Freddy

Watched the end of the Richard Curtis film last night. The ending has "Gordon" using the phrase "not on my watch".

This is my pet hate, we have a language of our own so why must we use American phraseology. I have heard politicians use the above and other American terms which seems to have appeared since the Twin Towers and Iraq. Haven't we got the confidence in our own English or must we now mimic what we hear on TV. It's bad enough listening to children and young adults b*****dise our language but there is a limit.
Maybe I'm being grumpy but this isn't a rant against America it's just simply a plea for a bit of pride in our own culture.

yours SO annoyed

Freddy

The world wags on.

Wetherby Pond

I didn't see the film (or rather, I gave up after the first ten minutes because Bill Nighy's stammering Hugh Grant impersonation was making me cringe), but given the subject matter I suspect it may well have been a satirical reference to George W.Bush's use of the same phrase when asked to comment on the Rwandan crisis of 1994 - and since then it's been quoted extensively in the context of people in authority seemingly washing their hands of a particular problem. (Google the phrase for plenty of examples)

As for the phrase itself, it's news to me that it was American in the first place - what's the etymology?

Steve Crook

Where do you draw the line? Are we not allowed to use any "foreign" words or is it just American phrases you don't like?

Either way, you're on a hiding to nothing.

English as a language owes much of it's power and flexibility to that way it has always been willing to adapt and absorb new words and phrases from other languages.

The abbreviation TV is imported from America.
I'm fairly sure the style "SO annoyed" is as well.

Steve

samkydd

I remember a few years ago when a few of our senior managers would travel over to the US they'd return armed with the latest yank corporate catchphrases to everyone's annoyance; as long as we're all singing off the same hymn sheet, run it up a pole and see who salutes it, is that a ballpark estimate? etc. So I started making a few up and they were quickly siezed upon by these pseudo-yanks who thought they were genuine ones and not only used them here but also took them back to the US with them on their next visit, and hopefully made themselves look really silly. A couple I can remember were as long as we're all dancing round the same handbag, and let's squeeze a few lemons and see if the juice runs down his trouser leg (from a Led Zep lyric).

Unfortunately we have American and Australian isms and there's not much you can do to stop it. So have a good day sport, and have a nice day buddy!

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

ollie

I blame the French !

cheers Ollie.

"Bullseye !!"

Clinton Morgan

We must never forget 9th November 2001.

samkydd

I blame all those DJs on Radio Luxembourg in the 70s with their mid-Atlantic dialects; Bob Stewart and Emperor Rosko. Most of the nation's youth listened to the drifting 208 MW under the bedsheets so it's not surprising that Americanisms have crept into the lingo. I used to wince when I caught myself saying words like "guy" , "hey man", "chick" or "cool" back in the 70s, and pop starisms like "and that was a real joy" and thankfully don't use them anymore. I try and use good old English film slang like "chap", "crikey", "cripes", "clot", "any road up", "ruddy hell" and the like.

Now everyone talks like they're in Neighbours or Friends!

But personally being a grumpy old man since I was a grumpy young man I've come to terms with such dramatic changes in UK vocabulary and speech styles, so much so that I just don't care any more! There are more of them than there are of us so we've got no chance! Young white people talking like gangster rappers are to be pitied however, they really need to be taken to one side and slapped hard around the face!

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

Marky B

Had to think there,Clinton - well done!
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Steve Crook

I thought it was 5th November 1605 we had to remember.
Remember, remember the fifth of November,
gunpowder treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot.

The only man to ever enter parliament with honest intentions.

Steve

David Brent

The only country in the world that cannot pronounce aluminum and Caribbean correctly.
Still, "At the end of the day....."

Dave.

solar

It's also fun to mix up phrases and expressions like:


"We'll burn that bridge when we come to it"

The americanism that gets me is saying "Period" after a statement. Very annoying. Tony Blair has use this one

Also saying "Hey" instead of "Hello" or "Hi". What's the point of that?

Jennie_Kermode

Not an Americanism, but a curious historical point: yesterday I was watching an episode of 'Blake's 7', recorded in 1980, in which a character proclaimed "the population will be decimated!" when meaning that said population would be wiped out. I hadn't realised that the popular misuse of the word 'decimate' went back that far.

Jennie

Clinton Morgan

And left with pancakes for balls.

Did anyone ever watch Melvyn Bragg's documentary on the evolution of the English language? The best thing ITV has produce d in the 2000s yet they showed it at a stupidly late time. It showed how early English is unrecognisable to us now since it reads more like a cross between Germanic and Icelandic. Check out 'Beowulf'.

As the years progressed we got influence from the French, Dutch and so forth. During the time of English rule over India, our language became more florid. An interesting documentary and includes detailed analysis on Tyndale's Bible (the first English translation before the King James Version), Sir Philip Sidney ("Dirty books please."), Geoffrey Chaucer, Dr. Samuel Johnson (who spoke with a Brummie accent and not as Robbie Coltrane portrayed him on 'Blackadder The Third' though it is my favourite out of all the Blackadder episodes) and of course William Shakespeare suggesting that he would have spoken in a West Country accent and the emphasis on his wording would be a bit different to how we've usually been performing him.

But the Chaucer episode is interesting, for me at least. For years I thought 'arse' was the English pronounciation of the American 'ass'. Same way that the way one pronouces bath, grass, past and last depends on (though not always, I'll allow for a loophole) whether you are a Northerner or a Southerner. Not so, for in 'The Miller's Tale' (read out in this instance by Mark Heap of 'Jam') the key-word is 'ers'. So now you know, or rather, now I know. Which begs the question where did 'ass' come from? Something to do with donkey's being whipped on the buttocks or was it corruption of 'anus'?

Steve Crook

I fear that even the dictionaries are beginning to be swayed by popular usage and changing the meaning of decimated to be only a tenth remaining (or even wiped out) rather than one tenth removed. It's a great one for us pedants to correct people on - but if they can back up their usage by referring to a dictionary it does spoil the fun somewhat.

Steve

Steve Crook

Half of one, six dozen of the other
That's a tough cookie to crack
He hit the nose on the head
She's as sharp as a cucumber
He's got his fingers in many fires.
Not the brightest candle in the deck.
He smokes like a fish
Keep your ear to the grindstone
Getting the short end of the stick
Pull the wool out from under them
The sky is our oyster
Count all your chickens in one basket
It's more ammunition for the fire.
It's not rocket surgery.

Minutes of fun

Steve