British journalist Matthew Engel, a columnist on the Financial Times and contributor to the Daily Mail, has incited Britons to speak out against American words and phrases taking over the UK.
Engel writes: "I believe language thrives on give and take, but with the United States it is all take. Americans rarely hear any of our words, let alone adopt them.
But we are so overwhelmed by everything American that the British have lost their grasp on the difference between our form of English and theirs. This is the reality of cultural imperialism."
One example given of the most hated Americanisms is the expression 'I'm good' instead of 'I'm very well, thank you.' The 'I'm good' is especially infuriating to the many unhappy Britons when it is used to decline another serving of food or beverage, instead of saying a proper 'No, thank you'.
Daily Mail reader and commenter Patsy Holden said: ‘I just want to yell, “NO, you are NOT good – you might be really, really BAD.”
Other American words that seem to be taking over the English words the Britons have long established are vacation for holiday, carryout for takeaway, flashlight for torch, cookies for biscuits, fries for chips, hi for hello and hundreds of other words and phrases.
Nor do these Britons like America's pronunciation of words such as 'schedule'. Americans pronounce the word with a 'k' - 'skej-ool'. The Britons have traditionally pronounced it 'shed-yul.'
Engel goes on to complain that the American takeover is hitting Britain's politics, as well. Britain now has a National Security Council and a Supreme Court. There is rumor that the House of Lords will be renamed the Senate.
When asked to comment on the article in The Daily Mail , US President Barack Obama stated ...... " No doubt brah ..... dat English speak is da bomb but the cracker need to chill , yo "
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