My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

AIBU?

IABU to hate "Can I get...."?

112 replies

tbtc20 · 17/02/2016 16:23

A colleague (English as first language) likes to adopt Americanisms into his speech.

His latest is to say e.g. "Can I get you to test this program" or "Can I get an account for our new starter".

I think he thinks it makes him sound cool.

Makes me wince.

OP posts:
Report
MrsTerryPratchett · 17/02/2016 16:24

"Can I get an account for our new starter"? Is that wrong. There is a something, "an account" to "get". Surely...

Report
Oysterbabe · 17/02/2016 16:24

It's really, really common. I hear it everywhere and hate it.

Report
Doublebubblebubble · 17/02/2016 16:25

I'm British. Live here my entire life. I've said those sentences and would never think that they were an Americanism. Can I get you a cup of coffee etc. Why would that make anyone think they sound cool??

Report
ReturnofSaturn · 17/02/2016 16:27

Yes this must have come from North America.
I have been in Canada for almost two years and have just recently noticed that I now often say this! Blush

Report
tbtc20 · 17/02/2016 16:27

Terry, yes maybe the account thing makes sense, but he did then go on to say "and get it...." (don't want to say too much about a private email).

Better would be to say "Please can you set up an account for our new starter and add him to...."

OP posts:
Report
SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 17/02/2016 16:28

I absolutely hate "Can I get a coffee" etc. etc.

The two examples you've given wouldn't really bother me though - as there is no object or item they are getting. I might say, "can I get you to do this for me please" and I am not American and don't have Americanisms.

So 50% YABU and 50% YANBU from me Grin.

Report
wasonthelist · 17/02/2016 16:30

Yanbu at all, but I suspect most people don't even notice.

Report
SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 17/02/2016 16:30

Doublebubble - "Can I get you a coffee" is fine. It's "can I get a coffee" that's the Americanism.

Report
Doublebubblebubble · 17/02/2016 16:30

*I have lived - whoops

Report
Doublebubblebubble · 17/02/2016 16:32

What about "can I get a coffee please?"
I'm not sure about this one now...lol

Report
usual · 17/02/2016 16:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tbtc20 · 17/02/2016 16:32

"Can I get you a cup of coffee" is fine. You are getting something, although I think "Would you like a cup of coffee?" is preferable.

"Can I get a cup of coffee" is not fine. You are asking someone to get something for you or asking whether you can make one yourself in someone else's kitchen for example. "Please may I have a cup of coffee" is correct.

He asked me "could I get you to look at the data file" instead of "please can you look at the data file".

OP posts:
Report
tbtc20 · 17/02/2016 16:33

[goes off to actually look at sodding data file]

OP posts:
Report
hooliodancer · 17/02/2016 16:33

I hate it.

When I am out it drives me mad

"Can I get a beer?" No, you can't. You don't work here, the waiter will have to get it for you.

"Can I get a pizza" . No, the waiter will get the pizza for you etc etc.

Report
Doublebubblebubble · 17/02/2016 16:37

Oh I see. Confused

Report
CombineBananaFister · 17/02/2016 16:40

Doesn't really bother me tbh, as long as someone is reasonably polite and I can understand what they are saying - maybe I have lower expectations of where I work.
As for saying things that make him look cool, a lot of people adopt a way of talking that they think makes them look like they belong to a certain group/clique - I'm imagining my mums telephone voice when I say this Grin

Report
Katenka · 17/02/2016 16:47

When you are in the US they look at you with an odd expression of you say 'please can I have..?'

Because it sounds like you are asking permission to order something.

I am guilty (as I go to the US a lot) of saying 'can I get...?' When I get back for a few days as I get off looks off people.

May be because I spend so much time over there, it doesn't bother me. I can see their point.

Report
lazyarse123 · 17/02/2016 16:53

I work in a shop, pisses me off. Can i get 20 cigs, NO you can't you don't work here,i do. May i or can i have 20 cigs. (we'll forget about the please because that's a whole thread on it's own.

Report
oliviaclottedcream · 17/02/2016 16:54

YADNBU. I hate it too... I also detest "I'm good", instead of "I'm well" and my current bugbear is "kinda".

The young chap currently on 'The Great Interior Design Challenge' says it constantly. He kinda looked at a kinda sofa and kinda wanted to kinda upcycle it with a kinda hession he found...

Report
SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 17/02/2016 16:55

To be fair Doublebubble, there are worse crimes you could commit in life Grin.

Report
Doublebubblebubble · 17/02/2016 16:59

No there isn't lol - I'm blaming Canadian dh for this

Report
EssentialHummus · 17/02/2016 17:08

I'm guilty of "Can I please get a pizza?" or a Big Mac, going by today's trending threads but feel somehow better about it for chucking a "please" in there.

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

SaucyJack · 17/02/2016 17:15

I don't like "Can I get?", but tis true- "Please may I have?" doesn't work in coffee shops either.

The barista isn't my mother. I don't need to ask permission to have a double chocolate muffin this close to my dinner.

Report
LogicalThinking · 17/02/2016 17:16

I don't think it has anything to do with thinking it sounds cool.
Language evolves. I can't get wound up over it.

Report
SirChenjin · 17/02/2016 17:19

Perfectly acceptable up here in Scotland - we've been saying it for years, far longer than the Americans and Canadians Grin

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.