As blended cultures in the United States, we tend to butcher the English language in casual conversation and don't think twice about it.
We continue on speaking our "American-English" until an overly-observant foreigner points out our unique manner of speaking.
Sadly, they are so right.
How dare judgy non-Americans break our stride by making us self-conscious!
But we won't go down like that. Like, we're Americans and we totally persist, m'kay?
A Buzzfeed article highlighted old and new observations from the grammar police who pointed out our peculiar use of colloquialisms heard from sea to shining sea.
In response, some of the commenters agreed about proper English usage while others passionately defended our unique expressions.
Here are some examples of what people around the world are telling us Americans "like to say" and the hilarious responses that followed.
How many of these are you guilty of?
We love to emphasize things by verbally saying the punctuation mark.
Why do Americans love to say 'period' at the end of arguements as if it's like a mic drop or something— ya gal al (@ya gal al)1561913770.0
@_QueenAlex Same reason anyone does anything. Because we can— LordHeadass (@LordHeadass)1561938362.0
This statement applies towards expressing things are going swimmingly.
americans love to say “you’re good”— gabbylaur2n #2 (@gabbylaur2n #2)1551342314.0
@gabbyl4uren actually, it means, “You haven’t completely lost my respect with your big mouth. Shut up now before you do.”— Kimberly Arnold (@Kimberly Arnold)1562968246.0
Those with selective hearing are guilty of saying this when something bears repeating.
Americans love to say "wait, what?" and make start your story again instead of apologising for not listening or simply keeping quiet— THE BRAH DAWG (@THE BRAH DAWG)1560859368.0
@brah_dawg It’s an expression of disbelief, not an expression of “I wasn’t listening”— Isaac Price (@Isaac Price)1562964559.0
Who's buying?
Americans love saying “It’s a free country!”— Hey Buzzfeed, I am American (@Hey Buzzfeed, I am American)1559626440.0
@BluntBuckeye Because we don’t have a king or a queen. Unless in drag.— MacMarine4 (@MacMarine4)1562958239.0
Ex-squeeze me?
I bacon powder?
americans love to say ‘excuse me’ when someone’s in the way and it’s SO passive aggressive 😂😂— Jordan Beasley (@Jordan Beasley)1539097483.0
to clarify; you’re supposed to engage in the very British (and totally not passive aggressive 😉) act of waiting, tu… https://t.co/8hJb0UYyan— Jordan Beasley (@Jordan Beasley)1562967155.0
@JordyBeasley I’m American and this is what I do when people are in the way! https://t.co/3OEYidnVoo— The Equestrian (@The Equestrian)1562958567.0
Irish they were more clear about this.
Why do Americans love saying that they're Irish when 1) the only link they have to Ireland is that their great-grea… https://t.co/eaaH70qm4z— Connor (@Connor)1552818520.0
There's quite a few angry kids in my mentions now so just to clarify: I'm not interested in your ancestry, and it's… https://t.co/dMcyx9WhHb— Connor (@Connor)1562965408.0
@arpeggpalegg LOL at all those people. “Actually someone in my family’s last name is O’Brien and I like beer and th… https://t.co/EsOQpsR1ky— not jim (@not jim)1562985220.0
Level of annoyance varies by tonal pitch.
Americans love saying “you guuuyss”— soniya 🍪 (@soniya 🍪)1551033266.0
@sXOniya And actually if you’re from philly we just say you’s. That’s a thing. “What did you’s do last night?”— Ryan (@Ryan)1562967879.0
What were they expecting?
americans love to say “we’re pregnant” when only one of them is pregnant— Hjönk (@Hjönk)1539945935.0
@heartseekerjhin Becoming pregnant is a team effort, that requires both a man and a woman... the man impregnated th… https://t.co/flF0ZxSZZk— Sheet of Paper! (@Sheet of Paper!)1562967609.0
In fast food joints, some of us start speaking before making a decision but fill the silence after the horse has left the gate.
Americans love to say "I'm gonna do theeeeeeee" instead of just ordering food like a regular person.— trash loser 👘 (@trash loser 👘)1537455198.0
@trash_loser I’m American and that drives me crazy. It’s like nails on a chalkboard when I hear someone say that.— Larry Kocen (@Larry Kocen)1562971346.0
This here is a dig.
Yup.
