Non Americans: Does seeing American English bother you?

[TheEvilCheese]

Doesn't bother me unless someone tells me I'm spelling it wrong.
Which I'm not. Go away.

However, some things do get to me, the worst one being "I could care less" as when people say it they mean the exact opposite.

 

[spoot-smeg]

sometimes it can be but I have gotten used to it now the only problem is when I get the spelling mixed up when I am working accidently using american english

 

[Alien Mole]

I wouldn't say that they bother me, but they do 'pop out' to me and may potentially make me somewhat more critical of the text I find them in. Oddly enough, most people where I live actually gravitate towards the American spelling so I should be more used to it.

 

[SoulSalmon]

If an American uses it, I don't blame them, and it doesn't annoy me...
It's when Non-Americans use it... even worse when they say YOU are the one spelling things wrong >.<

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

The truth of the matter is that silly differences like "colour vs color" shouldn't illicit such a strong reaction in people because the language branched slightly at that point; so those saying colour is correct and those saying color is correct are both right and wrong to precisely equal degrees. Colour is the current spelling from the language's origin and color is the form used in a place that isn't the origin. This really shouldn't surprise people beyond the point where they understand that's how somewhere else spells/uses the word and after that any anger/distaste is just being either elitist in the former's case and boorish in the latter's.

Funny thing is I am American and have always spelled it "colour" as "color" just doesn't look right to me. I just decided though to take a look at the french, thinking that the word comes from there, and they spell it "couleur" and having been told that French is supposedly the most "proper evolution of Latin" (its ok you can roll your eyes too) I decided to look it up in latin and do you know how they spelled it? "Color"! Hahahaha...

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I only hate they call Petrol gas, its not gas, its a liquid, a liquid called Petrol. GAS!!!! its nothing like a liquid, AGGGGHH. How they mess this up?

It is a shortening of "Gasoline" which was a branded name for "gasolene"(the original Oxford English Dictionary term) in North America. "Petrol" was an English branded name for "gasolene" and is actually a shortening of "petroleum".

What bothers me is seeing other british people butchering our language... I know people from the netherlands who speak better English than those from my own hometown -_-

This is why it always strikes me as humourous when English ***** about the way Americans speak the language. England "invented" the language yet half the people in the country can not even speak it properly. Not that Americans are any better of course.

 

[Booze Zombie]

F****** English teacher I was spelling those correctly!!!!

You weren't using the "common" spelling of the word in your particular country, but you weren't wrong.

 

[Zykon TheLich]

No, what do

 

[EeveeElectro]

And WTH is up with the word 'Mom'?

Part of me is convinced they changed that just so they wouldn't have to deal with "mummy" puns in children's literature. Not that it stopped them using it in cartoons.

Not sure if this is correct, but I hears 'mom' is actually an acronym standing for 'Mother of man.' Bugger me if I can remember where I heard it. but I guess it explains it if it's true.

OT: It only annoys me when non-Americans sue American spellings/words. My house mate is a massive wannabe American and does it all the time. "Can't find my cell, think it's on the sidewalk, going to buy some soda, gonna watch some soccer." He also called 911 instead of 999 last week when we had to ring the police about something. He kept referring to them as 911 too. It may be partly because he is a complete retard though.

 

[StBishop]

IMO, America has some things right, 'sidewalk' is the bit at the side where you walk, it makes more sense than 'pavement' even tho it's paved.

Or footpath. I don't think that's what this thread is about.

OT: Yeah, it bothers me more when Americans use "would" incorrectly. I've been through it before and am happy to do so again if anyone's at all interested.

 

[Curlythelock]

Yes it certainly irritates me, especially when my computer tries to tell me that my spelling of 'colour' is wrong.

 

[Ammutseba]

Doesn't bother me. I don't use it though.

 

[Brandon237]

I'll be honest, I can't shake the feeling that it's an inferior form of spelling.

But I'm far more concerned with your sentence structure and the way you phrase things than the alternative spelling. I've seen plenty of intelligent American posters on the site, and I don't think less of them when I see color instead of colour.

Though, as mentioned above, the red underlines piss me off sometimes.

This, I get my arrogant side flaring up when I see it and badly want to tell them "Change it NOW!" but I can still read their post and not feel annoyed and reply without mentioning it. If they put commas in the wrong places though... I want their blood poured all over an altar for such a crime. The thing must be painted red. A comma after an article is a dangerous way to test self-control, a very dangerous way indeed...

 

[E-Penguin]

Actually the 'u' words don't bother me.


It's when I see "gray" that I get upset D:<

For the longest time I actually thought those were two separate words. Gray for the color, Grey as a synonym of drab or dull.

That would have made Dragon Age quite different.

"FOR THE DULL WARDENS!"

"Nah."


OT: I usually don't mind American English as English isn't my first language, but I prefer to use words like "Grey", "Armour" and "Autumn". I think it both sounds and looks better.

 

[JoJo]

I only get annoyed if I see non-Americans using it, or if it's in a proper publication aimed at non-Americans.

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

what really pisses me off is in Arkansas, according to state law, it is illegal to speak English. The officially recognized language is "American".

God that exists!?
BLOW THEM UP.
NUKE THEM!

And illegal to speak English?
Explain this...


But i don't really get annoyed, unless it's straight up wrong, like being corrected and 'Could care less' in the place of 'couldn't care less'.

 

[Sparrow]

I only get annoyed when people tell me I'm spelling a word wrong. No, armour is right. Colour is right.

Spell however you like, just don't tell me I'm wrong when I'm not. I will rage.

Yeah, this. Honestly, when I do see American English words I do kind of naturally register them as the "wrong" way of spelling them but it doesn't really bother me that much. What DOES bother me is when someone goes "You know colour doesn't have a 'u' in it, right?"

OT: I usually don't mind American English as English isn't my first language, but I prefer to use words like "Grey", "Armour" and "Autumn". I think it both sounds and looks better.

This might just be me being a little stupid, but how else do you spell Autumn? Is it spelt as "Atmn" in America?

 

[TheEndlessSleep]

I just don't understand the point at which 'Aluminium' becomes 'Illuminum'...

I mean come on - I'm fine with a few missing letters here and there - but I don't think its necessary to change the pronounciation just because you can...

 

[BNguyen]

I do find it a little annoying, but not as much as I find the way Americans pronounce some words. I'm an Australian, and I'm sick and tired of hearing yanks pronounce the 'u'. It's a-stralia, not aw-stralia. I do find the red line very annoying. I know what I'm saying, goddamnit!

but the way you want it pronounced makes it sound like ass-tralia