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You think you're speaking English but you're actually speaking American!

Jingthing

By Jingthing
in ASEAN NOW Community Pub

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bazza73 Senior Member

bazza73

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, smotherb said:

That was your example; so it is pertinent to this topic. Maybe that is what is wrong with Brit English and why so few people want to learn it; they would rather learn American English because it is the language of business, technology, entertainment, etc. Look at an example in your post. You spelled two words contrary to how they are pronounced in all forms of English--realisation and colonised. Are those words pronounced with an "s" sound or a "z" sound?

Australia still has expressions such as drongo, don't come the raw prawn, and bodgy in our lexicon, although they are more likely to be found in country towns. One thing that's never going to change is the Australian accent.

It amazes me how there are about 29 elements in the periodic table with the suffix "ium", and the "i" is pronounced in all of them. E.g. Sodium, potassium, calcium.  Except Americans insist on pronouncing aluminium as aluminum. I think it was Churchill who said we are divided by a common language.

We do have to thank America for introducing phrases such as "collateral damage" , "alternative facts" and "have a nice day" into the English language. Although I am not sure they see the humour of it.

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bazza73 Senior Member

bazza73

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, slappy said:

ee bah gum, its bin reet grand to scroll thro these comments tha nos, av ad a rait gud titter to mi self. Keep it going. sithee

 

The finest language on the planet! Yorkshire.

 

Ee bah gum, is yer boom noomb?

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jenny2017 Advanced Member

jenny2017

Posted
Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, oldhippy said:

Next, Europeans will be eating turkey to celebrate halloween day.

And wear silly hats for the queen's horse's birthday.

I might be mixing up some things though.

 

 

 

 When any Europeans start calling football soccer, then it's time to throw your passport away. :ph34r:

Edited by jenny2017
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Lokie Silver Member

Lokie

Posted
Posted

I prefer my Anglo Saxon roots and one of their best expressive words being Boll ocks! and that is really what a load of this thread is about....

 

 Middle english termed as used by news readers and such (not as much nowadays mind) more back in the days of when the Beeb ruled the airwaves back in good ol blighty, so no accents then allowed.

 

Accents are our heritage and one should be proud of where you hail from, I am a true Mancunian and bloody well proud of the fact pal, as I am sure any Scousers, Geordies, Yorkshiremen and Wigan'ers (they are classed as unique entity lol) 

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Dustdevil Advanced Member

Dustdevil

Posted
Posted
On 9/10/2017 at 0:27 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

Well done.

I for one despise going into a shop and being given a choice of meaningless options because the sheeple have become seduced by the consumer society and think it makes them superior to call things by stupid names. I went to have a coffee with a friend, and not knowing any of the choices published I asked for an espresso because I thought it was an expresso, which I believed was more like a proper cup of coffee. I didn't even know that espresso is a stupid tiny waste of money drink. Bah humbug.

Even ice cream is being taken over by the trendies with another load of stupid names to confuse.

Guess you don't much about the rest of Europe. Espresso is what  you order in a stand-up bar in Italy. It's a very strong, small shot of black coffee.

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jenny2017 Advanced Member

jenny2017

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, bazza73 said:

Australia still has expressions such as drongo, don't come the raw prawn, and bodgy in our lexicon, although they are more likely to be found in country towns. One thing that's never going to change is the Australian accent.

It amazes me how there are about 29 elements in the periodic table with the suffix "ium", and the "i" is pronounced in all of them. E.g. Sodium, potassium, calcium.  Except Americans insist on pronouncing aluminium as aluminum. I think it was Churchill who said we are divided by a common language.

We do have to thank America for introducing phrases such as "collateral damage" , "alternative facts" and "have a nice day" into the English language. Although I am not sure they see the humour of it.

They usually don't have a great sense of humor. You're right.

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rijb Gold Member

rijb

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, bazza73 said:

Australia still has expressions such as drongo, don't come the raw prawn, and bodgy in our lexicon, although they are more likely to be found in country towns. One thing that's never going to change is the Australian accent.

It amazes me how there are about 29 elements in the periodic table with the suffix "ium", and the "i" is pronounced in all of them. E.g. Sodium, potassium, calcium.  Except Americans insist on pronouncing aluminium as aluminum. I think it was Churchill who said we are divided by a common language.

We do have to thank America for introducing phrases such as "collateral damage" , "alternative facts" and "have a nice day" into the English language. Although I am not sure they see the humour of it.

