The U.S. of A?
Posted by _Daftest_@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 194 comments
When I was a boy (in the UK, 1970s) America was usually abbreviated as "the USA". Now I find that that is quite rare, and I almost always see the abbreviation "the US".
I entirely understand that both were considered valid then and are considered valid now. I'm not saying one has come out of nowhere or that the other has disappeared. I've just observed a change in frequency.
Is that a change you're aware of over there? Is there any particular reason behind it, or is it just the constant organic shifting of language doing its thing?
Slight_Manufacturer6@reddit
Everything in the English language has been shortened. People find acronyms and abbreviations any chance they get…
The USA to US is no different.
friendlylobotomist@reddit
I'm young but I definitely say US more. USA comes out more when I'm being patriotic.
Kgb_Officer@reddit
I like how USA looks when written out (US looks too short, and looks like the word "us"), but in speech I definitely say the US more as it comes out easier.
myname_1s_mud@reddit
I like the us more specifically because us was always printed on union soldiers gear in the civil war and I dig that look
myname_1s_mud@reddit
Back when the us had its military doctrine good things occasionally, we intervened in the Bosnian war to stop a genocide. I cant find a clip, but there was a video of civilians gathered at a sort of refugee camp chanting USA when they realized we had come to stoo the killing. It was enough to make you proud of your country. Your military and government stepping up to do what it always says its about, and to help people in a moment where most other countries dont have the will or resources to do. I miss being able to have that pride.
daveoxford@reddit
The US didn't intervene in Bosnia; NATO did.
r/USdefaultism
AtlasThe1st@reddit
Found the brit
nippleflick1@reddit
Technically correct, but just technica,l as we toke the lead!
big_sugi@reddit
It’s US Defaultism because the default is that NATO does nothing unless the US spearheads the effort, coordinates logistics, and handles most of the actual fighting.
myname_1s_mud@reddit
OK my bad, america just sent the most, and spearheaded the effort politically and strategically. I very much appreciate America's allies, ive fought with them, but the civilians are pretty full of themselves. Kinda weird that the Bosnians weren't chanting your countries name. Its us defaultism because this was a us effort supported by its allies.
AcidaliaPlanitia@reddit
Interesting, I feel like I only say 'USA' when I'm being sarcastic.
rtoobydoo@reddit
The line between patriotism and sarcasm is a very fine line
Vespasian79@reddit
That’s the real thin blue line lol
TheGrauWolf@reddit
No no no. Thin blue line is the po-oleece. The patriotic line is painted red, white, and blue. Go 'Murica
mittenciel@reddit
I just say USA when I’m chanting it, like it’s a sporting event or something. It has a nice ring to it.
For sarcasm, I prefer ‘Murica.
shelwood46@reddit
Yes, I have had many "USA" sweatshirts that came out during Olympic years.
Soundtracklover72@reddit
Concur!
vanillablue_@reddit
agreed with you
VulKendov@reddit
I imagine no says the U.K. of GB and NI
GarciaWolf@reddit
I mean we chant U S A not U S that would be weird
No_Entertainment_748@reddit
If you add 2 claps after it dosent
No_Entertainment_748@reddit
Ive heard both used, but most Americans(like myself) will use US. As you may have saw in the olympics we chant USA
gleaming-the-cubicle@reddit
I probably use US most of the time because it's shorter and the A is implied
I don't think anybody has ever used The U.S. of A in a sincere manner, that's only used for hyperbole. Bonus points if you add The Good Ol' in front of it
Silent-Attention6685@reddit
Archie Bunker did
washtucna@reddit
I've definitely noticed the shift, but to my knowledge, ther was no real reason or inciting incident, just a gradual style change.
nippleflick1@reddit
We know we are in the continent of North America, and our country is the United States.
WS-Gilbert@reddit
I notice non-native English speakers saying USA a lottt more. Most Americans would just say the US, if not America
DifferentWindow1436@reddit
There are 2-letter and 3-letter country abbreviations. ISO started the 3-letter version in the mid-70s.
The UN uses both I think.
