Monday 19 December 2011

Why don't most Americans speak English?

Well....it's not so much the spoken as the written English Americans speak that I have trouble with. They should admit they speak American, then English people would know to have a phrase book at hand when reading something written by n American author.
For example, in the book I am currently reading one of the characters keeps her laptop in her purse! That is one hell of a purse! (I do know that one)
But why sidewalk? What is wrong with footpath, it says exactly what it is..unless you live around Morecambe where it seems to mean cycle track...no matter how busy it is with pedestrians
One I am never sure of...why would someone have bangs on their head. To me a bang is what you get when you drop something heavy, or there is a crude slang meaning. But neither of these have anything to do with anyone's head.
Perhaps my American friend who speaks sensible English could help me out? Blue?
Why claim to speak a certain language, then change words as and when you like?

3 comments:

Blue said...

I know there are many ways in which our language is different, but I don't know why it is. I'll have to do some research and find out.

And as a disclaimer, I type proper British English only because I want to be like you. LOL

Michael Gradwell said...

I can recommend Bill Bryson's Mother Tongue but Oscar Wilde knew that "we have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language."

My problem is that anyone who wants to get anywhere on a talent show has to sing in an American accent.

Sea said...

Blue wants to live here and she communicates in UK speak...which is good..I can't equate wannabe global authors adapting USA speak!