AmerLisa

scrubbedexpat097

In a light hearted way I'm going to say why does it bother any of you?

You live in another country, people in other countries use different expressions and words, that's the way it is. Now you can carry on and use the words you want but your way or the other way.....people, it doesn't matter


love you all

CAdreaming

Actually you are right!! My first name and surname has two Z's in them...noone understood me when I spelled it out as ZED...I said to hubby that im British and we say ZED...until he pointed out that im now in America and if he was in UK he would go with the flow and use the common language. I now use ZEE......I never thought it would be the hurdle it has been for me to use it! Crazy (with a zee ) really. Maybe its an identity thing which I didnt know about!!! He does look at me proudly tho whenever I use Americanisms!!

scrubbedexpat097

....and that's what it is all about!

robin1234

Does it really bother people, or is it just a perennial interesting kind of thread? I notice that over on the UK Yankee forums, these same kind of threads also move along at a nice pace and bring up lots of interesting highways & byways of etymology and usage..

For instance American women in Britain seem to start grinding their teeth when their OHs say "biccies" instead of biscuits, and "prezzy" instead of present.. just to mention one example of thousands.. (HMM... I think it sounds stupid, too. Maybe I'm becoming an American???)

nethead

Exactly. I don't understand why people get uppity or so defensive about this type if discussion, it is a discussion board after all.

nethead

Maybe we could start another thread for "UK words/expression you don't like" just to be fair Or perhaps we should leave that to the UK/Yankee forums.

I don't like those type of abbreviations/colloquialisms either, biccies, hossie etc they seem to be very popular in Australia too. I don't think I would say biccie in a verbal conversation but might write it, same for choccies.

robin1234

Of course over here we have Nilla Wafers .. not sure if they are biccies, but it is a silly name.

nethead

I suppose they are a type of biccie, but a bit more spongy I get confused trying to use the American pronunciation for Graham Crackers, I just can't bring myself to say gram cracker.

cindyabs

Having been an Army wife and then a travel agent, I learned the phonetic alphabet which is pretty universal (well in Europe anyway) in some form or another, . The only one that seems to often stump people is to say Sierra (which is the official word) for S, so I'll say S as in Sam to bypass that.

cindyabs

Hmm, could be because it may, as written form often does come across as a criticism rather than an observation......... Since there's no way of "hearing" the way it's written or accompanying body language sometimes it's difficult to tell. Sometimes, the less said the better,

PS I personally don't care for tee tee as a bathroom euphenism.

SultanOfSwing

Who the bloody hell says tee tee

robin1234

Toilet Tissue.. I think it derives from shopping list abbreviations. I certainly use it that way..

robin1234

Although, BR would be just as easy to write.

nethead

I've never heard of tee tee before either