of 'like' in sentences - usually by women under the age of 30 - and also their random use of 'Oh My God' as a form of verbal exclamation mark.


"I'm, like, walking down the street, and I'm, like, oh my God, I met my friend, and we're like, oh my God, where are you going, and she's, like, oh my God, I was, like, coming to see you, and I'm, like, oh my God, that's just so cool...."

Stupid inarticulate bimbos.

But is that actually any more inarticulate than just saying "errr..." at those points*, which is what everyone else would do?




Edit: *Unless you were Mick Channon in the 70s, in which case you'd say "Y'knowwhatImean?" in a high squeaky voice...