American uses of English that get on my nerves

[illdecide]

I've done that already...instead of I've already done that. That drives me insane

[armaghniac]

Baby carriage
GPS

[BennyCake]

Zucchini.
Pants.
Sidewalk.

WTF?

[Mario]

I live in Toronto and get funny looks when i say the following:

Ring someone = Call someone
Post a letter = Mail a letter
Queue = Line up
Half 5 = Five Thirty
I'll call over (as in go to your desk) = i'll come by. This is probably the one that confuses them the most

If i say the number 2, 90% of the time they think i'm saying 3. On numerous occasions i've end up with 3 pints!

[Gabriel_Hurl]

Zucchini.
Pants.
Sidewalk.

WTF?

Zucchini - they use the Italian word for the fruit. It's no different that the use of the French word courgette.
Sidewalk is fairly self-explanatory - it's the side of the road where you walk. It's not any different to footpath.

[armaghniac]

I live in Toronto and get funny looks when i say the following:

Ring someone = Call someone
Post a letter = Mail a letter
Queue = Line up
Half 5 = Five Thirty
I'll call over (as in go to your desk) = i'll come by. This is probably the one that confuses them the most

If i say the number 2, 90% of the time they think i'm saying 3. On numerous occasions i've end up with 3 pints!

Tell them you'll ring them in a fortnight.

[Eamonnca1]

Baby carriage
GPS

What have you got against GPS? That's what it's called!

[Eamonnca1]

"Trolley" meaning tram. They make it sound like something small that you push by hand. "Streetcar" is even worse.

[Jell 0 Biafra]

But there's only one of each. When was the last time you heard someone say "The Belfast City Council" or "The Belfast International Airport?"

An Taoiseach, An Dail. The singer out of  the Rolling Stones. Are these wrong too?

We're talking about English, not Irish.

A noun like "singer" does not refer to an airport or a legislature.

OK, I thought your issue was using 'the' to refer to an entity of which there is only one.  I'm not sure now what you're objecting to now.  Is it the use of 'The' to refer to some sort of entity referred to by a proper noun?
If that's the issue, do you have the same problem with talk of The Dail? 

In any event,  the 'the' in 'The US Congress'  attaches to 'US', not to 'Congress'.  No-one calls it The Congress, and it would sound strange in most contexts to call it US Congress (without the 'the' prefix).

Sorry, but I've heard it referred to as "the Congress." It's a thing. That's what I'm objecting to.

As for airports, when was the last time you heard someone say "I'm flying out of the Dublin airport?"

I'm surprised to hear that.  I've lived here close on 30 years and I've never heard anyone say, or seen anyone write, 'the Congress'.  Maybe it's a west coast thing?


On historic/historical, there is a clear use for 'historical' where 'historic' doesn't apply.  As in "A historical introduction to psychology", where 'historic' would tend to reveal a fair amount of ego on the part of the author, as opposed to a guide to the history of the discipline.   

[armaghniac]

Baby carriage
GPS

What have you got against GPS? That's what it's called!

A GPS is a device to receive your location from a satellite. A Sat-Nav is  a device that tells you where you want to go, a GPS is just one component of this. Calling it a GPS is like calling a car a gearbox, your phone has a GPS FFS.

[Eamonnca1]

I don't know if it's a west coast thing, I hear it all the time here.

"The reduced federal district, over which the Congress would retain plenary authority, would consist of two square miles."

https://thedcline.org/2020/06/24/press-release-norton-releases-testimony-in-advance-of-todays-rules-committee-hearing-on-d-c-statehood-bill/

"With less than five months before U.S. elections, the partisanship displayed during the House Judiciary hearing was on display throughout the Congress."

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-justice/democrats-accuse-presidents-fixer-barr-of-political-meddling-in-us-justice-system-idUSKBN23V2KT

"Let's not just pick on our presidents, what are we going to do about the Congress, the Senators, the Members of the House. They approved the Trail of Tears, Andrew Jackson's removal of the Cherokees to Oklahoma, the Congress did. And they approved the laws requiring segregation. The Congress did. And what about the people who elected the Congress? "

https://fox17.com/news/local/sen-alexander-tearing-down-andrew-jacksons-statue-would-be-a-terrible-misunderstanding

As for "historical," I hear it used where "historic" would be better. "Madam President, your visit here today is historical." (Maybe she meant hysterical.)

[GiveItToTheShooters]

I don't know if it's a west coast thing, I hear it all the time here.

"The reduced federal district, over which the Congress would retain plenary authority, would consist of two square miles."

https://thedcline.org/2020/06/24/press-release-norton-releases-testimony-in-advance-of-todays-rules-committee-hearing-on-d-c-statehood-bill/

"With less than five months before U.S. elections, the partisanship displayed during the House Judiciary hearing was on display throughout the Congress."


https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-justice/democrats-accuse-presidents-fixer-barr-of-political-meddling-in-us-justice-system-idUSKBN23V2KT

"Let's not just pick on our presidents, what are we going to do about the Congress, the Senators, the Members of the House. They approved the Trail of Tears, Andrew Jackson's removal of the Cherokees to Oklahoma, the Congress did. And they approved the laws requiring segregation. The Congress did. And what about the people who elected the Congress? "

https://fox17.com/news/local/sen-alexander-tearing-down-andrew-jacksons-statue-would-be-a-terrible-misunderstanding

As for "historical," I hear it used where "historic" would be better. "Madam President, your visit here today is historical." (Maybe she meant hysterical.)

Nonsense. The yanks talk a serious amount of shite but saying "the congress" is not a big deal. At least it actually makes sense

[gawa316]

Lived here for 7 odd years now and still can't get my head around they put the month first, then day...when stating a date.

I also can't bring myself to say garage they way they do, it's just wrong...and then on Father's Day I was extending the table because we had family over and I told the wife to turn the lever (lee-ver), well they all started taking the piss outta me...not impressed, grabbed a beer and went out to tend my BBQing tri tips!