American Pronunciation

[Tractionist]

All languages evolve - but some seem to be lazy in terms of diction/pronunciation and grammar.

The Americans often say [and write] "These past several years .... " - sooo, we know that it was more than one anyway .... several means that, and "years" is plural! But - how many years? The English would [probably] say "These past few years ....".

Then there's "I wrote him ..." What? To him; for him; on his behalf; dipped his head in ink and dragged him up and down a wall .... !

[ms660]

Originally Posted by Tractionist

All languages evolve - but some seem to be lazy in terms of diction/pronunciation and grammar.

The Americans often say [and write] "These past several years .... " - sooo, we know that it was more than one anyway .... several means that, and "years" is plural! But - how many years? The English would [probably] say "These past few years ....".

Then there's "I wrote him ..." What? To him; for him; on his behalf; dipped his head in ink and dragged him up and down a wall .... !

From Famous Blue Raincoat....L.Cohen

It's four in the morning, the end of December
I'm writing you now just to see if you're better
New York is cold, but I like where I'm living
There's music on Clinton Street all through the evening....

Lawrence.

[ms660]

Whoops, forgot.

....And Jane came by with a lock of your hair
She said that you gave it to her
That night that you planned to go clear
Sincerely, L Cohen

Lawrence.

[Tyso_Bl]

Originally Posted by Station X

My pet hate is native English speakers using the Australian rising inflection.

Yep this is the one that gets me the most, I first noticed it I perhaps late 80's / early 90's, the generation that watched too much 'Home and Away'

T

[dseymo1]

One frequently encounters the American spelling 'soder' too, to the extent that I asked an American aquaintance whether that was the correct US spelling - apparently not, it's just uneducated or lazy.

[Boulevardier]

And, of course, we shouldn't forget "nucular". I have an idea that started with Reagan or one of the Clintons, though I've even heard BBC commentators use it. I can't quite work out whether it's dialect, speech impediment, or good old-fashioned ignorance. Haven't heard "nuculus" yet, but perhaps it will come..

[dave walsh]

Yes rising inflexions desymo-constant surprise! Australia, Victorian America-full of shortened words Yute-Oldies etc. Sociologists call it a restricted code language like the East End. "I went Darn the pub didna"? " I don't know did you?" "Init" has numerous meanings starting with "isn't it?" No need to learn more English words. The worst thing is UK residents, promoted to middle management without enough education, who get the sense and meaning all hopelessly wrong, even with the right word. I once knew an NHS Chief Exec who could only say Hospical

Lawrence, how about-
" I lived with them on Montague Street
In a basement down the stairs
There was music in the cafes at night
And revolution in the air"

Tangled Up In Blue-B Dylan

Dave

[joebog1]

Originally Posted by Refugee

The American dialect has developed from a mixture of the west coasts of England and Scotland with a big contribution from Ireland.
It has developed for 200 years to form the dialect we hear today.
The same goes for Australia.

Firstly Its correctly pronounced
Straya
NOT 'ors-traliah, as the Queen says.
There is an excellent book that all you ignorant pohm's ( pohm= prisoner of her majesty) should read.
Here is a quick example


The following is taken from a publication called STRINE by Afferbeck
Lauder. Published by Ure Smith, Sydney. It is reproduced below without
permission. The book appears to date from around 1965, and has since
been through five reprints and has sold over 15,000 copies.


LET STALK STRINE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A lexicon on modern Strine usage.

- A -
=====


Air Fridge: A mean sum, or quantity; also: ordinary, not extreme. As
in: The air fridge person; the air fridge man in the street.

Airman: See "Semmitch".

Airpsly Fair Billis: Quite pleasant. (See also Naw Shaw.)

Airp's Trek: Mon painting in the ark ellery. (See also Contempry.)

Aorta: The english language contains many Greek, Latin, French, Italian
and other foreign words, e.g. valet, vampire, vaudeville, vox-humana,
hippocrepiform, etc. Strine, similarly, is richly studded with words
and phrases taken from other, older tongues. Many of these have, with
the passage of time, come to possess meanings different from their
original ones. Two typical examples are the German words Eiche
(Pronounced i-ker; meaning oak-tree) and Ersatz (pronounced air-sats;
meaning substitute). Both these are now Strine words, and are used in
the following manner: `Eiche nardly bleevit', and `Ersatz are trumps,
dear, yegottny?
However, it is English which has contributed most to the Strine
vocabulary. Strine is full of words which were originally English.
Aorta is a typical example.
Aorta (pronounced A-orta) is the vessel through which courses the
life-blood of Strine public opinion. Aorta is a composite but
non-existant Authority which is held responsible for practically
everything unpleasant in the Strine way of life; for the punishment of
criminals; for the weather; for the Bomb and the Pill; for all public
transport; and for all the manifold irritating trivia of everyday
living. Aorta comprises the Federal and State legislatures; local
government councils; all public services; and even, it is now thought,
Parents' and Citizens' Associations and the CSIRO.
Aorta is, in fact, the personification of the benevolently paternal
welfare State to which all Strines - being fiercly independant and
individualistic - appeal for help and comfort in moments of frustration
and anguish. The following are typical examples of such appeals. They
reveal the innate reasonableness and sense of justice which all Strines
possess to such a marked degree:
`Aorta build another arber bridge. An aorta stop half of these cars
from cummer ninner the city - so a feller can get twirkon time.'
`Aorta mica laura genst all these prairlers and sleshers an pervs.
Aorta puttem in jile an shootem.'
`Aorta stop all these transistors from cummer ninner the country.
Look what they doone to the weather. All this rine! Doan tell me it's
not all these transistors - an all these hydrigen bombs too. Aorta
stoppem!'
`Aorta have more buses. An aorta milkem smaller so they don't take up
half the road. An aorta put more seats innem so you doan tefter stann
all the time. An aorta have more room innem - you carn tardly move
innem air so crairded. Aorta do something about it.'

