Americanisms gone too far, are you guilty?

dodderangler

Go out to any posh yuppy area and you’ll hear a lot of “ dude” and “ awesome” and “omg” and other stupid shït that yanks say.

noodler

Sonny noggs wrote: »

Not a fan of ‘mam’, too working class in my opinion.

Christ.

What do you say

Pythagorean

dodderangler wrote: »

Go out to any posh yuppy area and you’ll hear a lot of “ dude” and “ awesome” and “omg” and other stupid shït that yanks say.

Today I saw a chubby teenage boy wearing a baseball cap back to front, and high fiving his pals. Certain there was a lot of that "awesome" garbage being said too.

Capt'n Midnight

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Is 'Gordon Bennett' not a cockney thing?

British Racing Green is actually emerald green after we let them stage the Gordon Bennett races here back in the day.

Sonny noggs

noodler wrote: »

Christ.

What do you say

Mum

noodler

Sonny noggs wrote: »

Mum

But you aren't a wealthy English aristocratic from the 1930s?

Sonny noggs

noodler wrote: »

But you aren't a wealthy English aristocratic from the 1930s?

Correct. Equally I’m not working class, so I have NEVER uttered the word ‘mam’.

noodler

Sonny noggs wrote: »

Correct. Equally I’m not working class, so I have NEVER uttered the word ‘mam’.

You are a weirdo if you think mam is working class.

You sound like you have some strangely ill-defined views on what working class is.

The Floyd p

Sonny noggs wrote: »

Correct. Equally I’m not working class, so I have NEVER uttered the word ‘mam’.

Just sounds like you're a bell piece tbh

Gimme A Pound

I see that the word "small" is spelled "smole" on memes. Today I overheard a teenage lad actually pronouncing it that way...

Beanntraigheach

Yer Da sells Avon wrote: »

It'll be Bosco and Dilín ó Deamhas until they're old enough for Father Ted.

It's a terrible shame that RTÉ gave up producing Irish programmes for children.
My nephews and nieces watch nothing but American and English stuff.

Another reason I'm glad I don't pay the TV licence

Sonny noggs

noodler wrote: »

You are a weirdo if you think mam is working class.

You sound like you have some strangely ill-defined views on what working class is.

Reported. Attack the post, not the poster.

The Floyd p wrote: »

Just sounds like you're a bell piece tbh

Reported. Attack the post, not the poster.

Gimme A Pound

I'm one of those monsters who calls their mother mum, but all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds call their mother mam, including my own parents calling their mothers mam. I don't know why we call our mother mum. It is very English for sure.

Never called her mummy though. It was mammy, then mum.

MarkY91

I've always said "Ma" it's what everyone around me said. It would feel extremely weird to say anything else and I would get some weird looks from my family if I said anything else.

I know that some people look down upon the word but that's their own ignorance..not everyone who grew up saying Ma is a junkie scumbag.

When I'm abroad, I will often try to say mother. I couldn't say mum or mam, sounds too English.

MarkY91

Hamsterchops wrote: »

That's an odd one alright, don't know what the origin is either. My wife and children refer to the floor upstairs in our house as 'the ground', this also applies to the car, where the floor is also the ground and the seats become chairs :cool:

Not sure that this is an American influence though?

To me "the ground" sounds like outside whereas "the floor" sounds like inside. That's how I've grew up using them. Never knew the word floor was an Americanised word until now tbh.

MarkY91

Hamsterchops wrote: »

That's an odd one alright, don't know what the origin is either. My wife and children refer to the floor upstairs in our house as 'the ground', this also applies to the car, where the floor is also the ground and the seats become chairs :cool:

Not sure that this is an American influence though?

To me "the ground" sounds like outside whereas "the floor" sounds like inside. That's how I've grew up using them. Never knew the word floor was an Americanised word until now tbh.

SirGerryAdams

Lads in work are bad for this, talking about the cafeteria or restroom or vacation.

Dr. Bre

Seriously the mall always gets me. Dundrum mall for example ..

8mv

Not sure if anyone else has mentioned it, but what gets to me is when I hear the phrase 'I could care less...'. I've seen apparently Irish posters use the phrase here on Boards. IT MEANS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU THINK IT MEANS!

topper75

Deleted User wrote: »

Isn't that how languages develop and evolve? ...?

I'm not sure about develop. But I don't think evolve is the right term at all.

We are largely dealing with affectations.

To say 'I'm done' instead of 'I'm finished' does not convey the concept in an improved way. It is a pure affectation. The native expression is in no respect inferior.
Evolution is a different thing. For example, evolution is required for new tech - mouse, cursor, right-click, scroll down etc. Here we have an express need for new language so adoption of these terms demands language evolution.

On the other hand, the adoption of Americanisms is a mere affectation. Rather than impressing the listener, you may actually be more likely to reveal self-confidence issues.

MrCostington

From Stripe (EDIT thought they were based here, but are in US so invalid post!!!):

Hey MrC,

xxx here from Stripe Support. I understand you’re going to be live soon and want to know if there’s anything that needs to be done for SCA.

