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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

"Can I get"

278 replies

Facilitatingdarkness · 07/09/2021 21:02

What's wrong with "Can I have"?

It doesn't even make grammatical sense! I've noticed it more and more when people are ordering coffee, to the point that more people say it than not.

Makes me irrationally angry. Just me?

OP posts:
Loubilou09 · 08/09/2021 15:15

[quote Rozziie]@Loubilou09 did you actually read the post?

Most English people definitely do insert an 'r' when there are two vowel sounds together. Jessica Ennis becomes 'Jessicerennis' and 'drawing' becomes 'drawring'. Most people don't realise they do it.[/quote]
Rozziie: Did you actually read the post?

They don't....I don't for one, so no they don't. I thought I had made that fairly clear in my post?

You can keep telling me that they do, but they don't, well not in the circles I move in.

HaveringWavering · 08/09/2021 15:15

[quote Rozziie]**@Loubilou09 did you actually read the post?

Most English people definitely do insert an 'r' when there are two vowel sounds together. Jessica Ennis becomes 'Jessicerennis' and 'drawing' becomes 'drawring'. Most people don't realise they do it.[/quote]
Exactly. Clearly @Loubilou09 doesn’t.

@loubilou09 of course you don’t put an R at the end of “Jessica” when it’s not followed by another word that begins with a vowel. But if it was “Jessica is going to school” a lot of English-accented people would say “Jessicaris going to school”. AndI spent my entire childhood scratching my head at all the Blue Peter presenters talking endlessly about “drawring”!

It was just a lighthearted riposte to your dig about the Scottish “sangwidge”. Really surprised that you want to deny its existence!

HaveringWavering · 08/09/2021 15:19

[[https://youtu.be/pHx3PD_PreM. blue Peter]

@Loubilou09- about 35 seconds in, have a listen!

HaveringWavering · 08/09/2021 15:19

Now with working link!

SirVixofVixHall · 08/09/2021 15:19

I think Jessicerennis and drawring are region accent things rather than english/british per se. I don’t do this , I have met people who do. Rhotic accents I imagine do not do this at all.

Loubilou09 · 08/09/2021 15:20

Why do I have to keep repeating myself.

I don't do it, no one I know does it, we said Jessicuh is going to school, there simply is no Jessicar - sorry if that bothers you so much.

Not denying any existance, just clarifying that it doesn't happen where I live.

Keke94LND · 08/09/2021 15:22

@Loubilou09 it is only specific English accents that do this to be fair, certain English accents would pronounce it 'Jessica Ennis' with an emphasis on the A, I personally do say jessicarennis, but not all English accents do

HaveringWavering · 08/09/2021 15:22

@Loubilou09

Why do I have to keep repeating myself.

I don't do it, no one I know does it, we said Jessicuh is going to school, there simply is no Jessicar - sorry if that bothers you so much.

Not denying any existance, just clarifying that it doesn't happen where I live.

I never said that YOU did! I said that a lot if English people do. I had no idea when I posted if you were English, French or Japanese! It wasn’t my relevant to the point I was making.
HaveringWavering · 08/09/2021 15:24

You were the one who accused me of “clutching at straws” when all I did was mention a common way that people speak after you did the same about how Scottish people speak. For what it’s worth, I don’t say “sangwidge” but I agree that some Scottish people do. Sheesh.

SirVixofVixHall · 08/09/2021 15:25

[quote Keke94LND]@Loubilou09 it is only specific English accents that do this to be fair, certain English accents would pronounce it 'Jessica Ennis' with an emphasis on the A, I personally do say jessicarennis, but not all English accents do [/quote]
I sound as you say, Jessica Ennis. I am Welsh.

Bloodypunkrockers · 08/09/2021 15:26

Yeah. Drawring.

And yet chest of draws

Rozziie · 08/09/2021 15:41

@Loubilou09

Why do I have to keep repeating myself.

I don't do it, no one I know does it, we said Jessicuh is going to school, there simply is no Jessicar - sorry if that bothers you so much.

Not denying any existance, just clarifying that it doesn't happen where I live.

Why did you say someone was clutching at straws to mention it, then? It's pretty widespread. In fact, I'd say it's more common than not to insert an 'r' sound between vowel sounds.
RaraRachael · 08/09/2021 23:22

I always wondered who this Laura Norder was I kept hearing about on the news 🤣.

I'm Scottish but don't say sangwidge or the ones I keep hearing from NS - casees of covid are rising, classees are being sent home etc

Deletesystem33 · 09/09/2021 16:01

@JaneJeffer

"Can I get" is common usage in Ireland. What's the big deal?
Some English people seem to think that anything different from the way they speak must be American and therefore wrong and bad.
MrsSugar · 09/09/2021 16:16

Yeah I kinda think it’s rude phrasing today. Altho I hear it loads of tv so maybe it’s quite American as it tends to be American programmes.

I always say can I please have but I have a friend who went to private school and she says she was always taught to say may I please have ! I suppose in the grand scheme of things as long as please is used it doesn’t matter much

IntermittentParps · 09/09/2021 16:27

I used to live in Glasgow and agree/accept that it's been used in Scotland for an age (possibly went over to America with Scottish migrants?)

But in the Smoke, where I am now, it really winds me up. I am permanently engaged in what feels like a one-woman campaign for 'May I have'.

The barista in my most-used cafe has started saying, 'Yes, you may' in response. I can't quite tell if he's taking the piss Grin

Cheeseplantboots · 09/09/2021 21:58

It’s very American. I notice it more and more.

Acarp · 09/09/2021 22:19

@Cheeseplantboots

It’s very American. I notice it more and more.
Is it American when it's used in Scotland?
RaraRachael · 09/09/2021 22:36

Oh dear we'll soon be having the annual Santa is so American, what's wrong with Father Christmas debate Grin

No it isn't, it's always been Santa in Scotland

Plumtree391 · 09/09/2021 22:57

@RaraRachael

Oh dear we'll soon be having the annual Santa is so American, what's wrong with Father Christmas debate Grin

No it isn't, it's always been Santa in Scotland

Oh no, please not. I don't care what the flipping, mythical man is called - HE DOES NOT EXIST!!!!

I can't think about that when we're not even halfway through September.

FramboiseRoyale · 10/09/2021 12:26

@Geamhradh

It's perfectly grammatically correct usage. Semantically "get" is a synonym of "have" and a million other verbs. It's probably the most useful verb in English as it can be used in so many contexts.
Exactly.

There is nothing wrong with "can I get" unless you want to quibble with the can/may distinction, which will probably be gone in a few years anyway. The dictionary definition of "get" is "come to have or hold (something); receive." It does not have some sort of built in reflexive. To ask someone "can I get" can mean "can I receive".

midsomermurderess · 30/07/2022 17:40

The Netmumsification of this site continues.

Sparklingbrook · 30/07/2022 18:33

Why reanimate this after 10 months?

Diverseopinions · 30/07/2022 18:58

I don't like: ' Can I get..'....somehow it makes me think the person is going to get the item for themselves; e.g. a can from the chiller, and pay for it while they are at the till. 'Get' is like 'fetch'. 'Could' is surely more polite: " Could I please have a giant macaroon?" " May I have.." is better still.

user1492809438 · 30/07/2022 19:02

It's American English. I always correct my pupils and insist on correct usage e.g Can I have a pen? Can I get to London from here? to get means to receive

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