Some borrowing is okay, especially if you've lived in the UK, worked with a lot of British people or happen to be married to, dating or related to a British person. But I think some of these folks take it a bit too far. Quit faking the funk!!
Americans are barmy over Britishisms

By ALEX WILLIAMS
MITT ROMNEY is not the “bumbling toff” he’s made out to be, wrote Daniel Gross, an American journalist, in a recent Daily Beast article. The latest iPad is a “lovely piece of kit,” in the words of John Scalzi, an American science-fiction author writing in his blog, Whatever. The Chicago Bulls were mired in uncertainty less than a “fortnight” after their star player Derrick Rose went down with a knee injury, according to an article in The Daily Herald, a suburban Chicago newspaper, last spring.

Crikey, Britishisms are everywhere. Call it Anglocreep. Call it annoying. Snippets of British vernacular — “cheers” as a thank you, “brilliant” as an affirmative, “loo” as a bathroom — that were until recently as rare as steak and kidney pie on these shores are cropping up in the daily speech of Americans (particularly, New Yorkers) of the taste-making set who often have no more direct tie to Britain than an affinity for “Downton Abbey.”

The next time an American “mate” asks you to “ring” her on her “mobile” about renting your “flat” during your “holiday,” it’s fair to ask, have we all become Madonna?

This star-spangled burst of Anglophonia has “established itself as this linguistic phenomenon that shows no sign of abating,” said Ben Yagoda, a professor of English at the University of Delaware, who last year started “Not One-Off Britishisms,” a repository of such verbal nonnative species, like those above, culled from the American media. “The 21st-century ‘chattering classes’ — which is itself a Britishism — are the most significant perpetrators of this trend,” he added.

Perhaps it is a reflection of a larger cultural shift. Arguably, the distance between Britain and the United States (please, not the Pond) is as small as it has ever been. In an age of BBC livestreams and borderless Web sites, Americans track the Middletons in near real time via British gossip sites, absorb the Queen’s English through televised imports like “Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares” and “Doctor Who,” and take in newspapers like The Guardian, now considered must-reads for many Northeast Corridor influencers, via their iPad apps over “a coffee.”

Or maybe it’s just pretension, an instance of long-simmering Anglophilia among the American striver classes bubbling over into full-fledged imitation — or in the view of British observers, parody. ....

It's funny they mentioned Gordon Ramsay, because I was going to say that some of these words have slipped out when I'm talking, and I think it's partly his fault. Bloody hell!

My favorite British word is bullocks. I especially liked it when The Finger said it in V for Vendetta.

As in Sandra?

I always thought the word was bollocks, as in the phrase "dog's bollocks" which is roughly equivalent to the old US phrases "the cat's meow" or "the bee's knees" (yeah, I know, I'm showing my age).

Also a UK beer, which IMO, has to take the prize for the best name ever on a bottle of lager:



But, I have definitely noticed certain British words and phrases in newspapers, particularly. "Flat" is used more and more for "apartment" - especially when describing a Manhattan location. I also occasionally see "lift" for "elevator." "Randy" has been turning up, too. Perhaps it's just me, but I've always associated the use of the word "loo" (here in New York City) with rather pretentious types of folks. What's next, pissoir??

On the other hand, language is ever-changing. It's nearly impossible to keep it from "morphing" - though heaven knows, the French have tried - so it may simply be a case of evolution.

That said, I'm quite knackered so I think I'll put the kettle on and see what's on the telly.

Signor V.

Yes its Bollocks, as in your balls.

It's mostly Madonna's fault. But you can blame it on Globalization and the Internet as well.

I'm surprised it hasn't carried over into the world of grammar yet. Because if you're an American and you start spelling neighborhood with a u, then you need to get smacked.

Touchy subject, Lilo. You're a bloody wannker for bringing it up.

I've almost done that with some words

Color,Colour..

We are two countries separated by a common language.

It goes both ways i think, plenty of Americanisms in our vernacular these days.

I think it's great

I agree Yogi, it annoys me when i hear people say "My Bad"

Once upon a time any friend was just "mate". Now we have buddy, bro and dude.....

All sorts of nice things to call your mates...if you get my drift

What about the Britishism for a cigarette?

One of the more insidious ones is the abbreviation "ttfn" which is used all the time by Americans, and is short for "ta ta for now." I don't know anyone over here who otherwise says "ta ta (at least when they mean good bye)."

"Bloody" and "bloody hell" has crept in nicely, and its not a bad term.

On the other hand using the word "lorry" would be taking things too far.

BTW in the UK they call a car GPS a "Sat-nav." Pretty cool expression.

Paul McCartney's dad used to complain to him and John Lennon about their use of Americanisms as they were first writing music. He thought there were too many Americanisms entering British usage. Paul had to explain to him how the song just wouldn't have the same effect if they sang, "She loves you, Yes, Yes, Yes."

I hate the term "dude" here or there.

ttfn hasn't made its way to Pennsylvania, and I hope it doesn't. Bloody hell has been thriving here for at least my whole life.

On the other hand the pun "Come Together" was purely British.

And in Day Tripper the line, "She's a big teaser," was an intentional play on the phrase "prick teaser."

Yeah but it never was "I Wanna Hold Your Gland."

Came across the below article on the BBC website.

30 of your Britishisms used by Americans

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19929249

It's about time words like numpty, shag and chav caught on....

The annoying thing is when you actually need/want to read a british novel in the states, you'll probably end up with an americanized version. Like they did with the Harry Potter novels. It's like those british words are too much to handle.

It's an English novel for cryin out loud, let me hear them brits please! if I don't get a word or two I'll look it up. There's no need to destroy the british taste which comes through the language.

What's next? an american version of "Trainspotting"? I'm sure most of it is hard for UK folks as well, but that's part of the charm. It took me a while to dive in the novel, but then it was flowing. I wouldn't want to read it in simple english.

Fucking Wankers.

D**khead

Always so pleasant.

What is the genesis of the Britishism ..."and Bob's your uncle?"

This should explain it for you DT.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob's_your_uncle

One particular word (a name, actually) which is, to the British, a bit naughty, can be used as a verb, though an ex-girlfriend of mine from 35 years ago also used it as a noun... get ready now...here it is:

Roger

Yep. Don't know if it's used much anymore, but I believe "Rogering" was pretty much much synonymous with "shagging." For a man, to "Roger" someone (I'm not sure if it should be capitalized) was to have sex with that (female) person.

But my ex, who could do a near-flawless British accent (Drama major in college), also used the word to refer to the male member in much the same way that people in some areas of the US refer to it as "Johnson."

Strange But True: I have a friend in England named Roger Johnson.


Signor V.