1. Does the structure 'feel like doing sth' stand for a polite way of 'want' in AmE or it's British?
For instance do you Americans possibly say:
- I felt like swimming.
2. Do these sentences mean the same:
- What would you like to drink?
- What do you feel like drinking?
OR
- Would you like some tea?
- Do you feel like some tea?
I guess they should be the same and normal in AmE polite language. I was wondering if I thought properly.
Best Answer
The idiom "feel like something/doing something" is used in an informal way both in American and British English. When you have a wish, desire or inclination for something, you can use it in a normal way. It's nothing to do with politeness or impolitenesss. Besides, its use in the form of a question is seldom. The usual and polite way for offers and invitations is using "would" such as "Would you like a coffee?" or "What would you like to drink?" or "Would you have dinner with me tomorrow?".
I don't mean that you can not say "Do you feel like some coffee?" There is nothing wrong with it grammatically. What I mean is that we use this idiom in an ordinary way. It's just like when you ask somebody "Are you in the mood for dancing?" It's a normal way of speaking.