possibly this is just recency phenomenon in which case it's still just as annoying*

[cimorene]

Is it just me or is "was sat" erroneously occurring in non-British fanfic narration on the rise over time?

*that is to say, very annoying, but not as annoying as "whilst"

Comments

[twistedchick]

It sounds like one of those verb constructions that originated in Latin but modified over time. Or else, it has a specific use (similar to someone in a courtroom "taking the stand")

[cimorene]

The way it's used (by Brits exclusively I believe) is:

"He was sat comfortably on the sofa reading when he heard a sound", "I'm sat in bed when the phone rings", "She was stood waiting for hours", etc.

(So it's not just 'sat', but I'm not sure if it goes beyond 'sat' and 'stood'.)

But yeah, it does have an odd quaintness that suggests there could be a peculiar story behind it...

[stranger]

Have seen this (reading in the U.S.) only in specifically British contexts. Fandom being what it is, I wouldn't be astonished if the usage has spread beyond its source. Languages seem to slop about the internet a lot faster than by printed word, and things get re-used or repurposed.

[cimorene]

No, I mean, it's Brits exclusively who use it pretty much, but they don't realize this and they put it in their writing about North American characters.

[stranger]

Aha. I've read it only in Brit-authored, Brit-setting fanfic, and it seemed very much a British-only expression when I started seeing it in 2000 or so. Oh, so it's the British writers using in, say, American contexts like an Ohio graduating class "being sat in their chairs" or something. That's jarring, right.

Do you read it as a class marker? Somehow it doesn't seem to be in (British-authored) stories about Oxford-educated spies in St. James Park, but does show up in narratives about East Enders and the like. I'm not sure about this aspect, however.

[copracat]

Whilst. Don't talk to me about whilst.

[pensnest]

Er. What's wrong with 'whilst'?

[cimorene]

It's a feature of British English that isn't used in North America, just like 'was sat', only it annoys me more because its misuse is more widespread.

[mrkinch]

I thought it was just me going, what? and that it was one of many language shifts taking place while I wasn't noticing.

[cimorene]

I have noticed it more in recent fiction, but it seems doubtful that it could really be a new construction... my tentative hypothesis is that it is a feature of spoken language that doesn't belong to the standard written forms and is more common in written language with younger users, so its appearances are increasing as new young fans start writing (and continue writing more).

[krait]

I haven't noticed this one! But I've mostly been reading in older fandoms, so perhaps it's a newer thing.

My particular pet peeve lately is the "needs [verb]ed" for "needs to be [verb]ed" regionalism. Whatever region it's from, can they please come and take it back? It's clunky and makes me stumble over it every single time.

[cimorene]

Hm, yeah, I definitely have the sense that it's dialect but I also don't know what dialect it comes from. But I haven't noticed a change in frequency.

[anatsuno]

I noticed it in Brit-authored fics and yes it seems the usage is spreading to the point where I think I've also seen it in US-authored fics set in Britain or with British characters. I seem to remember British friends telling me (or writing rants?) that it was a mistake (or an obsolete formulation) even in Britain and railing that US fic-writers were mistakenly spreading it wider? but it was a while back already and I forgot. personally, it definitely annoys me more than whilst, which I find funny.