Words and phrases recently introduced into the English language.

[westv]

A childist was a new one I heard the other day.

Though it was Piers Morgan who was being accused of it.

Apparently according to the one speaking it, it means someone who doesn't believe a child should decide their own rules and get to decide for themselves what identity they are.

Ah, it's just another word for "common sense" then.

 

[joebassman]

Due to as a substitue for because of.

I remember the tutor complaing about people using it in that context when I went on a course

He said that due means to owe another a debt.

 

[urbophile]

The American word Gotten seems to have got into the English Vocabulary

No it is English. For some reason it fell out of use on this side of the Atlantic, but as the past participle of got it makes sense.

 

[westv]

No it is English. For some reason it fell out of use on this side of the Atlantic, but as the past participle of got it makes sense.

It was forgotten then?

 

[D821]

It seems there area lot of words or spellings that we consider American that are actually old English ones that just fell out of use here.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It seems there area lot of words or spellings that we consider American that are actually old English ones that just fell out of use here.

Pilgrim Fathers syndrome?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

It seems there area lot of words or spellings that we consider American that are actually old English ones that just fell out of use here.

"Soccer" being an obvious example. Oddly the negative reaction to this term has only really come about in the last 25 years or so, when I was a kid going to "laik* soccer" was a common after-school activity. As I'm sure most of us on here know, it's actually a shortening of "Association Football" used by public schools and Oxbridge-types to distinguish from "rugger".

*= "laik" being a non-standard substitute for the verb "to play", common in areas which a millennium ago had a fair bit of Nordic influence. Apparently the roots of this term are in Old Norse, and it isn't too dissimilar to the Swedish word for "play".

 

[Gloster]

*= "laik" being a non-standard substitute for the verb "to play", common in areas which a millennium ago had a fair bit of Nordic influence. Apparently the roots of this term are in Old Norse, and it isn't too dissimilar to the Swedish word for "play".

And Denmark’s gift to the world: lego. The name come from leg godt, which means ‘play well’: the ‘e’ has some similarities to an English ‘a’ sound.

 

[Brooklands]

No it is English. For some reason it fell out of use on this side of the Atlantic, but as the past participle of got it makes sense.

The revival of ‘gotten’ has been very noticeable in recent times and I find it very irritating as the word ‘got’ is perfectly adequate in most cases.
What’s wrong with saying ‘I had got off the train at Crewe’ as opposed to ‘I had gotten off the train at Crewe’ - an unnecessary three extra letters.
Although I agree that the word originated in Britain most English dictionaries classify the word as an example of American English.
What next, faucet, rail road, elevator.....

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The revival of ‘gotten’ has been very noticeable in recent times and I find it very irritating as the word ‘got’ is perfectly adequate in most cases.
What’s wrong with saying ‘I had got off the train at Crewe’ as opposed to ‘I had gotten off the train at Crewe’ - an unnecessary three extra letters.
Although I agree that the word originated in Britain most English dictionaries classify the word as an example of American English.
What next, faucet, rail road, elevator.....

"Rail road" is an odd one. The literal translation of Irish national railways is "Iron road", so it isn't strictly an Americanism. Even in British English, it isn't unheard of for a route to be referred to as a "road".

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

"Rail road" is an odd one. The literal translation of Irish national railways is "Iron road", so it isn't strictly an Americanism. Even in British English, it isn't unheard of for a route to be referred to as a "road".

The French had the phrase "Chemin de fer".

 

[Gloster]

"Rail road" is an odd one. The literal translation of Irish national railways is "Iron road", so it isn't strictly an Americanism. Even in British English, it isn't unheard of for a route to be referred to as a "road".

And ‘eisenbahn’, ‘jernbane’, ’järnväg’, etc. Arguably, the British English term is more accurate nowadays as steel is used. In the very early days the term railroad did appear in Britain.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

And ‘eisenbahn’, ‘jernbane’, ’järnväg’, etc. Arguably, the British English term is more accurate nowadays as steel is used. In the very early days the term railroad did appear in Britain.

Plenty of early American railroads used "Railway" too. Many of the differences between British and American English (spelling reforms aside) have only come about by accident, rather than some orchestrated plan. For whatever reason, railroad became the more common term across the pond and fell out of use over here. Isn't variety the spice of life?

 

[Gloster]

Not quite the actual words, but the disappearance of capital letters at the beginning of many nouns annoys me. In particular, their disappearance before ranks: Dukes and Earls keep them, while Majors and Flight-Lieutenants (who earned them, rather than inherited them) seem to have to have lost them. They also seem to be disappearing from the start of sentences and on proper nouns, but that is sloppiness. This was started by the Grauniad saying that Johnson had been ‘flying in a typhoon’. The mind boggles!

 

[urbophile]

Not quite the actual words, but the disappearance of capital letters at the beginning of many nouns annoys me. In particular, their disappearance before ranks: Dukes and Earls keep them, while Majors and Flight-Lieutenants (who earned them, rather than inherited them) seem to have to have lost them. They also seem to be disappearing from the start of sentences and on proper nouns, but that is sloppiness. This was started by the Grauniad saying that Johnson had been ‘flying in a typhoon’. The mind boggles!

