Re: [OT] British vs. American English (was Re: Wow, Evolution left me with eggs in my face)

[Stephen Powell <zlinuxman@wowway.com>]

On Sun, 02 Oct 2011 10:58:01 -0400 (EDT), consul tores wrote:
> 
> United States of America. Does "of" tell you something?
> 
> i am from El Salvador of America, but we do not take "America" only
> for us; maybe it is related to common sense! or maybe low knowledge of
> Geography. it is the same with North America without Mexico.

You're right.  United States of America is the full name of
the country.  But we tend to be lazy and shorten it.  USA
is shorter still.  But it does not lend itself to alternate
forms.  For example, would I tell someone that I am an USAian?
It doesn't work.  American flows off the tongue much better.
But taking America in the larger sense, meaning North America,
Central America, and South America combined, you are, in that
sense, an American also.

You can say you are an El Salvadorian.  But what can I say that
I am?  A United States of American?  It just doesn't flow at all.
It's quite awkward.  So what do I call myself then?  Calling
ourselves Americans is not technically correct, using the larger
sense of the word American, but it's apparently the best we
can come up with.

-- 
  .''`.     Stephen Powell    
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