I went ahead and sent your request over to the appropriate team for review. Someone should reach out to you as soon as they can.

In the meantime, if there’s anything else we can help with, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Best,
xxx

Bigbagofcans

Pythagorean wrote: »

It's not just Americanisms that are infecting our language. I hear a lot of Dubs (usually male), saying "Cheers mate"

Also the phrase 'smashed it' seems to be another one we've borrowed from the British.

I'll listen to any Americanism uttered by the Irish but 'smashed it' (usually when talking about fitness goals) is more cringeworthy.

CrankyHaus

Bigbagofcans wrote: »

Also the phrase 'smashed it' seems to be another one we've borrowed from the British.

I'll listen to any Americanism uttered by the Irish but 'smashed it' (usually when talking about fitness goals) is more cringeworthy.

"Let's be avin ya! Weekender in Prague with my Diamond Geezers, Get in!" - Social media post beside a photo of a flat pint in Dublin Airport Departures.


Yeah Irish people uttering Britishisms is far worse than calling the floor...the floor.

cdgalwegian

CrankyHaus wrote: »

"Let's be avin ya! Weekender in Prague with my Diamond Geezers, Get in!" - Social media post beside a photo of a flat pint in Dublin Airport Departures.

Sounds ironic to me, so allowable as part of any piss-taking cultural appropriation.

Franz Von Peppercorn II

8mv wrote: »

Not sure if anyone else has mentioned it, but what gets to me is when I hear the phrase 'I could care less...'. I've seen apparently Irish posters use the phrase here on Boards. IT MEANS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU THINK IT MEANS!

In before David Mitchell.

Alun

One thing I keep hearing that irritates the hell out of me, and I'm not sure if it's an Americanism or not, is the omission of "to" in phrases like "I'm not allowed (to) do that".

Franz Von Peppercorn II

topper75 wrote: »

I'm not sure about develop. But I don't think evolve is the right term at all.

We are largely dealing with affectations.

To say 'I'm done' instead of 'I'm finished' does not convey the concept in an improved way. It is a pure affectation. The native expression is in no respect inferior.
Evolution is a different thing. For example, evolution is required for new tech - mouse, cursor, right-click, scroll down etc. Here we have an express need for new language so adoption of these terms demands language evolution.

On the other hand, the adoption of Americanisms is a mere affectation. Rather than impressing the listener, you may actually be more likely to reveal self-confidence issues.

Ack, you are reading too much into the use of the word “evolve”. With regards to language it just means change.

Also most of us use some Americanisms. We just use words that have been around for a long time, ok?

I’m not sure there’s anything American about “i’m done” anyway.

Laois_Man

I thought it was getting bad when couples I know started giving their kids names like Cory

But when the girls in the office started going to baby showers, I completely gave up!

Just gotta roll with the 'muricans!!

Pherekydes

I'm not guilty of any (that I know).

Now, I can't wait for the start of the football season (on Sept 6th, Packers @ Bears). :pac:

Ipso

Laois_Man wrote: »

I thought it was getting bad when couples I know started giving their kids names like Cory

But when the girls in the office started going to baby showers, I completely gave up!

Just gotta roll with the 'muricans!!

No one has gotta, just seems a lot of people wanna.

con___manx1

I hate americanisms. Any irish person that says the words awesome or dude should be shot.

sparksfly

Answering a question by using "so" as the first word, this is getting common with Irish radio reporters.

topper75

Franz Von Peppercorn II wrote: »

Ack, you are reading too much into the use of the word “evolve”. With regards to language it just means change.

Also most of us use some Americanisms. We just use words that have been around for a long time, ok?

I’m not sure there’s anything American about “i’m done” anyway.

OK if we are merely talking about change as you suggest, that change is happening on account of affectation, is it not?

I'm done is most certainly an American import. It was never uttered or written here in the context of being finished doing something up until perhaps 20 years ago.

topper75

con___manx1 wrote: »

I hate americanisms. Any irish person that says the words awesome or dude should be shot.

There is something particularly mindless about the ubiquitous use of awesome. If you stop and ask any of these people what awe is - they tend not to know.

the beer revolu

Not sure if it's an Americanism but I despise the expression 'get go'.
What's wrong with saying 'from the start'?
Start is shorter than get go

Hamsterchops

Irish people saying elevator (instead of lift) kills me, and I always make sure to get 'lift' back into the conversation, just to make a point

Listening to Pat Kenny on the radio and I notice that he is now totally converted to Math (instead of Maths) :mad:

weldoninhio

Hamsterchops wrote: »

Went with a friend to Dundrum shopping mall centre last week, and as we were leaving the car park she mentioned that she was taking the elevator to the stores on the top floor of the mall :cool:

"Elevator to the stores on the top floor of the mall" really? and I thought to myself, whatever happened with taking the lift to the shops on the top floor of the shopping centre?

