Definition and Examples of Americanisms

An Americanism is a word or phrase  (or, less commonly,  a feature of grammar, spelling, or pronunciation)  that (supposedly) originated in the United States or is used primarily by Americans. Americanism is often used as a term of disapproval, especially by non-American language mavens with little knowledge of historical linguistics. Many so-called Americanisms come from the English, Mark Twain accurately observed more than a century ago. [M]ost people suppose that everyone who guesses is a Yankee; the people who guess do so  because their ancestors guessed in Yorkshire.   The term Americanism was introduced by the Reverend John Witherspoon in the late-18th century. Examples and Observations [F]ew of the grammatical differences between British and American are great enough to produce confusion, and most are not stable because the two varieties are constantly influencing each other, with borrowing both ways across the Atlantic and nowadays via the Internet.(John Algeo, British or American English? Cambridge University Press, 2006)As pioneers, the first Americans had to make up many new words, some of which now seem absurdly commonplace. Lengthy, which dates back to 1689, is an early Americanism. So are calculate, seaboard, bookstore and presidential. . . . Antagonize and placate were both hated by British Victorians. As members of a multiracial society, the first Americans also adopted words like wigwam, pretzel, spook, depot and canyon, borrowing from the Indians, Germans, Dutch, French and Spanish.(Robert McCrum et al., The Story of English. Viking, 1986)Americanisms in British English- Most Americanisms coined [during the 19th century] havent stood the test of time. Wh en a woman disposes of an unwanted admirer we no longer say that she has given him the mitten. We still call experienced travellers globetrotters, but tend to say theyve bought the T-shirt rather than seen the elephant. We prefer more elegant metaphors for a cemetery than a bone-pit. Our dentists might object if we called them tooth carpenters. And if a teenager today told you theyd been shot in the neck you might ring for an ambulance rather than ask what theyd had to drink the previous night.Lots, however, have become part of our everyday speech. I guess, I reckon, keep your eyes peeled, it was a real eye-opener, easy as falling off a log, to go the whole hog, to get the hang of, struck oil, lame duck, face the music, high falutin, cocktail, and to pull the wool over ones eyes―all made the leap into British usage during the Victorian period. And theyve stayed there ever since.(Bob Nicholson, Racy Yankee Slang Has Long Invaded Our Language. The Guardian  [UK], Oct. 18, 201 0)- A list of fully assimilated English words and expressions that started life as American coinages or revivals would include antagonise, anyway, back-number (adjectival phrase), back yard (as in nimby), bath-robe, bumper (car), editorial (noun), fix up, just (quite, very, exactly), nervous (timid), peanut, placate, realise (see, understand), reckon, soft drink, transpire, washstand.In some cases, Americanisms have driven out a native equivalent or are in the process of doing so. For instance, in no particular order, ad has pretty well replaced advert as an abbreviation for advertisement, a press clipping is driving out cutting as a piece taken from a newspaper, a whole new ballgame, that is a metaphorical game of baseball, is what meets the harried circumspect eye where once a different kettle of fish or a horse of another color furnished the challenge, and someone quit his job where not so long ago he quitted it.Such matters probably indicate nothing more than minor, harmless lin guistic interchange, with a bias towards American modes of expression as likely to seem the livelier and (to adopt an Americanism) smarter alternative.(Kingsley Amis, The Kings English: A Guide to Modern Usage. HarperCollins, 1997)American and British CompoundsIn American English, the first noun [in a compound] is generally in the singular, as in drug problem, trade union, road policy, chemical plant. In British English, the first element is sometimes a plural noun, as in drugs problem, trades union, roads policy, chemicals plant. Some noun-noun compounds that entered American English at a very early stage are words for indigenous animals, like bullfrog a large American frog, groundhog a small rodent (also called woodchuck); for trees and plants, e.g. cottonwood (an American poplar tree); and for phenomena like log cabin, the kind of simple structure many early immigrants lived in. Sunup is also an early American coinage, parallel to the Americanism sundown, which is a synonym for t he universal sunset.(Gunnel Tottie, An Introduction to American English. Wiley-Blackwell, 2002)Prejudice Against AmericanismsDocumenting the sustained prejudice  against American English over the past century and a half is not difficult since the only alteration in the complaint involves  the particular expressions that have come to the attention of the reviewers. So we will leap ahead to 21st century examples parallel to most of the complaints of the past.In 2010, the expressions targeted  for criticism included ahead of for before, face up confront, and fess up for confess (Kahn 2010). A counterargument has often been that these expressions are historically English, but the truths of historical linguistics are seldom persuasive or even seen as germane to the dispute. Americanisms are simply bad English in one way or another: slovenly, careless, or sloppy. . . . Reports like these seethe with disapproval.The same metaphors are used elsewhere in the English-speaking world. In Australia, new forms of language believed to derive from America are seen as a contagion: suffering the creeping American disease is a way to describe a situation the critic deplores (Money 2010). . . .The expressions that give rise to such complaints  are not such ordinary Americanisms as blood type, laser, or minibus. And some are not Americanisms at all.  