Discuss @Thande 's latest article here
My wife remembers the time in Georgia she came in to find me bright red after speaking to her housemate, who had told me when it gets hot they just go around in pants.
Leftpond "Quite good" is better than good.
Rightpond "Quite good" isn't as good as good
Leftpond "Quite good" is better than good.
Rightpond "Quite good" isn't as good as good.
That is the usual British assumption and I was caveat'ing by saying 'car' is also used over there, though I probably didn't go far enough in the language I used. It does feel there's a generational trend away from 'automobile' or even 'auto' in the US, which is one of those things that don't make naive sense to someone who'd assume that US usages will always beat other ones in our current geopolitical climate.Nice work. Not to nitpick, though, @Thande but where did you get the idea that Americans typically say "automobile" instead of "car"? It's used in abbreviated form in phrases like "auto parts" and "auto repair" but I'd never refer to "my automobile" in casual conversation.
That is the usual British assumption and I was caveat'ing by saying 'car' is also used over there, though I probably didn't go far enough in the language I used. It does feel there's a generational trend away from 'automobile' or even 'auto' in the US, which is one of those things that don't make naive sense to someone who'd assume that US usages will always beat other ones in our current geopolitical climate.
Interesting - I wonder if the portrayal of Americans in British media keeps that alive as a stereotype. "Automobile" is a fun word if said in a Southern accent.
I think you've just put your finger on why the idea Americans say automobile has survived in a British context - Radio 2's drivetime programme has started with the opening lines of that song for longer than I can remember.The word “Automobile” does get used in a lot of American songs, from Chuck Berry’s No Particular Place To Go
I think what keeps "automobile" alive is its use in American legal English, where it's used so as to distinguish the car someone drives from the one pulled or pushed by a locomotive. Perhaps people get the misperception from American police dramas?That is the usual British assumption and I was caveat'ing by saying 'car' is also used over there, though I probably didn't go far enough in the language I used. It does feel there's a generational trend away from 'automobile' or even 'auto' in the US, which is one of those things that don't make naive sense to someone who'd assume that US usages will always beat other ones in our current geopolitical climate.