The converse of that is a lot of unnecessary capitalisation, for example 'Summer weather', where summer is used as an adjective. Or City, unless the City of London is meant. (It's different as a title or proper name, eg City of Liverpool).

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Mention of "Americanisms" was brought to mind by a word that I had not heard before, in an "EE" TV advert, when an American voice clearly said "Wowsa" (whatever that was supposed to mean).

 

[Calthrop]

Don't know about the American bit; but I have come across "wowser", as an Australian slang word -- signifying a miserable puritanical sanctimonious killjoy type of person.

 

[317 forever]

Not quite the actual words, but the disappearance of capital letters at the beginning of many nouns annoys me. In particular, their disappearance before ranks: Dukes and Earls keep them, while Majors and Flight-Lieutenants (who earned them, rather than inherited them) seem to have to have lost them. They also seem to be disappearing from the start of sentences and on proper nouns, but that is sloppiness. This was started by the Grauniad saying that Johnson had been ‘flying in a typhoon’. The mind boggles!

I think this is due to people not needing capital letters when looking things up on the internet.

I don't like buses or trains having lower case letters at the start of the company or trading name.

 

[DelW]

Plenty of early American railroads used "Railway" too. Many of the differences between British and American English (spelling reforms aside) have only come about by accident, rather than some orchestrated plan. For whatever reason, railroad became the more common term across the pond and fell out of use over here. Isn't variety the spice of life?

Not only the early ones - BNSF, one of the largest of the class 1 systems, was formed in 1995 and has the official name of Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway:

Our Railroad | BNSF

Today's BNSF Railway is the product of nearly 400 different railroad lines that merged or were acquired over the course of 170 years.

www.bnsf.com

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I think this is due to people not needing capital letters when looking things up on the internet.

I don't like buses or trains having lower case letters at the start of the company or trading name.

The "all lower case" thing seems to be a current trend for branding. It'll fall by the wayside in due course I'm sure. See also using "quirky" ukulele music in adverts, or using soft Scottish accents for the voice-over.

 

[High Dyke]

Mention of "Americanisms" was brought to mind by a word that I had not heard before, in an "EE" TV advert, when an American voice clearly said "Wowsa" (whatever that was supposed to mean).

Good Grief, in proper terms, I believe.

 

[swt_passenger]

How about being “across” something, as in keeping up to date?

It’s not a favourite expression of mine. I just read it in a BBC article about the end of the 5.00 pm football results...

 

[Calthrop]

How about being “across” something, as in keeping up to date?

It’s not a favourite expression of mine. I just read it in a BBC article about the end of the 5.00 pm football results...

I have a friend who is a decidedly extreme pedant and conservative, as regards all aspects of the English language and its use. He is infuriated by the use of "across" in the sense of: throughout (a geographical region). I'd hesitate to tell him of this, above-quoted, still newer employment of the word; would fear its causing a fatal heart attack on his part.

 

[gg1]

How about being “across” something, as in keeping up to date?

It’s not a favourite expression of mine. I just read it in a BBC article about the end of the 5.00 pm football results...

I've just seen the same article, the relevant line is below. I don't recall ever seeing the word used in that context before and it sounds nonsensical so I'm wondering if it may just be an error.

"The corporation added that fans could also keep across the results on the BBC Sport website and Final Score on BBC One."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-62397375

The same word is also used in the sense @Calthrop alluded too, but a least there the meaning is clear.

 

[Gloster]

I've just seen the same article, the relevant line is below. I don't recall ever seeing the word used in that context before and it sounds nonsensical so I'm wondering if it may just be an error.

"The corporation added that fans could also keep across the results on the BBC Sport website and Final Score on BBC One."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-62397375

The same word is also used in the sense @Calthrop alluded too, but a least there the meaning is clear.

Perhaps someone meant ‘abreast’?

 

[swt_passenger]

Perhaps someone meant ‘abreast’?

I don’t think so, I’m fairly sure it’s intentional, if you listen to their output you’ll hear it a lot, eg in their trailers and similar stuff…

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I don’t think so, I’m fairly sure it’s intentional, if you listen to their output you’ll hear it a lot, eg in their trailers and similar stuff…

Perhaps it is time to have it brought up on the BBC Points of View programme.

 

[102 fan]

Train station is one that really annoys me. The Internet and American TV shows are to blame for that one.

Another is 'going forward' I usually switch off or stop reading when that phrase is used. It's pointless! We're all going forward, or ahead in time. Nobody, to my knowledge is able to travel back in time.

 

[westv]

I have to admit I have probably said "train station" since I was a nipper in the 60s.
"Railway station " sounds posh even if it is correct.

 

[102 fan]

I have to admit I have probably said "train station" since I was a nipper in the 60s.
"Railway station " sounds posh even if it is correct.

Prior to 2000, nobody I know said train station. No book about British trains said it.