/start rant Why, oh why do people say "Can I get...." when ordering something at a bar or cafe?!! The simple answer is no, you can't "get", that's the job of the person serving you, doofus. How about something a bit more civilised like "I'd like to order" or words to that effect. /end rant
Its an imported Americanism. I've ordered many items in that fashion when living in the states. When I returned to the UK, I frankly found many people sounded rather unnecessarily stuffy and formal. Perhaps people like to use it because it sounds more relaxed. I don't really feel that it matters whether someone says 'can I get' or 'I would like to order' or 'may I have', so long as the request has the word 'please' appended to it.
I also heard it a lot when I lived in the U.S. I never said it but I was very careful to make sure I never "became" American. I used to say "can I have". I used to say "damn" a lot but that was because I mixed with Americans and everyone seemed to say it when something went wrong. I never understood why people over there used to say "can I ask a question" before asking the question
My pet hate is when someone responds with So at the start of an answer. Also people who walk around in circles using a mobile, I wonder if they walk around at home as much when using a cordless phone,also you see many people especially passengers in cars holding onto their mobiles do they sit at home holding the house phone? Mad as a tree some folk haha
