Americans that try to sound smart by using british terms

[Ofuh]

I suppose it is one of my pet peeves.
Most of the people who are guilty of it seem to be pseudo intellectual know it alls. They will use terms such as bloody, queue, along with others (my brain is still in half-asleep mode.) Now although those words can be used in american speech, the way they are used is clearly an attempt at sounding British, or in their view: "smart"
As if that wasn't enough, they will sometimes say "honour" instead of "honor" and "colour" instead of "color"
The true idiots really come out though when they say "genious" or "interiour" I'm sure there's more, but those are the most common.

What do you people think? Anyone else infuriated when you see a fellow American's attempt at sounding smart rely on the use of immitating British speech?

 

[Bill3000]

How is "queue" a British term?

I use "bloody" precisely because it's something my group of friends use, and it allows a term that seems less offensive to an American to put emphasis in a sentence without having to result to American cusses, not because it makes me more "intelligent."

 

[Rambuchan]

Worse than that are Brits who use Americanisms to sound stupid.

 

[Ofuh]

How is "queue" a British term?

I use "bloody" precisely because it's something my group of friends use, and it allows a term that seems less offensive to an American to put emphasis in a sentence without having to result to American cusses, not because it makes me more "intelligent."

Most Americans I've met will say "I'm going to go in line to buy my groceries"
British on the other hand will say "queue" instead of line.

I will be fair and admit that I haven't lived in every part of the US, so maybe some regions will use queue. But most people that I've met online and in real life have used "line"

 

[Brighteye]

Yes, the Americans I deal with regard it as highly amusing and intelligent to imitate my speech and mannerisms.
It's best to enquire whether they're drunk. That usually stops it, unless they really are drunk. Which they usually are.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

As if that wasn't enough, they will sometimes say "honour" instead of "honor" and "colour" instead of "color"

Those are pronounced the same.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

i often find myself using british spellings. never on purpose, but it just happens.

and i'll use the occasional "piss off" because it doesnt sound like bollocks with an american accent.

 

[Ofuh]

Those are pronounced the same.

Come on look beyond the lines, this post can apply to internet speech also

 

[sysyphus]

This whole argument seems kind of petty to me. The entire English language is public domain and people can use it as they bloody well wish (Am I as a Canadian allowed to use "bloody"? I mean, Canada is in both North America and the Commonwealth, if the language police could please make a ruling ASAP I'd appreciate it).

Terms cross dialects and have been for centuries.

 

[GinandTonic]

This whole argument seems kind of petty to me. The entire English language is public domain. Terms cross dialects and have been for centuries.

I'm with stoopid ^^

 

[Rambuchan]

I'm with stoopid ^^

Yeah, like, me too dude. His post was, like, totally awesome maaaan.

 

[sysyphus]

You make me blush.

 

[Godwynn]

I suppose it is one of my pet peeves.
Most of the people who are guilty of it seem to be pseudo intellectual know it alls. They will use terms such as bloody, queue, along with others (my brain is still in half-asleep mode.) Now although those words can be used in american speech, the way they are used is clearly an attempt at sounding British, or in their view: "smart"
As if that wasn't enough, they will sometimes say "honour" instead of "honor" and "colour" instead of "color"
The true idiots really come out though when they say "genious" or "interiour" I'm sure there's more, but those are the most common.

What do you people think? Anyone else infuriated when you see a fellow American's attempt at sounding smart rely on the use of immitating British speech?

I type like that because a lot of the stuff I read uses that spelling. It's not hard, and Americans are not trying to sound 'smart'. Please, get off your high horse (is that American enough for you?) and come back down to reality.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

I read a lot of British authors - most of my favorite authors were British - and I like using terms that are unusual for my region.

But since when were Brits inherently smarter than Americans anyways? That seems to me to be the underlying assumption of the OP.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

i suppose i could petition the house of commons for rights to use tiny bits of british culture in my everyday life over here in the americas.

 

[Erik Mesoy]

I use whatever language I have absorbed from reading. I defy you to label it either "British" or "American".

 

[Brighteye]

I don't mind spellings, or word choice. It's a little silly when someone distorts his natural speech in order to 'sound British'. But they'll get bored of it, so I don't mind. It's only normal to try to get your tongue round the strange sounds of a foreign country.

 

[GinandTonic]

One of the key reasons for the success of the english language is that there is no academy telling us what is "right". Dialect has a good term? Use it. Other language has a good word? Use it. Because of this lack of standardisation it has evolved faster than other languages where there is a given, specific, correct way of saying something.

The closest to an academy we have is the complete OED, and all they do is document how words are used, how words are spelt around the world.

 

[bathsheba666]

America is perceived as an aspirational culture, so why not?

 

[Kool Keith]

The OP makes no sense whatsoever.

I don't know anyone who uses British terms like "bloody" or "queue".

And if anyone ever does say "bloody" it is an attempt at humor.