Comments on: Things Americans Say Wrong

By: Roy Miller

Roy Miller — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:57:04 +0000

Language and of course spelling change constantly. Its how we took Latin words (as well as many other origins) and turned them into many of the English words you are complaining Americans use wrong. British people are using a lot of Norse words wrong, spelled wrong and spoken wrong but they are now part of modern English. You don’t go to the Olde Shoppe anymore and why you didn’t once type in this post that thou hast offended mine ears and so forth.

Sure, plenty of the examples are like knives to the ears because you know the right way to say it or heard it another way growing up. I tend to say the phrases on this list the correct way though I would argue a few of them if language bothered me but I know it’s never constant. Your grandkids will think phrases you say now sound as quaint as you think your grandparents were when using the word quaint before it became antiquated.

But before you talk about how screwed up Americans are when we say these look to the Brits (my wife is one so I have first hand experience) I’ve heard some odd phrases and mistakes in them as well.. all cultures have people that screw up the words. But when you want to get technical on a culture why is it that every roll of clear tape is Sellotape no matter who makes it. Why is it that you ‘hoover’ the floor even when you are using a Dyson to VACUUM it?

You guys pick a brand name to represent all of that particular market including the competitors. I filled out an application that told me to use a black Biro (which is a brand of ball point pen) which made me wonder how much trouble I would get into if I used a Bic pen instead. In America you would never see corporate documents specifying the use of one particular company’s product by name. They would simply name the type of item they are referring to. For instance instruction manuals for how to properly disinfect a hospital waiting room would recommend using diluted chlorine bleach rather than tell you to use dilute Clorox in water. This is very confusing when a Yank like me is sent to the store to pick up a slew of items where the brand name is not indicative of the product and which aisle I should be going down to find it in.

By: Child Insanity

Child Insanity — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:40:28 +0000

I agree with Erin. Nit-pickers!
:<
And, my own point:
You guys are all complaining about how others speak. Has it not dawned on you yet how SAD you all sound? What are you, all 50 something snooty parents?

Even having experienced first hand 4 psycologists at work, I fail to completely recognise why you care so much about the uses of the English language. Nothing BAD will happen if people sometiimes say the wrong things! Worry about other things, like climate change for example.

Some people refuse to live in harmony with others, and it a damn shame people despise others for things as trivial as this.
Nobody is perfect, no race or way of speaking.
Live with it.

I leave you with one last thing:
Cats: All your base are belong to us

and if you don't understand that, WAYYY

By: Brian Wright

Brian Wright — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:24:14 +0000

@Natalie Lawliet
That’s a veryyyy, different comment?
But that link was very helpful, thanks Natalie.
I hate it when American’s say they speak American! They speak English! So frustrating!

By: Natalie Lawliet Way

Natalie Lawliet Way — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:15:39 +0000

Wowww. Some list!
I live in Britain and I say some stuff in the dreaded American way. XD lol. Seriously, what site is this? I found it when I vlicked on a pic for ‘Jesus smelt’… Srsly, Dimty Brant? Um, a wut now?
Heh well…
http://www.bebo.com/frerardfanficy
its my site adressing all-sorts.
Byee happy peepz!

xoxo athiest XD

By: Gix

Gix — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:22:01 +0000

Most of this seems to be petulant whining about idiosyncrasies in American English pronunciation, which is rather like people from Spain complaining about the way people from Mexico aren’t using “correct” Spanish. Admittedly some of these are just mis-wordings, like “For all intensive purposes” rather then “For all Intents and Purposes” but complaining about most of these just makes you seem like a 14 year old grammar nazi with serious anger issues.

By: Melissa Ryan

Melissa Ryan — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 21:28:04 +0000

I have a good one to add to the list: prerogative. It’s ‘prerogative’, not ‘perogative’ as I hear so many people pronounce it.
Also the meaning has more to do with precedence and superiority than about choice. I hear people say ‘perogative’ as a substitute for the word choice, so both the pronunication and the meaning are off there.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 12:31:12 +0000

John says: “Oh, and one more:
Nissan (as in the make of car) – pronouncing it ‘Neeesahn’ – it’s like nails on a chalkboard!”

I don’t understand. How do YOU pronounce that word?

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 11:39:18 +0000

Saying “orangutang” for orangutan is not incorrect. It’s a perfectly fine alternate pronunciation. Don’t take my word for it, check a few dictionaries.

By: John

John — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 03:27:31 +0000

Basically, there’s English, and then there’s American – with all the differences in spelling, pronounciation and vocabulary it can easily be viewed as a separate language – examples:

AMERICAN ENGLISH
faucet tap
diaper nappy
pants trousers (pants are what you wear underneath)
sidewalk pavement
egg plant aubergine
chips crisps
fries chips
hood (car) bonnet
trunk (car) boot
aluminum aluminium
restroom toilet (seriously, how much ‘rest’ are you getting in there?)

and as for spelling…
AMERICAN ENGLISH
color colour
check cheque
tires (car) tyres
center centre
mustache moustache
-ize -ise
donut doughnut
gray grey

obviously these lists could go on…

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:27:44 +0000

Here in Canada, we like to say, regarding the American slang, that ‘we are two countries separated by a common language’.