Do they teach American language in Primary schools nowadays?

[toffee]

I work for an American company. I've had to teach myself how to write in American!

When I worked for on American company I put the $ commentary in American and the £ commentary in English. In the years I worked there I was never queried on it. Probably because the Americans never thought they needed to read the £ version. Exchange differences didn't cross their minds

 

[nickyboy]

What about 'can I get' - illiterate yobs yobs corrupting the English language. There's no hope.

I use "can I get". I understand what I'm asking, as does the person listening to me. The essence of effective communication

English will continue to evolve (or corrupt if you prefer). Always has, always will.

 

[Conrad_K]

Something I never saw until late last year, and now it's everywhere: "Grinded" instead of "ground."

Yes, I know it's an irregular verb, but making up your own words doesn't help the situation any.

[Looks at two-inch-thick "French Irregular Verbs" dictionary on the far shelf.]

 

[stephec]

Guys.
What is the informal, colloquial alternative way to address a mixed gender group of people?

If you want to be one of those teachers who's down with the kids, and use an Americanism, how about, 'yo mofos.'

 

[alicat]

Holy thread resurrection, Batman!

 

[Drago]

One of my fondest memories as a young bobby was being on a foot patrol in one of the ghetto areas of Milton Keynes when we chanced upon a lad who was being a bit naughty.

You know the sort, crotch of jeans round his knees, talked proper gangsta style.

Anyhoo, the skipper I was with was quite upper crust and suddenly started having a go at the yoof along the lines of, "have you ever listened to yourself? This is North Buckinghamsire, not the Bronx. You're not impressing anyone, I bet even your pretend Bronx chums think you're a tw@t..."

And on and on he went.

After a few minutes the lad was stood up straight, pulled his jeans up properly, and his accent had mysteriously reverted to a surprisingly well spoken middle English tone as he stammered out his apology. I was trying to look serious so as not to undermine the skipper, but I think the look on my fade probably betrayed my mirth.

After the bollocking then lad was sent on his way, problem solved, details taken in case of further problems being reported.

Of course do that today the copper would probably be suspended or taken off public facing duties while a complaint is investigated.

 

[AndyRM]

Milton Keynes has ghettos?

I thought it was just roundabouts, innit?

 

[captain nemo1701]

Although both have been in use for over a century, I dislike the US preferred term 'burglarised' as opposed to burgled. If you've had a break-in, its going to be in the past, so you've been 'burgled'. 'Burglarised' ??.... sounds some kind of painful conversion process....

 

[Dogtrousers]

Although both have been in use for over a century, I dislike the US preferred term 'burglarised' as opposed to burgled. If you've had a break-in, its going to be in the past, so you've been 'burgled'. 'Burglarised' ??.... sounds some kind of painful conversion process....

I suffered a burglarization when I lived in the states. The burglarizator got in via the kitchen window.

 

[markemark]

One of my fondest memories as a young bobby was being on a foot patrol in one of the ghetto areas of Milton Keynes when we chanced upon a lad who was being a bit naughty.

You know the sort, crotch of jeans round his knees, talked proper gangsta style.

Anyhoo, the skipper I was with was quite upper crust and suddenly started having a go at the yoof along the lines of, "have you ever listened to yourself? This is North Buckinghamsire, not the Bronx. You're not impressing anyone, I bet even your pretend Bronx chums think you're a tw@t..."

And on and on he went.

After a few minutes the lad was stood up straight, pulled his jeans up properly, and his accent had mysteriously reverted to a surprisingly well spoken middle English tone as he stammered out his apology. I was trying to look serious so as not to undermine the skipper, but I think the look on my fade probably betrayed my mirth.

After the bollocking then lad was sent on his way, problem solved, details taken in case of further problems being reported.

Of course do that today the copper would probably be suspended or taken off public facing duties while a complaint is investigated.

Did the skipper use a different voice when talking to the youth than he did with you when back at the station?

 

[a.twiddler]

I suffered a burglarization when I lived in the states. The burglarizator got in via the kitchen window.

Had he been caught, would he have pled guilty? Or pleaded? I've seen UK reports that accused persons have pled guilty, and I've thought, never mind him, the reporting journalist in the case should have been dragged in front of the beak and shown the error of his ways. Pleaded is the past tense of plead, whatever our American cousins may make of it. Aaargh!

 

[Alex321]

Had he been caught, would he have pled guilty? Or pleaded? I've seen UK reports that accused persons have pled guilty, and I've thought, never mind him, the reporting journalist in the case should have been dragged in front of the beak and shown the error of his ways. Pleaded is the past tense of plead, whatever our American cousins may make of it. Aaargh!

From Mirriam-Webster (admittedly a US based dictionary site)
Pleaded vs. Pled

Plead belongs to the same class of verbs as bleed, lead, and feed, and like them it has a past and past participle with a short vowel spelled pled (or sometimes plead, which is pronounced alike). From the beginning, pled has faced competition from the regular form pleaded, which eventually came to predominate in mainstream British English. Pled was and is used in Scottish English, which is likely how it came to American English. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, pled was attacked by many American usage commentators (perhaps because it was not in good British use). Though still sometimes criticized, it is fully respectable today and both pled (or plead) and pleaded are in good use in the U.S. In legal use (such as “pleaded guilty,” “pled guilty”), both forms are standard, though pleaded is used with greater frequency. In nonlegal use (such as “pleaded for help”), pleaded appears more commonly, though pled is also considered standard.

 

[DaveReading]

Had he been caught, would he have pled guilty? Or pleaded? I've seen UK reports that accused persons have pled guilty, and I've thought, never mind him, the reporting journalist in the case should have been dragged in front of the beak and shown the error of his ways. Pleaded is the past tense of plead, whatever our American cousins may make of it. Aaargh!

Clearly the journalist has been leaded up the garden path ...