Phrases/words that set your teeth on edge.

[Pabmusic]

A couple more imports from across The Pond now widely used by many of our leading managers and politicos ...

'The Total Spend ... '
'New Builds ... '

Are you referring to the electronic music band New Build? It consists of Hot Chip members Al Doyle, Felix Martin plus composer Tom Hopkins. Their first album Yesterday Was Lived and Lost was released in the UK on 5 March 2012 (and in the United States on 3 April 2012). (Pour It On - their second album was not rated so highly. Less of an obvious Bruckner influence.)

[ahinton]

A couple more imports from across The Pond now widely used by many of our leading managers and politicos ...

'The Total Spend ... '
'New Builds ... '

Harvard and Yale are clearly a matter of concern for the Americans, but don't they know the difference between a noun and a verb at Oxford and Cambridge?

What in particular do you see as being wrong - or at least dentally challenging - with those, in a climate in which nouns are increasingly getting verbed anyway? Language is always just that little bit different on a Thursday to what it was the previous Saturday, after all...

[P. G. Tipps]

What in particular do you see as being wrong - or at least dentally challenging - with those, in a climate in which nouns are increasingly getting verbed anyway? Language is always just that little bit different on a Thursday to what it was the previous Saturday, after all...

Well, judging by your posts, you might appear to have a language of your very own. ahinton, certainly quite a bit 'different', but, of course, I would never wish to embarrass you with such fulsome personal praise on a public forum ...

[P. G. Tipps]

Are you referring to the electronic music band New Build? It consists of Hot Chip members Al Doyle, Felix Martin plus composer Tom Hopkins. Their first album Yesterday Was Lived and Lost was released in the UK on 5 March 2012 (and in the United States on 3 April 2012). (Pour It On - their second album was not rated so highly. Less of an obvious Bruckner influence.)

The only music band that appears to have been in any way influenced by The Great Symphonist is an otherwise wretched American outfit apparently named Seven Nation Army, Pab ...

Predictably, my spell-checker (American) doesn't even recognise the word 'symphonist' ... I rest my now solid, cast-iron case ...

[Pabmusic]

The only music band that appears to have been in any way influenced by The Great Symphonist is an otherwise wretched American outfit apparently named Seven Nation Army, Pab ...

Predictably, my spell-checker (American) doesn't even recognise the word 'symphonist' ... I rest my now solid, cast-iron case ...

Not so sure that your (American ) spellchecker's inability to recognise a readily understandable word supports your gripe against alleged Americanisms.

[Ferretfancy]

I particularly hate 'parenting skills' as if bringing up children is like woodwork or car maintenance.

[Pabmusic]

I particularly hate 'parenting skills' as if bringing up children is like woodwork or car maintenance.

It's so much more difficult. And no manual...

[P. G. Tipps]

Not so sure that your (American ) spellchecker's inability to recognise a readily understandable word supports your gripe against alleged Americanisms.

I felt precisely the same in reverse about your own post ... I'd have thought a British band adopting Yankee lingo tended to prove the point rather than the other way around....

PS ... 'alleged Americanisms'?

[Pabmusic]

...PS ... 'alleged Americanisms'?

The problem is that, unless you can demonstrate the origin, it's reckless to assume Americanism-ish qualities. Very many (fall, normalcy, diaper, etc) are British-isms that fell out of use on our side of the Atlantic. Many are not, of course, but you have to be sure before you state categorically.

[ahinton]

Well, judging by your posts, you might appear to have a language of your very own. ahinton, certainly quite a bit 'different', but, of course, I would never wish to embarrass you with such fulsome personal praise on a public forum ...

So is yours geared to the avoidance of providing answers to reasonable questions when asked? (and inserting the odd full stop where it's not required?)...

Although a Scot, I endeavour to use English when writing, so the source and nature of this perceived "difference" remain unclear and, as such, perhaps confined to you and one or two others - but if you do not wish to embarrass me - or indeed run the risk of so doing - with fulsome praise on a public forum, the solution is surely simple; don't!

[P. G. Tipps]

The problem is that, unless you can demonstrate the origin, it's reckless to assume Americanism-ish qualities. Very many (fall, normalcy, diaper, etc) are British-isms that fell out of use on our side of the Atlantic. Many are not, of course, but you have to be sure before you state categorically.

I see ...

So you are saying that you fail to be convinced that, albeit originally English words, 'build' for 'building', 'spend' for 'spending', 'thinking out of the box', 'blue-sky thinking', 'every which way', 'no way' 'awesome', 'robust', 'like' (used by youngsters after every second or third word), 'Black Friday', 'Rock 'n' Roll', 'Blues' etc, etc etc, did not come from those 'guys' from across the 'Pond'?

Did you say you don't actually live here in the UK, Pab ... ?

[P. G. Tipps]

So is yours geared to the avoidance of providing answers to reasonable questions when asked? (and inserting the odd full stop where it's not required?)...

Although a Scot, I endeavour to use English when writing, so the source and nature of this perceived "difference" remain unclear and, as such, perhaps confined to you and one or two others - but if you do not wish to embarrass me - or indeed run the risk of so doing - with fulsome praise on a public forum, the solution is surely simple; don't!

[jean]

So you are saying that you fail to be convinced that, albeit originally English words, 'build' for 'building', 'spend' for 'spending', 'thinking out of the box', 'blue-sky thinking', 'every which way', 'no way' 'awesome', 'robust', 'like' (used by youngsters after every second or third word), 'Black Friday', 'Rock 'n' Roll', 'Blues' etc, etc etc, did not come from those 'guys' from across the 'Pond'?

Of this ragbag, some are probably American in origin, some certainly aren't. They don'rt seem to have a great deal in common.

'Newbuild' has been in use here in technical contexts since the 1980s; it's shorter and neater than any alternative I can think of. What would you prefer?

[ahinton]

Another non-answer, I see...

[Serial_Apologist]

Another non-answer, I see...

Body language.