American English is Often Weird

[DC_DEEP]

Another weird English anomoly is "presently."

Present tense, "at present", both mean "right now." "Presently" means "soon; before much time elapsed."

"Bad weather is moving in. It is raining at present, but we will be having snow and freezing rain presently."

 

[B_ScaredLittleBoy]

Is it going to snow this year?

Is a frog's arse waterproof?

There's your answer :tongue:

 

[Deno]

if you didn't say presently you'd have to say at the present moment which is more words. On the other hand presently doesn't sound like your getting a gift.

 

[str82fcuk]

Use of the word "anymore" in a positive sense weirds me out somewhat.

Before joining LPSG I had only ever heard it in terms of "not anymore" indicating a cessation of whatever was being referred to.

"I don't have one night stands anymore"
vs
"All I seem to have are one night stands anymore"

I've looked it up and it seems to be a regional substitution for "nowadays".

Even knowing this I still find it jarring and have to give myself a mental shake when reading it used in a positive context.

Whereabouts did you come across this usage?

Another weird English anomoly is "presently."

Present tense, "at present", both mean "right now." "Presently" means "soon; before much time elapsed."

"Bad weather is moving in. It is raining at present, but we will be having snow and freezing rain presently."

I think there is a pretty clear British/American divide in the use and meaning of this word.

 

[Gillette]

Another weird English anomoly is "presently."

Present tense, "at present", both mean "right now." "Presently" means "soon; before much time elapsed."

"Bad weather is moving in. It is raining at present, but we will be having snow and freezing rain presently."

I avoid the use of the word for the same reason I don't use "anon". People look at me funny because neither is in commonly used.

Whereabouts did you come across this usage?

I've only ever seen it on this site.

Apparently_it's_acceptable_usage.

 

[hotbtminla]

This is an interesting thread... I dig linguistics (yes, I'm that much of a nerd) and in fact I think my command of English got better because I learned French and German.

Anyway, when I lived in the UK I was friends with a guy working on a book on the history of English. According to his research American English at its base level, not factoring in all the foreign words and phrases we've assimilated, actually has more in common with Shakespearean English than modern British English. A lot of our pronunciation "froze" after the 1600's, and a lot of the vocabulary British people consider "American" actually originated in Britain but just hasn't been used there for a couple hundred years, like calling rubbish "trash" and autumn "fall."

Same thing happened with Quebecois, which still has a lot of similarities to 17th century French. I just never thought of American English that way prior to talking to him.

 

[SpeedoMike]

Pray tell jorpollew, what is an "Americanized" English word?

Is that like giddyup, chaw, vittles...etc.

y'all ferget the word y'all??

 

[dong20]

Another weird English anomoly is "presently."

Present tense, "at present", both mean "right now." "Presently" means "soon; before much time elapsed."

"Bad weather is moving in. It is raining at present, but we will be having snow and freezing rain presently."

I've generally found both applications to be used; in the manner you illustate and also in the form "The traffic light is presently at red". Although it's much less common to use it in the latter way, I find it's much more usually in the way you indicated - "I'll be there presently".

Either way, I rarely find it confusing because the intended meaning is usually clear from the context. Another poster made a valid point about some American English spellings being more accurately 'antiquated' versions of former British English ones - the use of 'z' as opposed to 's' in many words being the most common. There others of course.

In many cases I find (when they differ) American English spellings more logical and efficient and, in most cases where differences occur they're trivial and seldom cause confusion. The different meaning some words have on each side of the pond, even when spelled (and pronounced) the same is another matter of course!! :tongue:

 

[thedrainman]

"The different meaning some words have on each side of the pond, even when spelled (and pronounced) the same is another matter of course!"

There was an occasion when an American 'celebrity' woman was being interviewed on British television by a fairly straight-laced presenter, when she continually went on about her 'fanny tuck'. This had the studio audience rolling about in their seats, and the presenter in total despair trying to get her off the subject, but she took the laughter as an encouragement to keep going.

In the UK, the expression 'fanny' refers to a woman's crotch!!!!

I once made the mistake of asking a woman in Florida what time she 'knocked off' and got a very strange look, as in the UK this means either finishing work, or that something has been stolen - the context decides which meaning. I also got confused over the names of various bits of a car!

