Americanisms

I’ve noticed a lot of written quizzes now seem to start with”Riddle me this.” It makes no sense. I do remember ‘The Riddler’ in the original Batman series using it, but it now seems to be creeping in to UK use.

lol I don’t hear that often around here except in the context of Batman’s The Riddler. I guess that would be considered an Americanism if it originates from American media, even if it isn’t well-accepted as a social norm in real American culture?

profdanger said:

I guess that would be considered an Americanism if it originates from American media,

Regretfully, I regard any nonsensical phrase as probably American. Like the awful "just sayin'", which makes me shudder.

It’s amazing how much in common people here have, between Norman surnames and other French ancestry. My original surname was French too, but I don’t know if it was Norman or not. The Norman surnames are in a different line. French records are difficult to source because there isn’t a national index, DNA testing is restricted and there are strict privacy laws. I would love to find out more. I think an extended road trip around some of the villages would be the best way of finding out more, not something I could consider at the moment. 

leveller61 said:

My surname is of Anglicised Norman heritage too ArchaeC  and I am a Canadian dual national,

Whereas my original surname was French, from my French-Canadian great-something grandfather from the settlement period.  

leveller61 said:

My surname is of Anglicised Norman heritage too ArchaeC  and I am a Canadian dual national,

Whereas my original surname was French, from my French-Canadian great-something grandfather from the settlement period.  

It’s amazing how much in common people here have, between Norman surnames and other French ancestry. My original surname was French too, but I don’t know if it was Norman or not. The Norman surnames are in a different line. French records are difficult to source because there isn’t a national index, DNA testing is restricted and there are strict privacy laws. I would love to find out more. I think an extended road trip around some of the villages would be the best way of finding out more, not something I could consider at the moment.