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Surely one should say “ Good afternoon coffee bar person. I wish to purchase a steaming mug of your finest Arabica beaned liquid refreshment please.” That way there can be no confusion.
My 14y/o son told me Mum was out meeting the Realtor, because he couldnt remember the term Estate Agent.
I do love the word "super" without suffix in the 1980s style. Vacuous characters in John leCarre novels were fond of it as an affirmation.
I blame Mary Poppins.
Why can't she just be verycalifragilisticexpialidocious
Uber thread
It's an outrage. I demand that my native language stays exactly the same as the version I spoke when I was between 18 and 23, and everyone else must comply!
Oftentimes 😮💨
(It's not going away. I will try to relax.)
On super etc surely it's best to keep use of any adverbs/adjectives/modifiers to a minimum? As per Yorkshireman channeling Elmore Leonard advised by lawyers. It's the adjectives can tie you in knots. Best avoided.
Very Scandi! Howies made a 'Super Nice' tee 10+ years ago dedicated to the Swedes. It's cute...
I like honey. So I think that super is a super word.
How is this thread not, like, super annoying? Oh. My. GOD. Duuhr?
It annoys me also but what really grinds away at me is “can I get” when asking for something that someone else will be getting.
This really pisses me off as well! Various uses of the word ‘super’? Not so much, I don’t use it that much myself anyway, and I can’t say I notice it when others use it.
Language and it’s use changes over time, in the 18th Century Americans were complaining about the use of English-isms in their language! If people are that wound-up over words and terms taken in from other parts of the world, go and live in France, they have laws about it. Otherwise, just shut up and ignore it.
This really pisses me off as well!
Also
go and live in France … otherwise just shut up and ignore it.
🥳 awesome. (Unless of course, you live in France, where the irony would be yet further contorted)
#culturalimperialism
#trojanhorse
#dumbingdown
#partisanpopulism
#redvsblue
#mevsyou
#bloodyforeigners
#kidstoday
Social Media is a US weapon of mass-distraction
Yes, thanks to social media, I think that the spread of Americanisms is unstoppable. I used to enjoy the way that American English differed from the various versions of UK English but in the past if a Britisher started using Americanisms then they would get the pis ripped out of them relentlessly. Now it’s just what happens and people in work ask me what fenders to buy for their bike or tell me to cinch something down with a strap.
Anyway, if you don’t like the new use of super… how do you feel about uber. Is that uber cool? Or super embarrassing?
I haven’t been subjected to Uber yes other than when ordering a taxi or a component for my bike.
I wish I could use the photo share thing here as a mate had a rather amusing photo of me based around ‘super’ from a dig day this weekend.
I agree OP, I also hate the now common substitution of 'me' for 'myself'
Just say 'me'!! Aaaaarrrrgghh
Yes, thanks to social media, I think that the spread of Americanisms is unstoppable.
Because before the rise of social media, no-one in Britain ever heard "Americanisms".
We've been bombarded with US culture for decades, and we have embraced it. For example, US films have dominated cinemas longer than I've been alive. Social media may have stirred the pot, but this is far from new and it was never going to go away.
OP - I think it’s more correctly called ‘dinner’ rather than ‘super’. I however prefer to call our informal evening meal ‘tea’.
Because before the rise of social media, no-one in Britain ever heard “Americanisms”.
We’ve been bombarded with US culture for decades, and we have embraced it. For example, US films have dominated cinemas longer than I’ve been alive. Social media may have stirred the pot, but this is far from new and it was never going to go away.
Just as we've been "bombarded" with the language of other cultures for millenia.
I especially love the Americanisms that nobody realises are actually originally English and vice-versa. Stiff upper lip is a good one that comes from the US apparently.
It's not even whether it's correct or not. Painful buzzing noises ensue in my head when I hear it. I'll even stop reading/listening if I encounter it in the wild. Will disregard the words of the speaker
I think it's probably because I associate its usage with hive-mind Americans, rather than individuals we can enjoy listening to, and respect the opinion of. Bit like many will when they hear a Brummy dialect.
After all that condemnation though, I have to admit that in both academia and career, I am a pathway educated (English) language expert and am supposed to describe language usage, not prescribe how people use it.
