to wonder when UK English got so Americanised?

[Ringsender2]

I've read 2 threads this morning where people have gone to the 'store'. Then there's the 'gotten' and 'mom' thing. I feel like a spluttering Basil Fawlty saying this, but when did English in the UK lose its identity so much? Was Friends the start of the rot or was it earlier?

Also the donkey use as an insult is still alive in American English, not sure about British English.

Gotten has completely been a natural part of my speech pattern for 20 years...

I find my children say alot of American words like trash, diaper, pacifier etc as they watch alot of American cartoons. The only one that seems to bug me is candy not even sure why but it does.

I wasn't even aware that gotten is apparently an Americanism. Entirely normal here.

I have been reading Enid Blyton with ds2 and the famous five regularly call each other an "ass ". This would be in the 1940s/50s.

But in that case they are referring to the animal and comparing each other to a donkey and not to their backside. Not the same use of ass. I do find ass really annoying. It's arse here! Arseholes, not assholes.

I know they would have been referring to the donkey. Just making the point that the word "ass" isn't unheard of in English.

Half the English seem to think it’s okay to say/write, “I’m fed up OF” which I had never heard until I moved here

Took me a while trying to figure out what 'OF' stood for before I finally figured out what you meant!

I have to say I'm fairly OK () with the horror of Americanism; though, as mentioned above, I do find "I could care less" strange.

Also I'm deeply disappointed my extraordinarily witty earlier comment on influence of French and Irish was overlooked.

@Ringsender2 can I address "the mom thing"? Although it has been done to death on MN.

Millions of British people in the West Midlands say mom. Including me. The Americans actually got it from us. But it is still a very widely used regional term in the UK. I'm sorry if that irritates you (and I know it does iriitate people) but I'm afraid that'll have to be your tough shit because I am a mom. And my mother is a mom and I'm not changing to suit your snitty attitude.

@Copperbonnet we didn't add 'u' to words to make them posher, Webster (published the great US dictionary) removed them, he was also a puritan so changed words he felt had rude connotations. For example cockerel or cock became rooster.

*first not great

Spelling wise, in a vastly simplified explanation, at one point spelling was fairly flexible. A lot of the population being illiterate. When it came to be 'fixed' different ways were used.

This is the reason why many words are spelt differently to how they are said. (Again a simplified explanation.)

To me Webster's spellings are not much more logical than our own. Color sounds and looks decidedly Spanish. A logical spelling would be to spell it culler.

The internet has had an impact I am sure.

You also see Americans saying 'bollocks'

Not that I'm aware of in my many decades of being an American. I had to google it when I saw it on MN.

I'm afraid that'll have to be your tough shit because I am a mom. And my mother is a mom

That's great, I'm a mom too.

We had 'mam' when I was little but was aware of English 'moms'

YANBU. If I hear "Can I get" in a coffee shop once more I'll scream

FashColor was the original English spelling from the Latin.

Colour with a u didn’t gain permanent prevalence in written English until the 17th century. Pilgrims who left the U.K. prior to that would have spelled it without.

Webster first published his dictionary in 1806. His publication may have codified the spelling (as Johnson’s did for English fifty years earlier) but he was choosing between a variety of spellings used at the time. He didn’t just make them up out of thin air.

"Awesome" and "smart" instead of "clever" grind my gears big time.

StripySocksAndDocs

It started 16th May, 1981. About 9.43 a.m.. A very sad day indeed.

15th May, 1981, I miss you.

Do you mean May 16? The dates thing bugs me in UK publications/adverts. If I'm reading it, I end up reading it at least twice as it's not the order my brain is expecting! If it's spoken, it makes me visibly cringe.

Others that bother me:
Everything is "awesome". Everything.
Super is the lazy superlative. Super cool. Super nice. Super hot.
Movie. I like the word "film", especially in a Scottish accent!
And mad, in a different context. My (British) colleague really threw me off by asking me "are you mad?" in a message. I thought she was suggesting I was crazy. In fact, she was asking if I was annoyed. I'd have figured it out sooner had she been American but I expect British English from British acquaintances. Honestly, I'm not mad about it, though!

(And I am fairly young too just to point out it's not all generational)

Mad meaning annoyed has been a part of British English vernacular since as long as I can remember, so I'm finding that one a bit weird.

Awesome as the go to for everything from just about ok to excellent from an American is no more unimaginative than the constant iteration of brilliant or lovely from a Brit.

Super as a superlative is no more lazy than very or really.

Thing is no one who doesn't like certain words or turns of phrase has to use them but we can't stop other people using them; positioning ourselves like so many linguistic King Canutes against the tide of language is an exercise in futility. American English is having it's day in the sun, deal with it.

God not this again.

MN is international, innit

English is a bastard language anyway.

We're an island that has been invaded since the beginning of time, so unless you speak one of the original languages of which English as we know it is not one, then you have no claim to calling it rot.

"Can I get" is widely used in Ireland
We're not American last time i checked
What exactly is wrong with using American phrases?
What's sad is certain people think their language is superior

The English language constantly contradicts itself and is a pile of shite

CantThinkOfAnotherNameAgain Wed 01-Aug-18 07:25:02
Baby showers and prom nights, both American and now both celebrated in U.K.
Prom is an old custom long celebrated in Ireland, where it is called 'Debs', short for 'debutante ball'. Entire towns turn out to see all the sixth year students done up in their finery for the Debs. Newspapers devote sections to the phenomenon. The debutante ball itself is an old tradition of the British aristocracy.

How long before we do thanksgiving? Can't we think of our own ideas?!
Hope your comment is tongue in cheek, as Thanksgiving really should not become a reality in the UK any more than the Fourth of July should.

Baby showers are a nice way to welcome a baby into this cold, cruel world. They are held by a relative or friend of the mother to be and the intention is to help ease the financial strain of having a baby. There is nothing wrong with baby showers. They are examples of a civilised community spirit.

Lobsterquadrille2 Wed 01-Aug-18 07:25:46
And dressing up for Halloween and trick or treating ....
Both are old and ongoing customs from Ireland and Scotland that emigrated to the US and also to England.

I am always amazed how little many MNers know of the history and customs of the British Isles.

My pet hates are Santa Claus (it’s Father Christmas)

Not in Ireland it isn't...

@ScrubTheDecks Please tell me we will never serve marshmallows cooked on top of green beans and condensed mushroom soup and call it a casserole?

You have clearly confused 2 different traditional American dishes. Green beans and condensed mushroom soup are served with fried onions. Marshmallows go on top of yams or sweet potatoes.