To hate Americanisms...?

[Groof]

I think maybe because it feels like all English-speaking cultures are becoming boring and homogenous.

New ones I've noticed that people in the UK didn't routinely say five years ago but are now EVERYWHERE:

• birth control (instead of 'contraception' or 'the pill')
• wait list (instead of waiting list)
• reach out

Which ones do you hate or AIBU?

Well I guess they were originally moving pictures so movies would be true to the history. Of course if you really dislike linguistic progress you could try referring to them as Talkies, all no doubt produced in Ealing.

"Linguistic progress" - progressing towards what?

I think a lot of things like using myself for me are when people think it makes them sound more intelligent

The same goes for saying "I" instead of "me". For example, people saying "Please let Geoff and I know if..." when is should be "Please let Geoff and me know if..." The speaker is the direct object of the verb "let" and should be in the accusative case ("me"), not the nominative ("I"). More simply, you wouldn't say "Please let I know if...", so why would you say "Geoff and I"?

Ironically, the people who do this also commonly say "Me and Geoff are going..."

None of this is to do with Americanisms. But most of what people are calling Americanisms aren't, anyway.

The incorrect use of myself or yourself (as in "I voted for yourself, Bob" on the traitors) is most definitely a Britishism. It's something I (thankfully) never hear in the US.

I think a lot of times Brits hear a phrase or wrong use of a word that they don't like and automatically assume it's an Americanism, when a lot of the time it isn't at all and just stems from ignorance.

It's interesting to me because in the UK it seems like "I voted for yourself Bob" is a misguided attempt to be formal. But in Ireland, "I voted for yourself Bob" seems much more informal and friendlier than "I voted for you Bob" which feels more direct.

Neither are an Americanism though.

"Linguistic progress" - progressing towards what?

Language which is mutually comprehensible to as many as possible?
Isn't 'films' becoming something of an anachronistic term in the digital age? I'm pretty sure if I go to the cinema they'll rarely if ever be using a film projector.
I do still use 'film', but 'movie' makes more sense really.

Language which is mutually comprehensible to as many as possible?

I hope so.

"Linguistic progress" - progressing towards what?
Language which is mutually comprehensible to as many as possible?

I'm not sure that is what I would consider a good outcome. It sounds like a corporate goal but not one which focuses on promoting and growing the richness of the english language.

Language which is mutually comprehensible to as many as possible is likely to exclude a lot of regional/local constructions, dialects, words, phrases etc. I would hate those to be lost.

Speaking of americanisms, one of my favourites - which is going out of fashion is the phrase "that and two bits will get you a cup of coffee" - said if someone gives a piece of information that is essentially useless. I love it because the "two bits' goes back as far as the spanish dollar (the spanish influence in the US is often forgotten) and also comes up in other phrases like he is just a two-bit hustler or whatever.

English is such a great language because it has been influenced and infused by many other languages. So there may be just one word for something in French, there will be two or three in English. I'd hate for us to lose that.

This one was normal in British English until about 150 years ago. Then the spread of mass literacy caused spelling to influence pronunciation so that words which previously were not pronounced as spelled now began to be, as in pronouncing the h of herb. Place names were quite strongly affected: Pontefract, Daventry and Cirencester were once pronounced Pomfret, Daintree and Sissiter.

Well I can understand why someone might not want to say merry Christmas, but whatever happened to the good old phrase 'the compliments of the season'?

Yes, I was once at an art gallery in the US and a note on one painting said the artist had got his point of view by using a pair of binoculars his wife had given him 'for holidays'. It took me a while to realise she had given them to him as a Christmas present, rather than to use when he was on holiday.

I entirely with you on the richness of the 'English' language in its diverse forms, @Pallisers .
It's a balance... the primary purpose of language is communication. So we need a standard, universally comprehensible form, for use between people from different areas. But that doesn't mean we have to lose all the historic and evocative idioms and dialect. (I actually feel like I hear more of these now than I did when I was a child. Certainly far more variation in accents on the radio and TV.)

