Re: Don't Use "the States" (was: "me (n)either" revisited)


HVS wrote:
On 04 May 2006, Salvatore Volatile wrote

Donna Richoux wrote:
Salvatore Volatile <me@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Donna Richoux wrote:
in the States

Oy!

I say it sometimes. I always have and I always will. Do we
need to have a discussion about the proper time to use "the
States"?

(Hint: my location, and the location of the person I spoke
to.)

I believe strongly that usage of "the States" to refer to the
United States should be discouraged, for the following
reasons:

(1) Normal American speakers situated within the United
States, speaking to Americans, not engaged in any sort of
pretentious or in-group identification in their speech, do not
use it. They speak of "America" or "the US" or "the USA" or
"the United States", depending on their purposes and audience.

(2) Usage of "the States" by Americans, in those special
situations in which it occurs at all, seems to be motivated by
(a) the misconception that this is how Europeans (or
Canadians, etc.) naturally prefer to refer to the US; or (b)
the desire to use the special language associated with groups
such as the US military or privileged diplomatic or other
expatriate (= GeneralizedTCE "ex-patriot") communities.

(3) Usage of "the States" by Europeans (or Canadians, etc.)
seems to be motivated by the misconception that this is how
Americans naturally refer to the US when among themselves.

I've no idea about points (1) or (2), but (3) is wrong, wrong,
wrongity wrong.

Canadians -- at least when I was still one of them -- couldn't
give two hoots about how Americans refer to their country.

Hasn't changed :)


"The States" was that country to the south -- whatever they call
it down there, of which I had (and have) no idea whatsoever.

And still is probably the most usual term used. America does not
really work that well, in fact I cannot remember hearing it in a normal
converatation among Canadians [1] and saying USA or the United States
in a casual conversation sounds rather pretentious.

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

1. One occasinally sees it in newspapers though I find the usage
strange.

I'll call your country what I damn well please; that doesn't
fall within your control.

--
Cheers, Harvey

Canadian and British English, indiscriminately mixed
For e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van

.

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