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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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:
thebiscuitindustry · 17/02/2016 20:14

"Coffee please", "I'd like a coffee please", "Please may I have a coffee?" "Could I have coffee please?" all sound polite to me.

"Can I get a coffee?" or even "Can I get a coffee please?" don't sound polite for some reason. Maybe to "get" something sounds more entitled somehow Confused

UterusUterusGhali · 17/02/2016 20:20

I worked in a pub about 15 years ago and an American regular used to say it. It was the first time I'd heard it irl and it really jarred with me.
There was never a please.

I'd never heard it in Scotland.

Moln · 17/02/2016 20:30

If it was spoken I couldn't really give a hoot; I doubt I'm register it. It is very easy to understand the meaning. You'd want to have an overwhelming desire to appears like a right dingbat by pretending you couldn't understand.

I'd probably register it was grammatically incorrect if I saw it written in a causal correspondence (such as text or on here ) but equally not give a hoot.

Written in something that is supposed formal sense or information giving (research papers, government documents, textbook etc) then only then would it bother me.

Original poster
tbtc20 · 17/02/2016 20:38

It's interesting that it's part of usual language in Scotland, I didn't know that.
However, it's a recent thing from my colleague. I've known him more than 10 years and am pretty sure he's picked it up from US TV shows rather than from Scottish people.

OP posts:
trixymalixy · 17/02/2016 20:52

YABU. Also Scottish and it's very common here.

And what sirchenjin said.

ConkersDontScareSpiders · 17/02/2016 22:33

It annoys me in a food ordering situation, but probably only as my exh does it all the time.He started when we lived in America for a year and didn't stop when we came home. When he says it I always involuntarily react by become uber English sounding and order by saying 'please may I have.....' Which no doubt makes me sound just as dickish!!

dementedma · 17/02/2016 22:37

Agree it is standard Scottish usage. I am an EFL teacher and complete grammar pedant but up here we say "can I get" as standard.
I do hate "I'm good" though.

ScarletForYa · 17/02/2016 22:44

I'm Irish and it's universally used here. Everyone says it, in delis, shops, restaurants etc. Always has been.It's not considered rude at all. I don't really understand why it's considered rude in Britain.

'Can i get the cheesy nachos and a large sprite please?'

clippityclop · 17/02/2016 22:45

What's wrong with "I would like a...please" or "Please may I have?" "Can I get" is just one step too close to the rudeness of "I want..." which I heard just today. It makes my teeth itch.

TheDowagerCuntess · 17/02/2016 22:45

His latest is to say e.g. "Can I get you to test this program"

Does he say this to you, or does he write it? Assuming he says it, is the American spelling ^^ of programme his or yours...?

YANBU to be annoyed about it.

YABU to expect people to stop doing it any time soon.

Doubleuponcoffee · 17/02/2016 22:46

I do it all the time. Can I get a skinny flat white. Doesn't harm you. Yabu

Sparklingbrook · 17/02/2016 22:48

Sounds like that is alarming the barista Double they are afraid you are going to jump over the counter and get it yourself. Shock Think of the poor confused. scared barista. Sad

TheCatsMeow · 17/02/2016 22:51

Yeah I can't get wound up over this.

TheDowagerCuntess · 17/02/2016 22:53

I'm Antipodean, it's fairly rife down here.

It's not just the English who speak English, and it's not trade-marked unfortunately. The rest of us (not just Americans, who always seem to get the blame) are running rampant, and doing unspeakable things to it. Sorry about that.

ScarletForYa · 17/02/2016 22:58

I think it's just a cultural thing. 'Please may I have a cappuccino' sounds overly formal, frosty and aloof to Irish ears.

To get here means to receive so it's literally can i receive a coffee please', rather than a request to serve yourself.

StepAwayFromTheThesaurus · 17/02/2016 22:59

I would sound and feel ridiculous if I started saying, 'Please may I have...' (Like I've suddenly been transported into an Enid Blyton novel).

I find it amusing that people are obsessed about people going into coffee shops and asking if they can get something, but seemingly these same people don't care that what they are asking for very often has a totally silly, made up name. It's all a bit missing the wood because you're fixated on a single tree (never mind multiple trees).

Zampa · 17/02/2016 23:08

YANBU

We should never have allowed the colonies autonomy over our language, Scotland included.

chickindude · 17/02/2016 23:10

My pet hate " on the weekend"
No! It's at the weekend
Cell phone.......
Vacation

Sob Shock

ScarletForYa · 17/02/2016 23:22

Please may I have a radish sandwich Julian!

Grin
SenecaFalls · 18/02/2016 00:43

"Can I get" is grammatically correct. The only thing that one can quibble with grammatically in "can I get" is the use of "can" rather than "may." The definition of "get" is "to come to have or hold (something); receive". So "can I get" is as correct as "can I have." "Get" does not have some sort of built-in reflexive as so many posters on MN seem to think.

CaoNiMao · 18/02/2016 00:49

I'm a huge grammar and language pedant, but for some reason I can't get het up about this one. It doesn't bother me. Plenty of other words and phrases do, though...

sky1010 · 18/02/2016 00:52

Of course he doesn't think it makes him sound cool Confused what a silly comment.

Language evolves. I hear 'can I get' every day.

PitilessYank · 18/02/2016 00:56

Is it an "Americanism?" I hardly ever hear it. In restaurants, and shops I hear "I would like xyz", or "May I have xyz", or "I want xyz." I rarely hear "Can I get xyz..." It sounds very odd and foreign to me, and I live in the US.

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 18/02/2016 01:00

I have to say, I don't like it - I'm not sure why.

Probably just because I'm not used to using it (like "on the weekend" rather than "at...", or "something needs + p.p." rather than"...+ gerund/infinitive").

I'd usually use "I'd like x please", or maybe "could/may I have".

I'd never use can - I had an awful lot of "you can, but you may not" whilst growing up Grin

80sMum · 18/02/2016 01:10

It topped the list of irritating Americanisms in this BBC poll.

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