Americanisms...is it just me that finds them irritating?

Dunroamin

lostinrates wrote: »

Rofl. That's the single Americanism that is likely to make me slightly tetchy in uk. It's a loo or a lavatory in my book. Not a bathroom, a restroom or a toilet (not an Americanism, but the same kind of shudder for my parent's generation/'class' and I guess now I'm adult I'm turning into my mother....)

That's the worst one "going to the bathroom" when you mean having a pee or a poo. You end up with ridiculous things like "going to the bathroom in his pants" when someone's had an accident.

Soubrette

Dunroamin wrote: »

That's the worst one "going to the bathroom" when you mean having a pee or a poo. You end up with ridiculous things like "going to the bathroom in his pants" when someone's had an accident.

I think that's a cultural thing though - it took me a bit of time getting my head around this as I felt exactly the same as you but to my OH going to the toilet in your underwear (pants being trousers you understand:p) sounds as weird as going to the bathroom does to us.

Both cultures have done the same thing - we have euphemised (I may have made that verb up, sorry) the action into either a) the actual room or b) the actual piece of equipment used and over the years the euphemism has become our word for the act.

So when I laugh at my husband for sending the dog out to go to the bathroom last thing at night, after all there is no bathroom out there! He equally laughs at me for sending him out to go to the toilet because there is no toilet out there either:)

Soubrette

lostinrates wrote: »

Both bathroom and toilet are niceties. I call a spade a spade. However, well take it to extremes at times. My dh is not a huge fan of his (American) stepmil and often goes to the progressively more common lavatory as the evening goes on. And announces it each time. I'm rarely a fan of winding people up or playing games and I have suggested he not go so far as to call it the brick !!!! house at least.

And there was I thinking loo and lav were what the posh people called it

lostinrates

Soubrette wrote: »

I think that's a cultural thing though - it took me a bit of time getting my head around this as I felt exactly the same as you but to my OH going to the toilet in your underwear (pants being trousers you understand:p) sounds as weird as going to the bathroom does to us.

Both cultures have done the same thing - we have euphemised (I may have made that verb up, sorry) the action into either a) the actual room or b) the actual piece of equipment used and over the years the euphemism has become our word for the act.

So when I laugh at my husband for sending the dog out to go to the bathroom last thing at night, after all there is no bathroom out there! He equally laughs at me for sending him out to go to the toilet because there is no toilet out there either:)

We put the dogs out to do a widdlywee and a big poo. (Infantilised only because they are my babies) .

lostinrates

Soubrette wrote: »

And there was I thinking loo and lav were what the posh people called it

Generally we call it the loo here. But we're quite lavatorial. I'll often say to dh ...I'm going side to pee. . Even more horrifying to many he usually says to me, I'm just off outside, to pee.

Soubrette

lostinrates wrote: »

We put the dogs out to do a widdlywee and a big poo. (Infantilised only because they are my babies) .

Widdlywee and the Big Poo sounds like a cartoon duo :cool:

Takeaway_Addict

sulkisu wrote: »

It's not a big deal and I should probably just 'get a life and get over it' and I know that there are far more important things in the world to worry about but this is something that is really starting to irritate.

Americanisms (there might be a better word for it, but that's what I call them'. This habit of adopting American words and labels. I was watching Cbeebies this morning and the presenter is talking about ladybugs. When did ladybirds become ladybugs? Yesterday it was 'cookies and strollers' instead of 'biscuits and buggies'. I asked for ice lollies in Sainsbury's and the assistant told me where I could find the 'popsicles'

Am I the only one who finds it annoying?

Yeah man!

Soubrette

lostinrates wrote: »

Generally we call it the loo here. But we're quite lavatorial. I'll often say to dh ...I'm going side to pee. . Even more horrifying to many he usually says to me, I'm just off outside, to pee.

As long as it's in the compost

Dunroamin

Soubrette wrote: »

I think that's a cultural thing though - it took me a bit of time getting my head around this as I felt exactly the same as you but to my OH going to the toilet in your underwear (pants being trousers you understand:p) sounds as weird as going to the bathroom does to us.

Both cultures have done the same thing - we have euphemised (I may have made that verb up, sorry) the action into either a) the actual room or b) the actual piece of equipment used and over the years the euphemism has become our word for the act.

So when I laugh at my husband for sending the dog out to go to the bathroom last thing at night, after all there is no bathroom out there! He equally laughs at me for sending him out to go to the toilet because there is no toilet out there either:)

I wouldn't say either - ours are sent to do a wee wee last thing at night.

lostinrates

Soubrette wrote: »

As long as it's in the compost

And around the chicken house and paddocks. Good friends who are male are always invited to pee outside.....