Hating Americans and their Americanisms

I still think there is a bit of, not necessarily resentment, but a bit of annoyance at the upstart US, which comes across to most other countries as "unrefined." I think the major difference between Americans and Brits is that the US doesn't have centuries of history behind it. It's still very much a "young" nation in the overall scheme of things and shows its age quite often. (See also: the other comment I made.)

Classic example from my FB newsfeed: http://i.imgur.com/MWOjQ.png

Britain has been under relentless cultural assault from the US for decades. It is no secret, and no surprise, that it was Friends that introduced "can I get a" to the UK. This trend has accelerated with the Internet, where all English speakers tend to move towards the ubiquitous American English.

Even something like programming acts as a vehicle for this. Try colouring something grey, for example.

Language is a very tangible, day-to-day way of asserting cultural independence. See how France used to sing Eurovision in French every year. Sadly, even they now sing songs in English.

This taps into a deep-seated concern in some of the British population that it will become a cultural 51st state. Certainly we identify more with the US than any of continental Europe. This is not necessarily unwarranted, but I think it unlikely. Even something as uniquely American as hip-hop was taken, adopted by young disadvantaged Londoners and transformed into grime instead. Britain's identity is formed by more than the media it consumes and it creates, but by the people who inhabit it.

FWIW, I really do hate "could care less" as it's literally the opposite of what meaning is trying to be conveyed. I've personally picked up "bathroom" over "toilet". I think it's a great euphemism, which is, in itself, a traditionally British thing to do.