Thread: Americanisms are ****ing me off

Originally Posted by p38arover

Some years ago, an Australian passenger got off the train where I worked and asked if we had a bathroom. I told her no, so off she went to the pub across the road.

Now had she asked for the toilet I would have directed her to it.

"bathroom" ****es me off when someone means "toilet".

However, asking for the toilet doesn't always work. A few weeks ago after a dusty morning's drive I stopped at a country pub for lunch. Before I left I thought I would make use of their toilets but couldn't immediately see them.

I asked the guy behind the bar: "Excuse me. Where are the toilets?"
Bar guy: "Huh?"
Me (thinking I'd been misheard or something): "Could you tell me where the toilets are please?"
Bar Guy (looking a bit confused): "Erm...."
Me (realising my mistake): "Where's ya dunny mate?"
Bar Guy: "Oh, round the back!"

I suppose my Canadianisms must be as bad. Toilet is fine by me as is sidewalk and streetcar , for footpath and tram. I do dreaw a personal line in the sand where a word ending with a" oon "ise pronounced as " oan ". Flame away as I go out and about.

Originally Posted by vnx205

The Americanisms that annoy me most are the ones that are quite illogical.

When the obvious progression for a date is day, month, year, why do the Americans and an increasing number of Australians think there is any logic to naming the month first followed by the day?

Working with rows and rows of data day in- day out, this one is actually quite logical...

Try sorting dates... Using the MMDDYY format gives Chronological order easily.

Sorting DDMMYY (even in file names) gives all 12 months of the 1st day, then all of the 2nd day etc. etc...


I find this logic akin to the French language - they do not tell you to "Go sit at the blue round table" They tell you to sit at the table, that is blue and round...

Sounds silly, but think about it - They are describing the object type (table) - so now you are looking for a table - then telling you which particular one (Round and Blue)...

The AUS military does similar:

• Shirt - Blue
• Shirt - Dress
• Pants - Work
• Boots - Parade
• Boots - Work
• Badge - Name

In keeping with the hated Americanisms - Mine is "Haters gunna hate" -> No ****!!!!!
Well, a Painters gunna Paint, Golfers gunna Golf...

And why do they persist with inches, feet and miles?

Then there's their stock market reports ... Orange is up 1 and 7/16 points today etc.

The Chinese use WC for toilet (water closet) I think that's the old Brittish term on building plans?

Annoyingly they accept it's better to use metric for space flight and defence (only used offence in reality ) but won't give up their daily use of imperial measurement.....arrogance or is the govt worried it's people aren't bright enough to switch over?

God bless Australia they can't hold the monopoly on God, any God for that matter. Allah Akbar for those Middle East Landrover owners

I think English speaking nations should draw on all words and styles of communication available to them, even from other languages - witness the drift to Spanglish. Allowing for logic of course - day month year.

Do we want to be like the French and have a committee deciding on what words are 'English'?

There are a billion arguments like this...but the number will vary depending on whether it's the American billion (1,000 x 1,000,000) or British billion (1,000,000 x 1,000,000). Which do you use? Next time you sell something to a Yank, and it's a 'billion dollar' contract, make sure the fine print says British billion.

Interesting that the Americans honor freedom of speech, but as an Oz chem student you will be marked wrong if you call Sulfur Sulphur - the Americans had Sulfur declared the international chemical standard.

Posting error - system said wait 29 seconds after first attempt at posting.

Originally Posted by Greatsouthernland

And why do they persist with inches, feet and miles?



Then there's their stock market reports ... Orange is up 1 and 7/16 points today etc.



The Chinese use WC for toilet (water closet) I think that's the old Brittish term on building plans?



Annoyingly they accept it's better to use metric for space flight and defence (only used offence in reality ) but won't give up their daily use of imperial measurement.....arrogance or is the govt worried it's people aren't bright enough to switch over?



God bless Australia they can't hold the monopoly on God, any God for that matter. Allah Akbar for those Middle East Landrover owners

Have a good search into this...

There's quite a bit more to it

Originally Posted by p38arover

Some years ago, an Australian passenger got off the train where I worked and asked if we had a bathroom. I told her no, so off she went to the pub across the road.

Now had she asked for the toilet I would have directed her to it.

Streuth! Stone the crows, wot a drongo.

You Larrikin! That Sheila would be spewin if she had a captain cook afta you gave her the bum steer...probly giv ya a gobful