To Kiani:
Where did you hear that nosotros would become vosotros? I know that this forum is supposed to be about English, but vosostros is the informal form of "you" in Spain, not of we. Therefore, "Ustedes comen y beben" (the formal form of you), not "Nosotros..." in Mexico would become "Vosotros comeis y bebeis" in Spain. Sorry - I'm kind of knit-picker.
To you people who from the UK -
In movies set in Brittain, or movies where Brittish accents would be appropriate, would you rather have an American actor fake a Brittish accent or just use his/her real accent?
It is Britain with one "t."
To Chris: I would rather have an American actor just use his real accent unless he is playing a character that the plot specifically designates as being a born-Briton and not just an immigrant or visitor.
Okay, sorry. I guess I'm a good example of the type of the unsure or nervous or just plain dumb American adolescent that Guofei Ma was refering to when Clark got offended. At least in spelling, I am. Let's just say that "Brittain" is the spelling used by dumb adolescents in my region of the US, on the topic of spelling differences.
I do not see any harm done, Chris. We all make spelling mistakes some time in our lives. Just like, don't like, listen to like, Goofy, like, dude ;-P
Very amusing indeed, fellows. Clark has a remarkable skill for making more laughable the characteristics of American speech (e.g. "like") that I pointed out. As for typos, they're made by people all around the world, not just Americans.
I could also find fault with one characteristic of British speech: the substitution of "me" for "my". By British Chemistry teacher was rolling along smoothly, saying "my" all the way until one day when he was vexed by a girl and shouted "ye've pushed me and pushed me all the way until I lose me temper".
- "Goofy" Ma
All right, Guofei Ma, I think we have come to an understanding. You really pissed me off, but you seem to be all right now.
I think like a lot of younger Americans, myself included, tend to consider England to be synonymous with the UK, a fact that I'm pretty embarrassed about now. So using Britain, rather than England, is relatively new to me, which is why I didn't have the spelling nailed.
I see. I had a college prof. who used "England" when he really meant Britain. Don't feel bad though, I did not really know the difference between Britain and England until a couple of years ago, and I have a huge amount of family in England. Go figure.
I've heard that British people learn many American words because of the American movies. So they have 2 choices to name some objects.
But do you, British people, rather use American words or your "local" ones in everyday life?
There's a similar case to the Britain/England problem for the US. People refer to people from the United States as Americans, while people from Mexico and Canada are usually called Mexicans or Canadians. In the Olympics, for example, people from the US are called The Americans even if there are Canadians competing as well. I guess maybe its because there's no easy way of saying "Unitedstatians". Do people in Britain, or anywhere, really say "Unitedstatish", or just in this forum?
Sometimes in France we say "Etatsuniens", which I'd translate into "Unitedstaters" or "Unitedstatians" but certainly not "Unitedstatish", "ish" beign normally a pejorative suffix (unless I'm much mistaken).
It is very rare though. Most of the time we call Americans "Américains".
There's a case similar to the Britain/England thing for the US. People from the United States are usually called Americans while people from Mexico and Canada are called Mexicans or Canadians. For example, in the Olympics, the athletes from the US are called The Americans even is there are Canadian athletes there, as well. Maybe this wouldn't be so much the case if there were an easy way of saying "Unitedstatian". Do people in the UK, or anywhere, really say "Unitedstatish" or just in this forum?
Sorry - thought my first message got deleted.