Typical sanctimonious nonsense.  :coffee1:

 

" just a cursory amount of research into the matter will tell even the most ardent linguistic conservative that the matter is not quite that simple"

 

http://www.lostinthepond.com/2013/02/why-do-americans-pronounce-it-aluminum.html#.Wbvjsa2B1Ag

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StreetCowboy Star Member

StreetCowboy

Posted
Posted (edited)

I was hitch-hiking home one day, back when I was much younger than I am today, and I got my penultimate lift from some chaps from the next town

"Whair 'r ye gaun' tae?"

"I'm going back to ... " and told him.

"Oh! Ye d'ae sound like a gadjie" 

 

That story would have been so much easier without auto-correct!

Edited by StreetCowboy
Otto-korrekt
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Slip Gold Member

Slip

Posted
Posted
59 minutes ago, Dustdevil said:

Labor, savor, favor, etc. are pronounced exactly the same way as the British or RP.

Surely this isn't the case.  The final syllable in all of those words is a schwa- the schwa in Brit English is far more common and far more pronounced than in U.S. English.  The difference is between -er (uh) and -or (awe).

 

For anyone who wants to speak posh English English just say to anyone you meet "Air hair lair", if they are equally posh they should reply "Hello to you too".

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faraday Platinum Member

faraday

Posted
Posted (edited)
13 hours ago, wump said:

Since off-topic is allowed: Upsizing in McD refers to the size of your fries and soft drink... nothing to do with burgers.

So glad you brought  that to my attention.

You're an awfully clever chap aren't you, quite the expert on burgers - & Sausage too, no doubt.

:clap2:

Edited by faraday
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George FmplesdaCosteedback Advanced Member

George FmplesdaCosteedback

Posted
Posted
On 10/09/2017 at 2:07 PM, canuckamuck said:

Blame Starbucks. It was them who figured out if you take low quality coffee and sell it in Italian sizes people will think it's classy.

It worked , and then they figured out if you take that bad coffee in Italian sizes and drown it in milk and sugar and all other forms of confectionery until there is no coffee taste left. The posers who can't handle actual coffee, will break down the doors for your Italian sized sweety drinks allegedly containing coffee; and they will pay 3 bucks for a rock hard stale cookie too.

 

You are dead right, but didn't Starpukes originate in Canada?

Tell me I'm wrong please!

 

 

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smotherb Platinum Member

smotherb

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, bazza73 said:

Australia still has expressions such as drongo, don't come the raw prawn, and bodgy in our lexicon, although they are more likely to be found in country towns. One thing that's never going to change is the Australian accent.

It amazes me how there are about 29 elements in the periodic table with the suffix "ium", and the "i" is pronounced in all of them. E.g. Sodium, potassium, calcium.  Except Americans insist on pronouncing aluminium as aluminum. I think it was Churchill who said we are divided by a common language.

We do have to thank America for introducing phrases such as "collateral damage" , "alternative facts" and "have a nice day" into the English language. Although I am not sure they see the humour of it.

what is your point. Australia has 20M people and the are too far away to matter

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thesetat2013 Gold Member

thesetat2013

Posted
Posted
On 9/9/2017 at 10:07 PM, rijb said:

The author wrote a book about going a year without sex.  Maybe she just 'speaks' too much.

 

BTW:  You should use this pic for all of your topics.

 

 

2yjqb4m16rjz.jpg

She went a year without sex because all her time was spent in a closed room trying to decide what to write a book about... 

 

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hawker9000 Platinum Member

hawker9000

Posted
Posted

If you think normal "American" English is bad, you should've been in California a few years back (maybe still, I'm not sure).  The high school equivalency exam or GED actually included "language arts" questions from the ghetto, street English which I guess infects urban areas in California (particularly the Bay Area I'm guessing) - I forget the name for it.   I'm not talking about Spanish or pidgin English.  It was/is a severe slang or patois that nobody with an actual education would ever use.  I can imagine it'd give most Brits apoplexy.

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bazza73 Senior Member

bazza73

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, smotherb said:

what is your point. Australia has 20M people and the are too far away to matter

Indeed. So the the fact Australia has made itself a nuclear target for America's benefit means nothing to you. There are 15,000 American troops stationed in Darwin as part of America's containment policy. Pine Gap, North West Cape and Tidbinbulla are critical components of America's global communications and intelligence networks - we actually gave you guys the right to establish sovereign US posts on Australian soil.

And I'll bet those posts are quite busy at present with terrorism and the North Korean fat boy.

 

Australian troops have been fighting at your side in the Second World War, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. We took care of Timor ourselves. Your senior military commanders have always held the battle discipline and effectiveness of Australian troops in high regard.

 

Too far away to matter? I suggest you think before you open your mouth.

 

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