English People...

Benjamin,

I can not tell you whether the survey is biased or not. Thou I see no reasons why it should be. The survey is based on several questions and if people involved in international trade were amongst them asked, I would view that as normal, why exclude people based on their work description. Not to mentioned targeting 25,907 people solely to get a “biased” survey?. Do not forget that there are several countries involved in international trade, and not just the Swiss state.

My impressions are that Britain is seen as boring in agreement with the above surveys, but in negation, quite nationalistic. Take for instance the extremism in nationalistic banner waving of soccer hooliganism which is rampant in Britain. But it's also present in other sports, involving the rest of mainstream society which has a strong drinking culture to match.

And then there's the stuffy, introverted type of nationalism surrounding the Queen and royals.

"The strange aspect of this is that it is the NAs, normally not backward in coming forward, who resist what they speak being named after them."

evoked this response from Tiffany:

"We're considered backwards because we realize that we speak English."

Tiffany, there was absolutely no hint in my comment that I think Americans are "backwards" - quite the reverse. The phrase "backward in coming forward" simply means shy, bashful, lacking in confidence, and Americans are certainly not seen by anyone as shy or unconfident.

I'm afraid you missed the meaning entirely, and thus proved my point: you didn't understand a common English phrase.

>> I can not tell you whether the survey is biased or not. Thou I see no reasons why it should be. The survey is based on several questions and if people involved in international trade were amongst them asked, I would view that as normal, why exclude people based on their work description. Not to mentioned targeting 25,907 people solely to get a “biased” survey?. Do not forget that there are several countries involved in international trade, and not just the Swiss state. <<

I'm not suggesting that they deliberately attempted to get biased results. I'm suggesting that it probably wasn't a random sample of random people. Do you really think that the average person has a clear opinion of Switzerland, perhaps outside of France, Germany Austria and possibly Italy? I doubt it somehow.

Does anybody seriously think that the British are more boring than the Swiss? Apart from cuckoo clocks, chocolate and ever so safe bank deposit vaults, what else comes out of beautiful and ever so safely neutral wee Switzerland? I flew over it on the way to Italy.....right over the fantastico snow covered Alps and Lake Geneva with it's amazing fountain....but is it really a hub of activity and a place everybody flocks to for fun times?

OK...linguistically it's a fun place......they have four official Languages, including the mystical Romansch so you can get your kicks switching from one to the other at will. Aye...that would be great fun.....I take back what I've just said about the Swiss! They are mega interesting, after all.

<<I'm afraid you missed the meaning entirely, and thus proved my point: you didn't understand a common English phrase.>>

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/be+backward+in+coming+forward

It is British and Australian slang. That does not prove 'American' should be a separate language. I think you need a little (actually a lot) more than that to declare them different languages. Thanks for trying though.

http://antimoon.com/forum/t2191.htm

Differences in Commonwealth English too. Should we now declare them different languages? The burden of proof is upon you to prove that "American" should be a separate language.

Declaring American English as a separate language is just the way of plain American nationalist idiots who thinks Mother England is planning for it's next invasion.

And I thought you Americans were over it. Jeez get over it people of England is so over it except Adam of course ;) Just keep an eye out for a little wooden boat heading your way. Adam the redcoat is reclaiming America for Queen and Country!

God Bless America!
God Save the Queen!

Funny, it seems that every person who has suggested American should be a separate language are NOT American. American nationalists then? No, Guest. Far from it.

If you want to take it to such an extreme, I guess you could hypothesize that the people suggesting such a thing do not like America and are becrying sharing a language with them...

Typo: ... American should be a separate language are NOT American.

Should be: ...American should be a separate language is NOT American.

I'd like to add that I'm not paranoid enough to think that. Damian likes us Americans, I think ;)

Are Austrians now changing the name of their language? Has Cuba seceded from the "Spanish-speaking" world? How about Argentina? Now speaking "Argentinian"?

This is fascinating: Americans vehemently resisting the idea, but perhaps the most telling comment came from mjd (asterisk):

"There is a good reason why the name isn't changed to "American.....people here don't want a "name change." As far as we're concerned, we speak English...end of story."

So that's it: no need to apply; might is right, and any contra suggestion is an "absurdity".

Hmm.

Personally, I never suggested that Americans SHOULD call their brand of English American. I merely suggested that they may WISH to do so. It now seems as if it was not a popular suggestion. As I said before, I did put forward the idea while in an impish frame of mind, as is my evil wont.

Aye, some nasty individuals heisted 40 million quid down there in Kent last night. See, I used an Americanism - "heisted"! Anyway, the word "heist" features in most of the newspaper reports this morning. It's a pity the heist took place in Kent.......so convenient for these robbers to nip over the Channel with the hot dosh.

<<So that's it: no need to apply; might is right, and any contra suggestion is an "absurdity".>>

If you knew anything about linguistics you would know that American English is not different enough for it to be considered its own language.

It has nothing to do with "might makes right" or whatever nonsense you believe.

But go ahead, call our language "American" if it tickles your fancy. It makes no difference to me.