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[old34]

I think we should declare war on French. Just look at what they did to God's own language, our lovely English.

We should extirpate every term that's of French origin.

So you'd like to wipe out 1/3 of the English language?   

[old34]

Um, Ok. Nevermind. Carry on.

[Escaped Lunatic]

Guess I'll take an order of Freedom Potato Wedges. 

[A-Train]

Whenever we're about to do something totally abhorrent, we console ourselves by saying "the French have been doing it for years".

[AMonk]

Whenever we're about to do something totally abhorrent, we console ourselves by saying "the French have been doing it for years".

What do you mean? Can you give an example? 

"French" kissing, "French" letters, "French" leave ...

[KeyserSoze]

French kissing is not abhorrent! I quite like it!

But yes we do like to pick on the French, forgetting that they funded and advised in a certain revolutionary war. But hey, what have they done for us lately?

[Rajin]

The idea of the two versions being different enough to fuss over is fantasy. The differences are minor.

Yeah, you're right. Because when I dated a girl from England she understand exactly everything I said without asking me once what any words meant...ever.

[Stil]

Dude, that doesn't count. You only know like a dozen words.

[Isidnar]

Why do textbooks insist that taxi is British English and cab is American English?

In the US, we use both terms. And sometimes taxicab, to boot!

How 'bout you Brits and you honorary Brits?

[NATO]

I say taxi. I'm sure I've said cab before in my life though, never taxicab tho, seems a bit ott.

[kevcom1]

One day a British guy tried telling e that his English was better than mine. I had not realized that my English was so poor and that growing up on Canada had a negative impact on my ability to speak.
At the time I really had no answer for him but now when I think of this guy I wonder why he has this need to state something like that. now more than anything i want to learn proper english so i can walk around bragging about my abilities. If anyone can tell me how to speak perfect English I would be eternally grateful.

[NATO]

I hope he was from glasgae.

[George]

In the US, we use both terms. And sometimes taxicab, to boot!

And "cab" is short for "cabriolet"...which is probably...ummm....French.

[CaseyOrourke]

Throughout the world people resent U.S. influence and perceived arrogance, but there is  a huge sameness among English-speaking Western countries. Particularly in the case of the U.S. and English-speaking Canada. Some Canadians will swear up and down that they have a drastically different culture from the U.S. and that their speech is quite distinct. Most Americans, on the other hand, think of Canada as our benign neighbor to the north, like a part of the U.S., and that of course drives Canadians up the wall. I heard someone on the radio the other day saying, "Yeah, the new policy sounds a little too American for my tastes -- it makes me very uncomfortable ..." and I'm thinking whoa, is this guy some kind of a Benedict Arnold? I had to keep listening and get the context and realize he was Canadian. That's how similar the speech is. Of course British and American English are more distinct. But really, we're all speaking something so similar, arguing over word choice and calling one English and the other American is just petty.

OK, that was my rant.

I was watching some documentary on Canada and some Canadian journalists were talking and they offered their description of what Canada was supposed to be and how it really is.

They said that Canada envisions itself as a country of English politics, French culture and American technology.  Instead they ended up with a English technology, French politics and American culture.

[CaseyOrourke]

I have noticed that American police series on TV do tend to use lovely long words such as "correctional facility "Caucasian youths"" and those sort of long winded self-important sounding descriptives.
Great innit?

It's part of our all inclusive, non-offensive, make you feel you are special (just like everyone else) political correctness.

Punks no longer get sent to prison for punishment. Misguided youth are sent to correctional facilities to learn how to express themselves in ways that are more socially acceptable.

Blame Hollywood.....When police shows came on the scene there was this big push to be politically correct and an attempt to avoid insulting the sensitivities of minorities and increase awareness of civil rights by introducing the term "Mirandized" (being read your rights) into the American lexicon.  

It was also where we began to hear terms like Afro-American, Hispanic, Caucasian, Asian, Juvenile, search warrant, probable cause and circumstantial evidence.  It got it's start on early television shows like Perry Mason, but when shows like Dragnet and Adam 12 came on the scene police catch phrases began to appear in the language.