# Can't.... Supress.... Urge.... To.... Insult... Am.... ericans..! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 1, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009 "2003-02-01T00:54:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Pucky\_Schumer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@Pucky\_Schumer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pucky_Schumer)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/21 "2003-02-01T05:32:42Z")
And Lobsang, I want to ask about British etiquette. When do you use “shit” and when do you use “shite”? I watched “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” the other night. I got the impression that “shite” was a personal pronoun. ---
**Author:** ![cherry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cherry)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/22 "2003-02-01T05:42:15Z")
is it hach or ache ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/23 "2003-02-01T05:45:58Z")
Why waste a whole half a word? What person in his right mind pronounces “Worchestershire” as “wooster”? Arrrrrgh! Just kidding. I love the English. My most favorite lady on Earth is English (hi, Georgina). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/24 "2003-02-01T05:54:28Z")
I’m wondering if it’s considered proper BBC English to pronounce Africa as “Africer,” Nicaragua as “Nicaragauer,” Chicago as “Chicager,” North Korea as “North Kareer,” or Venezuela as “Venezueler.” Since that’s what I hear on the BBC World Service when it’s broadcast in the US, it must be. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/25 "2003-02-01T06:11:21Z")
> [@](#): > > (‘skool skedyooal’) Oh, well, see, that’s correct then. Now if we can just get rid of all those unneccessary _u_’s… ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/26 "2003-02-01T07:17:59Z")
I was always floored by the pronounciation of Aluminum as Alu-min-ium. First time I heard it I thought they were talking about some wierd alloy, or some new Aluminum-like element 🙂 Does this apply to all -inium affix elements? Is the British Periodic table of Elements full of Titaminium, Plutominium, and Fermimimy-um? 🙂 And if you misprounounce Californium (California is my home state) I’ll be forced to run you over with my gas-guzzling SUV 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/27 "2003-02-01T12:41:30Z")
“Californium”? Is that some weird alloy of Californum? Anyway, apart from Alumin(i)um there are 71 elements that end in -ium and only 4 that end in -um. Or is the American periodic table full of Sodum, Magnesum, Calcum, Titanum etc. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/28 "2003-02-01T12:46:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MEBuckner \* > \*\*Oh, well, see, that’s correct then. Now if we can just get rid of all those unneccessary _u_’s… \*\* Take no prisoners, ME…you’ve got him on the run now! ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/29 "2003-02-01T12:48:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cherry \* > is it hach or ache Thank you for joining the board, Mr president Hail to the Chef ! btw, I’ll take the wor-ster-shire-sauce and raise you an ala-min-I-um shed ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/30 "2003-02-01T13:33:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lobsang \* > \*\*Appreciated **MEBuckner** > > (‘skool skedyooal’) \*\* Only if you are succumbing to the influx of Americanism. The correct answer is ‘skool shedyool’, which, I’m sure, is the answer **MEB** was looking for. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/31 "2003-02-01T13:39:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MEBuckner \* > \*\*Oh, well, see, that’s correct then. Now if we can just get rid of all those unneccessary _u_’s… \*\* But we like our vowels. Consider also words like oestrogen, oesophagus, aesthetic. BTW, what is the proper term for vowels stuck to each other like the o and e are supposed to be (if I knew how to type it)? Americans like their syllables. Burgle = burglarize. Anaesthetist = anesthesiologist. ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/32 "2003-02-01T15:48:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by raisinbread \* > \*\*Let us not forget the baffling convention of “zed” over “zee” in the former empire. \*\* Americans are the ONLY ones in the world who say “zee”. Originally it’s from the Greek “zeta”. It is America’s peculiar “zee” that is baffling. The rest of the world is waiting for an explanation for this bizarre behavior. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/33 "2003-02-01T15:55:03Z")
Not [today](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=160038), please. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/34 "2003-02-01T16:05:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elmwood \* > \*\*I’m wondering if it’s considered proper BBC English to pronounce Africa as “Africer,” Nicaragua as “Nicaragauer,” Chicago as “Chicager,” North Korea as “North Kareer,” or Venezuela as “Venezueler.” Since that’s what I hear on the BBC World Service when it’s broadcast in the US, it must be. \*\* I was under the impression that this is done only to “connect” words, to make them flow more naturally. As in: “The rebels in Nicaragua[sub][sup]_r_[/sup][/sub] are marching towards the town of El Torro Guapo” Leaving the “r” out makes it sound staccato. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/35 "2003-02-01T16:23:01Z")
Isn’t this why we kicked the lime juicers out of here in the first place? 😃 Since we’re on the topic where the hell does anyone get the pronounciation “sinjin” from “St. John?” ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Doris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Sir\_Doris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Doris)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/36 "2003-02-01T16:59:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Padeye \* > \*\*Isn’t this why we kicked the lime juicers out of here in the first place? 😃 Since we’re on the topic where the hell does anyone get the pronounciation “sinjin” from “St. John?” \*\* It helps if you talk like Prince Charles … ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/37 "2003-02-01T17:09:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by amarone \* > \*\*Only if you are succumbing to the influx of Americanism. The correct answer is ‘skool shedyool’, which, I’m sure, is the answer **MEB** was looking for. \*\* I am sure it’s the other way round - UK : Sked US : Shed ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/38 "2003-02-01T17:13:42Z")
Fine, but be gentle with us today (Feb. 1), ok? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/39 "2003-02-01T17:19:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lobsang \* > \*\*I am sure it’s the other way round - > > UK : Sked > > US : Shed \*\* No, the almost-impossible-to-pronounce “sss-shedule” is the stupid English pronounciation. “Skedule” is the more sensible American pronounciation, which, thank goodness, is being adopted more and more by us. Anyway, I think we should be nice to Americans, today, given the horrible tragedy that has just been suffered there. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-supress-urge-to-insult-am-ericans/152009/40 "2003-02-01T17:20:45Z")
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