Acceptable in US English?

Vilella   Sat Jul 12, 2008 2:34 pm GMT
Hi, I would like to know which of these are acceptable in American English, you can label it STANDARD and INFORMAL. Thanks.

''

Me and my girl went to the movies " (vs. standard Am/BrEng "My girl and I went to movies " );

"Us Asians should stick together" (vs. standard Am/BrEng "We Asians should stick together" );

"You guys are awesome !" (vs. standard AmEng "You are awesome !");

"I have to change me first, before I can change the world" (vs. standard Am/BrEng "I have to change myself first, before I can change the world");

"The boy snuck out of the room" (vs. standard BrEng "The boy sneaked out of the room" );

"I just arrived" (vs. standard BrEng "I have just arrived");

"I intend to protest the decision" (vs. standard BrEng "I intend to protest against the decision");

"I guess we'll have to stay home for the weekend" (vs. standard BrEng "I guess we'll have to stay at home for the weekend");

"I just graduated high school" (vs. standard Am/BrEng "I have just graduated from high school")

"I ain't got no money" (vs. standard Am/BrEng "I don't have any money");

"She don't appreciate my company" (vs. standard Am/BreEng "She doesn't appreciate my company"), etc. ''
Guest   Sat Jul 12, 2008 3:17 pm GMT
>> "I just graduated high school" (vs. standard Am/BrEng "I have just graduated from high school") <<

Hmm. This one is a bit odd. Sounds like more of something a Chinese person would say. Are you sure it shouldn't be: "I just graduated from high school [last year]." which may be contrasted to the "I have just..." That is acceptable, but probably not something one would read in a book for example. Without the "from", it sounds quite odd.
Guest   Sat Jul 12, 2008 5:34 pm GMT
These all are exceptable and understood in everyday speech (though I wouldn't consider any of them formal); however the last two are very regional, and probably shouldn't be used by a foreigner.
Damian in Edinburgh   Sat Jul 12, 2008 5:42 pm GMT
I liked the "Me And My Girl" bit.... it's grammatically incorrect if you want to be pedantic, but it's a form commonly used by the less well educated.

"Me And My Girl" is actually the title of a musical show, first produced by a guy called Lupino Lane, and he and his star cast first produced the colourful musical at the Victoria Palace Theatre, London, on 16 December 1937, and the show was so popular it ran continuously right up to the days of the Blitz in WW2, and performances only stopped when the theatre was partly bombed in 1940.

It's the show that contains the songs "The Lambeth Walk" "Leaning on a Lamp post" and "The sun has got his hat on" among others, as the show is essentially one involving a Cockney guy (Bill Snibson) and his Cockney girlfriend (Sally .... 'im an' his gel....) who become involved with the aristocracy when Cockney Bill unexpectedly inherits the fortune of a rich aristocratic uncle he never knew he had, or even knew that he was in fact a long lost son of the aristocracy, and both Bill and his girlfriend spoke pure Cockney, while all the aristos surrounding him spoke mega posh RP....a real clash of cultures.

I saw the show two years ago when it came to the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh during its UK tour.

Anyway, this is a YT clip of an AMERICAN high school production, showing BIll and Sally performing the title song "Me And My Girl". Two Amricans doing a pretty good Cockney accent for the most aprt - the only glaring error being when they pronounced words like "after" and "laughter" - so American, sadly, and absolutely nothing like the Cockney version - "afftah" instead of "aaaahftah" and "lafftah" instead of "laaaahftah". Nevertheless, a very good effort - I wish we'd put this show on when I was at uni - I can manage a pretty authentic Cockney accent down Lambeth way, any evening, any day.....

Me and my girl
Meant for each other,
Sent for each other,
And liking it so!
Me and my girl,
No use pretending
We knew the ending
Some ages ago!
Some little church
With a big steeple
Just a few people
That both of us know!
And wel'll have love, laughter,
Be happy ever after....
Me and my girl!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4Qk9slPmgc&feature=related
K. T.   Sat Jul 12, 2008 5:49 pm GMT
Me and my girl went to the movies

It sounds weird to me. It reminds me of a WWII era movie.


"I just graduated high school" I've heard things like this.

"He just graduated high school. He's too young to get married."

(An example only. I don't care if you get married at eighteen or not.)
Damian in Edinburgh   Sat Jul 12, 2008 5:49 pm GMT
"Me And My Girl" - I forgot to mention - original 1937/1940 London show produced and performed by Lupino Lane, but the music was by Noel Gay.
Guest   Sat Jul 12, 2008 6:28 pm GMT
''Me and my chick'' would be better
LOL
Guest   Sat Jul 12, 2008 6:32 pm GMT
K. T., why does it matter to you when people get married? It's none of your business.
Skippy   Sat Jul 12, 2008 10:34 pm GMT
K.T. doesn't care, meaning it's not important...
Levee   Sun Jul 13, 2008 3:15 am GMT
I think the last 'Guest' was only joking LOL
Wintereis   Sun Jul 13, 2008 4:46 am GMT
Several of the statements would not be made by educated people in formal or informal circumstances. I think the ones you should avoid the most are, "I ain't got no money" and "She don't appreciate my company". Most people would look down on you if you spoke in this manor. I would be particularly bemused by the double negative in the first one.
Guest   Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:55 am GMT
''I think the ones you should avoid the most are, "I ain't got no money" and "She don't appreciate my company".''

They are perfectly acceptable in the Southern US in informal contexts, they're used even by educated speakers.
Furthermore, they are used in literature and popular music, with no prejudices against whatsoever. So get your facts right, mr Winter Ice Cream.
Guest   Sun Jul 13, 2008 10:00 am GMT
What about "I don't got no money". Would that be acceptable to native speakers?
Guest   Sun Jul 13, 2008 10:41 am GMT
The negative concord found in examples like “I don’t got no money” is not standard English, but it is normal in other English dialects and many other languages.
Uriel   Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:06 pm GMT
<<What about "I don't got no money". Would that be acceptable to native speakers? >>

No. Standard English doesn't allow double negatives, so that would definitely be nonstandard and make you sound uneducated. And in "she don't appreciate my company" the verb is improperly conjugated -- it should be "doesn't".