Americanisms that will never, ever cross over into the UK

British people will never go to "the john", will they?

Mum = mum for me.

What I am finding curious about this thread is the mishmash of UK and US phrases Aussies will use. You'd think we'd veer more twards the britishers but on reading this thread I'm not so sure.

'the john' gets you out of the toilet/lavatory issue. but no-one in britain says 'the bathroom' meaning lavatory.

"the men's room"

Ha I say bathroom all the time! Toilet - non-u. Loo - urgh, just don't like the word. Lavatory - too formal.

Water Closet.

'the can'

The pisser.

Dunny.

I usually find that just pointing in the vague direction of the bathroom and saying either "where's the...um...?" or else "I'm just off to the...um..." does pretty well.

although we spell it "mum", most people seem to pronounce it "mom"

Really?

I think so. If I pronounce it "mum", it sounds weird.

Maybe it's just my family, I dunno. My mum calls her mum "mom", which could be where I got it from. I thought I'd heard other people saying it like that too though.

"auxiliary ensign poo"

Anyone cited "Mom" yet?

If you have a British West Midlands accent you use Mom. I don't really have much of my regional accent remaining, but I still say Mom. People who are not from that area take the piss out of me constantly for "sounding like an American."

I do say hey to greet people, but I've picked that up from the Americans I work with. I've also picked up starting sentences with 'So...' which is driving my boyfriend crackers.

I thought brums said it more like "moom" though? The ones Ive known anyway.

Depending on where you are in the UK, just about any vowel or diphthong can go between the Ms.

You're in trouble now Trayce.

what's wrong with 'so...'?!

i think i just like americanisms, and i'm hooked on american tv partly just for the back-and-forth, new idioms, rhythms, etc.; it's proof of linguistic vitality or something.

what EVERRR

what's wrong with 'so...'?!

Yeah I'm really astonished by some of the things deemed Americanisms here!

If you have a British West Midlands accent you use Mom.

Why am I in trouble now? Oh dear.

I remember about seven years ago myself and loads of people I hung out with started saying douchebag all the time, having just been introduced to it by one, or both, of Daphne & Celeste. Good times

yet/already with the simple past tense. "Did you do it yet?" Don't think that's really crossed over to the UK.

Birmingham is a very different part of the world from where Anna comes from. The West Midlands is the Balkans of British Regional Identities and accents.

uh?

xpost

The West Midlands is the Balkans of British Regional Identities and accents.

xpost to the "uh"

I would say "have you done it yet?"
"Did you do it yet?" sounds American to me. Maybe I'm behind the times though.

Ah I see sorry, I used "brum" in a lazy sense. My ex was from Rugely. I didnt know the West was its own world!

ok the explanation of how they say 'book' in northern england basically made me realize that everything i know of their accents i learned from paul's grandad in 'a hard day's night'

But Paul's grandad is Irish!

I would say "have you done it yet?"
"Did you do it yet?" sounds American to me. Maybe I'm behind the times though.

-- Zelda Zonk, Friday, June 29, 2007 4:51 PM (21 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

i might say either one of those. plenty of things, like saying 'today' for 'to-day' are really americanisms, or were considered so 80 years ago...

yet/already with the simple past tense. "Did you do it yet?" Don't think that's really crossed over to the UK.

It's definitely creeping in. I blame Friends. Also the 'have' v 'have got' thing. Both are acceptable, but in Britain it's more common to say "I've got a pen" / "Have you got a pen?" / "Yes, I have" than "I have a pen" / "Do you have a pen?" / "Yes, I do". But the other 'have' thing seems to be growing and leading to mangled hybrid exchanges like "Have you got any money?" "Yes, I do".

But the other 'have' thing seems to be growing and leading to mangled hybrid exchanges like "Have you got any money?" "Yes, I do".

"Yes, I do got money" is the correct response

word

i'm not sure what y'all trying to protect.

I'm conflicted about how Americanisms have impacted on British speech but I don't obsess over it, especially not on weekends... well, not for the longest time, anyways... and I am usually the world's champion at that sort of thing... sir

one americanism i've found myself using but not understanding is along the lines of "not that big of a deal". what is up with that?

i'm not sure what y'all trying to protect.

Well I was going to say no British person would ever say "y'all"...

Not trying to protect anything. But I think it's interesting what crosses the Atlantic, and what doesn't.

some Midlanders would say "mam" right?

Cotton candy.

Taffy

How do Americans pronounce 'Mom' anyway(s)? Because the sound that most English people use in 'bomb' doesn't seem to exist in America.

Does anyone use commode?

Aluminum

If you have a British West Midlands accent you use Mom. I don't really have much of my regional accent remaining, but I still say Mom. People who are not from that area take the piss out of me constantly for "sounding like an American."

Really? My husband is from the West Midlands and neither he nor any of his friends or family say Mom. They definitely all say Mum.

Where in the West Midlands?

The tropical paradise known to most as Coventry. Heh.

"Have you got any money?" "Yes, I do"

What about the past tense of get i.e. gotten vs got?