Yes, what's wrong with that? I am almost certain that he was Mexican, so I said Mexican.
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Is it acceptable to use British English in United States??
- Thread starter kabunaru
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Yes, what's wrong with that? I am almost certain that he was Mexican, so I said Mexican.
Agreed 100%.
Use whatever English you want to. Why should other people care as long as they can understand you?
Because I like Linguistics.
Should Academia separate itself from the real world? If you work in the U.S. for a U.S. firm of any size that company will have "standards" for any of its published works and in-house documents. The company would require the use of American spellings and require employees to adhere to the company's "house style". If you refuse to follow the company's rules in your writings you'll likely soon be looking for new job.
That's just how thing work in the real world (of business). And some would argue that one of the primary objectives of education is to prepare students for the real world...
Otherwise, in personal writing, few are overly concerned (about minor spelling variations)...
You can speak "British" here in Millis, Massachusetts... just don't drop in and expect cucumber sandwiches and a cup of tea.
"British English" isn't a language, it's a dialect. And like or not, "American English"--while also merely a dialect--is the lingua franca of international business, trade, and commerce, and used as the intermediary or buffer language between other disparate tongues. That's just a fact of life, and one may as well lobby for Esperanto, for all the support it would garner.
Personal preferences aside, the dialect to which you incessantly refer, while colorful, rich in history, and in many ways more genteel than its offspring, is becoming less and less relevant in the world (and more's the pity). While through colonization it was spread around the planet, BE as you speak of it is spoken by an amazingly small percentage of the planet. I fear that even in England itself, Pakistani may be more prevalent.
BE isn't even a true language (and there aren't really any pure, original languages around much any longer), it's a bastardization and amalgam of others predating it, through the cultural overlaying by the invading hordes throughout history. Much as American English formed, it should be noted, though we've had our own regional influences beyond Europe.
As to what is "proper" or "acceptable," as long as one is using a commonly accepted form of one's native or adopted tongue, and it can be reasonably understood by the listener, I don't see a problem. Creating a one-person spelling, pronunciation, number/letter inversion, or other transitory, "pop" usage that has--and will always have--a minute fraction of speakers (none native), is an insult to the eyes, ears, and disrespectful to those striving mightily to interpret the message.
Personal preferences aside, the dialect to which you incessantly refer, while colorful, rich in history, and in many ways more genteel than its offspring, is becoming less and less relevant in the world (and more's the pity). While through colonization it was spread around the planet, BE as you speak of it is spoken by an amazingly small percentage of the planet. I fear that even in England itself, Pakistani may be more prevalent.
BE isn't even a true language (and there aren't really any pure, original languages around much any longer), it's a bastardization and amalgam of others predating it, through the cultural overlaying by the invading hordes throughout history. Much as American English formed, it should be noted, though we've had our own regional influences beyond Europe.
As to what is "proper" or "acceptable," as long as one is using a commonly accepted form of one's native or adopted tongue, and it can be reasonably understood by the listener, I don't see a problem. Creating a one-person spelling, pronunciation, number/letter inversion, or other transitory, "pop" usage that has--and will always have--a minute fraction of speakers (none native), is an insult to the eyes, ears, and disrespectful to those striving mightily to interpret the message.
I heard of this. British English is more changed since Elizabethan/Shakespearean English than American English.
So, if I want to be closer to Shakespeare, American English is the way to go.
I heard someone say this once: "British English is no more closer to the language of Shakespeare than mine (American English)".
That's a legend. Certain elements of so-called "Elizabethan English" are found throughout Appalachia but it's nowhere near the "pure" form...
Even though I inadvertently use British spellings every now and then, I like the American spellings better, as they are usually more phonetic. Why add letters that don't get pronounced (colour) or change the order of letters that does not fit the pronunciation ("-er" vs. "-re")?
I live in Canada... so sometimes I'm just plain confused. Rumour, colour, favourite etc. have always been right for me and I've known that Americans spell them differently. But the s/z thing has always gotten me so confused. I had no idea why spellcheck hated my s's for so long (read: Grade 10 
). And grey/ay is another matter, I've seen it either way so many times that I can't even remember which way I spell it. I always have to think to myself "ey... or ay... how about ey today "
EDIT: Same enormous confusion on the er/re front. The worst is metre...
). And grey/ay is another matter, I've seen it either way so many times that I can't even remember which way I spell it. I always have to think to myself "ey... or ay... how about ey today "EDIT: Same enormous confusion on the er/re front. The worst is metre...
Gray is actually the older form. And so is the term: "Fall" instead of Autumn.
If William Shakespeare was alive today, he would probably recognise those terms more easily.
The "rules" often can't control what happens in the real world.
