Telegraph.co.uk's top 10 most annoying Americanisms - we can do better.

It's a bug, not a bird. How is the English word superior?

A Ladybird is a beetle, not a bug so neither version is any better. It should really be a Ladybeetle.
 
However, bug is also a generic term for "small invertebrate". So while ladybug may not be scientifically correct, it is more bug than bird.
 
Something I find a bit annoying is brits giving americans a hard time for pronouncing Jaguar "wrong". I dont see english people going out of their way to pronounce Dodge in an american accent when talking about the Dodge Viper.
 
Was it the Americans who first started putting "like" in every sentance in "like" stupid places...
I mean can't they "like" stop it.

Seriously, even I do it now, and you get it loads on American TV shows. Really annoying to hear, and to know you do it yourself!
 
Was it the Americans who first started putting "like" in every sentance in "like" stupid places...
I mean can't they "like" stop it.

Seriously, even I do it now, and you get it loads on American TV shows. Really annoying to hear, and to know you do it yourself!

Yeah it's like sooooo annoying and I like really hate it, god I like really hate people who like like to do that. I mean they're soooo like think they're cool doing it but they're like not and I'm like "get over yourselves you're soooo like get on my nerves" and they're like "It's like how I speak, you can't like change it" and I'm like "Shut up! I ain't even like done something or nothing!"
 
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Something I find a bit annoying is brits giving americans a hard time for pronouncing Jaguar "wrong". I dont see english people going out of their way to pronounce Dodge in an american accent when talking about the Dodge Viper.

Because 'Dodge' sounds the same in English and American accents.

On the other hand, Jag-you-war and Jag-warr sound different.

Same way car enthusiasts will be annoyed if you pronounce Porsche Porsh.
 
The o is pronounced a bit differently, but unlike Jaguar, there are no syllables swallowed.
 
Because 'Dodge' sounds the same in English and American accents.

On the other hand, Jag-you-war and Jag-warr sound different.

Same way car enthusiasts will be annoyed if you pronounce Porsche Porsh.

Americans tend to pronounce it more like "daadge". I can definately hear a difference.
 
Fuck my old boots.

/EDIT To clarify: Who cares? So long as we understand one another.
 
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Was it the Americans who first started putting "like" in every sentance in "like" stupid places...

I overheard someone having a conversation on her...umm...pocket phone...once that caused my ears to vomit, and my eyes scream.

She was referring to the phrase "Like attracts like" which means something along the lines of "birds of a feather flock together."

"So, like, I'm like: 'You know how, like, like attracts, like, like? Well, I like money, so, like, where's the money?'"

:no:

She said "like" so many times surrounding "like attracts like", I thought she'd go back in time...like when you sprinkle bacon bits on bacon.
 
Everyone I heard pronounce it gives it a log "o". Rhymes with the way vicky or tiff say"hodge podge".

I've always pronounced, and heard it pronounced more like "dahj" (where the "j" is a fairly hard "j" like at the beginning of the word "judge.")
 
"oh my gaawd!"
"with all due respect" (has become a meme for people who think they or their opinions are of meaning, when they're clearly not)
"amazing!" (when used more than once)
copula +"like"
"you betcha" (argh!)
"god bless you / soldiers / america / ronald mcdonald" (what would thomas jefferson say?)
"anti" pronounced "antay" (i know it's usual, but i dont like the sound)
"whatsoever" (when at all would be more appropreate, as in "i don't like it whatsoever" or even worse "whatever")
"traffic circle" (how imaginative)


but the winner, by a kilometre, is "Drive Thru", it is a synonyme for everything that's wrong with america (at least if you trust the stereotypes). It's to complicated to write "through" then is it?

if someone uses any of those phrases (and some others) in my presence, i will immediately lose any respect for the person or what they say. for no good reason, other than personal preference. they may be intelligent, or have something really important to say. i just can not stand language like that.

Another thing i dislike about the american language it that everyone seems to think, yes there is freedom of speech, as long as you don't say ****! (edit: see, it's censored!) I know that the real world will most likely not be like the one i see on the telly, but for fuck's sake.

Other than that, after the presidential elections, i'm almost tempted to "do a kennedy" and pronounce "ich bin ein new yorker", but i'll wait a bit longer to see if they can get it half right this time, first of all.

-

i saw a speech by Richard Stallman, and in the Q&A session afterwards, an american student put on an english accent. It was pretty awkward. "nod ad owl english" :lol: But somehow, the english accent is associated with the aristocracy and knowledge and intelligence. let me just say, i try to keep my english an english as possible, not to sound like an aristocrat, but because i'm european, and i sort of like it.

allright, that was fairly random.
good night :)
 
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Well what do you do when someone sneezes near you just look at them like they have 5 heads, I say god bless you.
 
I say "gesundheit."

I said it once to a customer at work who sneezed. She curled her lip, and asked "Pf...what is that? German?"

It spawned a running joke: whenever someone would sneeze, they would get called a "Nazi."



A few of my friends say, rather than bless you, "damn you." The response to that is "go to hell." We've been doing it so long, that it's a reflex now, and we say it without thinking about it.
 
i say gesundheit :)

you know what i mean though. america is meant to have a secular government, yet there have to be about fifty references to god allmighty in every speech and debate. as if it would mean anything. as if it would make any difference if a soilder is shot, or shot and god bless him. thats nothing against anybodys religion (not here anyway), i just think, if you have nothing meaningful to say, don't say anything.

here's something you can try at home: have a discussion that involves god, and refer to god as "she". try and make out the two stages of confusion, when they first think that god's supposed to be a man, and then realise that they don't have a clue if she is and they've just been sexist all along. :lol: (should say that i've 'stolen' this from Michael Shermer, editor of sceptic magazine)


A few of my friends say, rather than bless you, "damn you." The response to that is "go to hell." We've been doing it so long, that it's a reflex now, and we say it without thinking about it.

Of course, germany has rules and regulations for that sort of thing.
The doctrine about sneezing, as dictated by the "Knigge" (an annual manifesto for good behaviour) was changed a few years ago, now, the person sneezing has to apologise, instead of someone else wishing them to get well.

i'm not making this up. :)
 
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