We don't have to be bilingual in a completely different language, but we can surely be fluent in both 'global English' and at least one regional variant.

Well, you and I will agree to disagree on this one. Language is for communication primarily, and I’d rather the money spent accommodating dialect (via publishing, signage, etc) be used to make sure everyone is literate and on an even playing field. That way people are not judged for accents and usage and it ameliorates the pecking order in the class system.

it also may be a better use of time to learn standard English and another language rather than a dialect.. Latin helps with anatomy and vocabulary development; Italian with music; Japanese and Chinese uses another approach which is good for brain exercise.

Idioms/dialects can be recorded and studied by linguists and historians, but the primary goal is communication.

I’d rather the money spent accommodating dialect (via publishing, signage, etc) be used to make sure everyone is literate and on an even playing field.

I don't think I've ever seen dialect accommodated on signage, and nor should it be. Not sure how much it is in publishing ... but that's presumably purely a business decision by editors if they want to do an 'American' version of an English book because they think it will sell better, not something that would save money in a way that would ever be spent on literacy.
Artistically, if someone wants to write a novel or poem in their vernacular then that should be respected and not edited into blandness. I'm delighted that the latest Wallace and Grommit film resisted the pressure to pander to 'American children' as apparently happened previously - but that its cultural references can span Northern English regionalisms and American movies!

The reference to "two bits" casts a light on Oklahoma where the auction of Laurie's box has Judd topping Curlie's increasing bids each time with the threatening sound "and two bits". The repeated bid would have been obvious to the bystanders at the auction, and likely to American audiences, but over the heads of the British.

season instead of series
gives me complete rage! so much so my kids side eye and laugh if they hear anyone say it

season instead of series
gives me complete rage!

What a strange thing to get so worked up about.

Having the distinction is very useful though, a season finale is a different thing to a series finale.

I don't mind languages evolving but not to the detriment of local dialects etc.

Fed up of the pushing of Gaeiic where I live. Every train station has to have 2 versions of its name. There was even some nonsense about using it on road signs. We have enough often fatal accidents caused by tourists without this added confusion. It's OK if you're in an area where Gaelic is prevalent but don't impose it on people who have no interest or knowledge of it.

There are English versions of American books too, but not as prevalent as American English is becoming the standard.

I suspect what people are not happy about is the above is happening. It would be nice if we were global citizens rather than tribes, but I’m not sure humanity is going to be able to evolve like that. People like to be parts of a group and distinguish themselves from other groups, and they enjoy status hierarchies.

Yes, some authors like Joyce use dialect. Lear used nonsense language. If specialist publishers want to spend the money as there is an audience for that, fine. But again, language is for communication; clear communication solves a lot of problems.

Then there is the tune: shave and a haircut, two bits. Don’t know if this has reached the UK. My British DH didn’t know what it is. It was on Looney Tunes cartoons.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shave_and_a_Haircut

The tune has different meanings in difference languages. This TikTok is interesting
https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewtoworld/video/7260722587716848942?lang=en

@BarbaraHoward not to me! tv programmes never had seasons until recently here in the UK.
no one talked about series 4 of Only Fools and Horses

Irish is used on road signs in Ireland despite most people not having more than a cúpla focal. It's definitely not a safety issue. I don't speak Irish but I like to have that connection to our history and it would be a shame to lose it.

here is another explanation of where 2 bits came from, do not know if it is true
https://sunfarm.com/images/2bits.htm

Just because something is new doesn't mean it isn't useful - I doubt you had the internet when you were watching season 4 (only one series) of Only Fools.

A series will be comprised of multiple seasons, often each season has a different focus or different writers and so you will hear fans of the show arguing that season 3 is better than season 4 and the like. A season finale means it'll be back in a few months, a series finale means it's over forever. Like I say, the distinction is useful.