I've noticed more and more of my fellow soccer loving americans calling soccer cleats "boots" and soccer uniforms "kits". They also call the field "the pitch", and fast players have "pace", etc... These are all fine terms... in Britain. Perhaps this wouldn't bother me so much if the people that I notice doing it were not people who, prior to following the EPL (which I love), used the typical American terms for these things.
But none of the above is as grating as hearing Americans copy the brittish penchant for botching subject-verb agreement: "Germany are strong", "San Franciso win the pennant". Germany and San Francisco are singular nouns and the verbs in the above phrases should be conjugated accordingly, at least in the U.S. of A.
But Germany and SF are collectives in this instance and thus can be conjugated as a plural noun. It's the same as with sheep. "The sheep is an animal" and "The sheep are raised on a farm". It's perfectly logically sound.
I like to think I paid attention in English class, but this is the first I have heard of conjugating collective nouns in the plural. We would never say, "the team are good," "these deck are stacked," or "some paah are dangerous." We often refer to team members/executives in the plural (e.g. "Green Bay will fail unless they add more defensive talent") but never the team itself (e.g. "San Francisco only won four Super Bowls because their pitifully weak division guaranteed them playoff berths.")
Honorbound and honored to be Bonded to Mahtaliel Sedai
Last First in wotmania Chat
Slightly better than chocolate.
Love still can't be coerced.
Please Don't Eat the Newbies!
LoL. Be well, RAFOlk.
Last First in wotmania Chat
Slightly better than chocolate.
Love still can't be coerced.
Please Don't Eat the Newbies!
LoL. Be well, RAFOlk.
Do us Yanks use too many British terms?
24/10/2012 03:28:53 AM
- 836 Views
I use very few of those terms and thankfully, I'm not a "Yank" or "Yankee"
24/10/2012 03:46:40 AM
- 629 Views
Soccer terms and lack of subject-verb agreement are the worst that I notice.
24/10/2012 05:25:18 AM
- 698 Views
It' called football. You silly americans and your handegg! *NM*
24/10/2012 07:32:47 AM
- 326 Views
There is no disputing that our use of the word football is total nonsense *NM*
24/10/2012 07:48:46 AM
- 290 Views
I may be wrong, but I believe it's called a football because it's 12-inches long.
25/10/2012 07:15:28 PM
- 662 Views
Using a non-Metric system of measurement is total nonsense.
25/10/2012 07:51:27 PM
- 584 Views
I don't think so. Has to do with its historical origins in rugby football. *NM*
25/10/2012 09:17:20 PM
- 251 Views
Regulation balls are shorter than that, and "gridiron" is an unambiguous international term.
26/10/2012 11:41:18 PM
- 573 Views
Re: Soccer terms and lack of subject-verb agreement are the worst that I notice.
24/10/2012 08:22:37 AM
- 580 Views
That may be the problem.
27/10/2012 12:00:49 AM
- 575 Views
Affectation almost inherently reflects trying too hard, and imitation is unoriginal.
27/10/2012 12:10:52 AM
- 592 Views
Re: Affectation almost inherently reflects trying too hard, and imitation is unoriginal.
27/10/2012 04:24:26 AM
- 676 Views
Try "apt."
27/10/2012 04:13:18 PM
- 588 Views
always hated the letters "pt" together in that order
28/10/2012 04:44:29 AM
- 571 Views
Having enough neuroses of my own, I will not be accountable for yours.
28/10/2012 01:55:44 PM
- 618 Views