Jenny I will of course bow to you far superior knowledge on the history of our language but you have waded in far too deep into the subject and have totally missed my point which, let me make perfectly clear is:-

The English that Americans speak is NOT THE SAME as the English we speak due to evolution and cultural differences even though they share the same historical birth. They spell things differently, they have totally different words and pronounce words in different ways to us.

That is the point.

I am not saying at all that one version of English is better or purer than another spoken or written. One great thing about English is that it is quite happy to make up words, corrupt words and pilfer them from other languages to suit. In that respect English is the ultimate flexible but bastard language that I know and love.

American English, is subtly different, but different. If you cant accept that point Jenny perhaps we can agree to disagree

Well the Amercans are driving us back the Middle Ages with their political and fundamentalist Christian actions so why shouldn't they take the language back there as well?
So lets get back to discussing the weather like the English excel at and leave the Americans to destroy the planet on their own.

On that note Geoff, the weather here is cold but dry with no weathermen, Americans or snow in sight.

I agree it's different. I just don't agree it's a different language. It's different in the way that Glaswegian, Scouse and Cockney are different from Standard English. And I'm afraid I should return the 'waded in too deep' aside to you.

bloody hell, its cold out there tonight,just had a look on netweather and it seems weve got a big artic blast due on tuesday.net weather puts the beeb to shame when it comes to forecasting,very useful to us GARDENERS.

I must admit Peter your irony was absolutly spot on, it certainly made me smile

One of the joys of English is its variations, dialects and accents. I work with African, Autralian, Sri Lankan, Yorkshire and Liverpudlian's, the variety is wonderful.

Standard English, as derided by Harry Enfield's Mr Cholmondley-Warner character, was a boon to all as it was accentless and could be understood by all.

I take great issue with this debate about evolution of American and English for one simple reason. American spellings were amended and SIMPLIFIED by the compiler of an American-English dictionary some time in the 19th centuary. Phonetic spellings were adopted, plow instead of plough etc etc.

Our native English as many above have noted is an evolving and adaptive language; khaki, bungalow, pukka all from the days of Empire and India.

However as a parent of two young children I can sadly confirm that the major two influences on our language today are American TV, sKedule instead of schedule etc and the depressing limited Brithish Yoof TV with its American style inner-city-black-ghetto-rap nonsense.

As for the use of "like" as a word seperator, just don't like get me, like started on this, like phenomenon, cos' it like upsets me like, to like hear , like people on the like train like having converstations with their mates like, you know what I mean like.

Love Victor Meldrew.

One I hate is less people' when they mean 'fewer people', we aren't a bulk commodity.
Also 'different than' instead of 'different from',
Allan

Peter, I so know what you mean. Another one I like, HATE!

Absolutely!!

valmarg