posted
I know this is a minor thing in the grand scheme of things, but my roommate is driving me nuts with her insistence on using Britishisms, when she is neither 1.) British, and 2.) While she may play an Englishwoman at the ren faire, it's been over for five damn months now.
1.) They are not 'knickers' here. They are 'underpants'. Or panties. Whichever.
2.) You are not 'stuffing your gob', you are 'stuffing your face'.
3.) It is not a 'loo', it's a 'bathroom'.
You guys get the idea. It's not an awful thing, but it's getting on my nerves a bit.
Magdalene
-------------------- "Don't mess with me. I dance with swords." Posts: 1656 | From: Colorado | Registered: Oct 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Were those terms even in use during the Renaissance?
Is "gob" particularly British? Afterall, there is the candy called Gobstoppers.
Admiral "Bloody sod" Dinty
-------------------- "I wanna bite the hand that feeds me. I wanna bite that hand so badly. I wanna make them wish they'd never seen me." - Elvis Costello Posts: 2291 | From: The Banks of the Merrimack, MA | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Is she using a convincing accent with the words or just blathering them out in an American accent? Because, either one would be annoying.
I say "bloody" a lot in an attempt to cut down on my use of the F-bomb. I swear a lot. I also say "crikey" and a few other choice Australian slang words. I don't use an accent though- just my normal American one. My Aussie friends tease me a bit about that- but I blame them for me using the words in the first place.
-------------------- "Is it ME? Am I a MAGNET for these idiots?"~Pearl Forrester MST3K Die-Hard Engineers, Big Red One my Dad's website "Must be a 'snopes' thing..." ~my entire family when I try to explain something. Posts: 4524 | From: South of Madison, Wisconsin | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
A few small Britishisms slipped into my speech because one of my college roommates was British. However, I don't seek to actively use them; they usually just slip out. "Bloody" is probably the one I fall into the most. Come to think of it, I think most of them have fallen out of use for me as it's been quite a while since we roomed together.
-------------------- "But about the reindeer...what kind of a nose shines? How did he get it? Maybe it's not a reindeer after all. It could be something else." Posts: 2216 | From: Winston-Salem, NC | Registered: Nov 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
What the hell, let her have her fun. Life is short and anything people can do to change their routine or try something new is probably a good thing for everyone. You need to lighten up and laugh it off. People go through phases; You probably do, too. The sooner you get over that, the easier your life will be.
Posts: 4922 | From: Kyoto, Japan | Registered: Sep 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I use some Briticisms because I my reading is more in British than American literature; also, coming from Minnesota, I find that some Briticisms have come into Minnesota speech by way of Canada which are not used in other parts of the US. (E.g., referring to the day after Christmas as Boxing Day. When I was going up it was always Boxing Day--it was only after I moved to the South that people started looking at me oddly.)
-------------------- "The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart."--Iris Murdoch Posts: 3307 | From: Charleston, WV | Registered: Oct 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Oh, I'd be pretty annoyed by this too. I have a friend who, ever since the World Cup this year, has insisted on replacing every utterance of "bullshit" with "bollocks". It's a minor thing, but it's grating.
-------------------- "For me, religion is like a rhinoceros: I don't have one, and I'd really prefer not to be trampled by yours. But it is impressive, and even beautiful, and, to be honest, the world would be slightly worse off if there weren't any." -Silas Sparkhammer Posts: 3239 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
That would annoy the pants off me too, because it probably sounds forced.
I use a few Irish expressions and slang words- I've roomed with a paddy for the last 8 years so it's inevitable. But most of them my friends are used to, and some use them as well. There are also some words that have no equivalent American version. Like, I can't think of another way to say, "you're wrecking my head!" Is there?
Also, the sound of Americans doing Irish/British accents makes my ears bleed. Ever see Boondock Saints? I practically have to watch it on mute so as not to ruin the hotness, jeez...
-------------------- My great grandfather planted that tree! Posts: 4862 | From: Brooklyn | Registered: Sep 2000
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by LeaflessMapleTree: Oh, I'd be pretty annoyed by this too. I have a friend who, ever since the World Cup this year, has insisted on replacing every utterance of "bullshit" with "bollocks". It's a minor thing, but it's grating.
I had an american lecturer in university for a while. Great guy, really engaging lecturer and he had really interesting stories, but he had lived in glasgow for about 20 years. He had picked up the glaswegian speech pattern of using swearing as punctuation, but without ever losing his southern accent. Mostly it was okay, but it was completely jarring when he used the word "bollocks". for some reason it was really really jarring. I'm not sure if its because of his accent or that he emphasised the wrong syllable, but it just completely threw everyone.
He'd say things like "We tried to upgrade the equipment, but the new oscilliscopes are a load of bloody Ball-axe", but in a sort of colonel sanders southern drawl. It was just really wierd.
-------------------- This Space For Rent. Posts: 210 | From: Glasgow, Scotland | Registered: Jul 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'm with Ganz' on this one - what's the problem? I know I use a lot of Americanisms in my speech (which Brit doesn't? We've been adopting Americanisms for 200 years!) and I use the examples I like the sound of, that work with my patterns of speech and writing and all this goes to make up my idiolect, one of the things that makes me an individual.
That I also use examples of language with their origins from Australia, India, Ireland, Germany, France etc speaks not only of my linguistic knowledge but also the mannar in which languages themselves are developed.
'Gob' btw is from the Gaelic
-------------------- This is where I come up with something right? Something really clever... Posts: 6552 | From: UK | Registered: Oct 2002
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Admiral Dinty: Is "gob" particularly British? Afterall, there is the candy called Gobstoppers.
IIRC, it was named after a candy mentioned in Roald Dahl's original Willy Wonka story (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?). Dahl was British, wasn't he?
-------------------- How homophobic do you have to be to have penguin gaydar? - Lewis Black Posts: 8322 | From: Columbus, OH | Registered: Aug 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
He was, being born at Llandaff in South Wales in 1916.
The fascinating facts page of the Roald Museum and Story Centre says that his first language was Norwegian. He does, of course, use a lot of Americanisms in his books - such as the title, 'Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator'. Maybe this sounds better than 'Great Glass Lift'.
Oh, and back on track, I have no objection to British people using Americanisms, except when they use it for effect, e.g. they use it to confuse people and to say, 'Look, I'm widely travelled [ or should that be 'traveled'? ] I know what the Americans call...'
-------------------- Andrew, Ware, England Posts: 1709 | From: Ware, England | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Admiral Dinty: Is "gob" particularly British? Afterall, there is the candy called Gobstoppers.
IIRC, it was named after a candy mentioned in Roald Dahl's original Willy Wonka story (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?). Dahl was British, wasn't he?
Everlasting gobstoppers were in Charlie and the chocolate factory, Gobstoppers were around before that. I think USians call them Jawbreakers. Gob is british slang for mouth.
-------------------- This Space For Rent. Posts: 210 | From: Glasgow, Scotland | Registered: Jul 2006
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Jay Tea: I'm with Ganz' on this one - what's the problem? I know I use a lot of Americanisms in my speech (which Brit doesn't? We've been adopting Americanisms for 200 years!) and I use the examples I like the sound of, that work with my patterns of speech and writing and all this goes to make up my idiolect, one of the things that makes me an individual.
That I also use examples of language with their origins from Australia, India, Ireland, Germany, France etc speaks not only of my linguistic knowledge but also the mannar in which languages themselves are developed.
'Gob' btw is from the Gaelic
I guess it's just that you guys probably hear a lot more 'Americanisms' than North Americans hear 'Britishisms'.
No one walks around the streets of Toronto saying "bollocks", "lift" (for elevator), "lorry", "crisps", "bloody 'ell", etc.
Those who do are either visitors/recent immigrants, or they think it sounds cool to emulate british speech. And it just sounds out of place for some reason. Especially when they do it in the accent.
-------------------- "For me, religion is like a rhinoceros: I don't have one, and I'd really prefer not to be trampled by yours. But it is impressive, and even beautiful, and, to be honest, the world would be slightly worse off if there weren't any." -Silas Sparkhammer Posts: 3239 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Is she doing it on purpose, or is it just slipping out? The first is irritating; the second can be incredibly difficult to change. As a long-term scadian, porta-potties are "privies," underwear is "smalls," and cars are "dragons," all year 'round, no matter how hard I try to talk like a normal person.
quote:Originally posted by Admiral Dinty: Is "gob" particularly British? Afterall, there is the candy called Gobstoppers.
IIRC, it was named after a candy mentioned in Roald Dahl's original Willy Wonka story (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?). Dahl was British, wasn't he?
Everlasting gobstoppers were in Charlie and the chocolate factory, Gobstoppers were around before that. I think USians call them Jawbreakers. Gob is british slang for mouth.
It was the US Gobstoppers I was referring to. I meant to suggest that the use of the word in the Wonka book and movie led to the use of the word for a specific candy in the US. It's not used as a generic term here -- it may even be a trademark.
-------------------- How homophobic do you have to be to have penguin gaydar? - Lewis Black Posts: 8322 | From: Columbus, OH | Registered: Aug 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Elkhound: (E.g., referring to the day after Christmas as Boxing Day. When I was going up it was always Boxing Day--it was only after I moved to the South that people started looking at me oddly.)
So, can I ask what someone calls 26th December over thataway? As an Aussie, it's distinctly weird to not have the day referred to as Boxing Day.
It's kind of funny watching people complain about language I consider normal, too.
-------------------- You have just been involved in a drive-by posting. Posts: 204 | From: CQ, Australia | Registered: Feb 2006
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Elkhound: (E.g., referring to the day after Christmas as Boxing Day. When I was going up it was always Boxing Day--it was only after I moved to the South that people started looking at me oddly.)
So, can I ask what someone calls 26th December over thataway? As an Aussie, it's distinctly weird to not have the day referred to as Boxing Day.
"The day after Christmas." In most of the US, it's not observed in any way.
-------------------- How homophobic do you have to be to have penguin gaydar? - Lewis Black Posts: 8322 | From: Columbus, OH | Registered: Aug 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I was a bit confused when I first heard about Boxing Day. I had no idea what it was. I had a mental image of a couple of pugilists in an outdoor ring with Dickens type carolers cheering them on.
posted
Thanks for that, Lainie. To be honest, I'm not sure why we call it that. Maybe a more knowledgeable snopester could explain?
My family has always used it as a 'recovering' day, anyway. We've needed it in the past: Big extended family all in one place for Christmas = Very worn out people.
-------------------- You have just been involved in a drive-by posting. Posts: 204 | From: CQ, Australia | Registered: Feb 2006
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Andrew of Ware, Elfland: Oh, and back on track, I have no objection to British people using Americanisms, except when they use it for effect, e.g. they use it to confuse people and to say, 'Look, I'm widely travelled [ or should that be 'traveled'? ] I know what the Americans call...'
The obvious follow-up to which is to ask, "Which Americans?" Certain words mean different things in different parts of the country, for example "soda."
I've been known to use the occasional British-ism, but since moving to Europe, I find myself trying just a bit harder to stick to American English just as a matter of pride. The one exception is that, since most people over here speak British-style English, I will now usually say "fullstop" instead of "period," as the latter can be so embarrassingly misinterpreted.
-------------------- Another lifetime I'd have fallen in love with you Swept away by my feelings, ashamed and confused But just now it's enough to be walking with you Let the mystery play as it will! -Lui Collins Posts: 2669 | From: Jouy en Josas, France | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by kitoboo: I was a bit confused when I first heard about Boxing Day. I had no idea what it was. I had a mental image of a couple of pugilists in an outdoor ring with Dickens type carolers cheering them on.
-kitoboo
The usual explanation for the term 'Boxing Day' is that was the day tradesmen received their Christmas 'boxes' (i.e. presents) customers. Servants also received their boxes from their masters and it was the tradition in many houses for the masters to wait upon their servants (but traditions varied from house to house). In some places poor boxes in churches were opened and money distributed to the poor of the parish. (However, in a lot of parishes the poor boxes were opened at other times.) It was the giving of Christmas 'boxes' to tradesmen that is the usual reason given.
posted
I don't think the Britishisms would bother me. I've been known to incorporate British (or other) words into my speech just because I like them.
Lydia "don't get your knickers in a knot" Oh Lydia
-------------------- "My name is the symbol for my identity and must not be lost." Motto of the Lucy Stone League. Posts: 1815 | From: Pennsylvania | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Andrew of Ware, Elfland:
quote:Originally posted by kitoboo: I was a bit confused when I first heard about Boxing Day. I had no idea what it was. I had a mental image of a couple of pugilists in an outdoor ring with Dickens type carolers cheering them on.
-kitoboo
The usual explanation for the term 'Boxing Day' is that was the day tradesmen received their Christmas 'boxes' (i.e. presents) customers. Servants also received their boxes from their masters and it was the tradition in many houses for the masters to wait upon their servants (but traditions varied from house to house). In some places poor boxes in churches were opened and money distributed to the poor of the parish. (However, in a lot of parishes the poor boxes were opened at other times.) It was the giving of Christmas 'boxes' to tradesmen that is the usual reason given.
I decided long ago that the reason it is called Boxing Day is that December 26th is the day that people take all of their boxes full of crappy presents and return them to stores for all of the boxes of low-priced sale goodies.
Sure, I made it up. But it more accurately describes Boxing Day around these parts.