They share the quality of being racy, informal, and perhaps a little subversive. They are usages that poke fun at pretense and gibe at gentility.(Richard W. Bailey, American English.  English Historical Linguistics, ed. by  Alexander Bergs. Walter de Gruyter, 2012)Passing PrejudicesThe playwright Mark Ravenhill recently tweeted irritably: Dear Guardian sub please dont allow passing. Here in Europe we die. Keep the horrible euphemism over the Atlantic. . . .Ravenhills . . . complaint about passing is that it is an Americanism, one that should be kept over the Atlantic by the verbal equivalent of a ballistic-missile shield , so as to preserve the saintly purity of our island tongue. The trouble with this is that its not actually an Americanism. In  Chaucers Squires Tale, the falcon says to the princess: Myn harm I wol confessen er I pace, meaning before it dies. In Shakespeares Henry VI Part 2, Salisbury says of the dying Cardinal: Disturbe him not, let him passe peaceably. In other words, the origin of this use of passing is firmly on this side of the Atlantic. Its as English as the word soccer―at first spelled socca or socker, as an abbreviation of association football.A lot of other supposed Americanisms arent Americanisms either. Its sometimes thought that transportation instead of the good old transport is an example of that annoying US habit of bolting on needless extra syllables to perfectly good words, but transportation is used in British English from 1540. Gotten as the past tense of got? English from 1380. Oftentimes? Its in the King James Bible.(Steven Poole, Americanisms Are Ofte n Closer to Home Than We Imagine. The Guardian [UK], May 13, 2013)Americanisms in The Telegraph [U.K.]Some Americanisms keep slipping in, usually when we are given agency copy to re-write and do an inadequate job on it. There is no such verb as impacted, and other American-style usages of nouns as verbs should be avoided (authored, gifted etc). Maneuver is not spelt that way in Britain. We do not have lawmakers: we might just about have legislators, but better still we have parliament. People do not live in their hometown; they live in their home town, or even better the place where they were born.(Simon Heffer, Style Notes. The Telegraph, Aug. 2, 2010)

Cyber Security New Law - 1719 Words

Cyber Security: New laws in United States and Their Impact Throughout the United States today there are many attempted hacks going on right now, most unsuccessful, but some are successful. Major businesses as well as minor businesses have had to invest in a good security systems and making backups of data to protect themselves, as well as their clients, from attempted hacking and the risk of sensitive information being leaked out ( such as social security or credit card numbers). As a result, there needed to be more action taken up against hackers, which brought up the demand for laws and regulations. New cyber security laws are being passed to stop or trace hackers back to their initial roots. However, these new laws, invade citizen’s†¦show more content†¦As stated, this type of attack is designed to cause chaos, picture this type of attack on the NYSE on Wall Street, the effects of it would be felt globally. Finally, there’s cyber-crime itself, which is when a user knowingly exploits data or information flows (Vaseas hta 3). This kind of crime is more for minor cases, for example illegally downloading music or videos goes into this category. Spurred by the massive hacking attacks on companies and offices such as Anthem, Sony, and the Office of Personnel Management, the Senate decided to take action. On October 27, Senate passed the CISA or Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act. This act is â€Å"designed to [stop] corporate data breaches by allowing companies to share cybersecurity threat date with Department of Homeland Security [and then] pass it on other agencies. . . who in theory use it to defend the target company and others facing similar attacks† (Greenberg). CISA addresses the issue of attempting to stop hacks on major companies by giving the information of customers to Homeland Security, who then gives that information to an agency such as NSA or the FBI to investigate. Now, what’s wrong with this? Greenberg states that privacy advocates and civil liberties groups view C ISA as an easy way for companies to monitor clients and share their client’s information with the government agencies without permission. Greenberg continues on to say that security companies dislike this because they

Why Chniatown Should Be Conserved Free Essays

string(130) " are still people who have been living there since they were young and have built many memories about their childhood days there\." Introduction As part of the Singapore heritage society, I believe that Chinatown should be conserved and should not be replaced by yet another integrated resort. Our Society is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Singapore history, heritage and identity. We have held many projects to raise awareness of Singapore history and cultural heritage. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Chniatown Should Be Conserved or any similar topic only for you Order Now Chinatown has and will always be a place with much historical value and a part of Singapore limited heritage. According to the dictionary, heritage indicates the characteristics, properties or quality that one inherits at birth. It is also he nation’s mark of history, such as stately buildings, countryside, cultural traditions, that are seen as the nation’s wealth to be inherited by future generations. Chinatown has been a part of Singapore and a part of our home since the early days when the early immigrants came to Singapore, being one of the few heritages that we are still able to keep hold of. Despite being rather small in size, this little plot of land is the exact land that our forefathers stood on as they contributed to make Singapore what it is today. But with Singapore fast growth rate and overwhelming need to develop