Another Americanism....

[Moithered]

It's preaching to the converted not preaching to the choir!! Latter is mostly American and really doesn't fit the context

Hear hear! I've been inwardly seething as I've been hearing that often recently, and on a soap this evening.

It's not the choir!!!

it's not an americanism is it - last time i checked we had choirs in england

what's got your knickers in a twist

We do have choirs but preaching to them is different to preaching to the converted.

Yes, I know you have choirs in the US! the point is, preaching to the converted is more descriptive, and the original phrase. Preaching to the choir doesn't really make the same sense. Not knocking US, just saying that using that version isn't correct in UK!

• and choirs in UK!

There's no such thing as 'correct in the UK' for idioms. There aren't rules, like with grammar! People just use th e idioms that catch their fancy. They are a bit like memes in social media convo. Their geography just expands with people's enjoyment of them.

Would you describe yourself as a prescriptivist when it comes to language? Or a descriptivist?

Genuine question.

I have never heard preaching to the converted but that is exactly the concept of preaching to the (church) choir - as in they already know.

If it’s an Americanism then it’s one that is very lo by established in UK- probably because it’s more evocative.

I heard this somewhere just a couple of days ago and thought the same

What do people who say it think it means? Something to do with turning round to face the choir behind the pulpit, it makes no sense

'preaching to the converted' does not mean the same as 'preachlng to the choir'. There is no guarantee that all the choir have been converted.

In my heart a prescriptavist, but reality leans to descriptivism! Just some things/errors (i.e Genuine ones such as non for none, reign for rein, etc) really drive me to drink...
Then the creeping use of American versions of our language really do make me scream; for example, 'I'm excited for Christmas' 'it's not that big of a deal', the feds (for god's sake, we have a police force, not a federal force!)
Nothing personal, and I appreciate that this is a consequence of the tv and other media we are fed

I'm excited for Christmas.

Why, what's happened to him/her/it?

From personal experience of actually preaching to the converted and actually preaching to the choir...

Preaching to the converted means preaching to people who quietly nod and smile when you say something inspiring.

Preaching to the choir means preaching to people who sit in moth-eaten robes, scowling and looking irritably at their watch.

I've been in the latter and can confirm this is absolutely accurate.

It does. Preaching to the choir is the US version.

An interesting view here.
True that the average UK choir is not at all like the average US choir, so it does have a different meaning here!

I’m so so so tired of these threads. The ignorance and hypocrisy abounds.

There is also a ‘creeping’ Anglicisation of North American language too. I don’t think anyone is wringing their hands and worrying about loss of culture.

The ‘Americanisms’ is language that many NORTH AMERICANS use. I hate that it is perfectly acceptable on this site to bash the language of a specific group of people.
How can you all REALLY say that you are not xenophobic?

Preaching to the converted means preaching to people who quietly nod and smile when you say something inspiring.

Preaching to the converted just means preaching about something to people who already know and agree with whatever is being said.

Think it's a mixed up mash up of "preaching to the converted" and "singing from the same hymn sheet".

Very annoying.

Officially both phrases, 'preaching to the converted' and 'preaching to the choir', mean that. Just that one is British English, the other American English.

My comment about my experiences of preaching to both sets of people was a wry aside about quite how hostile church choir members can be (with implied critique of the idea that choir = converted).