WTF, why are people saying this when asking for stuff in shops?

What happened to ‘can I have?’

It really winds me up along with ‘My bad’

It’s just not kids and yoofs, it’s grown adults too.

I had to get that off my chest 😀

I couldn’t agree more. Meaningless drivel.

A you for real?

Surely it’s “could I have”?

I’m ashamed to say I say it, but in my defence, I always prefix it with ‘Please’

Peasants…’May I have…?’ Tsssk 🙂

May I have, please.

Ie, may I have discount please?

What boblo said ^.

“Excuse me. May I have [an] ……. please?”

Its an Americanism isn’t it. I say could I have please.
I was in a pub a few years ago, when I said, ” could I have 3 pints of x”, then turned to a mate to see what he wanted before I finished the order and then would have said please when the barmen interrupted and said,” say please”. I told him to, “get ****” and went to the pub over the road.

‘Can you get me …., please’, that I can understand, otherwise I always say ‘I’d like such and such, please’ when asked ‘what can I get you?’, or else, ‘can I have ….., please’.

Can I get ? no sir it`s not self service

uh-huh.

I prefer “please may i have…”

but each to their own.

while we’re on it, can i have a rant-ette about politicians prefixing and answer to a question with “Look…” to try and dismiss the argument as meaningless.

Well weapon.

Or starting a sentence with ‘so….’ as if the writer is some form of bloody heavyweight thinker that has given the subject at hand lots of consideration… Mini grrrr from me 🙁

anagallis_arvensis – Member

Its an Americanism isn’t it. I say could I have please.
I was in a pub a few years ago, when I said, ” could I have 3 pints of x”, then turned to a mate to see what he wanted before I finished the order and then would have said please when the barmen interrupted and said,” say please”. I told him to, “get ****” and went to the pub over the road.
Charming! You turn away from the guy whilst he’s serving you, don’t use any manners and you wonder why he asks you to say please?

I nearly caused WW3 a few months ago when I mercilessly took the piss out of my oh so trendy sister in law after we were in a restaurant with our other halves and she asked “could I get a vodka tonic”

It’s could I have a vodka and tonic please

Everybody knows what it means.

Language changes over time.

Get over it and stop being so miserably conservative and petty.

I agree with Woppit..

However, Mrs yunki uses a few americanisms including ‘can I get’ and each time, I am consumed with an overwhelming desire to open a vein and let all of my life blood flow out in a sticky viscous pool around my feet..

Hate it. It’s like everyone thinks they’re in an episode of Friends or that they somehow sound really cool doing it. “Please may I have…” or “Please could I have…” , surely?

I shut up about stuff like this now as when I criticise americanisms or american spelling someone inevitably points out that it’s actually an example of “proper” 17th or 18th Century English that has been preserved on the other side of the pond.

I have no idea if it is the case in this instance though.

It’s really simple. If they want to talk like a 90210 reject, they can **** off over there and do it first hand 🙂

Charming! You turn away from the guy whilst he’s serving you, don’t use any manners and you wonder why he asks you to say please?

indeed and no doubt he didn’t want my money so we were both happy

As long as they say please and thank you who cares?

Can I get a some chillax tablets for the OP. He is totes un-amazeballs.

Can I get a reeewind?

Can I get…

Whoop Whoop!
..oh

oh dear..

CAN denotes ability, not desire,
COULD denotes the conditional, and strictly requires a test ie, IF this happens could I have?
MAY I have, is asking for consent

I WOULD like is also a conditional, but is the condition of your will, i.e. if something is on offer, then I would like this…

if it is an instruction then
Give me a…..

if it is a statement of desire
I want….

oh and if something is imperative
I SHALL have….

flippin’ laziness, allowance of popular media to misuse the language.

language is living I agree, but change through lack of knowledge is upsetting

my rambling grumbles are now complete…

Oh, OH OH
How are you?
I’m doing good
NO, SUPERMAN DOES GOOD. YOU ARE WELL.

Some people don’t know these things. I use them as markers by which to quietly judge other people, ensuring I do not hire them as employees, marry them or give them the benefit of the doubt on anything that requires attention to detail.
On some days

Other days I really couldn’t give a monkeys. It’s almost like I pick and choose my ‘how much I enjoy things and those around me’ based on nothing uniform, influenced mostly by my mood and who was in my bed when I woke up.

It’s like totally like whatever..

@scuzz Hire them? Hire them? Unless you are in Calibloodyfornia, we employ people here! That’s all 🙂

Geez wan o they…………..

Be grateful – in the US, it’s common to hear “I’ll take…”

What is language for? If someone walks into a pub and says “Can I get a pint of lager please?” will the barman understand and be able to comply with the request? Where’s the problem?

Is this any different from people moaning that they can’t use the word “gay” in its “proper” sense (meaning happy) anymore because it now means something else?

@scuzz Hire them? Hire them? Unless you are in Calibloodyfornia, we employ people here! That’s all

😀
Come to the west coast, it’s, erm,
no 🙁

What is language for? If someone walks into a pub and says “Can I get a pint of lager please?” will the barman understand and be able to comply with the request? Where’s the problem?

They’d get the same message if you just pointed at the pump! 🙂

Take it to its logical conclusion… All individual languages are replaced by a mish mash of Americanised rubbish. Wherever you go, there’s no differentiation, it’s all the same. Do we really want that?

They’d get the same message if you just pointed at the pump!

Really? You think “Can I get..please?” is as rude as just pointing at the thing? I have to say, I disagree.

Take it to its logical conclusion… All individual languages are replaced by a mish mash of Americanised rubbish. Wherever you go, there’s no differentiation, it’s all the same. Do we really want that?

Would be quite handy for international travellers.

Really? You think “Can I get..please?” is as rude as just pointing at the thing? I have to say, I disagree.

Aha! So, choice / use of language can convey politeness. The importance of politeness depends on many factors, for example the situation – you don’t look down your nose at someone who fails to apologise after they run into you to get out of the way of an explosion.
Surely, as well as politeness, language can convey other things? And, like politeness, these other things may or may not be important, depending on the situation?
Some people think proper grammar and use of language is important. Personally, I’m having far too much fun flirting with the waitress to worry about this sort of thing.
😀

I am so over this.

If someone corrected me in a shop, they’d pretty much be wearing was I was getting

Emsz is back! Hi Emsz – where ya bin?