What's the difference between the words 'normality' and 'normalcy'?

[kelda]

I've only heard of the word 'normalcy' recently. Is it American?

[MirandaGoshawk]

Yep. Therefore horrid and to be avoided at all costs .

[NutellaLawson]

it is an americanism. I think the distinction in meaning subtle.

normality is what is normal in an objective sense. normal that everyone would agree on.

normalcy is more a subjective sense of what is normal. A more personal normal for that individual.

I went travelling for almost two years, trekking with a tent and a petrol stove. Two years, so that was my normal. so after a night in a motel (rare) I was glad to be back in my tent for that sense of normalcy. But cooking dinner on a petrol stove outside a lightweight tent is hardly 'normality'.

At least I think that's the distinction.

[kelda]

Thank you both.

[CatWithKittens]

I'm with MirandaGoshawk on this - "normailty" is a word, "normalcy" is an distortion of the language.

[CatWithKittens]

sorry - a distortion. I need typing lessons.

[NutellaLawson]

cat a distortion of normal typing, even.

I do loathe normalcy, as well as acclimate and burglarize. I accept that Americans are perfectly entitled to modify and adapt their native language as they wish but some things do just sound too 'almost right' that they make me cringe a little.

[MaidOfStars]

Acclimate is a perfectly standard word in biology.

[Minty82]

Normalcy is American, but I think it's one of those American words that was in use here in when America was being founded but has since fallen out of use in British English. Like 'garbage', which we think of as an American neologism but which actually appears in Shakespeare. So it's actually us evolving the language as much as them...

[Momonga]

I live in the US (I'm not American!) and quite like it. I use normality tbh, but loads of words mean the same thing and it sounds a bit more conversational, perhaps.

[Momonga]

Burglarize sounds really odd, even now. Acclimate sounds completely fine to me, though?

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

I am American. It was popularized by Republicans in a presidential campaign many years ago and made its way into common usage. I am a Democrat so I never use it.

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

I was referring to normalcy, not burglarize. It is associated with Warren G. Harding who promised a "return to normalcy." He did not invent the word, but I don't think it goes back to colonial times, so it is not like "gotten" or "fall" which are older British words we kept, but that were abandoned by British speakers.

[Thumbwitch]

"Normalcy" really sets my teeth on edge more than almost any other Americanism (that and "I could care less", which is still Just Plain Wrong)

[MaidOfStars]

I like 'I could care less'. It's a little more interesting than the more obvious alternative.