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?

I agree that there is no good reason to put signage in Gaelic in areas where historically there was no Gaelic. Not so sure they lead to bad accidents, not if they’re done well anyway. This New Zealand article looking at dual language signage in Ireland suggests that it’s not really a problem for people.

https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2023/06/17/what-happened-when-ireland-got-bilingual-road-signs/#:~:text=What%20does%20the%20research%20say,unsubstantial%20effect%20on%20drivers'%20behaviour.

Transport Scotland looked at it too. Their report suggests that “while there is reasonable evidence to infer bilingual signs increase the demand of the driving task, drivers appear able to absorb this extra demand, or negate it by slowing down, which ultimately results in no detectable change in accident rates”.

I actually don't like when they Americanise books (though I'm not fussed if it's merely spelling or typographical conventions, and by the way, it would be nice if British publishers standardised their use of single versus double quotes. The one thing you can say for Americans is that they are consistent!) I suppose it's one thing for small children but it's really unnecessary for adults these days! I want to hear the characters as the author intended. Slang and dialect can be very evocative of the background the author is setting.

I would not say "linguistic progress" because that assumes it's an improvement, but language surely changes.

Do you mean nobody talked about season 4 of Only Fools and Horses?

Yes, I don’t live in Scotland any more and I find it crazy to see things like this when I go back

I could probably see it as more meaningful in Ireland, but I live in NE Scotland, as I think does @RaraRachael and Gaelic is not native to these parts. We were Picts, and have our own local recognised dialect. So no need or expectation of signs in Scots Gaelic.

That's fine, I just think the safety angle is a bit silly when dual language signs work perfectly well (I'm guessing not just in Ireland either).

Agree the signs should be more regional in Scotland, but, done well, I don’t think they’re a safety issue.

To be fair we live near 2 of the roads with the highest rate of fatalities (per population) and there is enough of an issue with overseas tourists driving on the wrong side of the road and not knowing how to negotiate roundabouts without complicating matters further by having bilingual road signs. For some reason the Garelic name was to be above the English one which I've never understood.

This is what Irish signs look like - the Irish is above the English and in a smaller, italicised font. Works well. Never heard of it causing confusion.

Hopefully the picture adds this time!

I am 60+ and it has always been called birth control, amongst other things.

I was actually thinking about this over a month ago. I will now drive myself crazy trying to remember who I was talking to about this. The person had never heard of it.

For the record, my father, a Newfoundland born Canadian, (before Newfoundland was part of Canada) used to say this all the time. I wonder if he first heard it in his childhood in the 1930s, or as an adult.

Thank you for that.

@BarbaraHoward the thread is americanisms we dislike. that is an americanism i don't like. i don't find it useful either 😂

I haven’t heard anyone from the UK using these terms

@Tumblingthrough I think the 'h' words where the first letter is silent tend to be ones we picked up from French; hour, honour etc. So herb should have a silent H, and it is the Brits who created the anomaly.

I cannot stand, From the Get go.
and Normalcy instead of normality.
Movie instead of film.

Many of the ones I have already seen in the comments I have read. But adding my own- my daughter says she’s going to the ‘bathroom’ when we are out, not ‘toilets / loo’ etc.
One of my children corrected me when I said to apply sun cream. They told me it’s ‘sunscreen.’ 🙃
In the past, they have said ‘paci’ (pacifier) instead of dummy. Diaper instead of nappy.
A lot of ‘hey guys‘ and ‘I know right’ (even said in a slight American accent)
Many mispronunciations of words… off the top of my head; garage, privacy.. sure there are lots more! Drives me insane