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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to absolutely hate the how people are speaking English!

539 replies

exse24Londoner · 03/02/2026 16:35

I really hate how we have "suddenly" starting gifting presents rather than giving them as we did only a couple of years ago. Vacations - when did we start having vacations instead of holidays?????? The other day I saw an advert for pants - turned out to be trousers. Apparently when I speak to someone it is now liaising & if I call or text, I am reaching out..... the other day someone was talking about the front end, or as I prefer to call it - the beginning!!🙄

Dont get me wrong, I love the evolution of language & that generations make it their own but this isn't that this is not teenagers or cultures developing own language its...... weird management/pop psychology speak

is it just me??

OP posts:
OchonAgusOchonOh · 04/02/2026 18:22

LizzybugMeeting · 04/02/2026 17:55

@Bowies Yes I feel the same about " you guys" when there is one or more females in the group that's being addressed.. But I've got a feeling young/ er people ( than me) perhaps don't care as much. And if it's a group of women and no men that's being referred to, I don't know what's an acceptable term now.

Can I say " see you tomorrow, ladies " or is that now so old -fashioned that you just don't use any word for the people? Is it just " see you tomorrow"? Or " see you tomorrow folk" ? Gawd knows. Problems, problems .

I'm 60 and I use guys or lads for a mixed group. Tbh, I mainly only use it when addressing my student.

I wouldn't say see you tomorrow ladies but then I hate the word ladies. It just sounds overly genteel. I would say See you all tomorrow.

OchonAgusOchonOh · 04/02/2026 18:24

StinkerTroll · 04/02/2026 18:06

Language evolves and it irritates those that are slightly older, that's just life, the one I am v sad about though is the decline of Father Christmas and rise of Santa Claus, really noticeable over the last few years 😢

I'm with you on the Santa one except it's the decline of Santy I'm sad about. I'm Irish and it was Santy here when I was a child.

ilovegranny · 04/02/2026 18:29

Agreed.

gifting…
invite instead of invitation
reaching out

The list goes on.

cantankerousoldcrone · 04/02/2026 18:44

OchonAgusOchonOh · 04/02/2026 18:24

I'm with you on the Santa one except it's the decline of Santy I'm sad about. I'm Irish and it was Santy here when I was a child.

Oh, is it not Santy anymore? That's sad

OchonAgusOchonOh · 04/02/2026 18:48

cantankerousoldcrone · 04/02/2026 18:44

Oh, is it not Santy anymore? That's sad

I did attempt to continue it with my dc but it was santa everywhere. I did hold the line on mammy though. I was never a mummy, although that is much more common these days.

Helen1625 · 04/02/2026 18:48

Biggles27 · 04/02/2026 16:32

Mom it’s MUM, cell phone - it’s a mobile! Vacation - no it’s a holiday. Pants no trousers, pants are your underwear. Zucchini no it’s a courgette. Eggplant - ugh, it’s an aubergine

but the one that is currently winding me up is Mom!!!!

Ah, mom is actually used more so than mum in the Midlands so it's not an Americanism, it's part of the dialect in some regions, much like mam is used in the North East of England.

WhitePudding · 04/02/2026 18:48

Our local rag likes to use cops for police officers.

I detest movie, it is a film!

Wrong tense annoys me. ‘We was’ seems to be creeping into everyday language more and more.

Contrarymary30 · 04/02/2026 18:49

Echobelly · 03/02/2026 16:38

The worst thing is when fashion editors describe a pair of trousers as 'a pant' . Seriously.

There's also a lip 💋

cantankerousoldcrone · 04/02/2026 18:51

Mulledjuice · 04/02/2026 13:03

Incorrect. "Gotten" is archaic. This has been done to death.

Yes. Gotten is very commonly used in Ireland. It's perfectly normal usage.

Helen1625 · 04/02/2026 18:53

LizzybugMeeting · 04/02/2026 17:55

@Bowies Yes I feel the same about " you guys" when there is one or more females in the group that's being addressed.. But I've got a feeling young/ er people ( than me) perhaps don't care as much. And if it's a group of women and no men that's being referred to, I don't know what's an acceptable term now.

Can I say " see you tomorrow, ladies " or is that now so old -fashioned that you just don't use any word for the people? Is it just " see you tomorrow"? Or " see you tomorrow folk" ? Gawd knows. Problems, problems .

This one bugs me too. I was in a cafe with a friend a while ago, I'm in my 40s, she's 80. We were waiting to be served and the staff member said 'What can I get you guys?' I didn't react but I did inwardly cringe, I didn't think it was an appropriate thing to say to an elderly lady - it sounds disrespectful.

Doingtheboxerbeat · 04/02/2026 18:54

Helen1625 · 04/02/2026 18:48

Ah, mom is actually used more so than mum in the Midlands so it's not an Americanism, it's part of the dialect in some regions, much like mam is used in the North East of England.

I'm not disputing this but as a West Midlander I have never seen or heard of this until MN, or rather I haven't seen it spelt this way. I don't have FB but if I was to see this now after 54 years of life I probably would assume American influenced.