 

[DC_DEEP]

if you didn't say presently you'd have to say at the present moment which is more words. On the other hand presently doesn't sound like your getting a gift.

Or, instead of more words, you could use the correct one - currently. Same number of syllables, so it would not really be that much extra work.

I avoid the use of the word for the same reason I don't use "anon". People look at me funny because neither is in commonly used.



I've only ever seen it on this site.

Apparently_it's_acceptable_usage.

That's one of the ways language evolves. Incorrect usage becomes common, and then becomes accepted, and them becomes standard. I ain't currently participating, but I may begin to, presently. I refuse to do it anon, though.

 

[dong20]

...

In the UK, the expression 'fanny' refers to a woman's crotch!!!!

I once made the mistake of asking a woman in Florida what time she 'knocked off' and got a very strange look, as in the UK this means either finishing work, or that something has been stolen - the context decides which meaning. I also got confused over the names of various bits of a car!

I suspect that the confusion is far more prevelant West>East than East>West. The reasons being many and varied, but the dominant nature of American media is surely a major factor. I think I'm familiar with the common potential faux pas but I can't claim never to have been nonplussed.:biggrin1:

 

[Gillette]

I think I'm familiar with the common potential faux pas but I can't claim never to have been nonplussed.:biggrin1:

Nonplussed as a word has always left me nonplussed since plussed by itself is not a word. I've always wondered if it was meant to indicate a failure to add two and two together.

 

[Calboner]

This had the studio audience rolling about in their seats, and the presenter in total despair trying to get her off the subject, but she took the laughter as an encouragement to keep going.

That reminds me of the Monty Python sketch about the man with three buttocks. The interviewer (John Cleese) minces about the subject so delicately that the guest (Terry Jones) doesn't understand what he's talking about until he finally gets it and exclaims, "OH, ME BUM!!"

 

[dong20]

Nonplussed as a word has always left me nonplussed since plussed by itself is not a word. I've always wondered if it was meant to indicate a failure to add two and two together.

It's from the Latin Non Plus>'Not more/further' i.e. I'm stuck and can go no further.

It's funny you should say that because I hear there seems to be a creeping use of 'unperturbed' and 'not disconcerted' in use in North America as synonyms - based (presumably) on that [false] assumption that the non is a negative prefix to plussed - implying therefore that plussed is considered at least by some to mean confused.

Though I'm sometimes confused and on occasion have been perturbed or even disconcerted, I don't recall ever being plussed. On your mathematical theme; go figure. :biggrin1:

 

[Gillette]

It's from the Latin Non Plus>'Not more/further' i.e. I'm stuck and can go no further.

F'ing Latin again?!

Abes etiam a consilio insultada mihi nisi latine loqui scias!

None of my schools offered Latin instruction.

 

[dong20]

F'ing Latin again?!

Abes etiam a consilio insultada mihi nisi latine loqui scias!

None of my schools offered Latin instruction.

What Have the Romans Ever Done For Us (from Monty Python's Life of Brian)

 

[Gillette]

What Have the Romans Ever Done For Us (from Monty Python's Life of Brian)

:biggrin1:
They gave us English! Well sortof...after the fact...along with the Greeks...and others...after endless permutations...lexicologically at least...*pissing off now*...

 

[ManlyBanisters]

:biggrin1:
They gave us English! Well sortof...after the fact...along with the Greeks...and others...after endless permutations...lexicologically at least...*pissing off now*...

I know there are an awful lot of Latinate and Romanace words borrowed in to the English language but you are not seriously suggesting English is in any way derived from Latin, are you? No - you can't be! I'm reading that wrong. Do you just mean the writing system perhaps?

 

[Gillette]

I know there are an awful lot of Latinate and Romanace words borrowed in to the English language but you are not seriously suggesting English is in any way derived from Latin, are you? No - you can't be! I'm reading that wrong. Do you just mean the writing system perhaps?

It's an extension of the Python spoof theme. English wasn't derived from any single culture, hence the mention of greeks and others and endless permutations.

 

[ManlyBanisters]

It's an extension of the Python spoof theme. English wasn't derived from any single culture, hence the mention of greeks and others and endless permutations.

OK - sorry - I was still on the theme of language alone - if you are talking about the broader culture that's entirely different. It is just that you used the phrase "lexicologically at least" - so I assumed you were referring mainly to the English lexicon.