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Britishisms sneaking into American vernacular

CinnamonCinders

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Anglesey, Wales
As a Brit, I too am not sure how this thread is offensive.

I spotted the article on Aunty's website a few days ago and the only thing that made me frown was that the word "ginger" was being adopted. As a redhead having sustained years of verbal abuse due to my dark auburn hair, I find the word in context of hair colour as offensive as the other word that the same letters can spell out. Within the UK, I have a belief that it's ancient anti Brythonic Celt sentiment that was the root cause of the anti-redhead nonsense. I certainly can vouch for the fact that Edward I is still being cited as a reason for anti-English sentiment in Wales nowadays which demonstrates how long grudges can be held for.

I was born and raised in Wales but was educated through English public schools. I am not a Welsh speaker and the form of English I use tends to follow the "Jolly good, old chap!" form and "twee" is a word that I have used many times when appropriate. In fact, many of the British terms that are being mentioned in this thread are not ones that I'd ever use. I think if I were to seriously go round saying "wicked", I'd sustain more verbal abuse than I did as a child for being a redhead. It'd be as ridiculous as an elderly vicar trying to be "down with the kids".

If the terms being adopted are deemed to be parody of the English language, then I would certainly dispute that. If it is the term "Britishism" that is deemed offensive, then as a Welsh person (granted, not as a Welsh language user), I would argue that it's due to hypersensitivity.

I think it all too easy to be muddled with identity in the UK. I am Welsh and I am British. I am not English despite having spent the majority of my adult life in England and having been through English education (within Wales). I personally feel that the term "Britishism" is the most appropriate term for the selection of words that seem to be winging their way over the pond.

I apologise if I have failed to see the point of how this thread is offensive and would welcome clarification if this is the case.
 
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esteban68

Call Me a Cab
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2,107
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Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England
The UK was invaded/settled emigrated into by in NO particular order....... 'stone age man /woman' wherever they came from....angles, jutes, picts, scots, gauls,celts, danes, saxons, vikings, normans, spaniards, africans, north africans, jewish people from several countries, west indians, jamaicans, polish, indians, pakistanis,burmese, vietnamese, chinese...the list goes on and on..........there's no such thing as an 'Englishman'....
In return 'we' left these shores in droves over several centuries and helped create new nations for various reasons some good some not so good some bad( I'll not do the polotics of it all as I have no interest)..........I once read somewhere that 1 in 7 'Londoners' had some African heritage even though they considered themselves 'white'.we construct these labels for ourselves to make us feel safe and to belong to our 'chosen' group, thing is we are all human nothing else really matters IMHO!
 

CinnamonCinders

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Anglesey, Wales
For some reason I thought we all had African ancestry rather than just 1 in 7. That's certainly what I've been telling my work colleague every time he comes out with some sort of obnoxious, racist comment. Oops!
 

esteban68

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I should have added 'recent' African ancestory, the other goes without saying, yes it's a good put down when you get a silly comment from an ill informed buffoon!
For some reason I thought we all had African ancestry rather than just 1 in 7. That's certainly what I've been telling my work colleague every time he comes out with some sort of obnoxious, racist comment. Oops!
 

Dixon Cannon

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Help me with the pronunciation of this word 'BROUGH'. It is the name of a vintage British motorcycle like the ones riden by T. E. Lawrence (..of Arabia). Here, I would say 'Brow", like eyebrow. But I know the Brits call Van Gogh, "Van Goff". So is what I call a Brough really a "Brof"? Does that sound about right?

-dixon cannon
 
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Dixon Cannon

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My helpful source; been on my shelf for almost forty-years:
BritAmDic.jpg


-dixon cannon
 

CinnamonCinders

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Location
Anglesey, Wales
With a thread on "Britishisms", I'm rather tickled to see a thread for the opposite flow of lingo.

I sometimes find myself wishing that the term "sidewalk" would take off over here, usually when there's an inconsiderate person racing past on a bicycle. If I'm not finding myself grumbling quietly about pavements being called "sideWALKs" for a reason, it's usually about bicycle bells being invented for a reason.

Suspenders can be cause for some amusing confusion too as can pants.

I find some "Americanisms" to make far more sense than the British equivalents. Pantyhose is a good example - hosiery with pants on them. I can see the sense in that.

I think the only American term that really confused me was Chicken Fried Steak. I was expecting a Chicken escalope, but it was a rather funny colour when it arrived.
 

CinnamonCinders

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Anglesey, Wales
Dixon, that may well be the roots for the English language but evidence of languages that were widespread on these shores before the Anglo-Saxons' time can still be heard in Cornwall and Wales for example. Not all Brits consider the Anglo-Saxons to be their true roots, they just helped to make us more exotic mongrels along with the Normans etc. ;)
 

Yeps

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I think the only American term that really confused me was Chicken Fried Steak. I was expecting a Chicken escalope, but it was a rather funny colour when it arrived.

It is steak (used liberally, generally a cube steak or something), fried in the manner of chicken. Hence "Chicken-fried" steak.
 

Dixon Cannon

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Hi CinnCin; my clan hails from your neck of the woods. Buckley's was once the biggest brewery in Wales and some of the most famous 'Dylan Thomas'' had the "first round" as a pint o' Buckleys! I consider myself "Anglo-Celtic" and still have a problem with Italians over their behavior in Watling Street back in '61. (And I mean A.D. 61!) -dixon cannon
 

laotou

One of the Regulars
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158
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Worldwide. Base Camp Colorado
Help me with the pronunciation of this word 'BROUGH'. It is the name of a vintage British motorcycle like the ones riden by T. E. Lawrence (..of Arabia). Here, I would say 'Brow", like eyebrow. But I know the Brits call Van Gogh, "Van Goff". So is what I call a Brough really a "Brof"? Does that sound about right?

-dixon cannon

Rhymes with tough.
 

Gregg Axley

I'll Lock Up
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5,125
Location
Tennessee
I think the only American term that really confused me was Chicken Fried Steak. I was expecting a Chicken escalope, but it was a rather funny colour when it arrived.
Yes breaded and fried as others have stated. It can vary with gravy, depending on the part of the country. I've seen white and I've seen brown gravy.
Then there are places that serve a really large portion, Sodolacks Beef Masters in Texas is one example.
 

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