Americanisms

[Liquid]

Never once doesn't really make sense.

Not once is fine.

 

[nobuffalo]

I slept though nearly every grammar class I had so I'm sure I've added a few to this thread's list. That said I can usually spot my mistakes, after I read them once or twice.

 

[Liquid]

Regardless of whether you're an advocate of American, British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Indian, Irish or South African English, not being taught grammar is, I find, a major problem.

As a language student, I can tell you now, it's bloody difficult to learn a foreign language if you don't understand your own. It's no use being told how to construct the passive in German, if you have no idea what the passive is in English. Certainly, in the United Kingdom at least, schools are very lazy at not teaching grammar.

 

[nobuffalo]

That said I can usually spot my mistakes, after I've read them once or twice.

???





Or maybe that one can go either way depending on how "read" is used...

 

[Crash]

I've heard of winningest being used before, though more as part of the vernacular rather than anything written.

*Frustrated Post*

Liquid's annoyed about people butchering up the English language?

Winning!



Sorry, I went there.

 

[Pupik]

Okay, go make fun of our accent. But, you have to find it first.

http://aschmann.net/AmEng

(with thanks to Duke for this link)

 

[GranTurismo916]

New Yorkism - Soder (soda), Idear (idea).

 

[Liquid]

I see your United States accent map and I raise you a grossly generalised United Kingdom and Ireland accent map.

The absolute nerve to suggest that there are just two types of accents in the whole of Wales is unbelievable. Cardiff and 'the rest of Wales'?! Tom and Danny can attest that my accent is not what you would expect from a Welshman.

And the midlands bit is wrong. Chester and Birmingham sound nothing alike.

The Irish map is pretty sweeping, too. It's suggesting that Roy Keane and Graham Norton have the same accent.

 

[Omnis]

I don't get it. "On", "Don", and "Dawn" all are pronounced the same way whether you pronounce water like wahter or wuatah.

 

[Liquid]

I don't get it. "On", "Don", and "Dawn" all are pronounced the same way whether you pronounce water like wahter or wuatah.

Not in Britain. On and Don yes, but Dawn sounds completely different in my accent.

Then again, Juke/Duke and Dew/Jew sound the same to me.

 

[Lizard]

I don't get it. "On", "Don", and "Dawn" all are pronounced the same way whether you pronounce water like wahter or wuatah.

I always say water as warter.
But then I always get that picked up when I am talking to people. Being from Surrey and living in Lincolnshire I am often accused of adding R's to words that don't have them.

For example i say grarse (grass) or barth (bath).

Also Dawn sounds very different here.

 

[Wiegert]

I can definitely see that Wales and the Midlands are unfinished on that map, along with many other parts.

Shropshire alone has a strong North/South divide. North having a mix of West Midlands and a more Northern sounding accent similar to that found in Staffordshire or around Stoke. South/West has a clear rhotic accent that's more akin to that of the West Country accent. East (and as far west as Shrewsbury) being the predominant area for the West Midlands accent, and Mid Welsh in most areas to the west of Shrewsbury.

Then again, Juke/Duke and Dew/Jew sound the same to me.

It's the same with a number of people I know, but I find that I tend to say Dew/Jew differently. The way I say Duke seems to fluctuate though. Most of the time I end up saying "Juke" from what I can hear.

I've also noticed that although my accent moved from Mid Welsh to West Midlands soon after I moved here, I do sometimes slip back into the accent I used to have depending on my tone. Usually when I'm shouting or cursing.

 

[MarinaDiamandis]

It's the same with a number of people I know, but I find that I tend to say Dew/Jew differently.

I pronounce both dew/Jew and duke/juke differently. Dew and duke both have a noticeable 'd' at the beginning (Dyooh and dyook) whereas Jew and juke don't (Jooh and jook).

I've noticed that Americans pronounce the word says as "sez" (which I think is the 'correct' way to pronounce it) but here in the U.K it is more of a mix. Do any U.S members disagree with that?

 

[GregTheStig]

I've noticed that Americans pronounce the word says as "sez" (which I think is the 'correct' way to pronounce it) but here in the U.K it is more of a mix. Do any U.S members disagree with that?

You're right so not me. Then again I live in Georgia so I have no authority on the English language

 

[David]

I've noticed that Americans pronounce the word says as "sez" (which I think is the 'correct' way to pronounce it) but here in the U.K it is more of a mix. Do any U.S members disagree with that?

That's how people around here pronounce it, so no disagreement.

 

[Pupik]

Found another one of these "this is how we say it here" site-with-maps, which I found interesting. You can even get the results just from a certain city, using the drop-down menus.

http://spark-1590165977.us-west-2.elb.amazonaws.com/jkatz/SurveyMaps/

(Sorry, Hawaii and Alaska.)

 

[Mustangmiha]

Quick question for all Americans (and Canadians), do you guys use ''ta''-slang term for ''thanks''? (originally used by some Brits, shortened from Danish ''takk'')

 

[ildd]

Quick question for all Americans (and Canadians), do you guys use ''ta''-slang term for ''thanks''? (originally used by some Brits, shortened from Danish ''takk'')

Do you mean, like... we only say "ta" when we thank someone?
No.

 

[Mustangmiha]

Do you mean, like... we only say "ta" when we thank someone?

Yeah, that's what I meant. Thanks for the quick answer.

 

[sumbrownkid]

The only time you use "ta" in America is when you're speaking Spanish.

 

[mattythedog]

Thanks for the quick answer.

Correct response would have been 'ta'.

 

[Mustangmiha]

Correct response would have been 'ta'.

You got me

 

[Pupik]

Like our immigration policy, we don't really take in many new words anymore.

 

[Liquid]

You just invent them out of thin air.

Winningest.

Urgh.

 

[Sage Ages]

The only time you use "ta" in America is when you're speaking Spanish.

Tú*

 

[sumbrownkid]

Tú*

Some speakers say "Ta bien" instead of "Esta bien". It's slang really. Heard it all the time from the Mexican folk during my life in Chicago.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Since coming to University in Scotland, lots of foreigners who I've talked to have loved my (almost default English) South East accent (from this map). They usually struggle with the Scottish accents (even though the Lowland isn't quite as strong as elsewhere), and people from other parts of the UK.

 

[Roger the Horse]

My accent has a tendency to wander between south London, Dutch (mainly when it comes to pronunciation of the letters W and J), and "stereo" RP. This has led to me being the butt of more than a few jokes.

 

[W3H5]

I'm glad to see my accent is on the UK map. I'd say (originally, now I'm BBC pronounced ) Estuary English crossed with Cockney was my default 'language' but accent wise it'd be Cockney, or Co'ney*.

*Glottal Stop

 

[Jimlaad43]

Here's a word I've only really noticed recently, but it makes me cringe almost every time I hear it.

Take-out *cringe*

What's wrong with Takeaway? Rolls off the tongue so much better.