Anyway, we've sort of always used both in the US as a Gen Xer.
Penny-Bright@reddit
In older documents it was U. S. A. with a space in-between. Then the space disappeared - U.S.A. Next, the periods were dropped - USA. Now, US is the most common. Pretty soon, it might be just U!
manicpixidreamgirl04@reddit
IDK, but how come no one refers to the UK as the UKGBNI?
_Daftest_@reddit (OP)
Because it's TUKOGBANI
BrokerBrody@reddit
Wow, that acronym actually sounds like a place name and has less syllables than “The United Kingdom”.
Kenneth441@reddit
"Tukogbani" is a kick ass sci fi alien name
the__post__merc@reddit
TURDUCKEN?
bloodectomy@reddit
No, that's a chicken stuffed in a duck stuffed in a turkey. You're thinking of HADOUKEN
PumaGranite@reddit
No, that’s a special move from Street Fighter. You’re thinking of SUDOKU.
Scavgraphics@reddit
No, that's a surprisingly challenging math puzzle game. You're thinking of MYAXE.
the__post__merc@reddit
ANDMYAXE
WKU-Alum@reddit
Ok buckeye
Sooner70@reddit
In my experience it's very contextual.
If you're discussing this country and your assumed audience is also people from this country, you say, "US".
If you're discussing this country and your assumed audience is international in nature, you say, "USA".
LongOrganization7838@reddit
Its just language shift, you'll also hear people refer to it just as "The States", and you'll occasionally hear the older more patriotic people still call it U.S. of A on occasion
friendlylobotomist@reddit
I don't think I've ever heard an American refer to the US as the states in my everyday life
zoeyzimp@reddit
Super common way to refer to the states when speaking to other Americans about home. “I’ll be back in the states next week”, “I’m buying a new car once I’m back in the states” etc. Not so common stateside because you’re more likely to just refer it to the US or America. I’ve even heard Trump use ‘the States’ a few times which was kind of wild to even hear an 80 year old man call it that now 🤣
ruralife@reddit
Common in Canada
anneofgraygardens@reddit
yeah, if I see someone refer to "the states" online, my immediate assumption is that they are Canadian.
renegadecoaster@reddit
I call it "the states" specifically when talking to a British person but that's about it
Thadlust@reddit
Yeah I think that has to do with the way their media refers to the US. American media rarely calls it the States in a domestic context (and it’d be strange to) but foreign media does.
It’s a similar situation with Washington DC. American media calls it DC while foreign media calls it Washington so that’s what foreigners tend to call it.
arnoldrew@reddit
When I lived in Alaska people used to refer to the lower 48 as “the States.”
beads-and-things@reddit
I say the states when asked.
geeweeze@reddit
I mostly hear it called “the States” from my international, particularly British, friends
CB_Chuckles@reddit
I did quite regular until well into my 40s. For some unknown reason, it transitioned to America. In fact, I’m more likely to use America than US these days.
Turtle_216@reddit
"The States" is a British thing.
LongOrganization7838@reddit
I've heard it more as an american from the older gen than I did when i was in Britain lmao
tcspears@reddit
I regularly hear it called US, USA, America, United States, The States, and maybe a few others. They all mean the same thing and are used interchangeably.
I was just in Egypt and when people asked where I was from, I said US… and people would look confused. I said America, and everyone lit up and knew what I meant. Some of it will depend on context.
jss58@reddit
No, I've seen both used essentially interchangeably my entire almost-70-year life.
shelwood46@reddit
Same, though usually USA has no article, just USA *or* The US.
ThisDerpForSale@reddit
I’d say “US” is more common, but generally yeah, both are used frequently and interchangeably.
Remote-Wafer3321@reddit
32 and same
2PlasticLobsters@reddit
Yep, same here.
Junior-Reflection-43@reddit
Not sure if it’s because at some point, countries started using 2-character abbreviations? US,UK,MX,CA,FR,DE etc.
OkConsideration123@reddit
Canada always throws me off as a Californian. Both are abbreviated to CA.
