Overused and abused words

cj73

Kittyfrisk said:

^  I believe that Camus title had more to do with grace than gravity & leaves 
PS I find the American phrase 'the fall' very evocative & descriptive.

I’m sure I’ve read, or heard, that we in Blighty also called it “the fall” and then changed to Autumn.  

ronnyb

'Well' Usually used by the younger generation 'He's well hard', That's well nice'.

phil_b

ronnyb said:

'Well' Usually used by the younger generation 'He's well hard', That's well nice'.

the younger generation in the 90's perhaps

thecolourbox

phil_b said:

ronnyb said:

'Well' Usually used by the younger generation 'He's well hard', That's well nice'.

the younger generation in the 90's perhaps

And Lee Nelson

Kittyfrisk

cj73 said:

Kittyfrisk said:

^  I believe that Camus title had more to do with grace than gravity & leaves 
PS I find the American phrase 'the fall' very evocative & descriptive.

I’m sure I’ve read, or heard, that we in Blighty also called it “the fall” and then changed to Autumn.  

Not saying this is definitive, but it is representative of other evidence  https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/autumn-vs-fall

thermionic

About 18 months ago the word “backstop” started appearing in management-speak, it was everywhere for several months but disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. “Firebreak” (here in Wales at least) was even more short-lived, but I heard it applied unappropiately at least once.

Kittyfrisk

thecolourbox said:

phil_b said:

ronnyb said:

'Well' Usually used by the younger generation 'He's well hard', That's well nice'.

the younger generation in the 90's perhaps

And Lee Nelson

'Ee is like a total legend. You legend.

cj73

Kittyfrisk said:

cj73 said:

Kittyfrisk said:

^  I believe that Camus title had more to do with grace than gravity & leaves 
PS I find the American phrase 'the fall' very evocative & descriptive.

I’m sure I’ve read, or heard, that we in Blighty also called it “the fall” and then changed to Autumn.  

Not saying this is definitive, but it is representative of other evidence  https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/autumn-vs-fall

Interdasting

EricTheWeary

Kittyfrisk said:

^  I believe that Camus title had more to do with grace than gravity & leaves 
PS I find the American phrase 'the fall' very evocative & descriptive.

cj73 said:

Kittyfrisk said:

^  I believe that Camus title had more to do with grace than gravity & leaves 
PS I find the American phrase 'the fall' very evocative & descriptive.

I’m sure I’ve read, or heard, that we in Blighty also called it “the fall” and then changed to Autumn.  

The fall is like trash and candy and diaper - common words in English that fell out of normal usage this side of the pond. They aren't Americanisms in the sense of having been created by Americans. 

Cranky said:

phil_b said:

very annoying Americanisms that seem fine when used by an American but

stepping up to the plate

construction   

the fall

trash

The first is a baseball reference, obviously out of place in Britain.  And then what, you only have garbage there, not trash?

But what's the deal with "construction" and "the fall"?  Especially the latter, it's my favorite Camus and he's French.

In British English you'd probably say rubbish rather than garbage. Again garbage is an other old English word that generally fell out of favour here ( although if you look it up it once had a separate meaning to rubbish). 

I have no idea in what context construction is an Americanism. 

JezWynd

chillidoggy said:

"Insane" when applied to YouTube videos.

I dunno. It seems a pretty accurate description a lot of the time.

Stuckfast

In the music world:

"hailing from"

Hailing from Reading, this new four-piece rock band are making waves with their angular shouty rock...

Why is it that only bands that "hail from" somewhere? Everyone else is just from somewhere.

Also, "sophomore album". Just fuck off.

Cranky

I'm feeling not at all sympathetic with the purists who complain about Americanisms.  Not because I'm American -- in fact, I identify as trans-national non-binary. 

It's just that English is a uniquely adaptable language, and language always and inherently defies our arbitrary provincialisms. 

boogieman

Cranky said:

I'm feeling not at all sympathetic with the purists who complain about Americanisms.  Not because I'm American -- in fact, I identify as trans-national non-binary. 

It's just that English is a uniquely adaptable language, and language always and inherently defies our arbitrary provincialisms. 

yea u rite bro

Schnozz

Definitely EPIC & LEGEND

Cranky

boogieman said:

phil_b said:

very annoying Americanisms that seem fine when used by an American but

stepping up to the plate

construction   

the fall

trash

Add lumber to that list. It’s timber... you don’t get Lumber Wolves do you?

And it’s a garden, not a yard. A yard is a concreted area. 

I always wondered where we got the word "yard" from.  What do you in England call what Americans refer to as a garden -- aka a dedicated spot for growing food or flowers?

Also, doesn't timber become lumber?  I think my Canadian friends agree with me, at least.  Maybe the English should be more discriminating in this case, so that when someone says "fetch me some timber" you don't make the mistake of trekking out to the woods instead of driving to the local lumber yard.

Snap

Cranky said:

I'm feeling not at all sympathetic with the purists who complain about Americanisms.  Not because I'm American -- in fact, I identify as trans-national non-binary. 

It's just that English is a uniquely adaptable language, and language always and inherently defies our arbitrary provincialisms. 

Americans don't speak English though, they speak American. It's different. It's the poor imitation old boy.
Probably that Tea Party lot, decided to change a load of words, just to make a point.

I mean come on, sodder ffs. 

chillidoggy

"Woke".

SPECTRUM001

‘English is a flexible language’.

This is the TEFL  English Teacher’s mantra when being asked grammar questions that you do not know the answer to.

Rocker

Together apart.

We all are the solution.

Face mask.  How is it that nobody makes a face mask that a user who wears glasses can wear without their glasses fogging up constantly.  Wear but not take a quarter of an hour to get the nose seal sealed.

JohnS37

The one I still hear that drives me witless is ‘not three bad’ - aargh!