Topic: I think we should rename the English language "American"
Anonymous A started this discussion 14 years ago #23,500
Most native English speakers are American, after all.| Poll option | Votes | Percentage | Graph |
|---|---|---|---|
| I agree. | 5 | 33% | |
| No, I am madjelly and/or British. | 6 | 40% | |
| Glug. | 4 | 27% |
doctor dreamworks md !jdTkvovFCQ joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 5 minutes later[^] [v] #367,300
but there are a lot of other languages spoken in the americas
Anonymous C joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 3 minutes later, 8 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #367,301
What's wrong with 'American English'?
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 5 minutes later, 13 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #367,303
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 14 years ago, 1 minute later, 15 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #367,304
squeegee !firstkPE1Q joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 21 seconds later, 15 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #367,305
alright then, that's a peach. what'll happen though is it'll be spanglish in the future, so it's neither here nor there what you call it.
or chinklish, that could happen too.
or chinklish, that could happen too.
Anonymous C replied with this 14 years ago, 1 hour later, 1 hour after the original post[^] [v] #367,320
doctor dreamworks md !jdTkvovFCQ replied with this 14 years ago, 2 hours later, 4 hours after the original post[^] [v] #367,341
Mark Twain joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 34 minutes later, 4 hours after the original post[^] [v] #367,348
The Queen's EnglishThere is no such thing as the Queen's English. The property has gone into the hands of a joint stock company and we own the bulk of the shares.
I don't see any use in having a uniform and arbitrary way of spelling words. We might as well make all clothes alike and cook all dishes alike. Sameness is tiresome; variety is pleasing. I have a correspondent whose letters are always a refreshment to me, there is such a breezy unfettered originality about his orthography. He always spells Kow with a large K. Now that is just as good as to spell it with a small one. It is better. It gives the imagination a broader field, a wider scope. It suggests to the mind a grand, vague, impressive new kind of a cow.
I never had any large respect for good spelling. That is my feeling yet. Before the spelling-book came with its arbitrary forms, men unconsciously revealed shades of their characters and also added enlightening shades of expression to what they wrote by their spelling, and so it is possible that the spelling-book has been a doubtful benevolence to us.
The Rules of Grammar
I am almost sure by witness of my ear, but cannot be positive, for I know grammar by ear only, not by note, not by the rules. A generation ago I knew the rules-knew them by heart, word for word, though not their meanings-and I still know one of them: the one which says-but never mind, it will come back to me presently.
Damn the subjunctive. It brings all our writers to shame. Style and Matter
Great books are weighed and measured by their style and matter, and not the trimmings and shadings of their grammar.
Adjectives
As to the Adjective: when in doubt, strike it out.
Verbosity
I recommend plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English-it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don't let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don't mean utterly, but kill most of them--then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are wide apart. An adjective habit, or a wordy, diffuse, flowery habit, once fastened upon a person, is as hard to get rid of as any other vice. If only Syntax were to follow my advise
(Edited 2 minutes later.)
Anonymous C replied with this 14 years ago, 4 hours later, 8 hours after the original post[^] [v] #367,393
Kimmo Alm joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 8 minutes later, 9 hours after the original post[^] [v] #367,395
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 14 years ago, 3 hours later, 13 hours after the original post[^] [v] #367,430
Anonymous H joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 5 minutes later, 13 hours after the original post[^] [v] #367,431
Americans speak American and the English speak English. It just makes sense â„¢.
Anonymous I joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 1 hour later, 14 hours after the original post[^] [v] #367,435
I'm ok with this providing we rename "autism" to "the american dream"
doctor dreamworks md !jdTkvovFCQ replied with this 14 years ago, 15 minutes later, 14 hours after the original post[^] [v] #367,437
Anonymous J joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 4 hours later, 18 hours after the original post[^] [v] #367,500
@op
> Most native English speakers are American, after all.
Americans have never spoken English - they can't even spell in English. Ignorant as hell.
> Most native English speakers are American, after all.
Americans have never spoken English - they can't even spell in English. Ignorant as hell.
Anonymous K joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 18 minutes later, 19 hours after the original post[^] [v] #367,520
@previous (J)I don't see any use in having a uniform and arbitrary way of spelling words. We might as well make all clothes alike and cook all dishes alike. Sameness is tiresome; variety is pleasing. I have a correspondent whose letters are always a refreshment to me, there is such a breezy unfettered originality about his orthography. He always spells Kow with a large K. Now that is just as good as to spell it with a small one. It is better. It gives the imagination a broader field, a wider scope. It suggests to the mind a grand, vague, impressive new kind of a cow.
I never had any large respect for good spelling. That is my feeling yet. Before the spelling-book came with its arbitrary forms, men unconsciously revealed shades of their characters and also added enlightening shades of expression to what they wrote by their spelling, and so it is possible that the spelling-book has been a doubtful benevolence to us.
Anonymous L joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 5 minutes later, 19 hours after the original post[^] [v] #367,521
7/10 idea
5/10 execution
2/10 effort
5/10 execution
2/10 effort