UnicornPencils@reddit
And both have an Ontario, CA lol.
WhatABeautifulMess@reddit
I’d imagine this is heavily influenced by Internet domains being these.
Inspi@reddit
Am 43, always heard them used interchangeably, used them both too.
Background-Cod-7035@reddit
You’re asking this in an era where we say, out loud, brb instead of be right back? And type lol? And want to avoid typing more periods! Or that’s my guess. I agree with others that U.S.A. has gained some “patriotism”/isolationism that some of us would prefer to avoid at times.
BobbyLicari@reddit
I like to say “United States”, it sounds classier to me 🙃
WhatveIdone2dsrvthis@reddit
Mexico is the United States of Mexico. It's just abbreviation as the world has become less formal in everything.
RentJust1712@reddit
This has nothing to do with answering OP's question.
masingen@reddit
Your post made me realize something interesting. I probably say and hear "PRC" just as often, if not more often, than "China" in daily conversation. I feel like this shift has happened fairly recently, within the past 5 years or so.
Federal-Membership-1@reddit
Right wingers like the PR part because it emphasized the fact that China is a communist dictatorship. In the same fashion, right wingers often add "People's Republic of (insert blue state with progressive policies)" when referring to blue states, usually coastal ones with big cities and diverse population.
Acceptable_Tea3608@reddit
I haven't heard PRC in a long time. Im NOT a federal employee.
pinniped90@reddit
I don't think I've ever said PRC (or RoC for Taiwan). It's just China and Taiwan.
I refuse to actually say "Chinese Taipei" and I'm embarrassed that lots of organizations to this to avoid making Xi mad.
BrokerBrody@reddit
I see PRC written out all the time but rarely said out loud.
boneh3ad@reddit
At least in some circles, that's to avoid conflating the population/people with the government.
masingen@reddit
We use "CCP" when referring to the government. "PRC" is just a generic reference to China.
boneh3ad@reddit
Not really. Taiwan would take serious issue with that, as they, the Republic of China, also claim to be temhe rightful representative of "China." PRC refers to the specific nation-state (like ROC). China is the civilization more broadly. CCP is the ruling (and only) party of PRC.
masingen@reddit
What do you mean "not really"? Like, yes, really, we do use "CCP" to refer to the government and "PRC" to refer to the country. To clarify, when I say "we" I mean myself and my coworkers.
I apologize for not being clear initially. I'm responding to multiple posts simultaneously and am forgetting that my responses aren't really linked to each other. In another response I posted a few minutes ago, I mentioned I was a federal employee. That is the context of "we". So we say CCP when talking about the government and PRC when talking about the country. Perhaps it's not really accurate in the eyes of Taiwan, but it is really the lexicon that has emerged at work over the past few years.
boneh3ad@reddit
But that's not what you said. You said PRC to refer to "China." That's why I said "not really." The government in Taipei also claims the moniker of "China" as their own. So PRC would more accurately refer specifically to the mainland nation and ROC to Taiwan. "China" would technically refer to it all.
masingen@reddit
Again, I'm conveying the colloquial usage I've observed at work. Allow me to rephrase my first post by merging in the clarifying details I added in my second post.
We, as in my coworkers and I, use "CCP" when referring to the government when we are engaged in informal conversation. For us, at work, "PRC" is just a generic reference to China when we say it in informal conversation.
That is the message I was attempting to convey with my post. When I said " "PRC" is just a generic reference to China.", I didn't mean officially or for everyone. I was just talking about watercooler conversation at work.
Connortbh@reddit
Where do you live, Taiwan? 😆
masingen@reddit
No, right here in the US of A lol. But I'm a federal employee. I think it's kind of like a "corporate speak" thing, but federal.
clutchthepearls@reddit
Kinda buried the lede on that one. Lol
masingen@reddit
Apologies. I was scrolling reddit while doing laundry and just commented fairly absentmindedly. But yes, I should have included more context in my initial post.
clutchthepearls@reddit
Unnecessary, it's harmless and made me laugh.
