Not that it's right, but that Billy Ray Cyrus song was unavoidable for about 2 years. It sticks in your head in a way that literature from the 19th century just won't.
To be fair, The Tell-Tale Heart also sticks in your head. It is a low, dull, quick sound—much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. It makes you gasp for breath—and yet the officers hear it not. You talk more quickly—more vehemently; but the noise steadily increases. You arise and argue about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increases. Why will they not be gone? You pace the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men—but the noise steadily increases. Oh God! what can you do? You foam—you rave—you swear! You swing the chair upon which you had been sitting, and grate it upon the boards, but the noise arises over all and continually increases. It grows louder—louder—louder! And still the men chat pleasantly, and smile. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God!—no, no! They heard!—they suspected!—they knew!—they were making a mockery of your horror!
-this you thought, and this you think. But anything is better than this agony! Anything is more tolerable than this derision! You can bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! You feel that you must scream or die! and now—again!—hark! louder! louder! louder! louder!
“Villains!” you shriek, “dissemble no more! I admit the deed!—tear up the planks! here, here!—It is the beating of his hideous heart!”
I've got news for you guys not from the USA. Central America is the southern part of the continent of North America. America is an accepted name for the United States of America just as China is an accepted name for the People's Republic of China, Australia is the accepted name for the Commonwealth of Australia, etc. But I never see anyone complaining about other countries using their shortened forms, only the US.
I've got news for you 'CardinalSin', no matter what you may think, 99.99% of the worlds population call the USA 'America'. As the song says in West Side Story ......"I like to be in America"..... they mean USA not Venezuela or Colombia......ps I'm not American nor do I live in the 'Americas'
99% might know you mean the USA when you say America (otherwise it would be The Americas). But I think most people call it a variation of the US in their own language. (And even if it is not most, it is definitely not 0,01% or less). For example in dutch it is Verenigde Staten in Spanish Estados Unidos etc.
Fredo and Michael Corleone from the Godfather, generally seen as one of the best movies of all time. Although the quote they are referring to occurs in Godfather part II
“Villains!” you shriek, “dissemble no more! I admit the deed!—tear up the planks! here, here!—It is the beating of his hideous heart!”
Surprised to see bleeding heart lower down on the list, considering how often it gets tossed around these days.