Americanisation of the UK

Nannee49 - I assumed that developed lazily here - is it from America then?
What word do they use for font then?

The incorrect use of font instead of typeface drives me up the wall!!

I’m with Lixy and Tenko

I’m not a fan of the American obsession with money and the lack of workers’ rights etc.

However, I’ve embraced full-on Halloween celebrations as it pleases my older DGS - where he lives make a big thing of it.
In addition, I’ve had baby showers here for both DDs. In fact, I’ll jump on any bandwagon to liven up life, especially in the dark Winter months. I hope there’ll be memories for my DGSs when I’m long gone.

Babs03

stayanotherday

It is Jane as call me an idealist but I would prefer a country that looks after its citizens.

The end of year school disco, yes! I was shy but at least it was simple fun rather than all the pressure and money attached to proms. Shame your son couldn't go to his graduation but the university might accommodate by letting him tag along to a later time if he changes his mind

Yes I think proms are a bad idea, some kids from better off backgrounds arrive in a stretch limo, wearing designer dresses or tuxedos. I even heard of parents hiring a helicopter for their child’s prom. And friends of ours said their Dil hired someone to do their daughter’s make up and hair. Is costing parents thousands. And kids from poorer backgrounds will probs feel awkward.
The end of term disco is a much better option. We didn’t have anything to mark the end of the last school term, we just hung around near some allotments drinking barley wine and scoffing sweets.
I was sick as a dog and told my mum I must have a stomach bug.

It's just getting bigger and brasher all the time and competitive.

Now that sounds much more fun!

cc

stayanotherday

Yes. Proms, play dates, car pools, baby showers and gender reveals. Halloween is a whole industry now instead of apple bobbing and knocking on neighbours doors in a homemade costume for a few pence.

I call Radio 4 the American station as there are lots of programmes about or dominated by Americans.

If you want to see the future of Britain, look at America.

I really hate the "Prom" thing, many children don't have the money to buy the fancy clothes. I think Baby Showers are just grabby attempts to get presents, and some Hen and Stag nights cost participants more than most people earn in a month.
I don't mind gentle Trick or Treating for young children, but buying expensive costumes and damaging property are just too much.
My grandson had a "Graduation Ceremony" when he left nursery. No. Just no.

Exactly and it's all for show instead of low key enjoyment. Heard of the nursery graduation. Daft isn't it?

Agree with most of what you say but never said knickers in my life! 🤣It's always been pants or underwear...

Having read many of the comments here, I am not sure what the problem is? Surely it is up to the British as to whether they adopt any influence from America? I came from Britain in the early Nineties to live in California, and I was guilty of being critical of a lot of things here. But over the years, and having come back to visit family in England every year, I really love the genuine friendliness of the people; the weather is wonderful; lifestyle is easier….. I am sure I will get some criticism, but unless you have lived in America for a long period of time, you cannot appreciate it.

We have employment laws which protect British workers from the working conditions prevalent in America. I doubt if they will be repealed any time soon.
Eleanor Roosevelt famously said that no-one can make you feel inferior without your permission.
Similarly, nobody can make you adopt American language, culture and customs without your permission.
If other people choose to, it’s their freedom to do so.

cannot stand it when I hear teenage boys from Surrey trying to sound like they are tough american gangsters hip hop artists from the bronx , so stupid

I have only had a
KF. twice and been ill both times.
On holiday in China there was no other choice near the hotel than a McD The Chinese had a salad with their meal but didn't know what to do with it so left it on the plate. They had gone out for an English !!!
I met an American who didn't know where England is, In Us my SiL was asked to donate sick leave to someone who wanted cancer treatment and another wanting extra maternity leave . That would cause a revolution here.

We are only ever 10 years behind USA. Which I find frightening when you see what’s going on over there.

Worthingpatchworker It’s doubtful they would celebrate Bonfire night as this is framed in our history not theirs. Instead they celebrate their history with Independence Day with fireworks.

Their Independence Day is "4th of July" - amusing that whilst in America they're somewhat confused by Revolutionary war on the whole.

We've been asked if we know "the 4th of July"? Of course, day after 3rd July and day before 5th July. However, they seem to feel we should be insulted. No, grateful you have your own history.

It isn't only the UK and English that is affected, though. Every country in Europe that I have been in, and I have been in many, has fast food both as an acuality and as a word, sells cheap plastic toys to celebrate Halloween etc.

Just so you know, very few people in Scotland used the word "knickers" when I was a child, it was actually consider rather vulgar. Children wore pants, or underpants, ladies panties or briefs. A lot of men wrapped their shirt tails between their legs and did not wear underpants, those that did called them underpants.

We knew English people talked about knickers, just as they called their daughters "darling" in public, something no Scottish mother would have dreamed of doing. "Dear" was the usual affectionate term, or "love" .

Their spelling ?

Maggiemaybe
I can top that, TiggyW. One of our charity shops has put their Christmas cards out on display.

And I have just bought some to take back to France with me. 🤣

stayanotherday

Yes. Proms, play dates, car pools, baby showers and gender reveals. Halloween is a whole industry now instead of apple bobbing and knocking on neighbours doors in a homemade costume for a few pence.

I call Radio 4 the American station as there are lots of programmes about or dominated by Americans.

If you want to see the future of Britain, look at America.

I really hate the "Prom" thing, many children don't have the money to buy the fancy clothes. I think Baby Showers are just grabby attempts to get presents, and some Hen and Stag nights cost participants more than most people earn in a month.
I don't mind gentle Trick or Treating for young children, but buying expensive costumes and damaging property are just too much.
My grandson had a "Graduation Ceremony" when he left nursery. No. Just no.

(to Irismarle)

They were horrible. When I was 15 1966 my mum saved up and bought me a mid brown pair to go to France to visit a family in Paris she had known during the war.

Oh dear ...Paris up to date teenagers...within 2 days I had used all my holiday spends to buy a pair of cord Levi jeans

I have no problem with FedEx and UPS doing business in the UK.
Aren't Unilever, ASOS and Diageo all UK companies?
They are in America.

Plenty of known retailers (like Paul Smith) as well.

Fleurpepper

Thanks goodness some American words have not replaced English ones.

Like 'fag' and 'fanny'.

Yes indeed.
I can’t keep my face straight when someone mentions their fannypack.

Wyllow3

Slacks to me/my mum meant those trousers with a loop to go under the foot otherwise it was always trousers. Was it of UK or US origin though?

We called the ones with loops under the foot ‘ski pants’. But we didn’t go ski-ing! They were just casual trousers made of jersey material and not very flattering.

Siope

A lot of Italians will be a bit put out to hear that pizza is American.

Particularly those who saw the Roman fresco unearthed at Pompeii.
I just think all cultures constantly evolve, taking bits that suit them from others, discarding thing they did before that didn’t. Younger people generally embrace cultural change, but nostalgia for the past grows as we get older and change is harder to accept. I don’t think you can turn the clock back.

A lot of Italians will be a bit put out to hear that pizza is American.

Yes,there are a lot of franchised US fast food shops here but so they are in France. We travel a lot to Europe and the French have embraced pizza. In fact small individual family run restaurants are hard to find,but the pizza van comes to even the small villages. America loves fish and chips. Why aren't there any in America? Because they are no good at cooking f&c. Can you imagine Mahi Mahi and fries ?

I hate the Americanisation of our language, they love to verbalise nouns, and say geneology even though they spell it right, genealogy. And why do somany say 'hotting up' when they mean 'heating up? To name but a few.