Do y’all ever use the word ‘keen’?

44 comments

1. Nope. Its much more common for Aussies and to a lesser extent Brits.

2. I do, but I’ve worked with lots of British.

3. It’s not something we would say. It’s definitely an australian thing lol.
   Personally, I’ve lived all over the US, been to over half the country, and no one says “keen”. I totally get what you mean by it, not everyone here would though

4. I have used it but it certainly isn’t part of my common vocabulary.

   I think it’s more common amongst Commonwealth English speakers.

5. I’ve used it occasionally.

6. No, it’s not nearly as common in North American English as it is in Australian English to use it that way. Americans will mostly use “keen” to describe the senses, ie “Dogs have a keen sense of smell”. It can also be used to describe a sharp knife edge, but we wouldn’t typically say “I’m keen to go for a swim”.

   Brits and Irish will use it like Aussies, but not as often.

7. Yes. I use it. Definitely hear it from time to time too.

8. Yes I do, but not every day. You’ll find it in more rural places like southern Virginia, where I went to college. Or maybe I picked it up from working with a slew of Brits and kiwis for so many summers. I’m not sure. I thought it was pretty normal to use.

9. Only sarcastically. In the US, “keen” went out of fashion sometime around the 50s

10. No. We’d just say “I’d like to” or “I want to”. Can also be similar to “I’m so excited to play tomorrow”

11. Yes but it’s not a typical word we use

12. It’s not in my every day vocabulary but I’m sure I’ve said it before and I know I’ve heard other people say it too.

    I don’t think I’ve ever said “I’m keen to XYZ” but I think I’ve said “not too keen” before.

13. I’m not to keen on that and variations of that sentence is about it.

14. If you watch any 50s American media, “keen” is often used to say someone has a crush. (e.g. Tommy is keen on Susie.) But that use has fallen out of favor.

    I don’t know anyone who uses “keen,” except for Americans who come back from overseas and continue to use English/Australian slang. Most Americans would understand what it means, but they wouldn’t really use “keen.”

15. Occasionally, but its not terribly common. Definitely not as common as it is in Australia.

16. Never

17. Occasionally I hear someone say ‘peachy keen’ sarcastically. Otherwise, I don’t hear it in the circles where I move.

18. Nope. We recognize it, but I can’t say I’ve ever heard it used in real life outside of someone goofing around.

19. Only “im not too keen on thing.” Because that’s a phrase not a focus on the word. Using it outside of that example never happens. “I’m keen to do thing” would be odd.

20. I’ve used it before but it would be a rare usage.

21. I’m out of fashion judging by the comments. I’ve used keen all my life and still do. Maybe it’s from growing up in proximity to the Hoigh Toiders

22. Maybe in the 1950s. I have heard “peachy-keen”, which is usually a positive thing. It means very good or fine.

23. Very rarely. I heard it more in the ‘70s.

24. I say it quite a bit, but I realize the more I grow up that my dad taught me a kinda strange vocabulary. I’ve never had someone stop me and ask what “keen” means though, so it’s common enough to be understood, just not said much.

25. The only context I use it is “I-m not too keen on X,” which doesn’t happen frequently.

26. Only sarcastically

27. It was a phrase used until a few decades ago.

    Probably 40-50 years ago it stopped being used in common speech. Although we know the word and what it’s used for.

28. I only use it somewhat tongue in cheek, as in:

    “Yeah… I’m not too keen on that idea.”

    or

    “How are you?”

    “Peachy keen!”

    It was a popular slang term, similar to “cool” in the ’40s and ’50s. I think there came a point where nobody could say the word without thinking of Beaver Cleaver, so it fell out of fashion.

29. I am neither eager nor enthusiastic about that word

30. I use it sometimes. It seems a very efficient way to say “have a preference for”.

    What I never say is “y’all”.

31. Not in that context, but I play a lot of tabletop roleplaying games so I talk about keen weapons relatively often.

32. Sometimes I’ll say a person has a keen sense of something, like a keen sense of smell, but I don’t use “not too keen” to mean “I’m not fond of.” I will know what you mean by it, but I don’t say it.

    Growing up, “peachy keen” was this very old-fashioned, corny expression meaning everything is just fine. You’d only say it as a joke, like in a cringeworthy way.

33. Only when referring to a certain Commander

34. I know the word but I can’t remember the last time I said it or heard someone else say it in conversation. Possibly never.

35. We used to have a commander keen

36. Americans don’t usually, but I have a few irish and Australian friends so i have adopted it into my vocabulary. I love it

37. Not at all, generally. I use the word sometimes to talk about sharp things – for example “he’s got a keen sense of humor”

38. Occassionally, very occassionally.

39. Not that often, yet I say it with much more frequency than “Y’all”.

40. “Peachy Keen” is a phrase I heard growing up in the South, but as I’ve moved further south in Florida I’ve moved away from the “old South” and haven’t heard it recently.

41. Yes but I worked with enough Aussies and Kiwis to pick it up.

42. Not that I can remember, no.

43. Yes. But I use a lot of strange words.

44. I am not usually keen on using the word