Went from "that's wild, I only ever say and hear China" to "yeah, that'll do it".
StatementEcstatic751@reddit
I've noticed PRC being used as well, not nearly as much as simply China but often enough that I don't have to think about what country people are referring to.
Acceptable_Tea3608@reddit
I don't think people ever use UMS for Mexico. But they did use PRC for a time.
MondaleforPresident@reddit
I'm being pedantic but Mexico is actually the United Mexican States.
WhatveIdone2dsrvthis@reddit
You are correct. I was typing quickly without being more careful
voteblue18@reddit
I only say USA when I am feeling patriotic and chanting.
ActuaLogic@reddit
I don't think it's a change. I think USA was mostly used in the product-labeling phrase (now retro) "made in USA." Americans typically use "United States" or "US" to refer to the country, and this has a long history ("Uncle Sam" supposedly originated as a humorous explanation of the meaning of the letters "US" stamped on various government property during the Civil War).
ChanFry@reddit
When I was young (in the U.S., in the 1970s), we were taught to write it with periods: U.S.A.
I guess that fell out of favor at some point, perhaps due to character limits on some sites (or people simply not using the period key if they don't have to).
To me, US just looks like "us" but with shouting.
___HeyGFY___@reddit
I used to hate when people called us "America." Now I think it's accurate, because we're certainly not united.
pikkdogs@reddit
It’s noticeable whenever a British person talks. They always say US. We change it up.
Practical-Ordinary-6@reddit
I actually hear them say America (at least on YouTube) a lot more often than we do.
- I'm going to America next week. - I just got back from my trip to America.
I would only use "the US" in those contexts.
_Daftest_@reddit (OP)
That's interesting
BlakeMajik@reddit
There's something about "USA" that brings to mind a chant at a sports competition (or perhaps another patriotic event) that veers into the jingoistic. I believe that's why "the US" has eclipsed USA in recent decades, at least in the media and among many Americans. USA also feels slightly dated for some reason?
I wouldn't say that it has a bad connotation at all, but you're right it's not used as often as it used to be.
schonleben@reddit
This feels right to me. I only use “US” or, when traveling/talking to people outside of the country, “the states.” “USA” feels too nationalistic to me, and I’m not entirely sure why.
Illustrious_looser@reddit
Because it's chanted at Trump rallies to disrupt the boos from the audience?
libra_leigh@reddit
I suspect it's in phrasing and songs like "God Bless the USA". Also woth the inclusion of the A, it is adjacent phrases like "American exceptionalism".
DiscontentDonut@reddit
Something a lot of people don't really get the hang of is how direct Americans are. Culturally, it's driven by two main things.
1) We have a lot of people here from all different cultures and languages who speak English at a more basic level. Not to say other countries don't experience this, but here it is to a much grander scale.
2) We talk quickly. And I don't mean the speed at which we're saying words, though that is part of it in some regions. But the rate at which we get to the point. We are a blunt people, which can sometimes be translated as less or no manners. But we don't have as many bells and whistles in what we consider to be courteous.
This tends to make our verbiage shorter since we want to get to the primary subject of our intentions as quickly as possible.
Even when we say the longer versions of our country name, you'll notice we say The States, United States, etc more than we fully say United States of America.
judijo621@reddit
Interesting thought.
I'm 68 and I agreed with Bad Bunny's list of the countries of "America" at Superbowl halftime this year. The Americas consist of almost all of the western hemisphere of the planet. Since other nations never adopted their name as "The United States of ...", just calling us the US is appropriate.
There has been talk of changing the current National Anthem from the Star Spangled Banner to America, the Beautiful. If we dropped America from our name...🤔
ninjomat@reddit
I read recently in historian Daniel Immerwahr’s book how to hide an empire that the usage of “America” to refer to the US became far more common in 1898 after the Spanish-American war.
So he definitely links America with the rise in the US claiming territory like Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines beyond the continent
Gordita_Chele@reddit
A few contributors:
Mid-20th century, especially around WWII and Cold War, U.S.A. dominated.
