When did we become America

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#1869714 20-Sep-2017 20:03

DarthKermit:

OMG, I just heard a reporter on TV1 news midday talk about the 'many gallons' of fuel needed for the airport.

Good thing airlines always know the difference.

They immediately searched their emergency checklist for the section on flying the aircraft with both engines out, only to find that no such section existed

Geektastic

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#1870323 21-Sep-2017 15:14

We clearly ARE part of America. My solicitor required me to make a declaration concerning my status as a US taxpayer recently regarding a real estate transaction.

I told them I regarded it as impertinent to the point of rudeness but they advised that if I did not declare otherwise, the US would assume that I was a US taxpayer and send me a bill.

Apparently "F*** Off!" was not an acceptable reply...

MikeB4

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#1870343 21-Sep-2017 15:33

Geektastic:

We clearly ARE part of America. My solicitor required me to make a declaration concerning my status as a US taxpayer recently regarding a real estate transaction.

I told them I regarded it as impertinent to the point of rudeness but they advised that if I did not declare otherwise, the US would assume that I was a US taxpayer and send me a bill.

Apparently "F*** Off!" was not an acceptable reply...

Really? when the heck did that start? oh and "F*** off" is very acceptable

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

Geektastic

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#1870353 21-Sep-2017 15:43

MikeB4:

Geektastic:

We clearly ARE part of America. My solicitor required me to make a declaration concerning my status as a US taxpayer recently regarding a real estate transaction.

I told them I regarded it as impertinent to the point of rudeness but they advised that if I did not declare otherwise, the US would assume that I was a US taxpayer and send me a bill.

Apparently "F*** Off!" was not an acceptable reply...

Really? when the heck did that start? oh and "F*** off" is very acceptable

We are in agreement. I have no idea when it started - nor why we agreed to cooperate with such an invasive policy.

Rikkitic

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#1870363 21-Sep-2017 16:00

Geektastic:

We are in agreement. I have no idea when it started - nor why we agreed to cooperate with such an invasive policy.

Thank National for that. Sucking up to the USA. Yay NZ as the 51st state.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

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#1870445 21-Sep-2017 18:30

MikeB4:

Geektastic:

We clearly ARE part of America. My solicitor required me to make a declaration concerning my status as a US taxpayer recently regarding a real estate transaction.

I told them I regarded it as impertinent to the point of rudeness but they advised that if I did not declare otherwise, the US would assume that I was a US taxpayer and send me a bill.

Apparently "F*** Off!" was not an acceptable reply...

Really? when the heck did that start? oh and "F*** off" is very acceptable

Yeah, really? Wow.

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DarthKermit

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#1870447 21-Sep-2017 18:34

The Yanks are doing that in places like Switzerland too. Sticking their noses in people's financial records and making foreign banks comply with US laws.

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#1870453 21-Sep-2017 19:04

Geektastic:

Apparently "F*** Off!" was not an acceptable reply...

Perhaps it's a slang that's not American enough?

Kiwifruta

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#1870504 21-Sep-2017 21:06

The ending of questions with the word at is another, I believe, americanism, that is really common here, even with well educated people. Admittedly it's not considered good English in the U.S.

http://www.patrickkphillips.com/grammar/ending-sentences-with-at-grammar/

My kids say fire truck instead of fire engine and pants instead of trousers.

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#1870506 21-Sep-2017 21:10

@tripper1000: One rule is that 'an' precedes only words starting with vowels, the other rule is that 'an' precedes words starting with a vowel sound.

No, there is only one rule. Use the article 'an' before a vowel sound, and 'a' before a consonant sound. So 'an hour', 'a unicorn'.

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#1870510 21-Sep-2017 21:15

@JayADee: ...but I admit I can't master the kiwi pronunciation of garage

Garridge?

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DarthKermit

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#1870515 21-Sep-2017 21:21

andrew027:

@tripper1000: One rule is that 'an' precedes only words starting with vowels, the other rule is that 'an' precedes words starting with a vowel sound.

No, there is only one rule. Use the article 'an' before a vowel sound, and 'a' before a consonant sound. So 'an hour', 'a unicorn'.

I've never understood "An hotel." then. Unless it's pronounced with a silent H??? "An oh tell."

JayADee

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#1870525 21-Sep-2017 21:49

andrew027:
@JayADee: ...but I admit I can't master the kiwi pronunciation of garage

Garridge?

Yes, so, gaw-raj. Maybe because it seldom comes up.

JayADee

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#1870528 21-Sep-2017 22:06

DarthKermit:
andrew027:

@tripper1000: One rule is that 'an' precedes only words starting with vowels, the other rule is that 'an' precedes words starting with a vowel sound.

No, there is only one rule. Use the article 'an' before a vowel sound, and 'a' before a consonant sound. So 'an hour', 'a unicorn'.

I've never understood "An hotel." then. Unless it's pronounced with a silent H??? "An oh tell."

I would use a hotel. A history. But in front of just saying the letter h I would use an.
An 'h'. An 's'. An 'L'. An 'm'. An 'n'. An 'a', a 'b', a 'c' , a 'u', etc. but I'm sure no expert!

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#1870560 21-Sep-2017 23:13

JayADee:
DarthKermit:

andrew027:

@tripper1000: One rule is that 'an' precedes only words starting with vowels, the other rule is that 'an' precedes words starting with a vowel sound.

No, there is only one rule. Use the article 'an' before a vowel sound, and 'a' before a consonant sound. So 'an hour', 'a unicorn'.

I've never understood "An hotel." then. Unless it's pronounced with a silent H??? "An oh tell."

I would use a hotel. A history. But in front of just saying the letter h I would use an.
An 'h'. An 's'. An 'L'. An 'm'. An 'n'. An 'a', a 'b', a 'c' , a 'u', etc. but I'm sure no expert!

The correct form would be 'an hotel' as in received pronunciation (BBC English) it the h in hotel is not stressed, unlike house etc.

Even after living here for over a decade, I still meet Kiwis I can't understand sometimes - I have to get them to repeat what they said! Even more strange is the fact that this current guttural version of the Kiwi accent seems fairly modern. I have listened to a number of recorded interviews from the 40 years or so after WW2 and the accent was a great deal more refined then than it is now. I do not know what changed it.

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