Is this American English?

[roisin]

In the area where I live (SW Cumbria) they use the expression:
Where's your school bag at?
I always assumed this was a particular dialect, because in the English I speak this phrase is wrong, and I would simply say:
"Where's your school bag?"

But recently I heard a similar phrase from a North American, and I wonder if it is standard in American English.

Interestingly round here they also never use the word 'trousers' but say 'pants' instead, which still causes me confusion at times.

Or is all this actually standard in the UK these days, but I'm just behind the times?

well, you hear both of these in Lancashire.

It's incredibly common in South Wales.

Really? Is this common throughout the UK then?

Is there anyone here who would say this is 'wrong' in the dialect they speak?

I certainly thought it was not standard English, but maybe I'm mistaken.

I'm from the SE and would never say this, it sounds wrong. DH is Scottish and says it.

I agree that it's regional, rather than standard English - the preposition is not strictly necessary, as the sentence makes perfect sense without it.

It is very much mid-Western USA.

Well, you'll hear it all over the US, but it's just as grammatically incorrect there as it is here.

TrixieBelden, I loved you as a kid! Spent hours with you

And I you, Ramona! Kisses to Beezus!

Oh, that's interesting TrixieBelden. So you would say it is not 'standard American English'?

But so far it seems to be widely spoken in the US, South Cumbria, Lancashire, South Wales, and Scotland.
But not in SE England.

any more contributions?

(I come from NE England, North Yorkshire, and it is 'alien' to me.)

In Bristol you'd say 'where's that to' or 'where's your school bag to'

I think it is usually a dialect thing rather than an american influence.

I',m in Manchester and I have heard itbefore don't use it myself but its really not uncommon.

SE Here - its so very wrong

Well, it depends what you mean by standard, roisin. In my experience (as a rusty linguistics student turned copyeditor, which basically means I'm hyperactive about noticing speech patterns and SO much fun at parties), I've known people from all areas of the country who use that construction -- so it's not regional, and wouldn't be considered dialect.

But no U.S. style guide (Chicago Manual, Associated Press, et al.) will allow that ending a sentence with a preposition is correct.

It's much like "ain't" -- you'll hear it all over, but it's not correct. Though "ain't" is considered even more incorrect, I'd say. Plenty of people will say "Where's _ at?" but would never dream of saying "ain't."

There's an old grammar "joke" about the guy who says "Where's my lunch at?" He's told that it's incorrect to end a sentence with a preposition, and he amends his question: "Where's my lunch at, dumbass?"

Ah, grammar humour. Not much is sadder.

Thanks TrixieBelden! Yes, I name copy editing and studying linguistics among my many murky past activities, so tend to pick up on these things too.

But I had never noticed this construction until we moved here, and now hear it all the time.
I think maybe I just always moved in erudite circles

With your interest in linguistics, have you come across this book? It is the most fascinating book I have read for years.

re the 'pants'thing - I grew up in NZ and trousers were pants there. Female undergarments were 'panties' (ugg - hated that term, still do) and male were 'undies' 'grundies' (no idea why) or 'jockeys' (after a popular brand). Makes me miss some of the typically NZ terms for things like 'jandals' (flip flops), 'gumboots' (wellies), and, on a seasonal note, if you asked for a 'mince pie' in NZ you'd get a large soggy pastry construction filled with minced beef (if you were lucky - mostly it was a weird jelly like substance that had very little resemblance to anything that came from a cow), rather than the dainty little treats you get here!

But, back to the original point - we never said 'where's your school bag at' - that would be considered ungrammatical.

Ooh, I haven't seen that, roisin - I'll look for it! Sounds right up my alley. Thanks.

I read somewhere that 'American English' is actually 'old' parts of the English language that was taken over by the colonists in the 16/17th centuries. When the phrases fell out of fashion in England, they carried on in America. I like to use the word gotten occasionally as it is old English.

I must say that the sentence with the at or to on the end, sets my teeth on edge whichever country you are in. Nothing to do with the cold water I've just drunk .

That was? .

That were .

The same as Bristol, in Devon, you would say 'to' on the end of this kind of thing.

Where is the school bag to?

I remember when I first moved here, I was talking about a party I was going to, inviting some-one else and the person I was inviting said to me 'where's that to?' and I had no idea what he was saying. I hardly knew him and had to ask him about 5 times to repeat it, and what he meant, and he had no idea why I did not understand him. It was only when another person from out of Devon overheard the conversation that it was explained to me Now on the odd occasion I catch myself saying it [blush

Totally common in Lancs, totally wrong and annoying IMHO. Loads of Americanisms in the North West, no idea why? pants, high school, movie...