• Justin@lemmy.jlh.name
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    7 days ago

    Being smug over the meanings of words that aren’t ever actually used in a consistent way is even more American.

    Um actually, Strawberries are not a berry, it’s a Gameboy, not a Nintendo, and I lick toads. Can you go to the bathroom?

    The only thing similar that I have experienced in Europe is the protected food name law, e.g. Champagne and Parmesan, but that’s an EU cultural protectionism law that the US doesn’t actually follow.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographical_indications_and_traditional_specialities_in_the_European_Union

    • flora_explora@beehaw.org
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      7 days ago

      No worries, “being smug over the meanings of words that aren’t ever actually used in a consistent way” is done over here in Europe as well. People have the exact same conversations you list as examples. I would even go so far and say that this is true for the whole world and throughout time, a human condition. I would also think that it really isn’t about the words/language, but rather about having control over the conversation and power over others.

    • MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip
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      7 days ago

      I don’t see much difference between the Parmesan case and Apple sueing against a vaguely similiar looking logo.