Globalization and the preference for US coincided. USA was seen as overly patriotic and less of a neutral geographic descriptor.
In 1963, the U.S. Postal Service standardized two-letter abbreviations for states. This bled into the two-letter preference for US.
Most media style guides (US and British) call for US, not USA. So, news articles are almost all gonna use this convention. Government offices still use the USA abbreviation for clarity.
ninjomat@reddit
Interesting I remember as a kid seeing the WW2 posters in history class and first clocking that the character in the top hat (and the government he represents) is called Uncle Sam because it’s the same initials as US so I would definitely have associated WW2 with US rather than USA
No_Cobbler154@reddit
We can’t refer to ourselves as ‘America’ anymore because we are now more aware that other people in North and South American countries don’t like that because they are also on an American continent & we don’t get to claim the name ‘America.’ So that’s being phased out as more people in the States become sensitive to that.
More of us spend time online and talking to people from other countries. It’s common for them to refer to us as “the States,” so a lot of us have adopted that term, especially in international context.
‘USA’ does have more of a patriotic ring to it than ‘the US.’ Chanting it at sporting events, plastering it on country merch, etc. & not a lot of us are feeling super patriotic lately. So i think we have almost unconsciously dropped the A. When we’re discussing our country, there are usually traces of cynicism & disapproval. Some with defensiveness. We’re not a positive subject, we’re a negative subject. So we just can’t muster up the extra bit of effort & acknowledgment the A would take.
Simply put, we aren’t deserving of the A in the full ‘USA’ right now & I think people are doing that both consciously & unconsciously
Or, we’re just lazy & shortening it ‘the US’ is easier 🤷♀️ but i think it’s slightly deeper
OkElephant1931@reddit
I think it’s because the USSR is no more.
DivaJanelle@reddit
AP Style prefers US or U.S. Most media uses AP style
Express-Stop7830@reddit
U-S-A, to me, has connotations of patriotic chant. And in the past 10 years or so, that "patriotism" has morphed into something hateful, dark, and gross.
2PlasticLobsters@reddit
Another variation I've seen in books is "UStates". Possibly this was popular in the 19th Century, when said books were set. I rather like the sound of it.
name_checks_out86@reddit
TUSOA
KiaraNarayan1997@reddit
I say USA. Just saying US feels incomplete to me, and saying United States or United States of America all the time feels unnecessarily long when you can just say USA.
SnoopySuited@reddit
U S ov A....very nice!
tn00bz@reddit
I feel like in the United States we tend to just say America more often than anything else.
But also, there were a ton of countries with the words "United States" in their official name up until the 50s and 60s. For example, the united states of Brazil and the united states of Indonesia changed their official names to Brazil and Indonesia respectively. So if you just said "The United States" back then I guess people could have said "which one?" Now its just us and Mexico, but no one refers to Mexico by its official name.
dr_stre@reddit
I’m 41, and “the US” has been common my entire life. This feels like something that’s changed overseas more than here in the US.
HairyDadBear@reddit
Idk I always used "the US" mainly since I was a child. I'm 30.
Great_Chipmunk4357@reddit
I use US because it’s easier to write on my iPhone keyboard. I don’t remember USA being used that much here in the US. We already know where we are.
L_knight316@reddit
I mean, everyone still says USA. As well as The US, America, The United States, etc. Maybe it's just a casual conversation thing, 2 syllables versus all the others being 3 or more.
Eggsbennybb@reddit
I say US of A when I’m being ironic.
MainiacJoe@reddit
For myself it usually comes down to whether my subconscious thinks two or three syllables sounds better
jigokubi@reddit
That's one whole syllable I haven't got time for.
Decent_Cow@reddit
In my experience, US is common, USA is less common, and US of A is only said as a joke.
Courwes@reddit
It’s one less character to type and you know what we’re referring to. It’s superfluous.
jessek@reddit
They're interchangeable. I honestly think the rise of email and other electronic communication helped make US more preferable.
sonicboi@reddit
I remember that changing in the 80's 90's.
