- 33,155
- Hammerhead Garage
Americanisms
- Thread starter Jimlaad43
- 916 comments
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- 16,295
- Melbourne
- ScottPuss20
- CheetahsMeow
- 29,835
- Bratvegas
- GTP_Liquid
The United States Postal Service delivers mail.
Royal Mail delivers post.
I don't get that.
Apparently in 19th century parlance mail was for letters being sent abroad (or across water as the mail coach ran from London to Holyhead towards Dublin and later also the mail train) and post was for things being sent domestically.
And for what it's worth;
Mail - Comes from the Old English for a type of travel napsack or bag.
Post - Comes from the Latin for "to place or lay down" in the sense of delivering.
Royal Mail delivers post.
I don't get that.
Apparently in 19th century parlance mail was for letters being sent abroad (or across water as the mail coach ran from London to Holyhead towards Dublin and later also the mail train) and post was for things being sent domestically.
And for what it's worth;
Mail - Comes from the Old English for a type of travel napsack or bag.
Post - Comes from the Latin for "to place or lay down" in the sense of delivering.
- 19,665
- Alabamamania
I have a co-worker from the UAE and he said "kuh-tar" (similar to guitar, but a K instead of a G) for Qatar. I asked him which pronunciation was correct, and he said that you actually hear both versions outside America, as well.
We also drive on parkways, park on driveways, and put tolls on freeways.
- 7,938
- LMSCorvetteGT2's Mom's House
- GTP_LancerEvo7
One I've picked up from the Brits I play GTS with is contracting 'I have not' to 'I've not' instead of 'I haven't.'
- 29,986
- Thailand
That’s very common in my daily vernacular.
- 645
- England
I voted no proper English should be used as I think for the younger generation they go online and find a lot of words they have spelt in the past IE: COLOUR or RECOGNISE and they see it change or underlined as the software they are using is US and obviously spelt different in the states.
I think it would be easier if all used the same spellings, never going to happen but it would be easier for the education of the future generation, we know the differences but only because when I was going through schools internet and computers with US software were not available or maybe didn't exist. So we learnt the way we were taught in schools and through the books which were 99% british spellings.
On the other hand I think a lot of US spellings make more sense than the English versions again Colour is Color in the US simpler and easier.
On things like in the US the Bonnet of a car is called a hood makes no difference they both refer to the item covering the engine or motor again a different version of the same thing, It is just like regional differences in the same country over here where I live in the centre of the UK we call small individual round bread baps but if you travel only 60 70 miles north and ask for a bap you will get looked at like you have 3 heads and they won't have a clue what you mean, They refer to them as barm cakes! There is nothing cake about a piece of bread regardless if it is round square or rectangular.
I can say the only two things which makes me smile and think behave dopey is when Americans pronounce the word Jaguar when referring to the car brand,
It is often said as Jagwarr when the manufacturers named it Jaguar JAG-YOU-AR is the correct pronunciation.
The other is Aluminium and aluminum as I already said regional differences etc but it just makes me smile and think that's wrong when I here the US version.
I think it would be easier if all used the same spellings, never going to happen but it would be easier for the education of the future generation, we know the differences but only because when I was going through schools internet and computers with US software were not available or maybe didn't exist. So we learnt the way we were taught in schools and through the books which were 99% british spellings.
On the other hand I think a lot of US spellings make more sense than the English versions again Colour is Color in the US simpler and easier.
On things like in the US the Bonnet of a car is called a hood makes no difference they both refer to the item covering the engine or motor again a different version of the same thing, It is just like regional differences in the same country over here where I live in the centre of the UK we call small individual round bread baps but if you travel only 60 70 miles north and ask for a bap you will get looked at like you have 3 heads and they won't have a clue what you mean, They refer to them as barm cakes! There is nothing cake about a piece of bread regardless if it is round square or rectangular.
I can say the only two things which makes me smile and think behave dopey is when Americans pronounce the word Jaguar when referring to the car brand,
It is often said as Jagwarr when the manufacturers named it Jaguar JAG-YOU-AR is the correct pronunciation.
The other is Aluminium and aluminum as I already said regional differences etc but it just makes me smile and think that's wrong when I here the US version.
- 17,166
- United Kingdom
I voted no proper English should be used as I think for the younger generation they go online and find a lot of words they have spelt in the past IE: COLOUR or RECOGNISE and they see it change or underlined as the software they are using is US and obviously spelt different in the states.
I think it would be easier if all used the same spellings, never going to happen but it would be easier for the education of the future generation, we know the differences but only because when I was going through schools internet and computers with US software were not available or maybe didn't exist. So we learnt the way we were taught in schools and through the books which were 99% british spellings.
