Is this anti American

[NotNowPlzz]

I absolutely can't abide some americanisms creeping into everyday speech, particularly...

Takeout
Stay home.. supposed to be stay AT home
Go play... Supposed to be go AND play
And one I use movie, which is meant to be film

Am I being anti American?
YABU for yes
YANBU for no

I don't understand why so many people are bothered by "stay home" and "go play" when in the UK, it's perfectly acceptable to say "she is in hospital". That isn't at all American, in fact, you'd never hear that phrasing in North America - it's British.

“Down the pub” is the quintessential British saying.

I also use the term 'yard work' for doing work in the garden. Is that an Americanism? I find it particularly apt in the UK given how bloody small the gardens tend to be!

Sorry, hit Post Message too soon. As an American living in Britain, I find British sayings completely charming but also interesting as in how they evolved. The idea that Americanisms are so wretched to the delicate ears of my now fellow countrymen is not a nice thing.

Other than 'movie' I don't see the other two phrases as particularly American (I'm English but grew up there). I do say 'to go' when ordering a coffee. And takeout for takeaway. I'm not being anti English saying that, it's just what I used growing up. So keep saying things the way you want to, I won't take offence 😉.

It’s not anti American as such, but does it really matter how other people speak? I’m sure elder generations didn’t like the way your generation spoke either.

If language doesn't evolve, it can become extinct.
I have pretty thick skin, but these threads just make me sad. I'm American, and have lived in the UK for 14 years. My best friends (and my British DH) take the mick out of some of my word choices/accent sometimes, but if they ever thought it actually hurt my feelings, they'd be mortified! I never mind when people are genuinely curious about my accent or the Americanisms I can't shake no matter how long I live here, but threads like these come across as goady, let's talk about how stupid the Americans are. Hope that helps, OP.

Agree. I can’t help but wonder if the OP is English since it is usually posters from England who post things like this with those from other parts of the U.K. constantly reminding them that certain terms and words are used there and not just the States.

What are your favourite Americanisms @Toilenstripes?

(I resolutely use Kiwi'isms and Te Reo Maori when living outside Aotearoa, it's part of who I am and where I come from. And you shouldn't feel you can't celebrate who you are and where you come from. I have gleefully adopted Halloween coming over here, as a fab' thing to do - and of course very much Scottish and Irish too! Oh, and I make a mean pumpkin pie.)

A lot of posters on MN use "pissed at" instead of "pissed off" which have two entirely different meaning in the UK. It makes for interesting thread titles

For some reason I hate the sound of the word movie! I always say film. I have no issue with other "americanisms" (unless nom nom is an Americanism), there is just something about the particular word "movie" that I dislike. I suppose it's like how everyone else in the world apparently has a problem with moist.

I think for some it's not about being anti-american, it is about being concerned about the homogenisation of the cultures. It is not recent, I remember my parents feeling the same, my husband's parents were similar and the whole Brit Pop movement was kind of a backlash to the grunge music scene in the 90's.

Santa is Dutch, I thought? Like cookies.

Chill out gals. :)

Oh, and the Americanism is "Shelter in place", btw, not "Stay at home."

@Spied...Everyone is guys or dude.Not jist men

@lijkk....My state had stay at home orders. Not shelter in place...

@msbozn...Yard work would definitely be an Americanisim...your gardens are minuscule compared to an American yard. On Average an American home sits on between quarter acre to half acre. With full acre yards not exactly unheard of

I don't think it's anti American not to want Americanisms to creep into everyday language. It makes the speaker sound ridiculous, precisely because they're not American.

Some American phrases are very inventive, 24/7 springs to mind. I still think it sounds weird when a non-American says it.

There are worse Americanisms. Baby showers for example. Or reassuring someone in any dire, hopeless situation that everything will be alright. Or “dating”. And I could go on and on.

Funny how no one ever gets upset about Canadianisms or even aboot Canadianisms.

I think in theory it's possible (but pretty pointless tbh) to lament the influx of Americanisms into British English without actually being anti-American in general. But the tone of disgust and derision used by people when they complain about it certainly makes it appear that most of them do have anti-American feelings.

I don't understand why so many people are bothered by "stay home" and "go play" when in the UK, it's perfectly acceptable to say "she is in hospital".

How are these examples comparable? "She is in hospital" uses a preposition, which is precisely what "Stay home" lacks (to a British ear). "Go play" lacks the conjunction 'and', which has nothing to do with your hospital example.

Most Americans don’t realise how disliked they are by the Brits until they move here or start reading Mumsnet. It’s hurtful at first.

Yes, agreed.

It kills me that when we visit my parents in the US, people there adore my husband's accent and think it's so nice to listen to. And here, Brits feign ignorance when I speak to them (honestly, I do use their phrasing when I can, and I don't believe for one second that a country that shows so much American TV has so many people who need to do the head tilt when I call to book a table for two, for example) and even correct my pronunciation of MY OWN NAME which is pronounced slightly differently here.

I've missed out the word "metaphorical" in front of head tilt although it does happen in person too!

@francienolan I'm so sorry you've had that experience, I can assure you it's not how most people feel about Americans. Or at least, they might have an feeling about Americans in general (along with all other "foreigners") but one to one I don't think people feel antagonistic at all.

MN is an odd place, it isn't always representative.

Thank you @myimaginarycathasfleas it certainly isn't everyone but it happens enough (in real life too) that I do feel the need to pipe up in these conversations.

MN does sometimes seem to have a higher proportion of arseholes than the general population though!

I’ve read many articles that Americans feel the same the other way round. They are fed up with Britishisms creeping into American English. I think it is natural for Languages to evolve especially between the Brits and Americans as we are so culturally closely tied. I understand some might feel it’s important to keep our Language British but at the same time I think borrowing words and expressions from other Languages or dialects enriches a language.

I don't think it's about being 'anti-american' more that British maybe more English people sound like they are having an identity crisis using this terminology. It is about cultural heritage and they are very different in my mind. If say another European country that didn't share the language e.g France asserted the idea of not having their culture Americanised I don't think there would be surprise or objections. It is akin to expecting you to change your name to the British pronunciation in front of Brits, why would you do that if you are American, that is your heritage and culture and It should be pronounced the American way.

My cultural references as a child were Wind in the Willows, The Chronicles of Narnia, Paddington Bear, these are very distinctively British in their outlook. My own children have grown up on programmes like In The Night Garden, Postman Pat(Greendale is a Cumbrian Yorkshire village) The Worst Witch, been read Julia Donaldson books like Stick Man and the Gruffalo. I think the ideas of these books and TV programmes are based on the scenery of the UK, folklore ideas and ideas of escapism/fantasy which are a British cultural traits. It is not anti- American to want to preserve your culture, it doesn't mean you resent Americans at all IMO.