Britishisms and the Britishisation of American English

[garbon]

Really? I'd say that I hear probably half of them somewhat regularly. But then, I live in a fairly international place for as small as it is with a high concentration of British-English speakers from India and China, so it makes sense that these would seep in here a bit more than the average.

Plus, most of my friends are huge Anglo-philes so they're more likely to adopt these kinds of things more so than the average person, too.

I know most of them as I've run into a lot of British people in New York but no on a typical basis I don't know many people who affect these wordings. I'd probably punch most people if they tried these in casual conversation with me.

[Ed Anger]

I still don't see it.

[merithyn]

You need to adopt some Welsh slang. My favourite is "daps" for trainers/sneakers, or "dwt" for a small, insignificant thing.

http://talktidy.com/a.html

That link is awesome!!

Have I mentioned before that I've tried to learn Welsh? I love the language, but there's little doubt that I'd have to move to Northern Wales to ever have a chance at learning it properly.

A word with no vowels?  Teh Horrah.

"W" is a vowel in Welsh, as is "y".

[Razgovory]

There is a reason those people got conquered by the English.  They had a language designed to defeat literacy.

[merithyn]

You need to adopt some Welsh slang. My favourite is "daps" for trainers/sneakers, or "dwt" for a small, insignificant thing.

http://talktidy.com/a.html

Okay, this is hilarious. You know that my great-grandfather came over to the US from Wales in the 1880s, right? Well, a lot of the Welsh-isms are still used regularly by my dad's family. Things like "as soon as look at you", "I'm from away like", and "He's a bit of a Mary Jane" among a lot of others. I don't know if that's because my family line comes from Wales not that long ago, or if it's because there were a LOT of Welsh immigrants that settled in Des Moines, but I find it kind of interesting that they carry on.

[garbon]

You need to adopt some Welsh slang. My favourite is "daps" for trainers/sneakers, or "dwt" for a small, insignificant thing.

http://talktidy.com/a.html

Okay, this is hilarious. You know that my great-grandfather came over to the US from Wales in the 1880s, right? Well, a lot of the Welsh-isms are still used regularly by my dad's family. Things like "as soon as look at you", "I'm from away like", and "He's a bit of a Mary Jane" among a lot of others. I don't know if that's because my family line comes from Wales not that long ago, or if it's because there were a LOT of Welsh immigrants that settled in Des Moines, but I find it kind of interesting that they carry on.

Not be negative () but a decent amount seem like common phrasings. Just looking at phrases and not single words - here's a random collection where I think the usage they give fits in how I'd typically see people use these.

I could eat him
In a minute
Into everything
Pulled to pieces
Most probably
Off Sick
How's it looking?
Early days yet
Can't abide/Can't stomach

[merithyn]

You need to adopt some Welsh slang. My favourite is "daps" for trainers/sneakers, or "dwt" for a small, insignificant thing.

http://talktidy.com/a.html

Okay, this is hilarious. You know that my great-grandfather came over to the US from Wales in the 1880s, right? Well, a lot of the Welsh-isms are still used regularly by my dad's family. Things like "as soon as look at you", "I'm from away like", and "He's a bit of a Mary Jane" among a lot of others. I don't know if that's because my family line comes from Wales not that long ago, or if it's because there were a LOT of Welsh immigrants that settled in Des Moines, but I find it kind of interesting that they carry on.

Not be negative () but a decent amount seem like common phrasings. Just looking at phrases and not single words - here's a random collection where I think the usage they give fits in how I'd typically see people use these.

I could eat him
In a minute
Into everything
Pulled to pieces
Most probably
Off Sick
How's it looking?
Early days yet
Can't abide/Can't stomach

I wasn't sure how much was "normal" for Des Moines, and how much as known/used elsewhere. Still, some of them are obviously a bit odd. I've wondered where the hell the phrases came from, and now I at least have an idea of where they may have come from.

[garbon]

I wasn't sure how much was "normal" for Des Moines, and how much as known/used elsewhere. Still, some of them are obviously a bit odd. I've wondered where the hell the phrases came from, and now I at least have an idea of where they may have come from.

Well on the flipside, the one's you cited strike me as strange. I'm just curious if the ones I listed actually come from Wales as they seem pretty typical to me.

[dps]

I don't see how "autumn" or "cheers" are Britishisms.  And "twit" has certainly been used as an insult for a long time--at least since Monty Python started being shown in America.  Most of the rest I don't hardly ever hear from others Americans.

[Valmy]

I don't see how "autumn" or "cheers" are Britishisms.  And "twit" has certainly been used as an insult for a long time--at least since Monty Python started being shown in America.  Most of the rest I don't hardly ever hear from others Americans.

I hear them all the freaking time.  But then my wife and her friends love Britishisms.

[Jacob]

I wasn't sure how much was "normal" for Des Moines, and how much as known/used elsewhere. Still, some of them are obviously a bit odd. I've wondered where the hell the phrases came from, and now I at least have an idea of where they may have come from.

Well on the flipside, the one's you cited strike me as strange. I'm just curious if the ones I listed actually come from Wales as they seem pretty typical to me.

Maybe it came from Wales a while ago?

[garbon]

I wasn't sure how much was "normal" for Des Moines, and how much as known/used elsewhere. Still, some of them are obviously a bit odd. I've wondered where the hell the phrases came from, and now I at least have an idea of where they may have come from.

Well on the flipside, the one's you cited strike me as strange. I'm just curious if the ones I listed actually come from Wales as they seem pretty typical to me.

Maybe it came from Wales a while ago?

Yeah maybe.

[Valmy]

Maybe it came from Wales a while ago?

Pretty sure most Welsh came over in the 17th and 18th centuries for quite a while ago I would wager.

[Razgovory]

I don't see how "autumn" or "cheers" are Britishisms.  And "twit" has certainly been used as an insult for a long time--at least since Monty Python started being shown in America.  Most of the rest I don't hardly ever hear from others Americans.

Yeah, I think some of those have been in the country a long time.  I think some were used in 19th century America and fell out of style, changed meaning, or only exists in a limited sense.  For instance, "frock" existed in American English in the 19th century but typically as "frock-coat", and remains in the word "defrocked".  And while Americans don't use the word "fancy" in the same way British do, they did and it survives in phrase "fancy that".

[merithyn]

Maybe it came from Wales a while ago?

Pretty sure most Welsh came over in the 17th and 18th centuries for quite a while ago I would wager.

Hmm. I thought most came over in the late 1800s, much like the Irish.