OP – I think it’s more correctly called ‘dinner’ rather than ‘super’. I however prefer to call our informal evening meal ‘tea
This one doesn't fire me up the same way as 'super or 'can I get' BUT it does raise a wry smile when I hear "Oh yes darling let's pop out for supper (pronounced sopper)" Supper is a bowl of cereal to dribble on my PJ's before I go to bed
In a similar vein, Claudia Winkelman's wishing people 'Enormous Luck' as a superlative of Good Luck and 'Huge Congratulations' etc really, really gets under my skin 🤬🤬🤬
I struggle with long sentences but my personal observation is that that this usage of super as an adverb originates from German speakers. I remember noticing that in spoken German, everything was super cool and mega fun when I first moved to Switzerland in 2000. This was then carried over as a direct translation into English, particularly in interviews with sportspeople (skiiers, cyclists etc).
I also hate the now common substitution of ‘me’ for ‘myself’
It's to show they is well educated innit?
my personal observation is that that this usage of super as an adverb originates from German speakers [...] particularly in interviews with sportspeople (skiiers, cyclists etc).
Yeah, this is my recollection too. Non-HD interviews with sweaty fluoro-adorned party rats in a Berlin techno disco.
It’s to show they is well educated innit?
I think people use reflexive pronouns when they're unsure of "me" and "I" in sentences because often those are used incorrectly as well. I don't think people are trying to appear clever or posh.
How do you feel about the top tier of women's football?
How do you feel about the top tier of women’s football?
Oddly that doesn't make me wince. Maybe it is because it isn't being used to embellish an already positive word such as "great" "good" "excellent"
Super means over/above
Very means more ("in a high degree")
So, not quite the same, if you ask me. Interchangable informally, but you cant get uppity about informal usage.
If it makes it any easier, just add a "duper" in there, right after "super"?
"Can i get" is just flippin rude.
unless they are proposing to go and retrieve it themselves.
"Can i get a coffee?"
"I dont know, can you?"
"Ok, May i get a coffee?"
"No, staff only behind the bar"
Can i get” is just flippin rude.
unless they are proposing to go and retrieve it themselves.“Can i get a coffee?”
“I dont know, can you?”
“Ok, May i get a coffee?”
“No, staff only behind the bar”
Exactly!
If it makes it any easier, just add a “duper” in there, right after “super”?
Oddly this does make it palatable, and slightly fun
but you cant get uppity about informal usage.
but also
“Can i get” is just flippin rude.
make your mind up 🙄
Has anyone said "ok boomer" yet? It's never seemed more appropriate.
“Can i get” is just flippin rude.
Yes I've noticed how upset people in coffee shops etc get when someone says this. They're apoplectic with rage. Oh no wait no-one cares.
. They’re apoplectic with rage. Oh no wait no-one cares.
I beg to differ. There are a few in this thread who care, we are a minority and we super insist on being heard!
Can i get” is just flippin rude.
unless they are proposing to go and retrieve it themselves.
Language is weird. Apparently if you said "Could I have a coffee, please" to your NYC Barista, they'd be more offended than if you said "Can I get".
https://learnenglishwithdemi.wordpress.com/2015/06/17/1884/
Obviously things can have different meanings in different cultures. But when all these cultures rub up against each other, accelerated by the gloabalisation of (social) media, you can be offended when someone says the "wrong" thing whilst simultaneously & inadvertently offending someone else with the "correct" parlance.
Best not to seek too much offence when none is intended, IMsHO.
When you live on a diet of vampire/zombie/espionage/superhero films and US streaming services it tends to rub off. As opposed to the British pensioner box with it's baking, knitting, ballroom dancing and handicrafts. All the other channels now doing variations of how to get rich, isn't it great to be rich and aren't the poor ****less ****ers, it's all their own fault isn't it!
Social Media is a US weapon of mass-distraction
So’s television, the drug of a nation, breeding ignorance…
And it’s been around for far, far longer than ‘social meeja’.
All the other channels now doing variations of how to get rich
Super rich surely?
Is ‘super’ the (not so) new ‘mega’ then?
OP, here’s more than you probably wish to know:
https://www.vocabulary.com/articles/dictionary/its-an-adjective-its-an-adverb-its-super/
To the room:
True or false? A superlative is the form of an adjective or an adverb used to compare three or more things
I'm having a super mega week. Hope that cheers people up.
Utterly fab.
It is a sign of creeping old age.
What super annoys me is how people refer to:
"Me and the Queen went for a super walk" when it should be "The Queen and I"
It just aint Queens English
3 pages in and I am super comfortable with it now.
was SuperGirl Verygirl? or Superman Reallyman.
sort of. To begin with ‘super man’ was just a guy who was better at stuff than you or I. He didn’t have magical powers, he didn’t fly, he was just a stronger and faster guy. That’s why he’s dressed as a circus strong man.