rather, it is not surprising that its historical heritage is being considered to be demolished to make way for the new. Conservation We wish to conserve Chinatown, as it allows us to be connected to our past. Our heritage reminds us of where we started from and of how we managed to progress from being a small fishing village to the bustling city that we are now, giving us a sense of direction in where we are heading to as a nation. Preserving our cultural heritage also goes a long way in explaining our rich cultural, political, social and educational values to the future generations. It is a lesson and an experience in which our forefathers handed down to us so that we can learn from their mistakes and successes, in hope that our nation will continue to grow into a better society. Our heritage is very valuable and can even be considered as a form of â€Å"national wealth† that has been passed down to us. After receiving this honor and responsibility, we as the children of this nation, should play our part Just as our forefathers did and continue to pass this precious historical gem down for future generations to personally experience and remember our history. National Identity This year, Singapore has Just gained 48 years of independence, and we have successfully created an identity for ourselves that makes us as Gingersnaps more proud of our country and its accomplishments. A national identity is important to its country as it affects Singapore psychological defense, this would determine if Gingersnaps will stay to fight or abandon Singapore when faced with obstacles. The term ‘National identity is a person’s sense of belonging to one’s state or nation, a feeling one shares with a group of people, regardless of one’s citizenship status. An identity is not an inborn trait but is slowly built up as a direct result of the presence of the similarities in people’s daily lives, such as national symbols, language, the nation’s history, culture and many others. For Singapore, one of these aspects is the Singapore multi-religious backgrounds, Singapore started off with majority of the population being immigrants from countries such as Europe, China, Arabia, India, Amelia and Penman, who came to Singapore in the early sass. While they came to Singapore in hope of finding a better future, they shared their religion to the rest of he country too. Although Chinatown started off as a Chinese settlement, but it contributes significantly to Singapore multi-religious identity as it houses many different religious buildings temples, churches and mosques. An example is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore, the Sir Marianne which was built in 1827. During colonial times, it served as a refuge for new immigrants and acted as the Registry of Marriages for Hindus. Today, in addition to its religious services and functions, the temple promotes various social, cultural and educational activities. Festivals such as Thematic (Fire walking ceremony) and Navigator are also celebrated there every year. The Thematic is an important ceremony to the Hindu culture, as it celebrates the honor of Draping who walked through a bed of fire and came out as fresh as a flower, proving her purity. Demolishing these religious buildings for the sake of the Integrated Resort will not only disrupt religious services, but it will also cause Singapore to lose part of its identity and history. Thus we believe that Chinatown should be conserved as it helps to build a unique Identity for Singapore. Festive Seasons During the Chinese New Year period, Chinatown is also the place that Gingersnaps first head to look for their Chinese New Year goodies and clothes. This has become a habit and tradition that most Gingersnaps abide by. At the same time, they are able to enjoy the Chinese New Year atmosphere as the place Chinatown during Chinese New Year, would be decorated with many stunning street lights. This bustling with people time of the year is when Chinatown finally regains its former glory, to the time when Chinatown was bustling with life, with hawkers selling all manners of things long the streets and people squeezing through the crowd to get their hands on the cheapest goods. It is also during times like these when families get together, no matter old or young to purchase items such as new traditional costumes, shoes, decorations, goodies in preparation for Chinese New Year. Chinatown then becomes a place that is unique and original as it allows the people to spend time together without the need to spend much money or for any technology, allowing them to bond. Memories Chinatown is a place where memories and shared experiences are being made. Even ill today, there are still people who have been living there since they were young and have built many memories about their childhood days there. You read "Why Chniatown Should Be Conserved" in category "Papers" Upon asked if she had any special memories in Chinatown, one of our interviewees, the owner of a textile shop, replied that â€Å"When I was young I used to spend most of my time in the shop. As my parent’s watched the shop, me and my brother would study there. At times, we would also meet up with the other little kids there to play and run about the playground nearby. When asked why she chose to open a shop in Chinatown, she been with us for 3 generations. This shop meaner a lot to our family, as though it is our very own child. It also stores a lot of our memories as a kid. † Chinatown is also known as the ‘elderly district’ and most of the people who stay there are actually elderly who have been living there since young. To them, Chinatown i s the place where they feel at home, where they all their memories were made. These friends that they make slowly become more like their families than mere neighbors; taking care of each other and entertaining one another. Among the 25 people we interviewed, 85% of them agree that Chinatown should be conserved as it possesses lot of historical value and that from the many years living there, they have