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?

@sodorisland I recall trying to find a chemist in the US, the guy I asked was totally baffled (thank god this was before Walter White!)
I tried to explain in terms of 'I need tablets' which was also met with some confusion until he said " Oh! Drugs! You want a Pharmacy!'

That was the same trip I spent 10 minutes singing the praises of curry dip in a McDonalds in Arizona. Poor girl couldn't understand why I'd want to dip fries in curry. I often wonder if they have it there yet.

YANBU. At all.
Must say I think Brits who try to sound American come across as a bit daft.
I have known for a long time that Mom is used in parts of the UK, and has nowt to do with the US.

Skedule and outside OF really wind me up. You don't need the 'of' FFS! Nobody says 'inside OF' though maybe that will come too.

And train station - mostly we just used to say 'station'- you didn't even need 'railway' since everyone would know that meant trains - if you meant a bus station you would add 'bus'. Or 'tube' or 'underground' if you meant that.
Must say that 'diapers' really takes the cake, though.

OP, language doesnt appear out of nowhere. If someone is using words such as 'diapers', they are hearing it from somewhere. So who is he talking to? Is he part of an online community?

I think I can blame a combination of American new baby books and American YouTube parenting blogs for that one!

Either that, or he's keeping very quiet about his new American friend.

I'm not having much luck squashing it out fo him so I guess it's something I will learn to live with.

At any rate, I'm more concerned that our child will pick up on his odd northern pronunciations ('baath instead of 'barth').

Yes, Bitoutofpractice 😘☺️ Very sorry (sincere face) 🙊

I was going to mention the Scottish and Irish link as well. I am Scottish and a lot of things that get complained about as Americanisms on here are things that are perfectly normal up here. I had no idea that can I get was such a mortal sin as everyone I know says it. We have also always had hallowe'en and say Santa.
There are lots more as well. We took a lot of them over to America and still use them every day here.

Asmodo Tylenol

We've always said Santa (or even Santy!) in Ireland too. People who said Father Christmas would be thought to be putting on major airs and graces.

But I do think that 'Father Christmas' is very charming in a Victorian kind of way so I understand why someone who grew up using that term would feel a bit sad that their own child used the more ubiquitous Santa Claus.

It irks me a bit when I hear Americanisms used by British people, I usually just assume they watch far too much tv. I used to work for a number of extracurricular groups for children from 4-11 and what was worse than the use of Americanisms, was the fact so many of them spoke with American accents despite having never been and not having American parents. Too much tv was definitely the culprit there, and one little boy spoke in the same tone of voice as the characters on super mario games, his mum would reward him for 'good behaviour ' while at our class with a new wii game. To be honest I do judge the parents, because it has come from letting children have more time watching tv and YouTube than having conversations with family or friends.

A friend* of mine asked me to bring an Arugula salad to a BBQ once (I had to google it).

I blame the lovely Ina Garten to be fair who makes this a lot.

• my friend is born and bred from Swindon and has never been to the US.

"It's not the fluidity of the English language. It's him being an arse."

brilliant comment.

YANBU OP I'm afraid your DH would be drive me mad. Is he very young & impressionable?

I've watched lots of American TV shows and went to an American school yet I haven't picked Americanisms up in my everyday language. I haven't anything against them from Americans obviously but in your DH case, I would find them fake & irritating.

My auntie married an American, moved over there and when she returned she sounded more American than her DH!

I prefer film to movie, biscuit to cookie (though in the States a biscuit is something else entirely), tap to faucet, nappy to diaper, sweets to candy etc

My Israeli friend who has lived in England for years often has American twangs but she grew up from a young age watching American tv so she's excused!

Wonder you seem kind of overly concerned about how he speaks,, it doesn't really affect your life so surely you can just ignore it ? I get diapers is quite strange, though 😆

It's NOT odd to say "bath" instead of "barth" or use short vowel sounds. Millions of people round the country, usually up north use these pronunciations. I know you're being "tongue in cheek" but really it won't affect your kid's life if they have a regional accent. I have done fine and my kids with their rather strong northern stylings are also doing fine in life!

silkpyjamasallday - yes, I know what you mean about the American accents children use!

I've had more than one child in my classes (3-5 age range) who used an American accent during role play (only for role play though) - presumably because they had watched lots of American TV shows and therefore were recreating those scenes. Most bizarre the first time I saw it though - this was in Birmingham, where the children mostly spoke with broad Brummie accents!

I'm an American (living in the UK) and I think YANBU, OP. I don't like the increasing homogenisation of our cultures. I want British people to be British and Americans to be American. But maybe I'm BU.

The worst is when my American husband corrects me or the kids on our pronunciation. "It's not to-MAY-to, it's to-MAH-to." No, DH, we're all American. Let's not put on the accent please.

I'm not keen on Americanisms and one that annoys me is 'off of' instead of just 'off' as in 'get the car off of the drive' - it sounds so clumsy. They are too numerous to mention.

Vest instead of waistcoat.

Also the spellings in books - aging instead of ageing, for instance. I wonder if some people are having trouble with English spellings as they see so much of the US version instead.

I hate the US way of writing the date with the month first.

I refused to go to my leavers' disco because they insisted on calling it a 'prom'

I'm sure that wasn't the reason you refused to go.

I couldn't find it in myself to be annoyed unless he corrected me - but then my kids have odd accents due to a mix of where DP and I come from, plus living abroad and going to school with people from a lot of places.

As long as I can understand them (did take a few tries to understand their new pronunciation of 'ball' I admit), I don't really worry - I'm sure their words and accents will switch again once we move somewhere else.

Lots of people on this thread just criticizing (see what I did there? ) American English spellings as used by Americans (e.g. the vest/waistcoat thing), rather than the topic of British folks using Americanisms. Nothing wrong with Americans using American English FFS!

'I'm an American living in the U.K. and would feel like a dick head if I went around correcting my vocabulary to match British English. I was raised speaking American English and just can't shake it. '

Well, I got bloody sick of having to explain things and the like after about oh, a year or so. All three of my children were born and bred here as was my husband. It's easy to 'shake' when you have to deal with all that real life day to day for 15+ years/the rest of your life. I go back to the States, I use American terms. I'm here, I use their terms. It's not difficult at all. I was 31 when I moved here, so my accent hasn't changed, but this is my home. If I sound like a 'dickhead' to other Americans here for using terms my kids do and the rest of the populace use here, I don't really give a rat's arse, they don't pay my rent and I'll likely never see them again.

My daughter asked if we could go to the store to buy candy.

My daughter asked if we could go to the store to buy candy.

My DH is Scottish and a lot of their "weird" words are American-ish. They say Couch instead of Sofa for example. I love the dialect, like Bunker for kitchen counter, Bucket instead of Bin, Greetin' instead of Crying, I Ken instead of I Know - I've only been with my man for 3 years but I use all his words now

Many years ago I was warned never to tell an Australian you were using Durex for contraception. Apparently it would conjure an image of a penis with sellotape wrapped around it to prevent any emissions.

(If you were an Australian new to temping in London it was apparently a common mistake to ask a colleague for durex when you wanted sellotape. Colleagues presumably wondered for a moment if you were planning an emergency shag during your tea-break.)

You've annoyed me a little with the both speak like respectable Brits comment.

Nothing to add.

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