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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To hate Americanisms...?

768 replies

Groof · 05/01/2025 22:54

I think maybe because it feels like all English-speaking cultures are becoming boring and homogenous.

New ones I've noticed that people in the UK didn't routinely say five years ago but are now EVERYWHERE:

  • birth control (instead of 'contraception' or 'the pill')
  • wait list (instead of waiting list)
  • reach out

Which ones do you hate or AIBU?

OP posts:
AshCrapp · 06/01/2025 00:21

CulturalNomad · 06/01/2025 00:12

What I really would like to see introduced is Australianisms

Ahem. "Good on you" is used all the time in America. Australian television shows are fairly popular here. And yes, the swearing is so .... creative? descriptive?

Love a "good on you mate", impossible to not sound sarcastic in an English accent though. I try to go for "good for you" to convey the sentiment. I also love the devastatingly ambiguous "right-o" .

This isn't a particular expression, but the Americanism that most annoys me is how people start talking about democrats and republicans in a conversation about left / right wing politics. And even when not explicitly mentioned, the "right" is often framed in terms of US right.

Whydoeseveryonewanttoargue · 06/01/2025 00:21

Annabella92 · 05/01/2025 23:22

"Movies"

They're films

But the people who make them and predominately where they are from call them movies…..

AngelsWithSilverWings · 06/01/2025 00:21

My DD used the term "thrift store" once and it took me a moment to work out that she was taking about a charity shop. I don't even know if that's the correct translation but she was definitely taking about having bought something from the charity shop. Is a thrift store a charity shop or just a shop that sells cheap or discounted stuff?

Whydoeseveryonewanttoargue · 06/01/2025 00:20

Iaminthefly · 05/01/2025 23:20

Mail instead of post.
Candy instead of chocolate.

I have six year old twins and I'm always correcting them. I blame youtube.

Candy instead of sweets. Chocolate is still chocolate 😂.

Whydoeseveryonewanttoargue · 06/01/2025 00:19

IdaPrentice · 05/01/2025 23:10

Young colleagues at work write 'gotten'. I find it infuriating.

Also I had to explain to my DD that's it's an americanism to say 'on the weekend' and 'on Christmas'.

Also to protest something, instead of protest about or protest at.

Gotten is just bad English not an Americanism.

bluesatin · 06/01/2025 00:19

Lever-age instead of leeveridge (sorry, don't know how to do the phonetic description!)
Meet with instead of meet. I meet a friend. If I meet with a friend it implies the two of us are going to meet a third party!

Nelliemellie · 06/01/2025 00:17

Prom, or prom night, when I was young this was an American thing not here.

Whydoeseveryonewanttoargue · 06/01/2025 00:17

Sugarnspicenallthingsnaice · 06/01/2025 00:14

And don't get me started on "how ya going" 😂

Right, because 'ey oop' sounds so much better.

Never heard this said in North America so not sure it’s an Americanism (how ya going). I think it’s actually Australian 😂

How”s it going, yes.

JHound · 06/01/2025 00:16

I like americanisms. I am sure so use a fair few.

Whydoeseveryonewanttoargue · 06/01/2025 00:15

KeenGreen · 05/01/2025 23:02

Some Americanisms annoy me,
but not the ones you list.

One that annoys me is ‘I could care less’ when it should be ‘couldn’t’

The spelling irritates me (irrationally) or more so when Americans try to correct it eg if someone posts something from UK.

Minor annoyances though

No it is correct but the intention isn’t right. NA’ers say it to mean more I could care less but I really couldn’t care less than I do already.

Sugarnspicenallthingsnaice · 06/01/2025 00:14

And don't get me started on "how ya going" 😂

Right, because 'ey oop' sounds so much better.

ErrolTheDragon · 06/01/2025 00:14

AshCrapp · 06/01/2025 00:09

@devilspawn in fairness, we're the nation who say shit like "Platty Joobs" so we can't start throwing stones there!

Or nasturtiums.

RawBloomers · 06/01/2025 00:13

kronic · 05/01/2025 23:44

I disagree. It's part of the erosion of what is left of British culture.

Show quote history

Importing ideas, language and other aspects of culture from other countries is British culture. We’ve done it for pretty much our whole history.

Let’s throw out pajamas while we’re at it. Much of the British Museum. And bras and democracy. Not to mention Christianity.

AngelsWithSilverWings · 06/01/2025 00:13

@Iloveyoubut what would you say instead of meds? Is it the abbreviation of medication that irritates you or something else?

Just interested as we say meds a lot in our house as our DD has a lot of medication and it's just become easier to ask her if she has taken her meds rather than asking if she has taken her medication. I've never thought it was an Americanism. When referring to collecting her medication from the pharmacy we say that we are ordering or picking up her prescription.

She doesn't like us using the word drugs as she thinks it sounds bad so we started saying medication instead.

ErrolTheDragon · 06/01/2025 00:13

What was a "playdate" called in good old standard British English, then?

Having a friend come to tea, maybe? (And chances are it would include teaGrin).

It was 'play date' 20 years ago, when my dd was at that age.🤷‍♀️

CulturalNomad · 06/01/2025 00:12

What I really would like to see introduced is Australianisms

Ahem. "Good on you" is used all the time in America. Australian television shows are fairly popular here. And yes, the swearing is so .... creative? descriptive?

DdraigGoch · 06/01/2025 00:12

"Train station"

TakeMyLifeAndLetItBe · 06/01/2025 00:10

AshCrapp · 06/01/2025 00:09

@devilspawn in fairness, we're the nation who say shit like "Platty Joobs" so we can't start throwing stones there!

And holibobs, familam....🤢

devilspawn · 06/01/2025 00:10

AshCrapp · 06/01/2025 00:09

@devilspawn in fairness, we're the nation who say shit like "Platty Joobs" so we can't start throwing stones there!

yeah but we win because at least we don't think mullets are cool

GustyGertie · 06/01/2025 00:09

Monday through Friday. It's Monday to Friday ffs

Same with 'June 5th.'
It's June the 5th or the 5th of June

AshCrapp · 06/01/2025 00:09

@devilspawn in fairness, we're the nation who say shit like "Platty Joobs" so we can't start throwing stones there!

Christwosheds · 06/01/2025 00:09

MerrilyOnhigh · 05/01/2025 23:29

I do think using "reach out" when you mean "talk to" or "contact" should be a criminal offence.

Agree. I detest it.

Mrsfenchurch · 06/01/2025 00:08

My two:

“I’m obsessed!” (about something they love eg a make up product)

and

“it’s been a hot minute” - meaning it’s been a while since they did something. Just dosn’t make sense!

hate them both

Mnetcurious · 06/01/2025 00:06

Yanbu, it’s one of my biggest bugbears and has been for decades. It’s got so much worse since YouTube/social media as well. My older teenage daughters say blush instead of blusher and ‘drug store’ makeup because all the flipping influencers do.

devilspawn · 06/01/2025 00:06

I think Australian is more annoying tbh. Why do they use "chips" or "chippies" to refer to chips, fries and crisps?

Why does everything have to be shortened to -ie or ies? Even the Gold Coast is "Goldie"

And don't get me started on "how ya going" 😂