50 Americanisms which Brits hate

[zinc2man]

1. When people ask for something, I often hear: "Can I get a..." It infuriates me. It's not New York. It's not the 90s. You're not in Central Perk with the rest of the Friends. Really." Steve, Rossendale, Lancashire

2. The next time someone tells you something is the "least worst option", tell them that their most best option is learning grammar. Mike Ayres, Bodmin, Cornwall

3. The phrase I've watched seep into the language (especially with broadcasters) is "two-time" and "three-time". Have the words double, triple etc, been totally lost? Grammatically it makes no sense, and is even worse when spoken. My pulse rises every time I hear or see it. Which is not healthy as it's almost every day now. Argh! D Rochelle, Bath

4. Using 24/7 rather than "24 hours, 7 days a week" or even just plain "all day, every day". Simon Ball, Worcester

5. The one I can't stand is "deplane", meaning to disembark an aircraft, used in the phrase "you will be able to deplane momentarily". TykeIntheHague, Den Haag, Holland

6. To "wait on" instead of "wait for" when you're not a waiter - once read a friend's comment about being in a station waiting on a train. For him, the train had yet to arrive - I would have thought rather that it had got stuck at the station with the friend on board. T Balinski, Raglan, New Zealand

7. "It is what it is". Pity us. Michael Knapp, Chicago, US

8. Dare I even mention the fanny pack? Lisa, Red Deer, Canada

9. "Touch base" - it makes me cringe no end. Chris, UK

10. Is "physicality" a real word? Curtis, US

11. Transportation. What's wrong with transport? Greg Porter, Hercules, CA, US

12. The word I hate to hear is "leverage". Pronounced lev-er-ig rather than lee-ver -ig. It seems to pop up in all aspects of work. And its meaning seems to have changed to "value added". Gareth Wilkins, Leicester

13. Does nobody celebrate a birthday anymore, must we all "turn" 12 or 21 or 40? Even the Duke of Edinburgh was universally described as "turning" 90 last month. When did this begin? I quite like the phrase in itself, but it seems to have obliterated all other ways of speaking about birthdays. Michael McAndrew, Swindon

14. I caught myself saying "shopping cart" instead of shopping trolley today and was thoroughly disgusted with myself. I've never lived nor been to the US either. Graham Nicholson, Glasgow

15. What kind of word is "gotten"? It makes me shudder. Julie Marrs, Warrington

16. "I'm good" for "I'm well". That'll do for a start. Mike, Bridgend, Wales

17. "Bangs" for a fringe of the hair. Philip Hall, Nottingham

18. Take-out rather than takeaway! Simon Ball, Worcester

19. I enjoy Americanisms. I suspect even some Americans use them in a tongue-in-cheek manner? "That statement was the height of ridiculosity". Bob, Edinburgh

20. "A half hour" instead of "half an hour". EJB, Devon

21. A "heads up". For example, as in a business meeting. Lets do a "heads up" on this issue. I have never been sure of the meaning. R Haworth, Marlborough

22. Train station. My teeth are on edge every time I hear it. Who started it? Have they been punished? Chris Capewell, Queens Park, London

23. To put a list into alphabetical order is to "alphabetize it" - horrid! Chris Fackrell, York

24. People that say "my bad" after a mistake. I don't know how anything could be as annoying or lazy as that. Simon Williamson, Lymington, Hampshire

25. "Normalcy" instead of "normality" really irritates me. Tom Gabbutt, Huddersfield

26. As an expat living in New Orleans, it is a very long list but "burglarize" is currently the word that I most dislike. Simon, New Orleans

27. "Oftentimes" just makes me shiver with annoyance. Fortunately I've not noticed it over here yet. John, London

28. Eaterie. To use a prevalent phrase, oh my gaad! Alastair, Maidstone (now in Athens, Ohio)

29. I'm a Brit living in New York. The one that always gets me is the American need to use the word bi-weekly when fortnightly would suffice just fine. Ami Grewal, New York

30. I hate "alternate" for "alternative". I don't like this as they are two distinct words, both have distinct meanings and it's useful to have both. Using alternate for alternative deprives us of a word. Catherine, London

31. "Hike" a price. Does that mean people who do that are hikers? No, hikers are ramblers! M Holloway, Accrington

32. Going forward? If I do I shall collide with my keyboard. Ric Allen, Matlock

33. I hate the word "deliverable". Used by management consultants for something that they will "deliver" instead of a report. Joseph Wall, Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire

34. The most annoying Americanism is "a million and a half" when it is clearly one and a half million! A million and a half is 1,000,000.5 where one and a half million is 1,500,000. Gordon Brown, Coventry

35. "Reach out to" when the correct word is "ask". For example: "I will reach out to Kevin and let you know if that timing is convenient". Reach out? Is Kevin stuck in quicksand? Is he teetering on the edge of a cliff? Can't we just ask him? Nerina, London

36. Surely the most irritating is: "You do the Math." Math? It's MATHS. Michael Zealey, London

37. I hate the fact I now have to order a "regular Americano". What ever happened to a medium sized coffee? Marcus Edwards, Hurst Green

38. My worst horror is expiration, as in "expiration date". Whatever happened to expiry? Christina Vakomies, London

39. My favourite one was where Americans claimed their family were "Scotch-Irish". This of course it totally inaccurate, as even if it were possible, it would be "Scots" not "Scotch", which as I pointed out is a drink. James, Somerset

40.I am increasingly hearing the phrase "that'll learn you" - when the English (and more correct) version was always "that'll teach you". What a ridiculous phrase! Tabitha, London