OneNerdyLesbian@reddit
I agree with others that "the USA" sounds more patriotic or something while "the US" feels more neutral. I can't tell you why that is. It doesn't really make sense to me, but, somehow, I've developed that connotation. Maybe because of songs like "God Bless the USA"?
For that reason, I usually stick to using "the US."
getElephantById@reddit
I guess you're right that there has been a change. This Google Trends chart implies that use of "the usa" has stayed pretty stable in the last 22 years, while use of "the us" has about tripled. Why? Couldn't tell you. It's not something I was aware of, in fact I was ready to tell you you were wrong before I looked at that chart.
If I had to guess, I'd say that more people are writing informally now. Google Trends tracks usage over the internet, and people on the internet often can't be bothered to type even one extra character. But I don't know, I'm just shooting from the hip here.
MaximusSaturday@reddit
I think both are still used frequently but it’s more common to use U.S., United States or simply America.
seancbo@reddit
I also hear a lot of Brits and Europeans just say "America" to mean the country so who the hell knows lmao
SEND_MOODS@reddit
USA is used in a sentence with more patriotic or formal undertones.
US is used when brevity is standard such as informal conversation.
If I'm in a conversation that I'd feel comfortable typing "lol" or saying "yep" in, I'll say US 9 times out of 10.
If I'm in a conversation where "sir" wouldnt be out of place, I'll probably say "USA"
Bluemonogi@reddit
I’m 51 and both have been used throughout my life. Probably people I knew would say US more. Maybe USA was said more abroad or when speaking to foreigners.
ruralife@reddit
Calling in America used to be far less frequent than it is now too
WulfTheSaxon@reddit
I’ve definitely noticed this. Also that it’s gone from U.S.A. to USA, but that’s all abbreviations really.
-Moose_Soup-@reddit
Maybe it's just me, but it seems like foreigners are much more likely to use "USA" where an American would be more likely to use "the US". This is always noticeable because when the use of "USA" seems stilted, or overly formal in a casual sentence, it's a foreigner 99% of the time. I don't even know how to explain it other than I know it when I see it.
Thelonius16@reddit
U.S. is Associated Press style so you see it a lot in written content.
trinite0@reddit
I know this is kind of arbitrary, but I think of "US" as more of the political/governmental system, and "USA" as more of the place and cultural community.
So the US has really stupid tariff laws. But the USA has a really cool Olympics team. Once you get through US customs, you can enjoy a great visit to the USA. The Democrats are a party in the US. Miley Cyrus has a party in the USA.
Ok-Energy-9785@reddit
No. It's not something worth our time to worry about.
_Daftest_@reddit (OP)
I certainly can't imagine anybody would worry about it. What an odd thing to say.
Ok-Energy-9785@reddit
What an odd question to ask
Okimincuba@reddit
I think saying essentially learning about the evolution of language in this case specifically why something has been phrased out of modern dialect “isn’t worth someone’s time” is odd. Learning is cool and undervalued and it sounds like OP is just seeking information.
bringmesmilespls@reddit
I agree, there's a ball rolling around here that doesn't seem to know it's an odd ball. I enjoyed this question. I didn't mind taking time to read and reply and even go through the comments and it seems many people fealt similar, except that ball, where ever it went.
Ok-Energy-9785@reddit
Ok how many Americans do you know asking about this? If you don't like the answer then just say that. Nothing I said is wrong. Most of us have real shit to worry about in life.
TheLeopardMedium@reddit
Don't try to spread your lack of curiosity. Let people talk.
Ok-Energy-9785@reddit
What are you talking about? He asked a question. I answered it.
TheLeopardMedium@reddit
You didn't answer it; you got onto him for asking it in the first place, twice.
Ok-Energy-9785@reddit
Yes I did. Read my king.
TheLeopardMedium@reddit
You must be baiting. I refuse to believe people are actually like this.
Ok-Energy-9785@reddit
Instead of asking for clarification you just assume I'm gaslighting you
_Daftest_@reddit (OP)
You didn't answer it, Einstein
Ok-Energy-9785@reddit
Yes I did...