On the other hand I think a lot of US spellings make more sense than the English versions again Colour is Color in the US simpler and easier.
On things like in the US the Bonnet of a car is called a hood makes no difference they both refer to the item covering the engine or motor again a different version of the same thing, It is just like regional differences in the same country over here where I live in the centre of the UK we call small individual round bread baps but if you travel only 60 70 miles north and ask for a bap you will get looked at like you have 3 heads and they won't have a clue what you mean, They refer to them as barm cakes! There is nothing cake about a piece of bread regardless if it is round square or rectangular.
I can say the only two things which makes me smile and think behave dopey is when Americans pronounce the word Jaguar when referring to the car brand,
It is often said as Jagwarr when the manufacturers named it Jaguar JAG-YOU-AR is the correct pronunciation.
The other is Aluminium and aluminum as I already said regional differences etc but it just makes me smile and think that's wrong when I here the US version.
Just so we know, is English your first language?
- 16,295
- Melbourne
- ScottPuss20
- CheetahsMeow
"Ya'll"
What's wrong with saying you all?
What's wrong with saying you all?
- 24,619
- Anoka, MN
I've really only heard that from southerners and they don't really enunciate anything. I mostly hear people say "all of you" here, "you all" sounds just as bad as "ya'll".
- 6,425
- KCCO
I say "yall"
"All of yall over there..."
"All of yall over there..."
- 3,411
- the bottom of my heart.
- kolio123
Too much effort. One syllable is much easier. Y'know what I mean?
"Y'know" is also much easier even though it has the same amount of syllables. The thing is, you can run the two words together without having to make a conscious pause between the two.
- 3,585
- Connecticut
- SPhilli
- SPhilli911
What's wrong with saying "do not" instead of "don't"? Or "I have" instead of "I've"? There are many word contractions out there, why's everyone seem to have a problem with "y'all"? Is it because it sounds silly or because it's not a real word? Hell, "she'd've" is a contraction of "she would have" and that sounds pretty silly too.
While I don't say "y'all" myself, I don't see what's wrong with saying it. We like shortening words to make it easier to say. You Australians like to shorten words as well, with words like "cuppa", "avro", and come on now you call McDonald's "Maccas".
- 29,835
- Bratvegas
- GTP_Liquid
In dialectal speech, instead of y'all, I say yous but not as a post-nominal.
So instead of:
Y'all gonna have a tough time.
I'd say:
Yous are going to have a a tough time.
But I wouldn't add it to the end as in "Welcome, y'all!". Also, I see a lot of posts on the internet where Americans act like they 'invented' y'all + ain't = yaint and it's an exclusive word that is only known if you're in the club. Well, you ain't but the you part is unstressed. Yaint is extremely common where I am from in Wales.
So instead of:
Y'all gonna have a tough time.
I'd say:
Yous are going to have a a tough time.
But I wouldn't add it to the end as in "Welcome, y'all!". Also, I see a lot of posts on the internet where Americans act like they 'invented' y'all + ain't = yaint and it's an exclusive word that is only known if you're in the club. Well, you ain't but the you part is unstressed. Yaint is extremely common where I am from in Wales.
- 5,490
- Vic, Australia
- gundalini
You Australians like to shorten words as well, with words like "cuppa", "avro", and come on now you call McDonald's "Maccas".
What's an avro?
- 29,863
- a baby, candy, it's like taking.
- TexRex72
Don't uh...don't you mean "spelled" there, bud?
Obviously, "spelt" is different...
- 16,295
- Melbourne
- ScottPuss20
- CheetahsMeow
Moot point thenWhat's wrong with saying "do not" instead of "don't"? Or "I have" instead of "I've"? There are many word contractions out there, why's everyone seem to have a problem with "y'all"? Is it because it sounds silly or because it's not a real word? Hell, "she'd've" is a contraction of "she would have" and that sounds pretty silly too.
While I don't say "y'all" myself, I don't see what's wrong with saying it. We like shortening words to make it easier to say. You Australians like to shorten words as well, with words like "cuppa", "avro", and come on now you call McDonald's "Maccas".
I just don't like the phrase or use it often. I usually say "How are you people doing?" not "how are Y'ALL doing?"Also, it's arvo not avro. Let me add a few more for you - servo, sanga, barby, snag, grog, piss, doodle, percy, dunny, uni, mate, clacker, dead horse, etc.
- 645
- England
Yes it is, My spelling and grammar is far from the best I know this and I don't care. I get by just fine.
Don't uh...don't you mean "spelled" there, bud?
Obviously, "spelt" is different...
No bud spelt is very common in the UK if it is correct or not I don't know but is used and written quite a bit.
It's something I will stick with cheers.
- 29,863
- a baby, candy, it's like taking.
- TexRex72
