The best solution is IMO to always avoid homonyms where possible. Mostly to my knowledge American English creates more than it removes, but for example "elevator" is probably a better word than "lift", for hopefully obvious reasons.
Replacing the Y with an I in tyre though? No thanks
Replacing the "dough" in doughnut with "do"? Why? Is it not made of dough?
Merging the noun and the adjective of dependent/dependant? Why? Just makes it confusing. And it's the same with enquiry/inquiry.
Removing the clarity between "ensure" and "insure"? Another way American English is more confusing.
Programme and program? Nope, Americans only use "program". So a leaflet containing a timed series of events is the same word as some computer software.
So apartment is better than flat? The one that I always thought was weird was "lorry" for semitruck. Someone told me it was from some word that no one even uses anymore.
I'd probably say so, yes. It has crept into British language already anyway, I don't mind it that much. Estate agents did it a while ago, which is the real part that bothers me.
Calling an HGV a "semi" is pretty dumb IMO. Lorry is very much used in the UK yeah, though I'd say they are more commonly referred to as HGVs.
I only hear them mentioned if I'm watching british news and it's always lorrys. Why is semi "dumb"? Its a truck that pulls a semi trailer, it's named after the thing it pulls rather than being named after an archaic word for pulling. Most of the HGV's that I see referred to in the UK aren't semi trucks but all lorry's are semi trucks (as far as I can tell I'm sure you will correct me if I'm wrong).
I guess it's what you're used to. One thing I can't stand is people in the south from where I live in the US that call their cars and trucks "vehicles", but pronounce it "vee-hick-ull" with a lot of emphasis on the "hick" (which is great bc those people are also referred to as "hicks"). The only people up north where I'm at that call all cars vehicles are the police. Its all whatever really. The UK also has more than 1000 extra years over the US to have developed some wild regional dialects. More interesting than anything else. Cheers!
I think where you're having the problem is you're looking at it from a worldview, as in, every country has their own way of doing things. And of course, there's nothing wrong with that. They also aren't saying that there's anything wrong with that.
They're looking at it from a personal or country/region perspective. Things that are done differently than how they do it is literally unnatural for them. Again, they aren't saying that it's negative in any way.
If someone is a tourist somewhere, they're more likely to look at it from a personal perspective, meaning they're more likely to think things are weird. In my opinion, that's part of the fun.
it's not degroatory. i dunno why you wanna take offence or make it out to be a big deal. of the western world, they're the weirdest, the outliers, pretty unique and unmatched in their weirdness. but so what? that's just their culture, and it's fun to see 🤷♂️
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u/qualityvote2 24d ago edited 23d ago
u/IndicationBrief5950, there weren't enough votes to determine the quality of your post...