...and All is alright with the World. (1 Viewer)

[Readie]

Any language, other than Latin, changes. What a nightmare that was at school....
The use and meaning of certain words like 'gay' has changed dramatically since the '50's. The only reference you will find these days to the G word is on Labrador website where the breeds 'gaily carried tails' is so desribitive and accurate.
De Gaulle tried to hold back the tide of Americanism's into the French language and failed.
I'm not adverse to progress and things like Microsoft American based spell check will influence younger people.
American English, Aussie and NZ English, Canadian English and our own British English are quite different.... bit like the people
Good job we can still understand each other, if not the humour isn't it

 

[Matt308]

I had such a difficult time with Shakespear in highschool. But now that I know he invented his own words for many of his plays, I fully respect the man! Just not sure I would consider him a paramount proper english conformance having done so.

 

[Readie]

Did you get the Richard the Third joke Matt?

'Oh, I have just stepped in a Richard ....'

 

[Matt308]

Way over my head.

 

[Njaco]

bacon

 

[Readie]

Richard the Third, rhyming slang for turd.
'Oh I have just stepped in a Richard'....'Oh I have just stepped in a turd'
Easy peasey

 

[Matt308]

Flippin' Oceans 11

 

[razor1uk]

Eeuughh, oh my, I just saw an ertha kitt (a older non PC term for another word akin to Richard the Third) on the pavement (...a sidewalk - for the US'ers) outside earlier.

 

[GrauGeist]

In the U.S., pavement is the street, sidewalk is the sidewalk and unlike in Europe, we park in the street (pavement) and not on the sidewalk

 

[meatloaf109]

Bacon.

 

[Njaco]

In the U.S., pavement is the street, sidewalk is the sidewalk and unlike in Europe, we park in the street (pavement) and not on the sidewalk

ummm, we park in the driveway and drive on the parkway.

 

[razor1uk]

But don't you walk across the paving in your garden to the shed... side walk is side walks because its at the side of the road and you walk upon it, just like the paving - although modern council monetary issue means that most UK pavements are covered in asphalt, which re normally call the stuff that covers road, unless its tarmac, confussed.....

 

[gumbyk]

Well, we drive on the road, and walk on the ... wait for it....... footpath!

Mind you, this comes from a country with the two main islands named "North Island" and "South Island". We like to keep it simple

 

[yulzari]

Here in France we park wherever we bl**dy well feel like; including across my barn and workshop entrance ignoring the car parking my taxes paid for. Bl**dy Parisians.

 

[GrauGeist]

I got to see a European style tow truck while I was at a sidewalk cafe in Sofia last year...much different than it's American counterpart. It was in the process of lifting an Audi with Italian plates straight up from the sidewalk (right next to the No Parking sign) in front of a civic building downtown. It then dropped the vehicle onto it's flatbed and prepared to haul it off. The owner, who came rushing out with loud shouts in Italian and waving of the arms, but the Sofia police officer wasn't budging. Away the car went, the officer got in his car and left, the Italian tossed his sunglasses and cellphone at the departing police car and I had another coffee...

 

[Matt308]

Lord, my head hurts.

 

[mikewint]

Any "living" language like a living organism is in a constant state of flux and is not stagnent. Take my generations use of "cool" or "groovy" or "hip". Meanings well beyond standard. Then we have specialized vocabularity that set your group apart from the commoners. Science vocab like "quarks" or "strings"; guns/jewelers/pharmacies use "grains" or carets; marine/aviation use knots/nautical miles; even common terms like acre (how many of you know the area?)
That being said sloppy/poor English still bothers me written or pronounced. For example: made up words like irreguardless or would've or should've ; sloppy pronunciation "FUR" instead of for; as in "I'll do it fur you" and AX for ask as in "You just have to AX me. Or NUKE-U-LER (nuclear) or PRAW-STRAIGHT (prostate) or AR-TIK (arctic) or ANT-AR-TIC-AH (Antarctic) or REAL-AH-TOR (realtor) or PER-SCRIP-TION (prescription) or SAM-WHICH (sandwich) or SHER-BURT (sherbet) or TEMP-PRAH-CHUR (temperature) or CAN-UH-DATE (candidate) or IN-NUR-NET (internet) or FED-RUL (federal) there are so…many. Signs that say "Ten items or LESS" (should be "fewer" when you can count items). "Eat LESS meat is correct. "He DON'T care NOMORE (does not or doesn't – plus the good old double negative: ANYmore. Then we have two more of my favorites: ITS IT'S as in "ITS a funny hat but it has IT'S uses" and YOUR YOU'RE as in "What do you mean YOUR not coming to YOU'RE party

 

[vikingBerserker]

I think speaking with an accent hardly makes one a poor speaker of English.

 

[Matt308]

Says us rednecks from SC and AL.

 

[Njaco]

FECK!!!!