Wholesale adoption of American culture

‘IF EVERYTHING I do me monkey does do.” Can me monkey tell me that he is equal to me? Me monkey would have to be drunk! Totally drunk!

Many people would have heard me using several, perhaps many, American verbal expressions for quite a while. There are two basic reasons for this. The first is that from early childhood I have been exposed to Yankee and Dixie (Southern United States) cultural elements.

And especially from the age of ten on, they have formed part of my cultural background. The second reason is that there are few things in life that I dislike more than having to conceal knowledge that I actually possess.

But the wholesale exchanging of the culture that we in the West Indies have been familiar with for the longest while for American verbal expression (and plenty else as well) is something that is really quite recent.

I am given to understand that a similar phenomenon is taking place in Britain.

– MICHAEL MOSELEY