Poll: American English or English English?

[NewClassic_v1legacy]

Someone fill me in here, I've found a disturbing number of English people getting all bent out of shape over the inclusion of the letter "u" in certain words.

I don't understand it. Sure, it's how the word was taught, but I'm not offended when someone I know spells "color" the 'proper' way, which is "colour." I don't get why the inverse shouldn't be applied. Logically speaking, it's not offensive that I spell my words differently, especially where both conventions are technically correct.

But no, most writers on this thread have expressed almost personal-attack levels of anger when confronted with a u-less "armor."

Help me out on this one?

 

[Ares Tyr]

But no, most writers on this thread have expressed almost personal-attack levels of anger when confronted with a u-less "armor."

Help me out on this one?

They all subscribe to the Samuel L. Jackson school of grammar. They get very upset if you fool around with their language.

 

[exocel]

english english, though thanks to the likes of mtv my eloquence has been raped by american colloquialisms,lol.

 

[T3h Camp3r T3rr0r1st]

Australian English for me, we spell everything the English English way but we use words from both, i.e. AUSTRALIAN ROCKS!

 

[Capt_Jack_Doicy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7595509.stm

oh why can't the english learn to speak?

 

[NewClassic_v1legacy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7595509.stm

oh why can't the english learn to speak?

Those are very grammatically difficult. I feel like I've learned (learnt?) something here. How awesome.

 

[Capt_Jack_Doicy]

Oi, I'm from Suffolk. Our accent is the best in Blighty. And we have Adnams ale. That means we automatically win.

I'm from Hampshire with have HSB best beer in the world, thus victory is ours.

 

[Capt_Jack_Doicy]

As is often said, to smoke a fag means a hell of a difference depending on which side of a pond you're on.

(English = have a cigarette, American = burn or kill a homosexual)

And Rugby is American (Gridiron) Football for REAL men, none of this silly armour.

rugby sevens is apparantly replacing Baseball at the olympics

 

[The Iron Ninja]

Australians? Strine, please explain yourselves.

What I found really annoying was one time when I was in Australia on holiday, an American couple came up and asked me what my accent was. I told them I was from New Zealand (as I am) and they said "Oh! you speak very good english!" (In loud voices and speaking slowly this whole time by the way). To be fair this was before Lord of the Rings, so I doubt many of you would have known about my country then (that's you americans, British would have a much higher chance of knowing). But you would think that if they had traveled down to Oz, they would have picked up on the fact that people down here speak english.

Also to reiterate: Australians? Strine. Please explain why.

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

I'm worried, I'm gonna be in England in less than 48 hours and I desperately hope I don't get mistaken for an American, I'm going to need to use the biggest and least American words possible.

 

[The Iron Ninja]

I'm worried, I'm gonna be in England in less than 48 hours and I desperately hope I don't get mistaken for an American, I'm going to need to use the biggest and least American words possible.

I think you'll find quite a few people can recognise the difference between Canadian and American. I had a few teachers throughout the years that were Canadian, and from judging how they speak, there are subtle differences in the accent. I'm sure you'll find a decent number of Brits able to recognise it.

 

[NewClassic_v1legacy]

I'm worried, I'm gonna be in England in less than 48 hours and I desperately hope I don't get mistaken for an American, I'm going to need to use the biggest and least American words possible.

If I ever go to England, does that mean I should wear an American flag and go out of my way to be stereotypically American? Honestly, do you British gentlemen find those like myself that offensive?

 

[The Iron Ninja]

I'm worried, I'm gonna be in England in less than 48 hours and I desperately hope I don't get mistaken for an American, I'm going to need to use the biggest and least American words possible.

If I ever go to England, does that mean I should wear an American flag and go out of my way to be stereotypically American? Honestly, do you British gentlemen find those like myself that offensive?

I'm not British, but may I say that I would hate anyone from any country that wears their flag on their head. (excepting when it's in a sport and you need such things to tell people what side you're on)

 

[jackalo moss]

.

 

[Capt_Jack_Doicy]

I'm worried, I'm gonna be in England in less than 48 hours and I desperately hope I don't get mistaken for an American, I'm going to need to use the biggest and least American words possible.

If I ever go to England, does that mean I should wear an American flag and go out of my way to be stereotypically American? Honestly, do you British gentlemen find those like myself that offensive?

dear god no, i do know several americans who just let people assume their canadian, but what i find embarrass is in recent years i've seen people in pubs harshing americans. I get so embarrassed its such an impolite thing to do, then you yourself are in the quandary of either interceding to protect your country honour and good name but possible excarbating the situation or sitting their impotent in embarrassed silence.

 

[DraftPickle]

I don't like it when Brits bash the yanks, just cuz they're country fucked up recently, some Brits think its a license to be anti-yank for no reason, but well done to "y'all" at least you trying to fix it with Obama, similarly I hate the stereotypes America has of us, infact all "y'all" yanks should come to England for your hols!

 

[Kiminality]

It varies.
Most of the time, I'm on British/English English.
However, I'll sometimes switch, for effect (although it's hard to kick the habit of British spellings).

 

[Daiquere]

Ahhhh, my ears! I'm American, I live in California, and I hear the English language butchered daily. By my family, friends, and regrettably myself in some occasions when I forget myself while trying to converse frantically over XBoxlive.I don't curse or spout racial slurs, but I do use California slang that might make any British brains disintegrate if exposed to long.

As for Australians, I love your way of speech. It's smooth and not snobbish like American or British speech tends to sound.

 

[Jamash]

A slag? Why not slag?

By the way, slag is worthless material left over from the process of refining ore. A good insult in fact, it implies all the useful components of a human have been removed from him. But you can't really have "a slag" just as you cannot really have "a shit" (as a noun). You can have some slag or a piece of slag.

Yes, but I said "I'll gut yer' you filthy slag" (it would have been slurred quite a bit too).

I always thought slag, when used as a British insult meant 'slut'or something similar mainly aimed at women (though It's often hilarious to call blokes slags as well .

It always makes me laugh that in The Transformers one of the Dinobots is called Slag.

If only Grimlock spoke like Regan from The Sweeney [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHtthHCZyv4&NR=1].

"Me Grimlock say Shut It You Slag [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAUXp7B41Dw]!"

The funniest example of American mispronunciation I ever heard was from my friend, who was in London & an American tourist asked him how to get to to "Loogaborooga", then showed him Loughborough on a map!