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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

'Gotten'

105 replies

JollyGiraffe · 06/12/2017 13:56

WHY has this awful word made its way over here from?!

Past participle of 'to get' is 'got'!!! Angry

OP posts:
Madbengalmum · 06/12/2017 13:57

Yanbu, horrid Americanism

scurryfunge · 06/12/2017 13:58

It's Middle English. They've given it back.

meatyLoaf · 06/12/2017 14:00

I like it.

I study language not prescribe it and it makes so much more sense than get, got, got.

It's from Old English but Scurry tried to make a good point.

myrtleWilson · 06/12/2017 14:00

The British English speakers have gotten it back from their American counterparts - it was originally Middle English as scurry points out.

HamishBamish · 06/12/2017 14:04

YANBU. I don’t care where it originated s from, I hate it.

ArbitraryName · 06/12/2017 14:07

Not all the dwellers in the British isles gave upon gotten when the English did.

Iprefercoffeetotea · 06/12/2017 14:11

I don't like it either.

Another Americanism I don't like (and i don't think it was a UK English thing before) is saying you are excited FOR something instead of ABOUT it.

Yesterday I heard Kirstie on her Homemade Home say she was bonkers FOR something too. No, you're bonkers about it

But I'm fighting a losing battle. It has taken hold.

Cavender · 06/12/2017 14:13

As pp have said, it’s an archaic form of speech list to British English but preserved in American English.

It’s similar to Fall which was superseded by Autumn in British English but predates it, and various American spellings which are older than the British spellings.

Why “horrid Americanisms”? What’s horrid about it?

Language changes all the time.

Particularly English which has always borrowed from other languages.

Shirt came over with the Vikings, Beef is French, Shampoo derived from Hindi, admiral has an Arabic route, boss comes from Dutch etc etc etc

We happily borrow from all sorts of languages every day. What’s different about American usage?

Hmm
RavingRoo · 06/12/2017 14:13

Gotten has always been said quite a lot up north.

MaroonPencil · 06/12/2017 14:14

i read fanfiction and until now it has always been a failsafe way of identifying a writer as not British - they may have done all their research about London tube lines and British slang, but then they say something like ""I can only wonder what Mother's gotten me this year," Draco drawled" and you think "hang on".

RavingRoo · 06/12/2017 14:15

If you read fanfiction you really aren’t in a position to judge anyone else Grin

Hillarious · 06/12/2017 14:15

Americanisms can be awful . . . but this isn't one.

NotACleverName · 06/12/2017 14:16

Oh is it time for the weekly bash the usage of Americanisms thread?

MaroonPencil · 06/12/2017 14:19

RavingRoo oooooh! Grin

ALLthedinosaurs · 06/12/2017 14:25

Can I ask what makes Americanisms "horrid" and "awful" when all the other borrowed words that have integrated into modern colloquial usage are fine? Hmm

If you don't like it, don't use it, but YABU to complain about others' use of it.

HuskyMcClusky · 06/12/2017 14:28

Are you pissed about it, OP?

Rebeccaslicker · 06/12/2017 14:29

It goes with "can I get".

"Can I get a coffee please?"

No. You may order a coffee or you may have a coffee...!

Rebeccaslicker · 06/12/2017 14:30

I've often wondered about fanfic. What's the point? Why not just write your own original stuff?!

SuperSeriousPlanetaryHealer · 06/12/2017 14:31

"Can I get" is different. It upsets me because there is no "please" and therefore is Officially Rude.

I've never gotten pissed and someone saying "can I get... please?" Xmas Grin

Whywonttheyletmeusemyusername · 06/12/2017 14:31

Oh yanbu. ...I hate it. And always pull my kids up for using it

meatyLoaf · 06/12/2017 14:32

This reply has been deleted

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Flippetydip · 06/12/2017 14:34

YANBU. It's on a par with "Can I get a skinny-latte?" Well unless you're going to go round to the other side of the counter and actually get it, no you can't.

Gotten I don't hear so much but I do actively dislike.

My worst by far which is not an "Americanism" but has passed into common parlance, is invite as a noun. It's makes my teeth itch every time I see it - which is quite often.

Cavender · 06/12/2017 15:43

No response OP?

ArbitraryName · 06/12/2017 16:02

TBH, the word ‘horrid’ makes everyone sound like they’ve been imported from an Enid blyton novel.

I used gotten regularly but cannot imagine ever saying horrid.

lljkk · 06/12/2017 16:15

Boy some people sure have gotten their knickers in a twist. Wink