Page 2 | Americanisms

Differentforgirls · 2026-04-06T17:12:21+00:00

Is “pay check (not cheque for some reason) to pay check” a thing in the UK now. I keep seeing this on here. Surely it’s “payslip to payslip” or “wage to wage”. Context is being skint. So you live wage to wage. AIBU to think we’re losing our language to Americanisms?

TheGrimSmile · 07/04/2026 09:43

Saying "pissed" instead of "pissed off". It's so annoying and American. It also changes the whole meaning of a sentence and it's confusing.

phoenixrosehere · 07/04/2026 09:16

StripyShirt · 07/04/2026 00:28

The American use of 'likely' in place of 'probably' is deeply annoying, as 'likely' means 'probable'. This has even spread to the BBC, FFS :(

They use both in the States.

Many of these complaints are not of the whole country and are regional like other word usage here.

I feel cross at the very existence of the term ‘British English’. I’d love someone to lay out an explanation that could make me stop feeling cross about it but fear this may never happen

Why are you cross by the existence?

Are you cross because of the reason why there is American English and Australia English?

WheretheFishesareFrightening · 07/04/2026 09:08

CotswoldsCamilla · 06/04/2026 22:53

Oh yes. Living in England and not being native British, I can cope with most vernacular speech but I really struggle with “I was sat there”. No, no, no, you were SITTING there.
In fact, I was in the US recently; my husband had a few words over a table in a restaurant. He said, albeit politely, that we were sat at that table. The American said, soto voce “sat there or sitting there?”

I couldn’t argue.

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Aren’t you sat at a table in a restaurant? So they were both sat there and sitting there? Unless it was a fast food joint where you find our own table…

WheretheFishesareFrightening · 07/04/2026 09:05

bunnyvsmonkey · 06/04/2026 20:41

It doesn't. If you tell me you're sick I assume you've got your head in a bucket. If you're ill I think you might have a bad head cold and perhaps a fever.

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But we have staturory SICK pay, SICK days off work, and used to have SICK notes that all cover more than vomiting.

What do you call a day off work when you’re poorly (which is the word I would use before ill)?

Besafeeatcake · 07/04/2026 08:56

Abitofalark · 07/04/2026 00:11

When I was in America years ago someone said to me about the frigidaire. (Frigidaire is a brand, I believe). That's what we call the fridge, or rarely, refrigerator.

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Yea it’s a brand - never heard someone say that before.

Heidi2018 · 07/04/2026 01:25

I say paycheck to paycheck. To me payslip is the piece of paper I get, which I receive earlier in the week than my pay, but the paycheck is the actual money. But, I would just say "oh I'm getting paid today" as opposed to using the word salary or wages.

KimberleyClark · 07/04/2026 00:34

My DH tuts every time someone says “what do we got?” on an American TV show. It doesn't really bother me!

StripyShirt · 07/04/2026 00:28

The American use of 'likely' in place of 'probably' is deeply annoying, as 'likely' means 'probable'. This has even spread to the BBC, FFS :(

Original poster

Differentforgirls · 07/04/2026 00:23

Ponoka7 · 07/04/2026 00:11

Exactly, my children or me have never had a pay slip. It's you who are policing other people's language and are upset that we are using different words from different cultures and even regional sayings. I don't think of myself as English, I'm a UK citizen from immigrant background, so no, I'm far from xenophobic, but your xenophobia is showing.

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Ok. Can’t be arsed with you taking a thing about a payslip to a hyperbolic level. Take care.

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Abitofalark · 07/04/2026 00:11

Besafeeatcake · 06/04/2026 21:16

Well how about when you greet someone and say ‘are you alright’ because to a North American it mean ARE YOU ALRIGHT???? as in has something happened?

And Brits will say Hoover which is a brand not what they are doing. How about ‘can’t be arsed?’ What does that have to do with you arse? Slag someone off - well slag does have a different meaning so….etc etc

My point is there are things that are said on both sides of the pond that may not make sense in the same language but it doesn’t make them wrong.

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When I was in America years ago someone said to me about the frigidaire. (Frigidaire is a brand, I believe). That's what we call the fridge, or rarely, refrigerator.

Ponoka7 · 07/04/2026 00:11

Differentforgirls · 06/04/2026 23:28

A slip of paper is exactly what a payslip is. Leave the “English” to it? Are you xenophobic? 😬

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Exactly, my children or me have never had a pay slip. It's you who are policing other people's language and are upset that we are using different words from different cultures and even regional sayings. I don't think of myself as English, I'm a UK citizen from immigrant background, so no, I'm far from xenophobic, but your xenophobia is showing.

Abitofalark · 06/04/2026 23:52

canklesmctacotits · 06/04/2026 21:21

I think it’s difficult to complain about Americanisms creeping into British English when even on the BBC we see the most shocking language. Poor grammar, poor vocabulary, liberal use of slang (not the worst crime but sometimes it’s out of sheer laziness).

I agree about the poor standard of language on the BBC but it is also using a lot of American vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and slang, even in news bulletins.