For some reason Americans love to say “yuuup” as a response. Thank you! “Yup” Take care! “Yup” Sorry!! “Yup.” Ya’ll… https://t.co/8o6Kj3IXtT— Neil (@Neil)1537374816.0
@neilmuir22 We know what it means; it is regional/colloquial. Perhaps YOU need to broaden YOUR language comprehension skills.— Laurie Payne (@Laurie Payne)1562960280.0
Guilty.
Americans love to say "super", "super this, super that, super, super, super." -_-— Jacques Kitenge (@Jacques Kitenge)1407941698.0
@jacques_k23 SuperMan. SuperCuts. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! 😂— Doug Pearce (@Doug Pearce)1562965241.0
@jacques_k23 That’s only on the west coast like California if you’re talking about people who use it like- “Omg I g… https://t.co/l7zlDRibwn— beth dublin (@beth dublin)1563016844.0
This predates the use of emojis.
Americans love to say 'lmao'— 𝕂𝕦𝕕𝕫𝕒𝕚 (@𝕂𝕦𝕕𝕫𝕒𝕚)1391795580.0
@kaycee_xchigs Nope. We type that. Only.— AmyBranson (@AmyBranson)1562967191.0
We totes like to abbreviate things.
americans love to say veggies instead of vegetables and now you must also live with this cursed knowledge— gerard (@gerard)1554371706.0
@legerrid And most English speakers, no matter which side of the Atlantic, have forgotten that vegetable is a 4-syl… https://t.co/M9iAGqLEKp— Theresa (@Theresa)1562965353.0
It's like saying, "are you listening?"
Americans love to say ‘here’s the thing’— Jasmine (@Jasmine)1546810534.0
@jas_brazier Because I’m about to tell you the crux of the matter— The Equestrian (@The Equestrian)1562958413.0
@jas_brazier We’re giving you a heads-up in case you’re only half-listening to us as we are to you.— Just Kidding Jeez (@Just Kidding Jeez)1562956304.0
Okay, like, some things are a regional thing.
Americans love to say “like”— Foolish Prophet (@Foolish Prophet)1541550096.0
@megcarmodyy Horrible habit for sure.— Jeanette Shinsky (@Jeanette Shinsky)1562969003.0
Get off my lawn.
Americans love to say ”that’s my property”— mik (@mik)1532103259.0
@mmikkymik Because we like to own things— Josh Brunke (@Josh Brunke)1562961647.0
Adjectives are hard.
Americans love to say that things are "addicting"— jack (@jack)1525265009.0
@sadness_tweets Things are not addicting, they are addict’ive’— Melanie Richer (@Melanie Richer)1562978239.0
You guuuys, here's the thing. It's a free country and we will continue speaking the way we do regardless of what y'all say. Yup. Period.
Anyway, you're good. LMAO.
If you need a definitive list of American-English sayings and slang, McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions: The Most Up-to-Date Reference for the Nonstandard Usage, Popular Jargon, and Vulgarisms of Contempos is available here.
When a friend insists we travel to certain cities because we would "just love it," they're setting the bar pretty high.
And a city can also boast a rich history or an attraction that makes us curious enough to find out what makes it so appealing.
But, alas, when we finally reach the destination, it's never exactly what we thought it would be.
Curious to hear from strangers online, Redditor tshirtguy2000 asked:
"What city is overrated?"
These are not officially real cities but they do have a rotating population.
It's Always A Party There
"Party city."
"As a former slave associate at party city. I 100% agree."
Lotsa Crime
"Cabot Cove, the murder capital of the world."
"Sure, the murders are all solved, but would you really want to live in a city with that much, easily solved, crime?"
– Andvare
Neighbor To Springfield
Shelbyville. Those f'kers steal trees from neighboring cities.
the simpsons episode 25 GIFGiphyThese were once considered destination cities but their popularity eventually took a nose dive.
Not Pair-A-Dice
"Atlantic City. Venture a few blocks off the boardwalk and it's incredibly depressing. Very clearly an area exploited by the big casinos while the locals have been driven to absolute poverty, while they still force a smile to work the shops that are required for the tourist traffic."
– juanzy
Lots Of Water
"Niagara Falls, Canada. I grew up there. Mayor pumps most of tax $ to casinos and tourism with flashy vegas-esque attractions."
Meh Beach
"Myrtle Beach. I'm not even saying that it has a good reputation, I'm just saying that any shred of positive thinking about it makes it overrated."
Where A Creek Is An Exciting Attraction
"Lamb's Grove, Iowa. It's not the paradise on earth that people always say it is. Don't get me wrong, it's got great Chinese food but the motel 6 is meh at best."