Notmyreality · 04/02/2026 18:55

Language evolves. Get over it.

nevernotmaybe · 04/02/2026 18:56

RitaIncognita · 04/02/2026 15:26

You don't understand the full meaning of the word "get." 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. Get means "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".

"Can I get" kept the traditional words meaning, and as a result was less polite because it did always mean to get it yourself.

The meanings of individual words change, but then on top phrases and usage of specific words in specific ways can keep different meanings depending on usage. And that happened in the case of "can I get".

Whatinthedoopla · 04/02/2026 18:58

I hate that the date on my laptop now tells me the American dates.

We are slowly becoming American

Helen1625 · 04/02/2026 18:59

Doingtheboxerbeat · 04/02/2026 18:54

I'm not disputing this but as a West Midlander I have never seen or heard of this until MN, or rather I haven't seen it spelt this way. I don't have FB but if I was to see this now after 54 years of life I probably would assume American influenced.

This surprises me as a fellow West Midlander. I don't know of anyone who uses mum. I wonder if there is a further subdivide in the dialect of surrounding areas? Maybe mum is more Brummie?

Echobelly · 04/02/2026 19:08

Aurelia53 · 04/02/2026 18:02

And lip, as in "sporting a red lip"!

Oh God! That too, yeah!

cantankerousoldcrone · 04/02/2026 19:10

Helen1625 · 04/02/2026 18:53

This one bugs me too. I was in a cafe with a friend a while ago, I'm in my 40s, she's 80. We were waiting to be served and the staff member said 'What can I get you guys?' I didn't react but I did inwardly cringe, I didn't think it was an appropriate thing to say to an elderly lady - it sounds disrespectful.

Here in Ireland it's not uncommon to use 'lads' for a group of people, regardless of the gender mix. Like guys. At least in Cork, maybe not elsewhere?

keeperofdarktails · 04/02/2026 19:16

exse24Londoner · 03/02/2026 16:35

I really hate how we have "suddenly" starting gifting presents rather than giving them as we did only a couple of years ago. Vacations - when did we start having vacations instead of holidays?????? The other day I saw an advert for pants - turned out to be trousers. Apparently when I speak to someone it is now liaising & if I call or text, I am reaching out..... the other day someone was talking about the front end, or as I prefer to call it - the beginning!!🙄

Dont get me wrong, I love the evolution of language & that generations make it their own but this isn't that this is not teenagers or cultures developing own language its...... weird management/pop psychology speak

is it just me??

I hate the phrase "reaching out" especially when said via email. "Thanks for reaching out" makes me think of long arms coming through the computer screen, so creepy!

Doingtheboxerbeat · 04/02/2026 19:27

Helen1625 · 04/02/2026 18:59

This surprises me as a fellow West Midlander. I don't know of anyone who uses mum. I wonder if there is a further subdivide in the dialect of surrounding areas? Maybe mum is more Brummie?

I'm from Lady Godiva's city and I have never ever heard or seen mom. Can't speak for Birmingham specifically though.

Buzzardbird · 04/02/2026 19:27

CeciliaMars · 03/02/2026 16:38

I think if you're going to complain about incorrect English, you should proof-read your title.
Other than that, most people I know wear trousers and go on holidays.

It's proofread. All one word.

TheCraftySquid · 04/02/2026 19:30

I’m 48 from ‘up north’ and all my life trousers were called pants - everyone I knew said it. It was only when I moved down south when I was 19 that I realise it meant something entirely different down there 😂

Helen1625 · 04/02/2026 19:36

TheCraftySquid · 04/02/2026 19:30

I’m 48 from ‘up north’ and all my life trousers were called pants - everyone I knew said it. It was only when I moved down south when I was 19 that I realise it meant something entirely different down there 😂

My husband is from up north, his family are still there, we are in the Midlands. So many examples of word differences. Pants/trousers
Santy/Santa
turnip/swede
canny/nice, I think?

The one that got me when I first visited his family was 'What's your fettle?' and I hadn't got a clue what it meant!

Taytocrisps · 04/02/2026 19:37

Anmbord · 03/02/2026 19:50

Im in Ireland too and our school uniform list still calls them slacks 😁
Two pairs of grey slacks.
I love it 💕

There's a blast from the past 😄.

Biggles27 · 04/02/2026 19:49

Helen1625 · 04/02/2026 18:48

Ah, mom is actually used more so than mum in the Midlands so it's not an Americanism, it's part of the dialect in some regions, much like mam is used in the North East of England.

I never knew that!

LizzybugMeeting · 04/02/2026 19:57

keeperofdarktails · 04/02/2026 19:16

I hate the phrase "reaching out" especially when said via email. "Thanks for reaching out" makes me think of long arms coming through the computer screen, so creepy!

100% with you on "reaching out" .
. Such an annoying bit of corporate speak..My personal worst right now is when people talk of someone's " headroom". Sounds like they're a big bumbling giant walking around in a little old cottage somewhere.

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