created many enjoyable memories there and do not want to ever lose them. However, if a third integrated resort were to be built here, all these experiences and precious memories would be lost and forgotten as generations pass as though they too have faded away from existence. Skills and Passion Chinatown is a place where people can showcase their skills and passion. In Chinatown, there are many little stores that sell traditionally hand-made local delicacies and clothing that are now hard to find in Singapore society. There are many tailors sewing Chicagoans, a traditional Chinese costume that are worn by Chinese females since the early days. These clothes are very significant to Singapore past as it is also one of the few artifacts the has been passed down from the past to the current present. These Chinese costumes also remind us of how Singapore was in the past, and through the colors and decorations, we are able to bring out the colorful culture and heritage of our country’s past. Also, there are many hawkers making their own buns through the traditional methods. Not only goes this allow the people to showcase their skills, this also allows them to survive in the Singapore context despite the tough competitions with famous chain-shops. This is at the same time beneficial to Singapore as it helps Singapore to increase their Job employment rates and allows the people to have the chance to chase after their passions in life despite their financial statuses. However, if the integrated Resort were to be built on Chinatown, this would cause many people to become Jobless and thus unable to support their families. Similarly, their passions can only be buried along with the rest of Chinatown. Tourists According to a research, destinations excelling in their cultural heritage are more likely to be on traveler’s consideration list. Among the many respondents from 20 different countries, 57% of them agree that history and culture are strong influences on their choice of holiday destination, with only 15% of the people disagreeing to this statement. Conforming to this, Chinatown has been rated as one of the top ten attractions in Singapore due to its strong historical value and its colorful vibe. Due to our struggle towards progress after gaining independence on August 9 1965, we eve already demolished many of our memorable infrastructures in order to make way for the new, furthermore, only having 48 years of independence, Singapore does not have many places with much historical value. Hence, if we demolish Chinatown, we might be at a risk of having a sharp decrease in tourist rates, which may also not be as appealing to the tourists as compared to the uniqueness of Chinatown. From the opinions of most of the people we interviewed, most of them also agree that another integrated resort would only be redundant as we already have two other integrated resorts, them being Marina Bay Sands and Resort World Santos. Meanwhile, Chinatown is unique as there can only be one of it throughout the whole of this lifetime. If we demolish it, we would be losing it forever and we would never be able to build it and its priceless history again. A trip to Chinatown will also be more fruitful for the tourists. According to the theory of knowledge, the two main ways to gain knowledge is through experience and reasoning. Chinatown many historical infrastructure, vibrant atmosphere and heritage centre, allows them to reasonably experience the background and heritage of Singapore. Through this experience, it allows us to gain something more valuable than money, the power of knowledge and understanding upon visiting it. However, the Integrated Resort would only promote entertainment, such as gambling and shopping. Thus, by conserving Chinatown , not only are we able to increase Singapore tourism rates and boost our economy, it also allows the tourists to benefit greatly from the experience and learn more about our culture and heritage. Land Scarcity Building an Integrated Resort over Chinatown would not only cause a lack of housing or the people who are currently living in Chinatown, but also with Singapore plan to increase the population from about 5. 8 million to 6. Million by 2030, this unbalance between the land use for entertainment purposes and the land used for housing purposes would create a serious problem for the people, such as overcrowding due to the lack of space. With over 5 million people currently living within the 710 km area of land, Singapore has been ranked the second most densely populated country in 2012. Singapore is already facing a problem with the lack of land and building more housing areas would not be an easy take. In addition, if an Integrated Resort were to be built in Chinatown, the residential areas in Chinatown would be lost, which would be a disadvantage to Singapore. Land scarcity is a dire situation and it may lead to unhygienic living spaces, which would make it easier for pests such as mosquitoes to breed. As Singapore is a tropical country, we are very prone to dengue’s. From the 16-22 June 2013, there was a total of 82 dengue outbreaks within that single week, and from the start of January to 13/08/2013, there has already been 6 unfortunate victims who have passed away due to dengue fever. From this, we can tell the severity of Dengue Fever in Singapore, and with the unhygienic environment, this would lead to a higher risk of the people having Dengue Fever. Hence, not only will Chinatown help in the heritage of Singapore, but it will also help in the land constraint problem Singapore is facing currently. Conclusion In conclusion, I strongly feel that we should conserve Chinatown as it is part of our home town and heritage. It reminds Gingersnaps of how far Singapore has progressed from being Just a free port all the way to being the central trading port of people who lived, worked and visited Chinatown in the chophouses, temples and mosques. Chinatown is a place that holds the memory and identity of Singapore. How to cite Why Chniatown Should Be Conserved, Papers