AIBU to find his Americanisms really annoying

[WonderLime]

My DP is British. He's lived in England his whole life. His father is Irish and mother English. They both speak like respectable Brits.

He doesn't have any American friends. He's only visited America once - with me two years ago.

Despite this, he has a really annoying habit of using odd Americanisms in everyday conversations. For example, we were just talking and using letters in our conversation ("If you do A and B, you'll get X"), and he replied with "or you'll get 'Z'", as in 'Zee'.

I asked him what he'd just said, assuming he'd correct himself, but no he just 'Zee'!

It happened a couple of days ago too. We're having our first baby and were looking at nappies. Throughout the whole shopping trip he kept referring to them as 'diapers'.

I don't have any other active examples at he moment, but I know there has been their incidents. I'm sure it's getting worse the older he gets as I don't remember this when our relationship began 10 years ago. I think it's because he watches a LOT of American TV. Anime with American voiceovers, American dramas, American comedies, American Youtube videos, etc (also annoying but a separate issue).

I Just find the constant use of Americanisms really annoying but he thinks it's fine. I don't want him teaching our son this. AIBU?

Lots of rods up asses here.

A lot of terms are simply being adopted into UK English because they sound better. I don't consider "bathroom" an Americanism, I simply find it more pleasant than saying "toilet", which in itself is a stupid class-addled word from when dainty housewives in the 60s wanted to sound more French, and what's the 'correct' word - loo? I'm not saying fucking 'loo', I'm not 80.

"Movies", well yes, because "films" sounds old fashioned now. Younger people don't want to use the language of their grey-haired elders and never have. Thanks to TV and the internet, we have handy alternatives at our fingertips without having to invent new ones.

Getting annoyed about 'Santa'? Think you're about 200 years too late for that one. "Cookie"? "Raise"? "Pissed"? "Train station"? I mean, really?

I admit 'diapers' is a little weird, for the most part it's not a word anyone's rushing to replace.

And yeah, if you speak with people who've learned English as a second language with American resources or teachers, using American terminology can be helpful. I expect people with their panties wadded over it, though, don't spend a lot of time actually talking to people from elsewhere. Preferring 'respectable Brits' I imagine.

In a number of tech languages, the spellings are American, so don't be surprised if coders and programmers use them because it becomes habit. Or be horrified. We don't care.

"My DH is a former US citizen and every Americanism is banned in our home."

Wow. If your husband was French would you ban any reference to the French language and culture, or is that given a free pass?

"I'm more concerned that our child will pick up on his odd northern pronunciations ."

This place becomes more of a joke every day.

I use Father Christmas, but have no issue with Santa either. Santa is the word in lots of children's books - I'm looking at you, 'Stickman' - so it's in common usage anyway.

I say train station if pushed, but generally just 'station' or the station name ("I'll be at Kings Cross at 4" etc.).

Diaper is unnecessary - it's not common usage in the UK (even if it's origin was here), so it just sounds a bit ridiculous if British people say it.

I don't agree with American spellings as such, but they're becoming more and more prevalent. I'd rather those than text speak, to be honest, so it's not all bad.

The use of "mad" to mean angry is also in Shakespeare, I think I read somewhere.

Similarly, much American pronunciation is closer to UK English of a few hundred years ago than is modern UK English, apparently.

I have no problem with American words be becoming part of our everyday vocabulary.

I'd prefer to hear American words than to hear sentences ending with "innit".

Seneca Shakespeare's use of "my bad" in that sonnet does not mean the same as the new modern phrase.

I think 'youknowhatimsayin' is the American 'innit'.

No, I agree that African American basketball players did not get "my bad" from Shakespeare. But his use has a related meaning.

Speaking of Shakespeare, someone earlier in the thread complained about "impact" being used as a verb. Shakespeare was a master of nouning and verbing.

Speaking of Shakespeare, someone earlier in the thread complained about "impact" being used as a verb

What? Impact IS a verb, and not a new or contrived one.

faithless

I am Scottish, we often say 'right' at the end of stuff.

Can I just add 'co-worker'? People on Mumsnet nearly always have them instead of colleagues. When did that become normal in the UK?

I don't know about the UK, but in the US, co-worker and colleague don't mean the same thing.

What's the difference in the US between colleague and co-worker, Seneca?
I say colleague myself, but thought a co-worker would be the same thing!

TheFreaks I think it may vary among regions and even industries, but it's sort of similar to the difference between an acquaintance and a friend. A colleague is a closer relationship, like the people on my team.

YANBU! LTB!

Thanks, Seneca I find all these little nuances and subtle differences in language so interesting. Co-worker certainly does sound more distant and detached than colleague!

They speak with, we speak to.
Our bathrooms contain a bath, theirs don't.
Do they still say bangs for fringes and braids for plaits?
We have sea and they have ocean.
Our garden, their backyard.
Etc etc. That's ok, use Americanisms over there, just don't use them here or you'll get laughed at.

YABU sometimes American grammar is more correct by old English standards.

Some of our bathrooms have a bathtub.

The thing that bugs me most about Americans is putting the date the wrong way round. 9/11 to me means the 9th November.

Someone I work with (in UK) is getting married next year on 21st April. She has put the date on her invitations as 04.21.18. She is not American, nor is her husband to be, nor are any of their families. To me it looks ridiculous

expat Was the Americanism in your last sentence intentional?!

9/11 is the only date I'll forgive (for want of a better word) for that description. But yes, I have USA customers who give a date and I have to double check what day and month they mean.

My DP travels a lot in the US and told me I was obviously "pissed" during an argument. I was so annoyed! I corrected him, as I don't drink so was obviously NOT "pissed" I was rightfully "pissed OFF" because I'm not fucking American. He can piss off with his "anywayS" too, the fucker!

And the saying "we've still got a wayS to go" - WTF?! Why the extra 'S' on the end? When they can't be arsed to put it onto "math"

I am never going to 'swing by' anywhere, I am not a primate. Neither will I 'reach out' to someone by e.mail.

Reach out lol. That is becoming an everyday term

I didn't realise some of these wee americanisms!