Is using "weight" as a verb an Americanism?

Or just a constantly repeated mistake on this site? I am from Canada, and I have noticed that the greater percentage of Americans on this site use the noun weight as a verb. As in:

"I weight myself yesterday."

Instead of: "I weighed myself yesterday."

Another common misuse is, "I may not be able to weight myself until..."

I know this seems trivial, but it's seriously bugging me. Does anyone else notice this? Is this something you are all taught in school? I know there are other variances in the English language between the US and Canada. For example, you spell neighbor as such, and we spell it neighbour.

Just curious, and obviously bored.

No, it's not an Americanism.  It's a typo in some cases, a misunderstanding of grammatical rules in others.

:-)

It should be "I weighed myself yesterday" not "weight". Many people just mispronounce (therefore incorrectly spell) their words. Or it's a typo. Hope that makes more sense to you!

I was starting to think that either I'm just not on Calorie Count enough anymore or it's been dangerously too long since someone last complained about the typing on this website.

Nope, it's incorrect in America, too, it's just people that can't spell!

I think I have seen that only once. It is just a stupid mistake. :/ I don't know if correct usage is just not being taught or what.

Thanks everyone!I've always been interested in the grammatical differences between our countries, considering we're so close to each other.

Sadly, I feel like I've seen threads about grammar (especially this word) quite a lot - apparently it just doesn't sink in!

I had an American, a Canadian and an Australian assure me they weren't bias the other day. I wondered exactly how one becomes a bias.

My grammar nazi status has taken a serious hit lately. I don't know why, but most of the time I simply don't care anymore.

Lol. I've noticed this. The other big one on this site that annoys the hell out of me is:

"Losing" and

"Loosing"

No one on this site is "unting or unbinding" weight. 

 

Is fascism a theme today? Nazis have been mentioned more than once today. I must have missed the memo, haha.

jamminatorr - !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy crap you're hitting the nail on the head (might I point out the irony that stems from your typo in your criticism - hehe). I see the Lose vs. Loose all the time and it really bothers me. For a while I wondered if it was just a typo but many people do it repeatedly so I take it for a misunderstanding.

p0nda - to become a bias requires a very complex set of surgical procedures. The first, and definitely not the least, of which is turning your physical self into an intangible being. I believe the process involves precise use of what surgeons are calling a "gun".

Are there people out there who would actually appreciate having their typos and poor grammar pointed out? I am just wondering idly, but if no one corrects you (and you're not using a dictionary to double check) then how do you learn?

Original Post by decarswell:

Are there people out there who would actually appreciate having their typos and poor grammar pointed out? I am just wondering idly, but if no one corrects you (and you're not using a dictionary to double check) then how do you learn?

Unfortunately, I can tell you from experience that people do not appreciate it  :/

I've tried for YEARS to get my family and friends to use the proper words and/or the uses of them, but to no avail!  The first time or two that I pointed them out they went, "really?  thats the word/how it's used?", after that they just got angry........

I've stopped trying and do my best to look beyond it, because the wrath that comes down on me for pointing out their "faux pas" is not worth it, even if it does bug crap out of me!

But the best, dybo, is when you have a partner with whom you can laugh about such "faux pas" ... my husband and I have a running joke about the term "might as well" due to an IM I received at work, in which the person in question wrote "yea, we minas-well do it" ...

Now, if one of us says might as well, the other one says, "Yep ... mine ass."

Double post!  Grr.

It's just a typo. A lot of times when I'm typing fast I just add the "t" on because I'm used to typing weight. I do the same with though and thought sometimes.

If you get the point of the post, I don't see why it's a problem. These are posts in a weight loss forum, not a college essay...

Now when people use texting lingo on posts (or in texts for that matter) it drives me insane.

I really love "walla!" as in... So you stir hot water into the mix and walla! instant mashed potatoes.

I have seen that several times. 

Obviously you didn't read my question jbl. I was wondering if it is something  all Americans do, as per their education. Along with other differences, I am curious about these things. I'm sorry if it has offended you... The simple, "No it's just a bunch of people making the same stupid mistake over and over" pretty much answered the question. Any angry spawn posts that arise as a result are just an added bonus.

I'm not even slightly offended.

I think its a valid question.  I still can't get over the way Australians use some of their words even after 3+ years of living here! 

First, there are the spelling differences, which, for the most part I have gotten used to.  I even decided I kind of like the extra u in words like colour (american: color), harbour (am: harbor), etc.  It makes them prettier to look at.

But a few of the things I STILL can't get used to and that just sound oh so wrong to me are...

Spelt (am: spelled) = every time I hear someone say it I think, isn't that a wheat product??

Learnt (am: learned) - It just sounds so wrong to me, I understand both these words come from british origins and it was the Americans who changed them, but I don't think I will ever be able to use them without feeling like I am not speaking properly

Going to hospital (am: going to THE hospital) - For some reason this one drives me CRAZY, I don't know why the simple omission of the word "the" would do that, but it does

oh and a word I just learnt how it was spelt (hehe, sorry I couldnt resist) here in Oz the other day...

the word is gaol.  Now, I am an educated person, and for the most part, the nuances of Australian english have been quite easy for me to pick up (replacing Z with S in most words, omitting "the", ae inseatd of just e in words like encyclopedia, ou in words like colour, etc), but this one stopped me in my tracks.  Had it not been in a news article and the context not unmistakable, I am not sure I would have worked it out without using an online dictionary.

Its the australian spelling for Jail! I guess... but nope, I will never cross over to the dark side for that one!

So, m_c_85, I can totally see why you might think weight might just be a strange Americanism!

Manta:  Those aren't just Austrailan spellings.  They are actually traditional english spellings that can be found in Canada and the British Isles as well.  Writing the words as spelled or learned are the americanisms.  Same thing with color.  colour is the origional spelling of the word. 

Its one of the beautiful things of being dyslexic.  You end up in a lot of discussions about proper spelling and the history of the english language.  LOL  I have to be careful when talking online with friends I have in Canada and England or else I end up spelling words the way they do.  That gets me all confused and my dyslexic kicks in heavy and I can't tell what Im spelling anymore.