I see more and more correspondence from all sources that format the date as month then day then year.
so today is July 29 2013
has anyone else noticed this or am I just getting old and annoyed at everything?
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I blame Microsoft!
Isn't it just "American"?... it's Americanised in British English!
Also, isn't it just English? We don't need prefix. it's our language - it's only those borrowing it that do!
Incidentally, slightly off topic, on going row came to ahead over breakfast.
I say patently obvious, wife says blatently obvious, she claims her research says she is right. Mine says either, although context affects it and blatently is used if you want to show disapproval, such as "it was blatently obvious he was driving too fast" and patently is more general and indicates stupidity such as "it is patently obvious the door opened outward"
Dinner's going to be fun :o)
disk and disc
I was told that disk is short for diskette (R.I.P.) whereas disc is for hard disc.
Never heard blatently in that context before. By the way, isn't it blatantly? I recommend that you correct your wife on both counts. She'll thank you in the end.
Blatantéz-vous
I say patently obvious, wife says blatently obvious, she claims her research says she is right. Mine says either, although context affects it and blatently is used if you want to show disapproval, such as "it was blatently obvious he was driving too fast" and patently is more general and indicates stupidity such as "it is patently obvious the door opened outward"
Maybe your wife does actually always disapprove of you?! It would be blatantly in all situations then, wouldn't it? At least when speaking with her anyway...
Yes ...
I say patently obvious, wife says blatently obvious, she claims her research says she is right. Mine says either, although context affects it and blatently is used if you want to show disapproval, such as "it was blatently obvious he was driving too fast" and patently is more general and indicates stupidity such as "it is patently obvious the door opened outward"
Maybe your wife does actually always disapprove of you?! It would be blatantly in all situations then, wouldn't it? At least when speaking with her anyway...
... that is probably it!
We invented it
American tourist to plummy English hotel porter : "Hey buddy, where's the elevator?"
Porter to American tourist : "I assume you mean the lift sir?"
Tourist to porter : "Listen buddy, I'm from the USA and we invented the elevator"
Porter to tourist : "Well, with respect sir, I'm from England and we invented the language"
Moral is : As long as we keep laughing about the differences, rather than grinding our teeth, we'll be able to keep some head space for far more important issues. I was thinking about this earlier as I came down from my apartment in the elevator and crossed the sidewalk to my automobile.......................
and then there's 'that'
My wife is in the IT world where it seems that use of the date in US format is universal along with program (programme) and disk (disc). What really bugs me though is the demise of 'who' and 'which' in favour of 'that' in all circumstances.
Microsoft Programming 'Culture' .....
Think you have problems - look at this lot
Microsoft Cultureen-AUEnglish - Australia0x0C09ENAen-BZEnglish - Belize0x2809ENLen-CAEnglish - Canada0x1009ENCen-CBEnglish - Caribbean0x2409 en-IEEnglish - Ireland0x1809ENIen-JMEnglish - Jamaica0x2009ENJen-NZEnglish - New Zealand0x1409ENZen-PHEnglish - Philippines0x3409 en-ZAEnglish - South Africa0x1C09ENSen-TTEnglish - Trinidad and Tobago0x2C09ENTen-GBEnglish - United Kingdom0x0809ENGen-USEnglish - United States0x0409ENUen-ZWEnglish - ZimbabweEnglish - Zimbabwe
Irish English?
Is this Microsoft's way of trying to convince themselves that everyone speaks a simplified form of English, not just the US?
Probably ...
blatant - more haste and all that jazz - the month end is nigh! So many accounts to file, so many payments on account to adjust!!
If thanking involves my head and a frying pan or rolling pin you're probably right!
My wife
has changed my name to Victor (Meldrew) but what I really get worked up about is 'upcoming'
Upcoming
what I really get worked up about is 'upcoming'
I thought it was only me. The AWeb policy on swearing prevents me from adequately expressing my feelings about use of the non-existent word "upcoming"
American English is old English
Most of what we consider Americanisations of the English language are in fact the original 'old' English. We've just evolved our version of English over the years and the Americans are still using parts of the one they inherited.
No!
Most of what we consider Americanisations of the English language are in fact the original 'old' English. We've just evolved our version of English over the years and the Americans are still using parts of the one they inherited.
Noah Webster purposely bastardised it to suit the simple folk in the new homeland.
The wonders of the internet ...
... someone posts a comment that it is mere speculation ...
... and 24 hours later 50 million people believe it to be an incontrovertible fact! (as ironically this will now be!!).
English people speaking American
To be honest, I don't have a problem with Americans speaking American; what really irritates me is English people doing it. It is as stupid as throwing unnecessary French words into your conversation.
What about Latin?
To be honest, I don't have a problem with Americans speaking American; what really irritates me is English people doing it. It is as stupid as throwing unnecessary French words into your conversation.
Where would we be without the status quo (ante)?
If you want to annoy work colleagues...
... refer to Google as "Le Google", and say thing like, "Je Google, Googléz-vous?" whenever you get opportunity.
Latin
The Chatman rules of etiquette dictate that foreign words are only permissible when there are no adequate alternatives. In any case, I understand that 60% of English comes from Latin, so to the extent that it has become English, it is not really a foreign language.