– shah357
Impressions for these cities fell far below expectation.
Do-Bye
"Dubai. It's the clickbait of the world. 'We have the biggest/tallest/most expensive YOU WON'T BELIEVE when you see THIS...' It's hot as f*k, everything's a man-made tourist trap; labor exploitation and racism are rampant, and they try so hard to prove to the world how modern and Westernized they are. Really, it's just government propaganda."
Truth be told, many cities can be overrated.
It just depends on a person's experience, or a resident's perspective about what it is about the location they live in that is nothing worth writing home about.
If I had to choose, I would say Las Vegas is overrated, but that's because there is nothing in Sin City that is of personal interest to me.
I may be severely judged for my opinion, but that is a gamble I'm willing to take.
Redditor William84000 asked:
“Women of reddit, what question do you have of men that you'd really like an answer to?"
His question started an informative thread for women to ask men the questions they've been wondering and receive honest, real-life answers.
Ouch...
“How long does it take to recover if you've been hit in the balls?” Snowy-avocado
“Anywhere from 5 minutes to literally turning to dust like we were Thanos snapped.” secondhand_organs
dust whirls GIFGiphy“The Big Dumb Object...”
“I've always wanted to know: why do you like loud machinery so much? For older men it's mowers, leaf blowers and such. For younger men, it's modified cars and motorbikes. What's the deal with the loud machines?” marshmellow_bunnyx
“Power and tools. Tools are a thing that gets stuff done, and they are loud because they contain the natural essence power of violent explosions and fire. Most men like powerful things, instead of powerful people.”
“In sci-fi, this is called 'The Big Dumb Object', and is pretty much a trademark of sci fi books written by men” Connect-Zebra7173
To shave or not to shave?
“Does body hair on a woman bother you that much?" reillydean28
“Leg/arm hair? Don't even notice. Armpit hair? Not my thing but not my choice/decision. Pubic hair? I'd prefer not, but it's not going to stop me from getting the job done." wHUT_fun
It’s a power and control thing...
“Why send a d*ck pic?" stavinlawrence
“I think for most men it's a power dynamic thing. Either it gets them off or it just makes them feel in control."
“Then I assume there's the added bonus of if she likes it she might send a nude back. But these losers have a greater chance of buying a "get bigger penis pills" that actually work before a girl appreciates an unsolicited nude." InertialEclipse
"Do you notice the little things?”
“Do you notice the little things about women like a new hair cut, when they wear makeup or a nice outfit?” xforeverlove22
“I can't speak for everyone but for me, nope. Not at all. My uncle had a moustache for like 20 years and one day decided to shave it off. I didn't notice it. I noticed there was a weird atmosphere around me like ‘come on, say something’, so I small talked with him.”
“A few hours later after he left they asked me if I seriously didn't notice that his moustache was gone. My answer was ‘What moustache?‘ And makeup would definitly fly over my head.” PleaseTakeThisName
Lets just not touch people without permission...
“What things have women done that make you uncomfortable?" charloget
“Had a few grab my junk at random. Even had a couple that just forced a kiss on me. I don't usually experience women trying to pick me up, but the few times I did was never great. It was either negging, overly sexually aggressive and always in a group." bahamabanana
On today's episode of sink of float...
“Do penis' float like a buoy? I heard they do but have never been able to verify it.” TheFantasticV
“I mean it's buoyant but it can't really do much besides lazily sorta half float there. Still amused the f**k out of my wife to learn.” secondhand_organs
GiphyEveryone just wants to be loved...
“What makes you feel loved?” linedizzy
“A compliment, a hug or a kiss we don't have to initiate.” Nuitari8
Plastic surgery?
“Do guys care if women get cosmetic procedures done?” dookieconductor
“I don't necessarily care about the work itself, I'd be more concerned about understanding why she felt like she wanted to get it done and help her feel body positive for whatever work has been done or if she feels like she needs work.” -notjosh-
Math will kill a mood everytime...
“What does it feel like when you're having sex and you're trying not to 'get there'? Is it frustrating? What do you do/think about to keep it from happening?" uhohoreolas
“I sometimes do math like 333*3... But often I am fine with just controlling things to focus mostly on her pleasure instead of mine. Tho sometimes she is excited and ends up moving in unaccounted ways while I am a hair away and there is no stopping it. I definitely don't find it frustrating. It is still very enjoyable." Fkire
Some of these Q&A's were unexpected but now we know! This important thing here though is knowing it's ok to ask questions sometimes.
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.