In the 1800s in the U.S. "lorry" was the proper name of the device used to hold (via a small bin) coal and transport (via rail) the coal to a battery of coke ovens. But the majority of the workers at the coke ovens couldn't read or write English. Many were recently free slaves from the South and many were recent immigrants from non-English-speaking countries. In the real world of work: most of the workers actually manufacturing coke pronounced the name of the device as "larry". Meanwhile, if you were the coal company's purchasing agent, you knew to order something spelled as a "lorry", as this was the "proper" name of the device. And if you published a industrial trade journal, you wrote it as "lorry", etc.
Fast forward a few decades and and the history writers begin to write their histories of the coal industry... Because many of these writers relied on aural testimony from the old workers (who actually worked the coke ovens) you'll most often find the device spelled as "larry" or "larries" in their books and manuscripts. Other historians, who've actually bothered to check written documentation of the era, will write it as "lorry".
So, who's right? Who's wrong?
Does it matter?
Both are right but I still find it amusing that some American professors give points off for using British English. Can the reverse be true?
British professors give points off for using American English?
I bet at least some teachers in the UK would do the same should one use American English.
So, why I cannot be humourous as well in the thread with the spelling example?
I just want to see what people say about using: "British English in United States".
i guess these threads, ALL created by you, dont satisfy your British English fetish
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/541698/
and similar threads
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/528120/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/551684/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/501776/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/423461/
lol just sayin'
Not pulling the "that guy" card but
His speech was so poor, I hung up and finally got a very nice lady, (of which had a small British accent)
'of which had a small British accent'?. If you're going to criticise others' speech, then get your grammar and syntax right.
Incidentally, when many Americans talk about a British accent, they almost always mean an south eastern English accent. That is, they're thinking of Hugh Grant or someone like that. A 'British' accent could be Scottish, Welsh, Geordie, Cornish, Scouse etc, etc.
There is no one 'British' accent but I'd bet anyone saying 'British' almost certainly doesn't have a Scottish accent in mind!
I'm American but lived in Singapore for 8 years as a writer and editor. British English (with a smattering of Aussie English) are the norms 90% of the time (many companies use American English regardless of country of origin). It took a couple of weeks to get fully immersed in switching between American and British but it's not too difficult to be able to swop out between the two as needed.
Same with any type of slang, it just takes a (very) little effort on the writer's part. Of course, this being the 30-second attention span generation. ...
Same with any type of slang, it just takes a (very) little effort on the writer's part. Of course, this being the 30-second attention span generation. ...
As far as spelling and writing, I don't really care as long as I can understand it, but when it comes to speech and the spoken word, I think British accents (yes, I do understand there are multiple British accents) and British slang are great. I live in TX, USA but watch a lot of British shows and listen to my fair share of British music and their slang and insults seem so much more innovative and colourful. (lol I don't normally spell it like this but found it appropriate for the thread) Muppet and rubbish being two of my favorite British terms, and gotta love wanker lol
EDIT-BTW anyone interested in seeing the wonderful show QI (Quite Interesting) on American TV should sign the petition
EDIT-BTW anyone interested in seeing the wonderful show QI (Quite Interesting) on American TV should sign the petition
Funny how the British use "muppet" as an insult -but you do know it is an American creation? Sesame Street/Muppet Show puppets?
And how is "rubbish" a British term? Here in Australia it is just another word for garbage or trash - and I have definitely heard native US speakers use it in this way - unfortunately I have not been to Texas, so maybe it is simply not used where you live.
Yes, but Muppets are not used as an insult in America, that is why I find it funny and....wasn't Australia populated by a lot of British and in turn the use of rubbish in Australia is originally derived from British English?
I don't know why you care. What is your deal with this topic?
Personally I've adhered to the "when in rome" policy*. I'm an American and I live in the UK. After a while I thought maybe I should spell as everyone else does here and I started adjusting my spelling accordingly. To be honest it didn't feel natural for quite a while and I felt like a bit of a **** doing it, but it seemed like the appropriate thing to do considering that I'm here indefinitely.
I certainly wouldn't start doing that as an american in america because it's pointless and kind of dumb. But do what you want, man. Just stop asking for reassurance over it.
*just in case you really weren't sure
Personally I've adhered to the "when in rome" policy*. I'm an American and I live in the UK. After a while I thought maybe I should spell as everyone else does here and I started adjusting my spelling accordingly. To be honest it didn't feel natural for quite a while and I felt like a bit of a **** doing it, but it seemed like the appropriate thing to do considering that I'm here indefinitely.
I certainly wouldn't start doing that as an american in america because it's pointless and kind of dumb. But do what you want, man. Just stop asking for reassurance over it.
*just in case you really weren't sure
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