Saturday, May 20, 2006

SPEAK AMERICAN

English.
Not the people.
The language.
In America we speak...
American, of course.
The citizens of England speak English.
Our Long War President speaks...
well, he tries to speak...
the American language.
Senators and Representatives, please do not create a law that makes English the national or official language.
Americans speak the language of America.
English is the national language of England.
The truth is that anyone who comes to America WANTS TO LEARN English.
Yes, I was only pulling your chain about speaking "American"...
Or maybe not.
H.L. Mencken wrote a book called The American Language, and in one chapter he wrote the following:

IV. American and English Today
1. The Two Vocabularies

By way of preliminary to an examination of the American of today, here is a list of terms in everyday use that differ in American and English:
American English
can (noun) tin
checkers (game) draughts
cow-catcher plough
elevator lift
ferns bracken
hog-pen piggery
hood (automobile) bonnet
Methodist Wesleyan
molasses treacle
monkey-wrench spanner
oatmeal porridge
truck (vehicle) lorry
undershirt vest
vest waistcoat
warden (of a prison) governor

Everyone should learn English...I mean
American.
Even Yale graduates.

No comments: