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

claire16c

I thought lavatory was the posh version. I always say loo or toilet

Soubrette

Dunroamin wrote: »

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

No, but you probably wouldn't bat an eyelid if you overheard someone complaining that their little boy had gone to the toilet in his pants but the phrase gone to the bathroom in his pants sounds almost nonsensical.

Talking of batting eyelids - my OH is Canadian not American but they do not seem to have the metaphoric language that we do - I am often accused of making up phrases such as 'swings and roundabout' 'a bird in the hand' etc

cloudy11

I am from the Midlands and we all say Mom. It goes back generations and is most definitely not because it is an Americanism.

Why on earth would it bother anyone so much what someone else calls their Mom/Mum/Mother?!

Georgiegirl256

Soubrette wrote: »

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

Yeah, it's the 'bog' up here in the North :rotfl: I don't call it that of course!

BitterAndTwisted

Americans can be a coy lot, hence the "bathroom"/"washroom" business. Call it anything other than bluntly referring to what is actually going on in there. Another one is "in back of" rather than the risky "behind" which is associated with a part of the body and therefore cannot be mentioned so turns into "butt" even when it's a steak.

There are lots of Americanisms: most of which interest me but few actually offend but I really do object to all of this "can I get" business that's popped up everywhere. It just sounds so ruddy rude to me when you're asking someone to do something for you. Please. Thanks very much.

N.b. The words "lav" and its diminutive "loo" are/were social indicators, where the working-class dross would have used "toilet". Which is sort-of amusing as both words originally referred to washing/bathing and most certainly not excreting, so are really coy euphemisms of the same type so loved and used by our American friends.

mumps

I don't mind the words and some of the things mentioned make me laugh. I am from West Mids and it is definitely Mom, don't accuse us of using Americanisms. Buggy not stroller, no to me its a pushchair. But none of it annoys me however I hate that the leavers disco has become a prom, that people have baby showers, what is that all about? And the feds? we call them the filth.

adouglasmhor

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.

Lavatory is Middle English via Latin, it translates as "wash-place" Lava as in Lavage to wash and Tory is a place or room.

iltisman

I don't think its American but "destinated " seems to be replacing arrived in some areas.

adouglasmhor

One that gets me. This is a press up.

This is a push up.

Wyre

Hotting up annoys me, surely it's heating up?