BBC - Americanisms: 50 of your most noted examples

Ever since my mother in law told me the Americanism "I'm good" instead of "I'm well" drives her nuts, you can guess what automatically pops out my mouth every time she asks how I am.

I don't mean to. We have a great relationship.

lol This happens with me as well.  I say both but I think it depends on who I am speaking with.

But why is the "tall" the shortest one?! Still....it's better than when they have a medium as the smallest they do - that really drives me mad, it's not a medium then is it?!

Supposedly Starbuck's does have a 'short' size but you need to ask for it. (I heard this on a podcast interview with Starbucks' Chairman Howard Schultz).

I rarely order the sizes as "talle", "grande" or "venti".  Not sure why it's such a big deal to people.  Other chains here have their own names for sizes as well. I don't know, I find most chain coffee houses pretentious in their ordering, especially when you compare them to some of the indie places I've been to.  Starbucks, from what I understand, started with short and tall, added large, then the "20" or venti.  Starbucks has been around for a long time, so I suppose it's history.  At least it's better than having your Italian (which you don't speak) corrected by a barista who barely speaks English at Costa and then have to suffer through coffee that is usually horrible. 

Starbucks might not be brilliant in quality, but it's usually acceptable. I will take inconsistency in language over inconsistency in quality.  And, sure, I will try an indie shop if available, and respect people who don't frequent chains at all.   But knocking Starbucks and then patronising Caffe Nerd and Costa is just weird to me, and not just because they are chains too.  I always think there is a huge whiff of anti-Americanism in the people who complain about Starbucks over their awful rotgut cups of swill at some of the other chains here. 

"I'm good" is a moral statment. "Doing good" includes things like working at a soup kitchen, picking up trash when you go on your daily walk, volunteering with a hospice, and sharing knowledge with the less fortunate so they can stop sounding like un-educated hooligans. 

"I'm well" is a comment on one's physical wellbeing.

Of course the correct answer to "how do you do?" is "how do you do?"

Of course the correct answer to "how do you do?" is "how do you do?"

Or, considering the topic, "howdy".

But knocking Starbucks and then patronising Caffe Nerd and Costa is just weird to me, and not just because they are chains too.  I always think there is a huge whiff of anti-Americanism in the people who complain about Starbucks over their awful rotgut cups of swill at some of the other chains here. 

That just shows how little I know! I assumed they were all American!

The reason I knock Starbucks is not just because of the awful rotcup cups of swill ... although I'll admit that I've never liked the flavour of their coffee. But because of the way they drove the little indie coffee shops out of business in the neighbourhood I lived in in the US. Yes, the others probably do it too but, in my experience, not to the extent that Starbucks has, nor with their determination or lack of concern.

If I have coffee at a chain place (which happens perhaps four or five times a year), my preference is for Costa, but only because I think their brand of rotgut swill is a smidge better than the others'. 

Well, I had some very awesome indie places I went for brew in the States.  All held their own against the inevitable Starbucks which opened across the road.  For the longest time I avoided Starbucks because everyone always said they put small cafes out of business, and they did definitely open shops near the successful cafes, but they were usually empty when a well run indie shop was usually bustling.  Besides, there are few proper indie cafes here, so avoiding Starbucks means you either go to another chain or a greasy spoon (or go without).  When I see an indy, I go there, but I've shed any guilt about Starbucks.

Here are some examples of some of my favourite American indy shops:

Cool Beans in Queensbury/SGF, NY, now opening their third shop.

Caffe Lena In Saratoga, NY, now celebrating their 50th year.  Starbucks across the road closed up IIRC.  This is one of many examples of indy coffee houses in Saratoga.


Spot Coffee in Buffalo.  Now a chain in its own right.

More than 50% of all new businesses fold up in their first year, and when they fail later, it's hard to say it's just the evil multinational who opened up shop across the road.  Some think that Starbucks and the other West coast chains have pushed coffee culture to a different level in the US.  While some of the bigger cities and college towns had small, indy shops and roasters before the 1990s, Starbucks brought coffee to the masses, and now smaller communities can support cafes.  And not all the cafes opening are big chains.


EDIT: Apparently I have chains on the brain.

I suppose it annoys me because it is not an Americanism, it is a Starbuckian-ism.  It isn't as if every coffee shop changed to saying Venti.  

Also, just order a large or small.  I used to work at a Starbucks, it isn't as if I tortured someone with the steam wand if they dared to say small.  

Also, it is a myth that Starbucks has put small stoes out of business.  They might have had impact on individual stores in the beginning, but as a whole they opened up a huge market that would have never thought to buy coffee at any place other than McDonalds.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008125785_indiecoffee20.html

http://blogs.reuters.com/small-business/2009/06/24/starbucks-and-small-business/

The coffee however is a foul, acidy, nasty mess.  I hate Starbucks coffee.  I do however like a nice liced latte, upside down, with a drizzle of caramel.  Which would be a something they have on the menu, can't remember what, but I leave out the syrup.  The caramel hardens on the ice. Mmmmmm.

I always think there is a huge whiff of anti-Americanism in the people who complain about Starbucks over their awful rotgut cups of swill at some of the other chains here.  

You may be right although DW (who is American) doesn't really like Starbucks and prefers Costa, well she prefers an independent. I like Starbucks, I just don't like the pretentious naming convention (and it's not just Starbucks).
In my town we actually don't have any coffee chains but a number of small independents.

We are in danger of turning this into a Starbucks thread!

I miss Dunkin Donuts coffee 

I miss Dunkin Donuts coffee 

I miss their iced coffee.  It was awesome.

I miss their iced coffee.  It was awesome.

Me too and so does my husband.

But why is the "tall" the shortest one?! Still....it's better than when they have a medium as the smallest they do - that really drives me mad, it's not a medium then is it?!

They also have a "short" -- which you have to ask for, probably refers to espresso.

Short's just an old size which sort of got sized out.  There used to be only "short" and "tall".  Now they've got a "trenta" in the States (which people still there probably know already).  It's probably just a matter of time before "tall" falls off the menu, at least over there.

I miss their iced coffee.  It was awesome.

Yes, summer feels wrong without it.