Somewhat inspired by this thread(not to pick on people or anything), but it’s also something I’ve been wondering for a while:
My mother used to call each video on YouTube “a youtube.” She’d refer to YouTube videos as “youtubes.” I think I’ve heard a few other people use the word “youtube” in this way too. Is it common?
When I saw the thread title I thought “the only person I’ve ever seen say ‘a youtube’ is jinx in that other thread”, so, not common.
And, to my ears, it sounds just as bad one someone says ‘a facebook’, as in ‘Do you have a facebook?’
I admit, I do say “a twitter” and “a tumblr” to refer to a Twitter account and a Tumblr blog, respectively. I haven’t heard “a Facebook.”
I’m fine with “a facebook” “a twitter” and so forth. But never have I heard “a youtube” to refer to an individual youtube video. If someone said “do you have a youtube?” I would probably think they meant “youtube account.”
If someone said “you gotta see this youtube” I would raise my eyebrow and say “huh?? There’s only one youtube!”
If I heard that in real life I’d assume the person was either really old or being ironic.
Never.
It’d be acceptable coming from my 80-year old grandfather but that’s about it.
Yes, it is common. I hear it all the time.
Maybe it’s more of a regional Ohio thing?
Calling a YouTube video “a youtube” amuses rather than bothers me. What does bother me is when food from a restaurant is called by the restaurant’s name. “I ate McDonald’s” or “I’ve eaten Burger King in different places” - that bothers me.
I’ve only heard that with word “some” in front of it. They will say, “I ate some McDonald’s,” or “Do you want some McDonald’s?” For some reason, that doesn’t bother me as much.
Me and all my friends call watching a video on youtube “having a youtube”