Americanisms that will never, ever cross over into the UK

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?

Sadly, I've never been to Coventry. Sent people there, like.

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

See, this doesn't work in Scotland, 'cos the answers always "Naw"

we have had the "gotten" discussion here before; i believe the brits think "gotten" is ugly and possibly dangerous

ill-gotten

Does 'Darn Tooting' get said in the US?

Gotten is old school, like 17th century or sumthin'

britishes need to chillax

If you ask "have you got", then grammatically the reply should be "yes I have", and if you ask "do you have", then the reply is "do you have". I think that's the point being made above.

As for got/gotten, I think there's an age cut-off. People (in the UK) over the age of 30 or so use "got" as past partciple, younger people use "gotten".

OK I just reread that post and I see that you meant the reply should be "Yes, I have" instead of "Yes, I do". I don't think that's an Americanism either though. Using "do" in place of other verbs surely is an integral part of the English language?

xpost
Aaargh, the reply to the second is "yes I do"

x post to TomD. - Coventry is not a very exciting place but it's not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. It's kind of grim but so are a lot of other places! I was expecting much worse based on what I'd been told.

Does 'Darn Tooting' get said in the US?

I've never heard it said other than in jest.

Is "pesky" still in common usage in the US?

also:

"you want that i" vs "do you want me to" FITE!

ironic slang is the old/new ironic dancing

xxpost yes, why wouldn't it be?

Charlie that's a whole 'nother topic

If you ask "have you got", then grammatically the reply should be "yes I have", and if you ask "do you have", then the reply is "do you have". I think that's the point being made above.

yeah, only who the fuck speaks grammatically?

Does 'Darn Tooting' get said in the US?

http://www.brandsoftheworld.com/brands/0015/5755/brand.gif

May we never start referring to our main courses as "entrees"... aargh.

-- mike t-diva, Friday, June 29, 2007 4:37 AM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Link

I have never ever heard that this is wrong

It is becasue entree should actually be used to refer to an appetizer, right?

The word entrée is French. It generally means "entry", and "a smaller, first course" when used in relation to food.

I think the US is the only place where entree means main course. Every else it means the starter course.

If "Darn tootin'" is out then I'm guessing "Great horny toads!" is too

"zee" vs. "zed" fite

zed zed top

I've read that entrée it could come from entre, between, back from when meals had umpteen courses and between the soup and the salad and the large hunk o' meat you might have a fish dish or something.

But yeah definitely a merkinism.

It dates back to the beginings of service á la Russe in western Europe where courses would Enter into the meal rather than the á la Française tradition of a big buffet. With mixed styles courses that entered into the meal rather than being present at the start were Entrées and could be at any stage of the meal. In europe they have become the entry into the mean, or the first course to enter.

xpost

I doubt "Zee" will ever cross over

Merkins be revisionist etymologizing

xxxposts

also there's that guaranteed French rib-tickler "à la mode", meaning "with a scoop of vanilla ice cream"

When I was little I didn't know what that meant and one day while playing restaurant (my parents owned restaurants so I played that instead of playing house) I made up a menu with chicken a la mode. Yum.

Rooster

your ideas intrigue me

xpost

In coastal New England a "regular" coffee was one with cream and sugar. The counterperson fixed it for you. I think it's a dying practice.

Beth - I'm in Boston and hear people use that all the time still!

damn straight - same goes for NYC delis and it hasn't died out yet there as far as i know

That's brilliant! Because that's exactly how I like my coffee. Everyone serious west of the East Coast drinks coffee black, no sugar.

the 'regular coffee' thing still confounds and infuriates me every time i try to order a goddamn cup of coffee out here.

i am serious midwestern coffee drinker.

Charlie that's a whole 'nother topic

pls to xpln, tracer?

"Great horny toads!" is too

Horny toads are nearly extinct. :(