NJJ

OK so there's been some talk in some of the other threads about where Australia's biggest foreign cultural influences come from. Just off the top of my head I have listed some of the American expressions and influences into the Australian language and culture. This is not to say that these things are good or bad, merely an obsevation of things from American culture, creeping into the Australian way of life. Feel free to comment or add any observations that you may have noticed or picked up since moving to Australia from your original part of the world......

• Cars are classified as "sedans" and "station wagons"
• The way of pronouncing yoghurt (yo-geit)
• The way of pronouncing words such as assume (ashoom)
• Words such as garbage, snuk & gotten
• Semi-Trailers
• Real Estate
• Liquor Stores (these are taking over from saying "bottle shop"!)
• Harness Racing
• TV ads every 10 minutes
• The way rivers are named e.g. "Yarra River" instead of "River Yarra"
• The way dates are spoken/written e.g. "January 30th" instead of "30th of January"

MarkMyWords

Similarly "project" and another example that I heard recently but can't recall.
Although not on every channel. On ABC you can watch old English programs without ads where they would have had ads in England. Slightly disconcerting.
Although not 1/30. I think the Yanks are the only ones who write numeric dates as the illogical month/day/year (illogical because it's not in increasing or decreasing order).

denhim

the american date system is also used in some asian countries too.
some more to the list..

freeway = motorway
highway=road with endless traffic lights
somester=school break
mcdonalds or redroosters on every street corner

anya4oz

The moment I hear someone saying 'nuculeer' instead of 'nuclear', I swear I'm leaving the country....



Anya.

JackTheLad

Bush goes "Nucular"

ScuntoBris

Intersection........ no it's a junction.

PommieLeague

Correct it is a junction.
Americanism has also crept into British English too, not as noticable as over here in Oz, but its evident.

A few more:
Movie or film?
VCR or Video
Light bulb or globe?
reticulation or irrigation?

And in a physical way, do flyscreens originate from the US?

Simone

There are movies, there are tv shows and soaps. Most of what is shown on tv is from the US.
There are muffins and brownies and popcorn etc etc
There is basketball.
Fast food.
So many cereals (or does the UK have whole aisles(sp?) full with cereal types too?(NL doesn't) )
BBQ's and surfing and surfwear.

And there's a lot of other stuff I can't think of at the moment.

Lots of US culture in Oz, just like in the Netherlands, or the UK probably.
Though it's sometimes hard to say which culture something originally came from.... there aren't always clear lines....

Merlot

Sorry could not resist

Middlesbrough FC = No FA Cup

Only kidding mate , I have a family full of supporters being from Teesside, sorry you didn't get through. National mouring around Tesco's this morning.

I bet a change of life in Perth for you than the Boro?

Best wishes
Merlot

Merlot

I have to agree, where did is all start?

M

Quinkana

Junction:

"A place where two things join or meet, especially a place where two roads or railway routes come together and one terminates."

Junction

For example "T junction".



Intersection:

"A place where things intersect, especially a place where two or more roads cross."

Intersection

Hels

I just love that I dont need a Dictionary when you are around....

Simone

Homo sapiens in Africa?
Then Middle east.
Then uk. From there onto America and Australia.

Something like that....

PommieLeague

What has this to do with Americanism?

PommieLeague

Yeah the supermarkets in the UK are bigger, modern, cleaner and have far more choice than here.