I was just waiting for her to suggest we went to the 'movie theatre' after we collected the car from the parking lot, thankfully she hasn't got that bad (yet)!

Curious to know how widespread the terms like :elevator', movie theatre, shopping mall, and parking lot (instead of car park) have become in Ireland.

Maybe I'm showing my age by not adapting to the new American lingo? or are many young people selling out by adopting such Americanisms?

Hands up if I'm an old fuddy duddy

It's just multiculturalism no??

Fourier

There's a diary from the 19th Century by Amhlaoibh Ua Súilleabháin where he cringes at young people saying "How are ya?" instead of "Dia Dhuit!" or "Conas tánn tú?"

Other common Irishisms are mentioned as well and he describes feeling similar to how we feel about Americanisms.

Always thought it was funny.

Hamsterchops

weldoninhio wrote: »

It's just multiculturalism no??

She is Irish, born and bread, a UCD millennial from Dublin.
Must be the company she's keeping? or she's just picking it up from the TV/airwaves ...

Blaizes

Hamsterchops wrote: »

Irish people saying elevator (instead of lift) kills me, and I always make sure to get 'lift' back into the conversation, just to make a point

Listening to Pat Kenny on the radio and I notice that he is now totally converted to Math (instead of Maths) :mad:

That Math one bugs me as well and hearing more and more of it lately.Too much American tv maybe.

jim o doom

I've used the term dude ever since I was young, and at this point it's a substitute for person.

I blame the teenage mutant ninja turtles for it. It's never leaving my lexicon

riffmongous

Some of the Irish-isms that are distinctly Irish nowadays are just old English-isms that we kept while English- English modernised, "Ye", "e'er/ne'er", "quare", "shall/will"

NickNickleby

I'll look them up later, but I have, over the last few years, been reading Dickens novels (who would have guessed, eh?). I notice phrases that are nowadays common Americanisms.

NickNickleby

NickNickleby wrote: »

I'll look them up later, but I have, over the last few years, been reading Dickens novels (who would have guessed, eh?). I notice phrases that are nowadays common Americanisms.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, YOLO.

NickNickleby

Deleted User wrote: »

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, YOLO.

It was the best of times, it was the BLURST of times!! :pac::pac:

storker

I've become more chilled out about these things, even though they can be irritating.

The starting a sentence with "so"...is probably the most irritating, as there's absolutely no need for it. That said, the French often start sentences with "alors" which means much the same thing, although I don't think the use it when starting "from cold" as is often done here.

The Americanism "have a nice day" is something I've become less annoyed by, since the French and Italians will often sign off with "bonne journée" or "buona giornata" which mean exactly the same thing.

A language is an organic thing that evolves, not an unchanging museum exhibit. It evolves. The English taught to our generation and our parents' in school is changing, but in its turn it too evolved from earlier forms, an evolution which many were no doubt irritated or horrified by back then too...

These days I'm more irritated by appalling standards of grammar and writing style in print and broadcast media. I remember our Inter Cert English teacher advising us that anyone who was interest in a career in journalism would need to do Honours English for Leaving Cert. You'd certainly never imagine that was the case today. Barely literate will do fine, it seems.

topper75

storker wrote: »

A language is an organic thing that evolves, not an unchanging museum exhibit. It evolves. The English taught to our generation and our parents' in school is changing, but in its turn it too evolved from earlier forms, an evolution which many were no doubt irritated or horrified by back then too...

You are almost personifying language. It cannot change. The people change how they speak.

If the people change how they speak arising from a demand for new terminology e.g. unprecedented circumstances, technological developments etc. then that is quite acceptable.

If, on the other hand, there is no prompt for such change - then you have to ask yourself what is going on.

storker

topper75 wrote: »

You are almost personifying language. It cannot change. The people change how they speak.
.

...and the language changes as a result. The OED regularly adds new words. That's a language changing and evolving before our very eyes.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

topper75 wrote: »

You are almost personifying language. It cannot change. The people change how they speak.

If the people change how they speak arising from a demand for new terminology e.g. unprecedented circumstances, technological developments etc. then that is quite acceptable.

If, on the other hand, there is no prompt for such change - then you have to ask yourself what is going on.

A dead language like Latin can't change.

A living language like English with a billion plus speakers can, does and must. Technological developments aren't the only things that drive change, social and cultural developments do too as language is expressive of those; it's a tool as well as a system.

Go and read some Dickens, or Austen. It's not just the physical technology of that world that accounts for the difference in language, it's far more formal and precise, and there are plenty of words describing things we still have but the words have either fallen out of use or have considerably changed meaning. I think it's Wuthering Heights that opens with a "pious ejaculation"

jimgoose

Josephine Delightful Grinder wrote: »

...I think it's Wuthering Heights that opens with a "pious ejaculation"

Indeed. Meanwhile, Wikipedia has this to say on the subject of Ejaculatory prayer:

"The Lutheran rite for corporate Confession and Absolution includes the pastor adding a few ejaculations after penitents recite the Confiteor"