IN RESPONSE TO THE ENGLISH/AMERICAN-ENGLISH/BRITISH THREAD

Thanks, RW-- this deserves bumping back up to the top.

Although amusing, the site had an air of correcting the speech patterns of Americans. It is an absurdity to expect that a nation with five times to population of Merry Old ought to conform to the linguistic predilections of the said nation . . .

We speak a markedly different language, even if the two are in general mutually comprehensible. Among Americans, it is considered bad form to correct the speech of another, so long as their meaning is comprehensible. If it is not, courtesy requires one to inquire politely until the meaning is comprehended. Most Americans are too polite to mention it, but the habit of Brits of correcting American speech makes them appear to be a set of ill-bred, ill-mannered rubes when they do so in this country.

So you didn't see Andy Rooney correcting Ali G, eh?



(You know, Andy Rooney, the everyman, the American breed standard. )

Lighten up, Setanta.

If he did that he might float away! We wouldn't want that!

BTW, welcome to A2K, Mister Micawber!

Personally, i find Andy Rooney sufficiently annoying to avoid the entire 60 Minutes program, which is not difficult, in that i rarely watch television anyway. I can tell you to a certainty that as i was raised, and as i have observed people's behavior in every portion of this nation in which i have resided, Rooney's behavior in a social setting would be considered bad form.

MYOB

This is my business, pal. As an American and an English language teacher in an international forum, I object to your xenophobic pomposity on a thread in which I am participating.

And I do not like the slovenliness of your lower case 'I', either-- it fails to convey humility.

Oh, pardon my rudeness-- thank you, fortune. I can see I am going to enjoy myself here.

Do Brits do this in the US?

If so it is very rude. My apologies on their behalf.

Cheers, Boss . . . yes, occassionally it happens. When i worked in the Department of French at the University of Illinois, one of the staff, and Englishwoman, had this habit, much to the annoyance of other staff, who were, however, too well-mannered to point out her gaffe to her. She once remarked to me: "You know, Americans do not speak English." I replied that i was relieved to know that, and hoped that the English in general would soon come to realize as much. I was not again bothered by her on this topic.

My Grandmother-in-law is from Yorkshire. She don't talk the English, neethur.

Excuse me, that were wrong (as she would say). She don't talk the English none too good, neethur.

There is a pleasant irony here, in that i've never considered David Copperfield to be one of Dickens' better efforts, which i say from a perspective of having read every one of his novels, several of them on more than one occassion.

My use of a lower case "i" for the first person singular has not the least reference to humility, a vice with which, fortunately, i am not afflicted. My "pomposity" is not xenophobic--i do not fear the foreigner, nor have i anything in common with Xenophon and the "ten thousand" Greeks marching across Anatolia nearly twenty-five hundred years ago. Steve's response is evidence to me that this sort of ill-bred behavior is not to be taken as a common characteristic of the English. As i do not know you at all, and i do know and like and respect Steve, i am content with that. He and i frequently enjoy one another's pomposity.

I am not your pal, and if this is a sample of your own pomposity, likely never will be. Have the good sense, if you lack the good manners, not to refer to me as such.

Ah warshed me fayce an 'ands befaw ah com, ah did!

Thats very polite of you Fortune, but not strictly necessary.

Well, whoi didn' ya bloomin' well say so?