Ark Ellery: See "Airp's Trek".

Arm Arm: A childs' appeal to its mother for help. As is: `Arm arm, makim
stop.'

Ashfelt: Asphalt.

Assprad: Excessively preoccupied with domestic order and cleanliness.
As in: `She's very assprad - she keeps Rome looking lovely.' This is a
feminine adjective only; there does not appear to be any exact masculine
equivalent, although the noun Hairndiman conveys something of the same
meaning. Strine women may be assprad; Strine men may be hairndimen; or
`clever with their hens.' (See also Gloria Soame.)


- B -
=====

Try this for size

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afferbeck_Lauder

Cheers

Joe

[ben]

It certainly doesn't help that English writing bears no relationship to its spoken variety. The 'ou' combination can be pronounced:
-through (as in Zoo)
-thorough (short, 'schwa' sound)
-although (as in Go)
-couch ( as in Now)
-ought (as in Door)
-cough ( as in Off)

...and they're just the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

Then there's the problem of long vowel sounds, as in: ship versus sheep, or can versus can't. 12 'straight' vowel sounds and 8 dipthongs are a lot to master!

I've been teaching twenty years and I still feel sorry for the students who come from a linguistic background like Spanish, where virtually all words are spelt and pronounced the same way and where there are only 5 vowel sounds!

This tends to make the US-UK divide seem insignificant in comparison. In any case, most differences are lexical rather than grammatical. Grammar tends to change far more slowly while words fly into and out of the lexicon much faster. That said, I think it is a cop out to just say that 'language evolves' and thus terminate any discussion. Some changes are good, such as those which increase vocabulary. Other things are not, especially in semantic change where there is already a perfectly good word that is lost in favour of a clumsier equivalent, or people just sounding plain ignorant with bad grammar. Lots of North Americans, at least in speech, don't seem to know how to use the conditional, saying things like ' If I would (sic) have a million dollars...'

Anyway, rant over!

[Radio Wrangler]

English is a mish-mash of bits stolen from other languages, no planning, it just happened.

It seems like dumbing-down now the correct plurals are being dumped:

Antennas
Forums

For consistency why hasn't, say, glitterati been replaced by glitteratos?

Yuk!

David

[Craig Sawyers]

Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler

It seems like dumbing-down now the correct plurals are being dumped:

Antennas
Forums

David

Well the chumps at Collins consigned "aerodrome" to history a few years ago, because it has fallen below the threshold of common use, they say.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...y-2341650.html

In spite of the fact that they still exist, such as Turweston Aerodrome, marked in large letters on OS maps and on road signs.

Craig

['LIVEWIRE?']

I could have included words such as 'Theater' and 'Program' in my earlier comment. It seems illogical to me that, in England we spell 'Theatre' the French way, yet pronounce it as if it ended 'er' not 're'. Likewise, to me, the last 'me' in 'Program(me) is irrelevant.

[russell_w_b]

Originally Posted by 'LIVEWIRE?'

Likewise, to me, the last 'me' in 'Program(me) is irrelevant.

I always understood (although I know we're flexible) that programme is what you get on the telly , or write for HV switching, or is the glossy bumf one gets in the theatre or school play.

Program is what computers run from, perhaps kept on a disc (I still say disc, and not disk).

[camtechman]

Thank goodness the topic isn't about those zip bags that fit around the waist !!!

[stuarth]

There was a young lady from Slough
Who last year developed a cough
She wasn’t to know
It would last until now
Let’s hope the poor girl will pull through

Stuart

[camtechman]

Even local laziness in pronunciation can be a challenge.

I was born & bred in EDMONTON Nth London but we spoke it thus : "emn" ("e" - "m" - "un") but spoken thus: The "e" from the back of the throat, the "m" by expulsion of air from the throat & the quick closing of the lips and the "n" as if one had a bad blockage on the nose.

As the area became gentrified we could tell the indigenous from the incomers !

[Scimitar]

I think my pet peeve has to be the coy "bathroom" meaning toilet. If a room does not contain a bath, then it cannot possibly be a bathroom. However, that is the repressed yanks for you... terrified of an unfettered nip, yet see nothing awry with horrific violence toward wildlife.

[stuarth]

Which gives house descriptions as including “two and a half baths”

Can’t remember seeing half baths in B&Q!

From the airline cabin crew, the rather scary “we will take off momentarily”.

Or my favourite “we will deplane momentarily”

Stuart

[Boater Sam]

Is that anything to do with the "final approach" announcement? Frightens the hell out of some.
Its in the same vein as "in the event of a water landing" Euphemism for a crash.

[Station X]

Originally Posted by Scimitar

I think my pet peeve has to be the coy "bathroom" meaning toilet.

A pedant says:-

"Toilet is also a coy word for lavatory. Toilet is having a wash as in toiletries".