BBC - Americanisms: 50 of your most noted examples

I've never even heard an actual human being use the word "normalcy"!

Didn't they return to normalcy in the hichhikers guide to the galaxy?

I've never even heard an actual human being use the word "normalcy"!

"Return to normalcy" was Harding's presidential campaign slogan in 1920.

The Economist article makes a good point about ugly words and phrases being perceived as American (and I think American words and phrases being perceived as ugly).

This past Mothering Sunday a random Facebook friend was banging on about people calling it "Mother's Day".  She said it wasn't called that, and "Mother's Day" was invented by the greeting card companies in America.  Yeah because people don't do the exact same things for either in both countries.  Then there are the people who call every other holiday celebrated in the States a greeting card holiday.  Just because they make a card for it doesn't mean it's tradition to send one (Thanksgiving, Independence Day, Memorial Day, and so on). Commercialalised? Yeah, but not for everyone.

My in-laws always throw me by asking if we send Thanksgiving cards, or what we say to each other on the 4th of July (we say, "I like my burger medium-rare, where's the beer?").

"Return to normalcy" was Harding's presidential campaign slogan in 1920.

Heh, a bit before my time 

(we say, "I like my burger medium-rare, where's the beer?").

*snort*

Heh, a bit before my time 

You youngsters don't know nothing! He was my hero when I was serving with Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders!

Heh, a bit before my time 

Um .... mine too. But I did do American history in high school.   

My in-laws always throw me by asking if we send Thanksgiving cards, or what we say to each other on the 4th of July (we say, "I like my burger medium-rare, where's the beer?").

That's a good retort! I've been asked in the States
"Do you have Thanksgiving?" and they seem surprised when I say no.
and the best
"Do you have 4th of July" - I reply, "no, we just go straight from the 3rd to the 5th!" But I do have a running joke with an American friend when I always wish him a "Happy good riddance day"!

What I found particularly ironic was the comment from Cav (poster #1275):

"Brit children start to say "different than" but are taught it is wrong. Things are different TO each other. 'Than' is only used when the property that is different is actually specified: bigger than, greener than, higher than etc."

*Ahem* I may just be an American expat living here, but even *I* know that it's different FROM, not different to.

Articles like this really bug me.  As the American said who wrote in on the article itself, language is fluid, dynamic, and changing. Being offended by changes the English language took in America over the last 300 or so years seems like a pointless endeavor. I could watch nothing but British tele and movies 24/7 (ha!) and not pick up things like "ta", "brekkie", and "cuppa", which I find, especially the latter two, to be totally ridiculous.  The people who say they're picking up American words and slangs and they've never been to the US are picking it up from our TV and movies.

Sigh, I'm trying to make an intelligent point, but this just aggravated me.  I agree with previous posters, a lot of this is bad grammar that annoys us just as much.

Yes, Yes, Yes - I appreciate the frustration with bad grammar but colloquialisms and slang - it varies with geography and culture. What drives me so batty about this sort of thing is the way some Brits do talk - you have mentioned the posher versions but then you get 'innit,' 'bruv,' 'blood,' and a barrage of double negatives (rhyming slang!) - certainly it goes both ways? When I'm at work, I try to stand out as little as possible and be professional but there are certain words I just won't change! I think I'm just stubborn.

I agree that a lot of those are just plain bad grammar.

But I'll admit that 'my bad' makes me want to shoot someone.

Lol, sorry but I'm from a certain age group! One of my bosses is a very lovely, very proper woman and I had made a mistake and she was inquiring about it when I (very playfully) answered 'Oh, that was me, my bad.'

Confused she looked at me and said, 'I'm sorry?'

'Oh, it's similar to an apology. It's street, yo.'

She's very tolerant 

what we say to each other on the 4th of July (we say, "I like my burger medium-rare, where's the beer?").

MIL and hubby's aunt were in the States with us this year for a couple weeks, and we were there for the 4th. They asked what we did, so I explained it as having a cookout and watching fireworks... without freezing to death in a muddy park somewhere. They got a kick out of that description.

My first Thanksgiving here, BIL and his wife hosted a dinner for us. They weren't sure what to do so they googled it and had a fantastic dinner. MIL wasn't sure if we did gifts so she got everyone a small gift. It was a sweet gesture but gave me a giggle at the same time.

Lol, sorry but I'm from a certain age group! One of my bosses is a very lovely, very proper woman and I had made a mistake and she was inquiring about it when I (very playfully) answered 'Oh, that was me, my bad.'

I don't dislike it because I'm old, although I am old.    "My bad" has been around for decades, and I still find it to be awful.

Yes, Yes, Yes - I appreciate the frustration with bad grammar but colloquialisms and slang - it varies with geography and culture. What drives me so batty about this sort of thing is the way some Brits do talk - you have mentioned the posher versions but then you get 'innit,' 'bruv,' 'blood,' and a barrage of double negatives (rhyming slang!) - certainly it goes both ways?

Of course it goes both ways. But this article was about annoying Americanisms not Britishisms (is that a word?). While people may agree or disagree with a lot of it, Matthew Engel's piece was only ever written as opinion, so  ... I'm not sure what the problem is. It never set out to say this or that is incorrect, just that certain things annoy him. I think most of the controversy comes from readers' comments which, in my opinion, should always be taken with a grain of salt.

Because opinions can be based on ignorance, bigotry, and illogical assumptions.  And when people express their opinions, they should expect to have them held up to scrutiny, especially when expressed in a form like an article for the BBC.

ETA: And the whole idea that BrE is some sort of pure form of the language is exactly why points like Clob's is a valid one.  Before we even get to things that were originally British which were preserved in AmE.  Before we get to things that aren't even used here and never will be (i.e. fanny pack- "Oh, dear, they use different words which have different meanings over in the colonies.")  Before we bring up the difference between standard usage and bad grammar and slang.  Even BrE is evolving.  Even British English holds "ugly" words and phrases.

Can you imagine an American writing a similar article in the States with the roles reversed would and should be perceived?  I am sure it's been done, and I hope that they were called out as an insular bigot just like the people contributing to this list deserve to be characterised as.

Because opinions can be based on ignorance, bigotry, and illogical assumptions.  And when people express their opinions, they should expect to have them held up to scrutiny, especially when expressed in a form like an article for the BBC.

I suppose that people's opinions don't get me as riled up things that are presented as fact. I may disagree, but in the end it's not that serious to me. And all of this is why I rarely read editorials.