Awkward Phrasing

[switch842]

I'm not sure if this is one of those British vs American things, but I've been seeing this A LOT over at the SPN Big Bang and it's really starting to get annoying.

Example:
"I've not seen you around before."

Now, most people I know would say, "I haven't seen you around before."

I realize both are perfectly valid sentences and contractions, but the first one is just seems so formal and awkward when coming from, like, a high school kid.

Unless it's just me....

Comments

[angstbunny.livejournal.com]

Could it be a regional thing as well? You know, kinda like "pop" versus "soda". Though it could be a British thing. I'm Canadian, so we lean a little more British with our spelling and some of our phrasing, and I've heard and used both variations of that sentence.

[switch842.livejournal.com]

It could be. It's just something that's throwing me out of the story. And it's in A LOT, so it's obviously not WRONG. Just wondering where it's coming from...

[sg1danny.livejournal.com]

Now see I'm Brit and 'I haven't seen around before.' seems more formal and awkward to me than 'I've not seen you around before.' So, it could be a British v American thing.

[switch842.livejournal.com]

Huh. That is interesting! LOL

[brightbeak.livejournal.com]

I'm in maritime Canada (city served by YQM to be precise), and we use the "I've not seen you around [here] before", so it could very well be a brit/us thing, as we're more like the brits in our use of language.

[switch842.livejournal.com]

It seems to be looking that way...

[jessm78.livejournal.com]

I've always thought of "I've not seen you around before" as a more British type of thing. Don't really hear it around here at all, but then again this is New York where something like "I ain't seen you here before" is probably more popular, LOL.

Whatever it is, I can't picture high school kids really saying that either. Maybe it is more of a regional thing?

[switch842.livejournal.com]

It's definitely looking like a Brit thing. It just sounds so awkward to me.

[chocolate-frapp.livejournal.com]

"I've not" definitely sounds more British to me.

[switch842.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It looks to be that way.