Language

Hi all,

I should be working, so of course I'm contemplating unimportant and irrelevant things

I've been in the UK for a year now and I read this forum daily. I've noticed that many people here use British phrases and words that Americans don't typically use. I was just wondering what you all think about that and whether those who do it do it actively or passively, i.e. do it because they want to or because it's just become natural...

I still feel REALLY silly using British phrases. For example, I have grown accustomed to saying "fuel" because they wouldn't understand me if I said gas and I feel really..... weird ..... saying petrol. Or primarily using the simple past rather than the past perfect (I was vs I have been). I know it would be more normal/natural for my conversational partners if I would just say the British version of things, but I still can't do it.

I'm not a stranger to "linguistic appropriation" (I just came up this term - hopefully it makes sense and doesn't already have another meaning ). When I talk to my Italian partner, we sometimes say things that are like a mashup of Italian and English. Also, when I used to go home from Germany I would find myself inadvertently saying direct translations of German that made no sense in English whatsoever.

Am I just a psycho or do other people struggle with trading in their American words and phrases for British ones?

I've moved around quite a bit and I always find I pick up local slang without realising it.  There are so many things that I no longer know if they are American or British.

BUT, there are things that I would feel like a fraud saying.  It'll always be a sidewalk, I also put fuel in my car, I SKE-duel meetings, I eat to-MAY-toes, etc.  I've never said the word cheers in my life except after a toast!

But I use plenty of British slang and phrases.  It just happens at work, etc.  If I'm around my (American) brother enough, I find I use the word phenomenal way too frequently. 

We do have our fair share of actively contributing forum members who are born and bred British though.   

I use British words and turns of phrases. It feels natural to me now. The only ones that get me are 'ah' words. I still waffle between tomato and tomahto. I remember thinking 'nappy' sounded really weird, but it doesn't any more.
I always felt silly using the American terms/words/phrases. It felt like it made me stand out more when I really just wanted to be seen as 'regular', not American.

Yeah, I do find I have to adapt some words because of my daughter (half breed).  Yesterday she was driving me nuts with my pronunciation of water....  SHE'S TWO!

I tend to translate according to which country I'm in, pretty much just so that I'm understood!

I'm British but have lived in the US twice and have young American cousins, so I do find that I adjust my speech patterns and some of the words I use when I'm in the US, mainly to make sure I'm understood and I don't confuse people. I would also help my cousins learn to talk/read/write when I visited so started using US phrases with them when they were younger.


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For me, it really depends on who I'm talking too.

I do try and use words that UK folk will understand, but certain things will not happen.

It is and will always be:
a sidewalk
gas/gasoline
cart (not trolley)
trash ( I will ask about a bin to Brits)
chips
fries (I do try to order them correctly for the sake of the employees)
trunk
popsicles
pop/soda
zee (not zed)
back yard

and the list could continue...

When interacting with coworkers or people I don't know I use all British spellings and words/phrases, just so I don't confuse them. At home with my husband, we use a mix of American and British words. When I'm talking with my family and friends back home, it's all American words. I also use all American spellings in my personal life. Just a preference. Interestingly my husband's uncle, who's English and has lived in America over 10 years now, still spells things the UK way in personal correspondence.

So yes, it's kind of all over the place and just depends on who I'm communicating with.

zee (not zed)

a, b, c, d, e, f, geeeeeee
h, I, j, k, l, m, n, o, peeeeeeee
q, r, s, t, u, veeeeeeeeee
w, x, y,  how the hell did they get ZED?!?   

I use a lot of UK spellings because of predictive text.

I used British words and Scottish words first and British spellings for work,  when I came here to fit in and to be understood. 

Now it's just normal living.

I tend to fall easily back into American-isms when chatting to Americans.   However, if I don't chat to Americans often, I can sometimes I actually forget what something is called in the USA. 
Took a google search for me once to figure out what an aubergine was called in the US.   Eggplant. Duh. That was a funny moment.

I'm an army brat, so I don't have a strong base accent. I adjust to who I'm around.

I still say sidewalk, highway, baseboard, gas, and tomayto.And get made fun of at work for it.

I don't see it as being a fraud, but assimilating.

Things like nappy soother and pram still catch me out since having my daughter, but then when talking to my parents I say them more frequently than diaper, binkie/pacifier, stroller

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I've been known to swear more than I should......having two groups of "bad" words just makes things easier.......Actually I like the UK swear/bad/insulting words better than the US.

I've been known to swear more than I should......having two groups of "bad" words just makes things easier.......Actually I like the UK swear/bad/insulting words better than the US.

Hee heee.  My husband and I have very different interpretations of the word skanky.   

It's normal to adapt to your surroundings, with the clothes you wear, the food you eat, the language you speak. Would you be uncomfortable going out in the rain with no coat or umbrella because you come from a place that's hot and dry? If not, you shouldn't feel uncomfortable using words that are appropriate to your new surroundings. Humans' ability to adapt is what sets us apart from the rest of the animals.

And FYI, 'have been' is present perfect, past perfect is 'had been.' Perfect tenses and simple tenses are both used in the UK and US, but they are often applied differently. Sorry, English teacher .