Maple"Sometimes we need ULs"Leaf
-------------------- "For me, religion is like a rhinoceros: I don't have one, and I'd really prefer not to be trampled by yours. But it is impressive, and even beautiful, and, to be honest, the world would be slightly worse off if there weren't any." -Silas Sparkhammer Posts: 3239 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Maybe it's being Canadian, or having lived in England so much in the last few years but we have a lot of Britishisms in our speech. I know I can find it irritating when someone puts on a British accent but just using the terms? well, people who live in glass houses and all that
-------------------- If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, it's just possible you haven't grasped the situation. - Jean Kerr Posts: 18428 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Magdalene: I know this is a minor thing in the grand scheme of things, but my roommate is driving me nuts with her insistence on using Britishisms, when she is neither 1.) British, and 2.) While she may play an Englishwoman at the ren faire, it's been over for five damn months now.
1.) They are not 'knickers' here. They are 'underpants'. Or panties. Whichever.
2.) You are not 'stuffing your gob', you are 'stuffing your face'.
3.) It is not a 'loo', it's a 'bathroom'.
You guys get the idea. It's not an awful thing, but it's getting on my nerves a bit.
Magdalene
I'm totally with you Magdalene. Do you suppose it's cuz your roommate is an annoying person in general, so everything she does gets magnified? I think I've heard you complain about her before.
I had a roommate last year who was a real PITA: Always home, never did anything, talked too much, WAY too much energy...
and obsessed with the British. He'd watch soccer all day, and insist on calling it "football," and in fact, would sometimes insist that I call it "football" also. Dickhead, I'm an American and so are you, and it's "soccer."
I think it was annoying because he was working so hard to make sure everyone knew he was being counterculture. It really doesn't work if you're forcing it, genius.
posted
I'm all for using words for effet. I'm not Mexican, but I much prefer the term chonkla to cheap flip-flop. And pendejo has a connotation that just can't be caught by an English word. But I don't enjoy listening to people try to channel Cheech and Chong constantly. I don't see a problem with incorporating another country's idioms into your style. I have a problem with changing your style. Does that make sense? Like the people who go around quoting huge swatches of Monty Python routines. Whereas if I make a face (like I did the other night) when I bit into a nasty piece of Christmas candy and someone said "Crunchy frog?", that made me shoot a little beer out of my nose.
I'm probably just rambling.
Posts: 4811 | From: Austin, TX | Registered: Feb 2000
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Magdalene: I know this is a minor thing in the grand scheme of things, but my roommate is driving me nuts with her insistence on using Britishisms, when she is neither 1.) British, and 2.) While she may play an Englishwoman at the ren faire, it's been over for five damn months now.
1.) They are not 'knickers' here. They are 'underpants'. Or panties. Whichever.
2.) You are not 'stuffing your gob', you are 'stuffing your face'.
3.) It is not a 'loo', it's a 'bathroom'.
You guys get the idea. It's not an awful thing, but it's getting on my nerves a bit.
Magdalene
I'm totally with you Magdalene. Do you suppose it's cuz your roommate is an annoying person in general, so everything she does gets magnified? I think I've heard you complain about her before.
I had a roommate last year who was a real PITA: Always home, never did anything, talked too much, WAY too much energy...
and obsessed with the British. He'd watch soccer all day, and insist on calling it "football," and in fact, would sometimes insist that I call it "football" also. Dickhead, I'm an American and so are you, and it's "soccer."
I think it was annoying because he was working so hard to make sure everyone knew he was being counterculture. It really doesn't work if you're forcing it, genius.
I think in this case, it was a combination of 1.) due to the blizzard here in Denver, we were stuck together for three days straight, which probably made me a bit stir-crazy to begin with, 2.) she's quite a talker, and I swear she talked the entire 72 hours, and 3.) the "British-isms" have always mildly annoyed me, because she'll 'hiccup' them--she'll start to say, "I'm going to stuff my fa--gob." "I'm going to wash all my un--knickers." I think I've just always thought, "You were already halfway through the 'American' word anyway, the British one isn't your first choice, quit it." And the last three days probably just caused me to snap a bit.
For those who jumped my case--I'd like to point out that I did acknowledge that I knew this was a minor thing, it was just driving me nuts. Sheesh.
Magdalene
-------------------- "Don't mess with me. I dance with swords." Posts: 1656 | From: Colorado | Registered: Oct 2001
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Ana Ng: , didn't think of it that way.
In Ireland, it's not Boxing Day, it's St. Stephen's Day. Huuuuuge day for drinkin'.
... how is that different than the other 364 days of the year in Ireland?
Spam "Of Irish ancestry but can't hold my liquor with 2 hands" Amander
-------------------- "There is a race between mankind and the universe. Mankind is trying to build bigger, better, faster, and more foolproof machines. The universe is trying to build bigger, better, and faster fools. So far the universe is winning." -Albert Einstein Posts: 1058 | From: Yakima, WA | Registered: Dec 2005
| IP: Logged |
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[lol]](graemlins/lol.gif)
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[fish]](graemlins/fish.gif)
