Page 7 | to absolutely hate the how people are speaking English!

Lovely13 · 04/02/2026 21:53

When I become queen of the world, anyone saying ‘like’ multiple times in a sentence will be banned. Also ‘ick’. Banished.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 04/02/2026 21:36

Doingtheboxerbeat · 04/02/2026 18:54

I'm not disputing this but as a West Midlander I have never seen or heard of this until MN, or rather I haven't seen it spelt this way. I don't have FB but if I was to see this now after 54 years of life I probably would assume American influenced.

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I often heard Mom when living in the. midlands in the 50s and 60s. It was a relatively affluent area, too.

Anmbord · 04/02/2026 21:31

He uses diaper too, to mean a cloth.

neitherleftnorright · 04/02/2026 21:25

Exactly. I think it was Bill Bryson in his book on the history of the English language which quotes many words that have gone by the wayside in Britain but which are still in use in the US. Shakespeare certainly uses "gotten" many times.

SemiRetiredLoveGoddeess · 04/02/2026 21:21

A lot of this comes from people who are quite thick and can't think for themselves.
Very easily influenced

.And laughably think they are cool and on trend. Whatever that means in their world.

My pet hate is the morons who live in the Land of Lost Consonants..Which is more like a Continent nowadays.

You know they pronounce excited as sited. And community as moonity

Started off as class tourism but spread rapidly and is now RP for the masses

RitaIncognita · 04/02/2026 21:10

neitherleftnorright · 04/02/2026 18:12

Our ancestors all said "gotten". The people on the "Mayflower" carried on using the term and we didn't, that's all. They also carried on sounding the "r" in speech and we didn't. There are many other English words which have fallen out of use in this country but are still in use over the pond. So Americanisms are closer to our ancestral speech in some ways. They are not "wrong" just different to our modern (English) ears.

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Another example is "fall" for autumn. "Fall" was common usage in British English at the time of the early settlements in colonial America. Americans use both fall and autumn, but fall is much more common.

Picklejuiceleak · 04/02/2026 21:02

Bowies · 04/02/2026 20:31

It’s been going on a lot longer - probably ten years or so in London.

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Unfortunately, this has crept into my vocabulary after visiting America. I didn’t even realise and I can’t stop it. Once I’ve said it, it’s too late, it’s been released and there’s nothing I can do.

I’m 43.

fetchacloth · 04/02/2026 20:59

I agree with you OP, basically English language has become more Americanised and I cringe having to listen to it myself sometimes, but language evolves over time and we just have to live with it.

Picklejuiceleak · 04/02/2026 20:59

I do get what you’re saying and agree but unfortunately find myself using Americanisms all the time. I almost typed ‘I totally get’.

I went to New York a couple of years ago and in that week I picked up ‘can I get’ instead of ‘can I have’ and I’ve never lost it. It just comes out.

In the words of Alan Partridge ‘who grabs a coffee? He thinks he’s a doctor in ER’

JustMeAndTheFish · 04/02/2026 20:58

I’m a dressmaker and any trouser patterns that I buy that aren’t from the UK are described as pants.

Anmbord · 04/02/2026 20:39

nevernotmaybe · 04/02/2026 18:56

"Can I get" kept the traditional words meaning, and as a result was less polite because it did always mean to get it yourself.

The meanings of individual words change, but then on top phrases and usage of specific words in specific ways can keep different meanings depending on usage. And that happened in the case of "can I get".

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When did it always mean to get it yourself though?

I’ve always used get in the sense of receive (among its other meanings) and I’m nearly 60.

Always got presents for Christmas, letters in the post. I get emails now.

Google tells me get has been used to mean receive for centuries now. Is this wrong?

Bowies · 04/02/2026 20:31

JohnTheRevelator · 04/02/2026 16:54

My pet hate is people saying 'Can I get....' when asking for something in a cafe or coffee shop etc. No you can't get! The person serving you will get it,you say 'Can I have'. This seems to be a reasonably new phenomenon,I've only noticed it in the last couple of years. I thought it was only younger people at first but there are a lot of older people, even ones around my age (62) doing it. I mentioned it to a friend of mine a few months ago and he said 'Oh yes,that annoys me too'. Then when we were in a coffee shop a few days later he said 'Can I get' when he was being served!

It’s been going on a lot longer - probably ten years or so in London.

Bbq1 · 04/02/2026 20:24

Cosyblankets · 03/02/2026 17:00

I say pants in Merseyside
Tbf I say both

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Also in Liverpool and we use pants a lot but also refer to trousers too.

Bowies · 04/02/2026 20:22

OchonAgusOchonOh · 04/02/2026 18:22

I'm 60 and I use guys or lads for a mixed group. Tbh, I mainly only use it when addressing my student.