In addition, putting on a foreign accent when using foreign words is the only acceptable reason for the reintroduction of the death penalty.
I don't mind ...
... new words in English, it is after all a [***] language and if we don't have a word for something we steal it from someone else.
I do however object to having perfectly good words replaced with inferior ones, and using American words is frequently akin using pre-school language in a board room.
it's not just the dates!
I've noticed that in exam papers the questions incorporate $ instead of £.....
Also, isn't it annoying to refer to a Balance Sheet as a Statement of Financial Position?!!!
Grrrr is a Balance Sheet! ....less of a mouthful, how do you abbreviate the latter? SOFP vs BS
...it's BS in more ways than one!!!
@bananaman : There's another one!
Here's another example of the American way: Bananaman wrote :-
It would be blatantly in all situations then, wouldn't it? At least when speaking with her anyway...
We always used to speak TO people but, in the last few years, we've started speaking WITH them. It's only a matter of time before our morning greeting to workmates (or should I say co-workers now?) is "Howdy Doody Y'all!"
With
Here's another example of the American way: Bananaman wrote :-
It would be blatantly in all situations then, wouldn't it? At least when speaking with her anyway...
We always used to speak TO people but, in the last few years, we've started speaking WITH them. It's only a matter of time before our morning greeting to workmates (or should I say co-workers now?) is "Howdy Doody Y'all!"
Surely speaking with someone is more inclusive and friendly, and shows that it's a two-way process? Infinitely better than speaking at someone which some might prefer to do. After all, you have a conversation with someone....
Attempts to "improve" English
Surely speaking with someone is more inclusive and friendly, and shows that it's a two-way process? Infinitely better than speaking at someone which some might prefer to do. After all, you have a conversation with someone....
If by "to" you meant "at", I would agree with you. Otherwise I am happy to accept the normal meaning of "talking to" which means pretty much "having a conversation with"
I know people who use the word "yous" to compensate for the absence in English of a second person plural, but I still don't think it is correct.
Best of both worlds
If you work for a Canadian firm you can get 'Americanisms' and French in the same email.
I am happy to 'receive' in the language of the sender (I give you vacation) but always tend to reply in my way (holiday).
I have to say that I have now fully converted to Accounts Receivable (AR) Accounts Payable (AP) and General Ledger (GL). It took a while, but I think I would struggle to go back to sales, purchase & nominal etc.
I agree that Statement of Financial Position is hideous - we don't use that (yet)
Off Topic
I know it has no place in a thread about Americanisms but can I have a quick rant about the recently fashionable, and apparently ubiquitous use of "nuanced".
Rant over. Thank you.
Patently obvious and blatantly obvious...
...are both wrong IMHO as they are tautological.
The word 'obvious' doesn't usually need any qualification or reinforcement. It is perfectly good on its own.
The only word that properly belongs with 'obvious' is of course 'bleedin' (cf. Basil Fawlty - 'my wife has a masters degree in the bleedin' obvious')
I think ...
...are both wrong IMHO as they are tautological.
The word 'obvious' doesn't usually need any qualification or reinforcement. It is perfectly good on its own.
The only word that properly belongs with 'obvious' is of course 'bleedin' (cf. Basil Fawlty - 'my wife has a masters degree in the bleedin' obvious')
... you miss the point, being that it is a deliberate redundant qualification to hammer the point through a solid bone skull that it is so bleedin' obvious!
Mind you - we can create some awful phrases on our own.
Reading the Sunday Times magazine recently - I see that clothes don't get bought or purchased - they get curated into collections (admittedly by 'stores' rather than shops)
You don't have trousers - you have trouser
You don't have lipstick - you have lip - as in 'with a red lip'.
So, we don't really need any help to muck up the language do we.
Hey
I've started noticing on American programmes that the normal greeting between people is "Hey". That's it. Just "Hey". Not even "Hiya".
At least over here we manage a few more syllables when greeting each other. Even the lower orders manage "alright, how's it going?". Of course, us patricians in the corner office greet each other with "Good morning, how are you today?".
Surely ...
... good morrow fine sir, how art thou this splendiferous morn - I trust your peregrination was without mishap?
My New Greeting
... good morrow fine sir, how art thou this splendiferous morn - I trust your peregrination was without mishap?
Brilliant. That's what I'm going to be saying from now on.
Specific
Again a bit off topic, but what really frustrates me is the often used 'pacific' instead of 'specific'. It is becoming such a regular occurrence that I'm sure it will soon make its way into the dictionary. I remember cringing as a junior when one of the partners gave a talk to some of our clients once and repeatedly used 'pacific' in error.
What people don't realise ...
... is that by using long-winded sentances for greetings and formalities, you buy your self thinking time so when you get to the point you don't spout forth a load of bilge!
The old "engage brain before opening mouth" type thing!
There appears to me a noticable correlation such that the fewer and simpler the words used, the greater the amount of inanities asserted.
@Red Leader
Remember today in a year's time, when everyone in your office will be greeting you with "Hey".
It'll happen!
But ...
Remember today in a year's time, when everyone in your office will be greeting you with "Hey".
It'll happen!
... there's only me :o)
I am unclear what is the
I am unclear what is the objection to using the date format used by the most populated English speaking country. It also makes it far easier to understand American tax returns incidentally!