Both_Painter_9186@reddit
Most government agencies are “The U.S. Department of Such and Such” so a lot of official documents just say “US” but I see USA sometimes as well. And people tend to say verbally “US of A” when they're being cheeky, sarcastic, or funny.
TheOnlyJimEver@reddit
Neither is considered strange here, really, but USA is generally more typical of non-Americans. If I see someone online talking about the USA, I tend to assume they're not American. Most Americans, in my experience, say, "US," or, "the states." Incidentally, I've found it's also a good way to spot Russian troll bots.
LHCThor@reddit
Not much different than the UK. Many folks now call England the UK instead is England. In my mind the UK encompasses many places and not just England itself.
_Daftest_@reddit (OP)
In your mind, and in reality.
Durham1988@reddit
I think you are right and I think it's probably just language drift based on economy. Save a syllable or two.
Kyriana1812@reddit
When writing, I will use USA instead of US if I feel that US could be confused with us in context. If there is no us in the context then it's just US.
BlatantDisregard42@reddit
legally speaking, I don’t think you can say, “U.S. of A” without preceding it by, “Good Ol’e” first.
And Isn’t UK officially shorthand for “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.” You’re missing more letters than we are.
_Daftest_@reddit (OP)
Yes I'm certainly not criticising any missing of letters, I was just curious about the change.
wawa2022@reddit
Never noticed it but you’re right. From my childhood, the only time I really thought on a national level was Olympics so USA would make sense.
geeweeze@reddit
I reserve my use of USA for the Olympics only!
cjcolbert@reddit
Verbally I say US because it’s less syllables. Written it’s 50/50.
bringmesmilespls@reddit
We didn't abbreviate nearly as much back then and we try to abbreviate everything now when we communicate so I would guess it's mostly just people using the even further abbreviated version. That's why I do it, it's slightly faster to type US than USA lol.
Fully_COYS@reddit
ISO 9000 is the reason. All country codes standardized for data usage.
_Daftest_@reddit (OP)
Interesting, thanks
balthisar@reddit
If speaking to domestic people (including Canadians) then it's just "the States" or "the US"; with foreigners I'll use the whole "USA." When writing – other than for use as examples – I'll write out "USA" (because the A is on the home row, and I'm not that lazy).
gthomps83@reddit
I use US and USA in different ways, but I feel like I do so for grammar purposes where US might be misconstrued as capitalized first-person plural accusative, in which case I write USA.
I don’t bother with periods between the letters, which would easily fix my little grammar rule I’ve set for myself, lol.
HR_King@reddit
Rare? No.
IHaveBoxerDogs@reddit
When I’m typing on my phone’s little keyboard, I sometimes can’t be bothered with the A. Other than that, l think they’re used interchangeably.
Western-Giraffe-5150@reddit
It probably has to do with the way it sounds. If someone asks what country you're from you would either say "The U.S." , "USA" , America, or The States. They all feel about the same when speaking. Also US is the country code when having something processed for shipment.
Okuri-Inu@reddit
I don’t know why that is, but I do think you are right. It seems like today you usually here US or America. USA is still used, but less than those two I think.
Zaidswith@reddit
Americans have always primarily said the US in conversation. Non-Americans have used the USA.
What's happened is an English-speaking, American-dominant internet has changed your perception, and possibly which version other English speakers use.
Blahkbustuh@reddit
I've noticed and thought about this too, as like "USA" was more common before me and not as common now. I was born in 1986 so I was a kid in the 90s.
I wonder if it was that the Soviet Union was abbreviated as USSR so the US was written as USA to make it clear it wasn't just the beginning of US...SR.
To me right now they mean the same, and if I saw a airplane or athlete or document or map with either USA or US on them either would look fine and mean the same thing. As I'm thinking about it "USA" does seem more fitting for the context of the Olympics. "Team USA"
If a politician or someone giving a speech says "United States of America" that sounds a little more heavy than just saying "the U-S". It's kind of like when you're a kid and you hear your parent say your full name. "United States of America" and "USA" is our full name but we go by "the US" a lot. In normal times when we have a respectable and dignified president, it's nice to see pictures of Air Force One arriving somewhere and it has the whole name written out on the side.
