I know you're all sitting there with bated breath on the whole aseptic drinks issue, but Dillons hasn't replied to my enquiry, so I'm moving on. This is the 21st century, Dillons, and things move quickly. The blogosphere waits for no man. Nor for aseptic drinks.
When I first moved to America, the phrase 'a bunch of' used to amuse me. They use it as we Brits use 'a lot of'. You'll hear "I've got a bunch of stuff to do", or "That's a whole bunch of shopping you're loading into your car" or "There were a bunch of people at the event". I'm de-sensitised to it now, but what used to amuse me was the visual image that last one produces. "A bunch of people" always made me see a cartoon picture of a giant hand holding a group of people as if a bouquet of flowers, ie their legs as the stems, and their heads splayed out like the blooms.
This makes me wonder. Does it sound very odd to Americans when English people talk about 'a lot of' things? If we mention 'a lot of people', do they visualise an auction house, with a group of disgruntled people sitting on the platform, waiting to see what they're worth as the auctioneer takes the bids?
Very interesting. I actually say 'bunch' like that now. But I also still say "loads of", which must have Americans thinking of picku up truck beds filled with gravel, or the like. Love your ponderings!
ReplyDeleteI know I've been living here in the UK 10 years now so "a lot of" doesn't sound odd to me, but the use of the word "dinner" meaning lunch really, really does. Also "tea time" - that could be dinner (supper) or time for a cup of tea. Very confusing to me still.
ReplyDeleteliked your bunch of people imagery. it reminded me of the popeye cartoon
ReplyDeleteAfter an American guest stayed with us she wrote saying "I miss you all bunches" which I thought sounded very odd. I cdn't get the mental picture right either.
ReplyDeleteYes, they definitely say bunch around here too. But I'm sure I've also heard 'lot'. Or maybe I'm thinking of parking lot (which I still insist on calling a carpark?)
ReplyDeleteHmm, we say both. But then we also say eh, or heh? It all works here in Canada!
ReplyDeleteI think "a lot of" makes sense and sounds like an alternative to "a bunch of" from an American perspective. The "loads of" one, though, sounds very odd to my ears. I've begun to really like it though and especially use it when I have loads of homework to finish! (The paper-writing sure feels like a load sometimes!)
ReplyDeleteHmm. I thought I had posted a comment?
ReplyDelete.. To say that it drives me mad when Americans say "a bunch of.." something that doesn't even go into a bunch, like water or sand.
It must be a regional thing. I usually say "a lot of" or "lots of" and I occassionally say "a bunch of." Sometimes I say "a tons of" as in "I have a tons of laundry to wash."
ReplyDelete