Original poster

Differentforgirls · 06/04/2026 23:28

Ponoka7 · 06/04/2026 23:16

The slip part was a slip of paper. So they've never had a pay slip. They've had a pay statement. Thinking about it, in all the conversations with my youngest DD, she's always just referred to, getting paid, or working out her pay, or being skint. My Mother used the expression 'on the bones of her arse'. I should have said that most of my family were self employed and not from the UK. It might horrify you, but stub has also been used. Here, in Liverpool and in my life, the words we use come from all cultures, none more than our signature dish, Scouse, so we'll carry on with your non approved list of words for things. Perhaps leave the English to it.

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A slip of paper is exactly what a payslip is. Leave the “English” to it? Are you xenophobic? 😬

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Ponoka7 · 06/04/2026 23:16

Differentforgirls · 06/04/2026 18:55

They have digital pay SLIPs. Like me.

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The slip part was a slip of paper. So they've never had a pay slip. They've had a pay statement. Thinking about it, in all the conversations with my youngest DD, she's always just referred to, getting paid, or working out her pay, or being skint. My Mother used the expression 'on the bones of her arse'. I should have said that most of my family were self employed and not from the UK. It might horrify you, but stub has also been used. Here, in Liverpool and in my life, the words we use come from all cultures, none more than our signature dish, Scouse, so we'll carry on with your non approved list of words for things. Perhaps leave the English to it.

wintergolds · 06/04/2026 22:59

Brollo · 06/04/2026 20:52

Language becoming increasingly homogeneous is actually a relatively new phenomenon.

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Yes. I was checking my niece’s social media in a Slavic language and it sounded all so odd how she was using literal translation of English slang words - ‘ate’, ‘slay’, etc.
It’s annoying because of loss of authentic culture and heritage.

Waterdust · 06/04/2026 22:57

Its hand to mouth where im from.

CotswoldsCamilla · 06/04/2026 22:53

Differentforgirls · 06/04/2026 21:28

So do Scottish people. Also saying, “I dropped it on the FLOOR, when they actually dropped it on the ground considering they were outside when they dropped it.

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Oh yes. Living in England and not being native British, I can cope with most vernacular speech but I really struggle with “I was sat there”. No, no, no, you were SITTING there.
In fact, I was in the US recently; my husband had a few words over a table in a restaurant. He said, albeit politely, that we were sat at that table. The American said, soto voce “sat there or sitting there?”

I couldn’t argue.

Original poster

Differentforgirls · 06/04/2026 22:39

dailyconniptions · 06/04/2026 22:38

I can't bear it either OP. It's meaningless in Britain. No one is paid by cheque any more and people just don't think about what they're saying or writing. It's payday to payday or living hand to mouth.

Thank you!

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dailyconniptions · 06/04/2026 22:38

I can't bear it either OP. It's meaningless in Britain. No one is paid by cheque any more and people just don't think about what they're saying or writing. It's payday to payday or living hand to mouth.

OrdinaryGirl · 06/04/2026 22:37

I feel cross at the very existence of the term ‘British English’. I’d love someone to lay out an explanation that could make me stop feeling cross about it but fear this may never happen.

Original poster

Differentforgirls · 06/04/2026 22:36

CalishataFolkart · 06/04/2026 22:23

I find I’m turning into Hamlet as the verb “to be” is vanishing.

I know it’s a dialect thing in Scotland to say e.g. something “needs washed” instead of “needs to be washed” but the online marketplace usage of “needs gone” has spread it.

I frequently read posts on here where someone not Scottish does it and have to mentally insert the missing, “to be.”

I think “needs washed” is normal. “My hair needs washed” but “needs gone” 😬

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Original poster

Differentforgirls · 06/04/2026 22:32

AliceNotInChains · 06/04/2026 22:08

Yeah she’d posted on local Facebook group looking for an item she lost (after accusing me of stealing it 🙄)

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Jeezo 😬

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Differentforgirls · 06/04/2026 22:31

Besafeeatcake · 06/04/2026 22:04

Yeah I have to admit fringe does make more sense! I just looked it up…

Bangs are called "bangs" because they are cut straight across, or "bang-off," which is a 19th-century term derived from grooming horse tails, known as a "bang-tail". This hair-related term shifted from equestrian use to humans, referring to hair that hangs over the forehead abruptly. The style is commonly called a "fringe" outside of North America.

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I still have one!

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Differentforgirls · 06/04/2026 22:29

Overtheatlantic · 06/04/2026 21:59

My lunch is lunch and my dinner is dinner? 😆 I actually like the phrase “eating tea” because it still sounds very odd to me but in a nice way. I don’t think I’ve ever met an American who dislikes British-isms or English-isms. Many Americans, oddly, think you’re all superior.

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We’re all the same really 😊

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Differentforgirls · 06/04/2026 22:27

SantiagoShaming · 06/04/2026 21:58

I’ve always said ‘my pay’ or ‘thank goodness it’s payday’ I think.

My father always used to say ‘wages’ so maybe it’s just a term that’s fallen out of fashion or evolved into something else. His wages did literally come in a little brown envelope, though!

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When I started work there were some people who got the wee envelope and some who just got it sent to their bank account. Think they were transitioning.

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