I wouldn't say see you tomorrow ladies but then I hate the word ladies. It just sounds overly genteel. I would say See you all tomorrow.

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Morning all!
Hi how is everyone doing?

Guys (and lads) reinforces male as the default, which in a patriarchy is about right!

I also hate folks, too twee.

LizzybugMeeting · 04/02/2026 19:57

keeperofdarktails · 04/02/2026 19:16

I hate the phrase "reaching out" especially when said via email. "Thanks for reaching out" makes me think of long arms coming through the computer screen, so creepy!

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100% with you on "reaching out" .
. Such an annoying bit of corporate speak..My personal worst right now is when people talk of someone's " headroom". Sounds like they're a big bumbling giant walking around in a little old cottage somewhere.

Biggles27 · 04/02/2026 19:49

Helen1625 · 04/02/2026 18:48

Ah, mom is actually used more so than mum in the Midlands so it's not an Americanism, it's part of the dialect in some regions, much like mam is used in the North East of England.

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I never knew that!

Taytocrisps · 04/02/2026 19:37

Anmbord · 03/02/2026 19:50

Im in Ireland too and our school uniform list still calls them slacks 😁
Two pairs of grey slacks.
I love it 💕

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There's a blast from the past 😄.

Helen1625 · 04/02/2026 19:36

TheCraftySquid · 04/02/2026 19:30

I’m 48 from ‘up north’ and all my life trousers were called pants - everyone I knew said it. It was only when I moved down south when I was 19 that I realise it meant something entirely different down there 😂

My husband is from up north, his family are still there, we are in the Midlands. So many examples of word differences. Pants/trousers
Santy/Santa
turnip/swede
canny/nice, I think?

The one that got me when I first visited his family was 'What's your fettle?' and I hadn't got a clue what it meant!

TheCraftySquid · 04/02/2026 19:30

I’m 48 from ‘up north’ and all my life trousers were called pants - everyone I knew said it. It was only when I moved down south when I was 19 that I realise it meant something entirely different down there 😂

Buzzardbird · 04/02/2026 19:27

CeciliaMars · 03/02/2026 16:38

I think if you're going to complain about incorrect English, you should proof-read your title.
Other than that, most people I know wear trousers and go on holidays.

It's proofread. All one word.

Doingtheboxerbeat · 04/02/2026 19:27

Helen1625 · 04/02/2026 18:59

This surprises me as a fellow West Midlander. I don't know of anyone who uses mum. I wonder if there is a further subdivide in the dialect of surrounding areas? Maybe mum is more Brummie?

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I'm from Lady Godiva's city and I have never ever heard or seen mom. Can't speak for Birmingham specifically though.

keeperofdarktails · 04/02/2026 19:16

exse24Londoner · 03/02/2026 16:35

I really hate how we have "suddenly" starting gifting presents rather than giving them as we did only a couple of years ago. Vacations - when did we start having vacations instead of holidays?????? The other day I saw an advert for pants - turned out to be trousers. Apparently when I speak to someone it is now liaising & if I call or text, I am reaching out..... the other day someone was talking about the front end, or as I prefer to call it - the beginning!!🙄

Dont get me wrong, I love the evolution of language & that generations make it their own but this isn't that this is not teenagers or cultures developing own language its...... weird management/pop psychology speak

is it just me??

I hate the phrase "reaching out" especially when said via email. "Thanks for reaching out" makes me think of long arms coming through the computer screen, so creepy!

cantankerousoldcrone · 04/02/2026 19:10

Helen1625 · 04/02/2026 18:53

This one bugs me too. I was in a cafe with a friend a while ago, I'm in my 40s, she's 80. We were waiting to be served and the staff member said 'What can I get you guys?' I didn't react but I did inwardly cringe, I didn't think it was an appropriate thing to say to an elderly lady - it sounds disrespectful.

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Here in Ireland it's not uncommon to use 'lads' for a group of people, regardless of the gender mix. Like guys. At least in Cork, maybe not elsewhere?

Echobelly · 04/02/2026 19:08

Aurelia53 · 04/02/2026 18:02

And lip, as in "sporting a red lip"!

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Oh God! That too, yeah!

Helen1625 · 04/02/2026 18:59

Doingtheboxerbeat · 04/02/2026 18:54

I'm not disputing this but as a West Midlander I have never seen or heard of this until MN, or rather I haven't seen it spelt this way. I don't have FB but if I was to see this now after 54 years of life I probably would assume American influenced.

Show quote history

This surprises me as a fellow West Midlander. I don't know of anyone who uses mum. I wonder if there is a further subdivide in the dialect of surrounding areas? Maybe mum is more Brummie?