OT: Where did our language go?

From Northern English and Scots, "can" meaning "know how to", related to various languages, including the German "kennen".

That's been my pet hate for years, and most people are guilty. Two notable exceptions on TV are Michael Portillo (though occasionally lapses) and Carlton Kirby on Eurosport cycling. Anyone else?

I read a suggestion once that "levverage" (pronounced the American way) referred specifically to the financial markets with "leverage" (pronounced properly) retaining its old meaning "give me a lever and I'll move the world". Sadly the American pronunciation is now everywhere.

Similar with "inquiry" that was spelt that way to distinguish an inquiry into MPs being at the trough to an enquiry as to what time the next train was. All seems to be inquiry now.

Most of Blairs generation didnt do decimals at skool

Totally agree with you on the appalling "levverage".

But this Scot has never used "skedule" and never will. I'm sorry to say many of my former colleagues did (I'm now retired). I think it applies equally to all parts of the UK.

The word I can't forgive the Americans for is "Compositionize". What's wrong with "Compose"?

They have a habit of doing that. 'Burglarize' for 'burgle'. I once heard Johnny Carson talk about 'conceptionize', when I think he meant 'conceive'. Even the common 'Transportation' when 'Transport' would do perfectly well.

Shiver. I'm well out of it.

And stressed the American way: INquiRY rather than inQUIRy. Like LABraT'RY - for ages I wondered why American scientists worked an a lavatory ;-)

And there's the spelling of licence/license: we distinguish between the noun and the verb; they do not.

Yorkshire folk use a lot of double-negatives: "she's not unattractive, is our Sarah" - meaning "Our Sarah is bloody gorgeous" ;-)

You're not an anaesthesiologist then?

Boom, boom :-)

known as emphatic double negative.

Or more succinctly as "litotes".

And defence/defense.

Same with burglarise rather than burgle. I looked this one up. In both countries the noun, a 'burglar' predates the act of burgl(ariz)ing

The USA naturally goes for the longer more impressive sounding word, whereas the English variation is succinct and unambiguous

Same as 'gotten' versus 'got'

'Going forward' instead of 'in future'

And that frightful miss-speak now considered acceptable English of Joolerry instead of jew ell ri.

And noo koo leer instead of new clear

Oh yes, I hate that. It sounds meaningless. I believe Jacob Rees-Mogg forbad its use in his Department.

I'd pronounce it new-clee-ah with a very short "ee" in the middle - giving it (just about) three syllables.