Phrases – Is ‘In One Go’ British or American English?

american-englishphrases

I'm playing a game on a forum that involves guessing who posted. An American English speaker said that because the poster wrote "in one go" (meaning "in one sitting"), they were probably British or European as that's not an American expression.

But the Oxford Learners Dictionaries' definition does not mention "in one go" being British English despite saying that several of the other expressions on that page are British.

Here's the context:

If there is a book I'm desperate to read then when I eventually do I have to read it in one go. Sometimes this means staying up all night.

And here is the argument the poster made:

However, you Europeans don't seem to realize it, but "in one go" is not an American expression, unless anyone has picked that up from being online, but it's not native to here. I only heard the term "on the go" (as in, "how many games you have on the go") within about the last year, and it was Brits using the term. I use the term "on the go" meaning on the run, like busy, busy.

Is this true? Is it an unusual expression in American English? If so, what phrase would you use instead?

Best Answer

Is “in one go” British English or just English?

I've wrestled with this one, mostly because of the way you've titled your question.

Take, for example, nappies (which we call diapers in the U.S.). I would consider nappies to be UK English; I rarely hear the word, and, more importantly, when I do, I almost have to translate it in my mind.

As for in one go, I looked at a lot of blogs and message boards, and, indeed, when I managed to find this expression on the internet, it was almost invariably traced to a U.K. speaker1. But, for some reason, it doesn't sound chiefly British to me. It's immediately understandable. I got this done in one go doesn't sound like something I would never say, (unlike, I need to go change a nappy).

So, getting back to your title, I find myself wondering: What makes something "British English" vs. "just English"?

If I had to make a ruling, I'd say, no, "in one go" is not "British English", and I'll count on Macmillan to back me up.

Here is the definition of nappy in the American version of Macmillan:

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Now here is the definition of the noun go in the same edition:

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So, the Macmillan editors, at least, don't seem to think the phrase is British enough to be tagged BRITISH.

That absence of a BRITISH tag doesn't appear to be an oversight, either; that same entry also reveals:

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In short, Macmillan would categorize

I'll have a go at answering this question

as British English, but

I typed this whole answer in just one go

would be what you called "just English."

Based on my usage searches, though, I think it's a borderline call, so I wouldn't vehemently argue against Codeswitcher's stance.

1Like this one, from an electrician:

In the latter case, then you'd be doing yourself a favour to have the whole lot done in one go.

The speaker is a self-identified electrician from Thornbury, which I assume is a U.K. Thornbury, judging by the way favour is spelled.

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