41. I really hate the phrase: "Where's it at?" This is not more efficient or informative than "where is it?" It just sounds grotesque and is immensely irritating. Adam, London

42. Period instead of full stop. Stuart Oliver, Sunderland

43. My pet hate is "winningest", used in the context "Michael Schumacher is the winningest driver of all time". I can feel the rage rising even using it here. Gayle, Nottingham

44. My brother now uses the term "season" for a TV series. Hideous. D Henderson, Edinburgh

45. Having an "issue" instead of a "problem". John, Leicester

46. I hear more and more people pronouncing the letter Z as "zee". Not happy about it! Ross, London

47. To "medal" instead of to win a medal. Sets my teeth on edge with a vengeance. Helen, Martock, Somerset

48. "I got it for free" is a pet hate. You got it "free" not "for free". You don't get something cheap and say you got it "for cheap" do you? Mark Jones, Plymouth

49. "Turn that off already". Oh dear. Darren, Munich

50. "I could care less" instead of "I couldn't care less" has to be the worst. Opposite meaning of what they're trying to say. Jonathan, Birmingham


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14201796



and I'll add my own


51: British miscers using any of the following words - dude, bro, brah, sucks, douchebag, *******, awesome and so on.

No one talks like that in Britain, so just stop.

[ronnie09]

52. negged

[Bohdizzle]

53. negged.

[kreeafeend]

language evolves like the ppl who speak it, genres, tone, culture and accent are just a vew variables that modify the english language

the english language is and was meant to change with the times, dont see any brits still talking like they did during the dark ages, same teeth tho

[educated_Derelict]

36. Surely the most irritating is: "You do the Math." Math? It's MATHS. Michael Zealey, London

[SCAR-H]

54. There's sand in your vaginas.

[educated_Derelict]

same teeth tho

[PLPowerman]

Most of the phrases are slang and recognizable by the general population. Learn to evolve as a country ******* OP.

[mitch2147]

Some of those are used every day and seem normal. Others only spastics use, such as #50.

[Aune]

How are you supposed to say Z then?

[Mighty Matt]

A lot of those go both ways.

He doesn't like "shopping cart".
Americans wouldn't like "Shopping trolley".

[mitch2147]

How are you supposed to say Z then?

The British and Australians pronounce it as "Zed".

[LAWLER89]

My reaction to these rarely-used euphemisms that supposedly represents us Yanks:

[Bseic]

How are you supposed to say Z then?

Like you pronounce 'said' but instead 'zaid' (zed)

[Achilles87]

Most of those are just dumb

could care less is fukking annoying though.

[Bobly]

I haven't heard many of these before. This list makes Brits look like idle snobs.

[BEARDofNORRIS]

A lot of those have nothing to do with "American english", they're just poor grammar/slang/ignorance - and many of them are not that common in America.

Everyone in GB uses perfect oxford english? I don't think so.

Also, in America - we don't care enough about your culture to even consider something a "Britainism"....The average American never even thinks about your country unless it's on the news.....so jokes on you....innit?

[kreeafeend]

The British and Australians pronounce it as "Zed".

canadians as well but most say zee

[GetHimABodyBag]

51. July 4th

[Nightspirit10]

lol'd hard

Op I agree with most of these... Annoys the fukc outta me as well... But shopping trolley?.... GTFO you twat.

[backinbusiness]

A lot of those have nothing to do with "American english", they're just poor grammar/slang/ignorance - and many of them are not that common in America.

Everyone in GB uses perfect oxford english? I don't think so.

Also, in America - we don't care enough about your culture to even consider something a "Britainism"....The average American never even thinks about your country unless it's on the news.....so jokes on you....innit?

Repped LOL.

Its true. We really don't care.

You brits got a generic duststorm in Arizona the other week on your news lmao. I don't think I've heard anything about Britain recently other than the death of that dumb bitch Winehouse, but who gives a **** about her anyway...

[MrDeafMuscle]

#8.....I do not get it. Most pictures I see of brits are people wearing flipping fanny packs like a ******* (yea USA was into that in the 80's but you will not see anyone wearing those now except brits lmao). Might as well as complain about the man purses in Aussie?

[notsoslimjim]

It s true, us Brits are petty. Lets me string some words together......... Time, much, too, hands, on and our....

Since when was Americanisms a word? Is it like Pakisms or Indianisms or germanisms?

Must be a Scottism when I drink a whisky with my haggis and neems.

[chpalmer24]

36. Surely the most irritating is: "You do the Math." Math? It's MATHS. Michael Zealey, London

this guy... Seriously though most of those "Americanisms" aren't Americanisms at all

[notsoslimjim]

A lot of those have nothing to do with "American english", they're just poor grammar/slang/ignorance - and many of them are not that common in America.

Everyone in GB uses perfect oxford english? I don't think so.

Also, in America - we don't care enough about your culture to even consider something a "Britainism"....The average American never even thinks about your country unless it's on the news.....so jokes on you....innit?

Innit? I see what you did there....... Burberry must be popular over in the US too.

[Bobly]

#8.....I do not get it. Most pictures I see of brits are people wearing flipping fanny packs like a ******* (yea USA was into that in the 80's but you will not see anyone wearing those now except brits lmao). Might as well as complain about the man purses in Aussie?

Tourists of every nationality wear fanny packs.

[Zkskee]

^ The people who sent in these complaints - pretentious *******s.

[brentwillisbgw]

I could care less what you Brits hate.

[SunRaTempel]

This is so bad and stereotypical I thought it was an article from the onion or something.

[BigLarge]

Also, in America - we don't care enough about your culture to even consider something a "Britainism"....The average American never even thinks about your country unless it's on the news.....so jokes on you....innit?

truth