There's probably also the factor of the context and situations we're used to hearing it. If someone said "I just flew across the whole..." It'd sound fine as "the whole US" but "the whole USA" sounds a little strange.
Maybe "The US" sounds more like the literal country and the government and economic statistics and facts as one country among many similar countries, while "the USA" is more like the nation as a whole in a metaphorical and conceptual sense.
DragonflyOnFire@reddit
I work for a global company that is UK based. They seem to like to call us USA. We are 100+ years in business, so take that as you will. I’ve seen both US and USA interchangeably, but never “the US” as you implied above.
Icy-Whale-2253@reddit
Take it up with the Associated Press and The Chicago Manual of Style
Claxton916@reddit
It’s used interchangeably, similar to “Great Britain” and “Britain.”
Big-Net-2066@reddit
When I hear or see someone using USA, I kind of cringe— I definitely associate it with conservative/hardcore patriotic people.
The0wl0ne@reddit
I assume it’s the same reason people say the UK instead of the UKGBNI, it’s shorter and easier
AppropriateDark5189@reddit
People are lazy. Adding the “A” is just too much work. 😁
whineANDcheese_@reddit
I feel like in most of my lifetime (early 30s) USA has been more of a patriotic thing. Like at the Olympics- USA! USA! But in normal conversation it’s definitely always been more commonly the US or America.
Skwr09@reddit
I started saying “the US” once I become more traveled and realized that everyone in the western hemisphere can (and many do) identify as “americans” seeing as they hail from North (or South) America. I even stopped referring to myself as an “American” because it seemed arrogant to claim an entire hemisphere’s title as my own country’s identity.
I didn’t come to this conclusion alone. It was the friendship and value of my relationships with Haitians and Mexicans that made me understand the entitlement in the identification.
I think maybe people say “the US” or, “I’m from the US” more now because of that detail.
theegodmother1999@reddit
i think it's used very interchangeably simply because our name is long no matter what. usa feels weirdly patriotic to me so i never use it but i use the US a lot. or "the states". i don't like just calling us "america" because it's a misnomer and it bothers me lol america is an enormous swath of land across two continents and we for some reason decided we were the americans. i mean it tracks with our behavior but it bothers me so bad lolol. so US it is!
addann9@reddit
i only use USA in formal or academic settings and US everywhere else. it’s just shorter. sometimes just America
Technical-Sector407@reddit
Murica!
Narrow-Durian4837@reddit
If this is really the case, my wild-a** guess is that, in online discussions, people are comparing the US and the UK often enough that they like the symmetry of the two-letter abbreviation.
_Daftest_@reddit (OP)
Interesting, I like that theory
Lcdmt3@reddit
I'm late fifties say US most of the time. People know what I'm saying. Best for simple conversations.
USA is more for competitions - chant "USA".
RawBean7@reddit
I use US, USA, the States, and America pretty interchangeably. None would be considered strange here.
QuandoPonderoInvenio@reddit
It's probably language just doing its thing, imo. "US" is a syplable shorter than "USA" so that might be a reason for one to choose one over the other.
For what it's worth, I usually say "US" or "America" when speaking English and "Amérique" when speaking French.
Queasy-Extension6465@reddit
US in normal context, U S A! in international sporting events.
TrainElegant425@reddit
Likely as simple as it being one less letter to type/say
_Daftest_@reddit (OP)
Could well be that, yes
pslush01@reddit
My guess would be the general trend towards using fewer syllables over time? I'm not sure but as an American I have noticed the same, now that you mention it.
About the only time I hear USA is when people are chanting it in celebration which might be a connotation done people are avoiding. I don't know, just a guess!
BZ2USvets81@reddit
It's just the latter of the two.
Spirited_Scallion971@reddit
I think it’s just the language shifting…but now you have me thinking? I still see both pretty often though.
El_47i@reddit
Depends on the context.