A bit of Brit-Speak/Ameri-Speak humour...
Aug 27th, 2003, 09:09 AM
#125
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Scarlett - "Tosser" has the same meaning, and roughly the same level of offensiveness, as w*nker (am I allowed to type that? I don't like being censored)
Git is also used as a name for a rude, ignorant, mean etc person, but is FAR FAR less offensive, and can also be used in a midly affectionate way (as in, you old git, ie you can say it to someone's face without being punched. Generally a term used for men). Don't know what it means, I'll have to look it up.
But while we're here, here's an interesting history on English swear words:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A753527
Git is also used as a name for a rude, ignorant, mean etc person, but is FAR FAR less offensive, and can also be used in a midly affectionate way (as in, you old git, ie you can say it to someone's face without being punched. Generally a term used for men). Don't know what it means, I'll have to look it up.
But while we're here, here's an interesting history on English swear words:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A753527
Aug 27th, 2003, 09:13 AM
#126
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oh, anything to avoid doing what I'm supposed to be doing....
definition of "git":
m before 1300 a get was what had been begotten, a child or offspring. But by about 1500 it had started to be used in Scotland and northern England in the sense of misbegotten, a bastard; from there it became a general term of abuse for a fool or idiot. By about 1700 get seems to have lapsed into slang or dialect, only to reappear in the wider language in the 1940s with a different spelling and lacking the associations with illegitimacy. James Joyce uses the older spelling (and meaning) in Ulysses in 1922: ?The bloody thicklugged sons of whores? gets!? These days, it?s a widely known and used term of abuse in Britain for somebody regarded as totally worthless or useless, most commonly appearing in cries of frustration such as ?that stupid git, now look what he?s done!?.
definition of "git":
m before 1300 a get was what had been begotten, a child or offspring. But by about 1500 it had started to be used in Scotland and northern England in the sense of misbegotten, a bastard; from there it became a general term of abuse for a fool or idiot. By about 1700 get seems to have lapsed into slang or dialect, only to reappear in the wider language in the 1940s with a different spelling and lacking the associations with illegitimacy. James Joyce uses the older spelling (and meaning) in Ulysses in 1922: ?The bloody thicklugged sons of whores? gets!? These days, it?s a widely known and used term of abuse in Britain for somebody regarded as totally worthless or useless, most commonly appearing in cries of frustration such as ?that stupid git, now look what he?s done!?.
Aug 27th, 2003, 09:13 AM
#127
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Kate, a friend of ours in London (her nickname is Kate also
entertained us one night with all the meanings of the word PISS or PISSED..we were all laughing so much at the wide variety of meanings that one little word can have!
entertained us one night with all the meanings of the word PISS or PISSED..we were all laughing so much at the wide variety of meanings that one little word can have!
Aug 27th, 2003, 09:42 AM
#130
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Oh dear, I think it's another language mix-up.! You're right, my name is Catherine, but I guess we Brits wouldn't call "Kate" a nickname, just an abbreviation. A nickname would be my partner calling my "squidgy" or something equally daft
Aug 27th, 2003, 11:29 AM
#131
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Recently in England, we got on the topic of Brit- speak/Ameri-speak. I brought up the word 'spunk', which in the US, maybe somewhat old fashioned, but it's still acceptible to refer to someone as having 'spunk' or being 'spunky'.
Now that I've heard the Brit definition of the word- Yuck!
Now that I've heard the Brit definition of the word- Yuck!
Aug 27th, 2003, 01:24 PM
#133
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the only 10 word is the C word. My parents would write me out of the will for this one.
w*nker or tosser would probably be an 8, and would probably get you punched.
f*ck (international language now) probably about 6 or 7, depending on the context?
bollocks? Maybe 4.
sod maybe 2 or 3 (as in "stupid sod" or "sod it"
bloody hell would count for about 1 or 2
just my estimates. of course context is everything.
w*nker or tosser would probably be an 8, and would probably get you punched.
f*ck (international language now) probably about 6 or 7, depending on the context?
bollocks? Maybe 4.
sod maybe 2 or 3 (as in "stupid sod" or "sod it"
bloody hell would count for about 1 or 2
just my estimates. of course context is everything.
Aug 27th, 2003, 02:38 PM
#134
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I'm loving this thread! I've lived half my life in England (where I took elocution lessons, can you imagine) and half in New England. I guess I'm kind of mid-Atlantic now, and my origins are mistaken in both directions. Americans almost always "get" where I'm from, but when I go "home" for a visit (hmm, where is that exactly?) Brits think I'm American. Or at least, from away.
My children are pretty Yankified, and cracked up the first time they went to a pub for dinner and Spotted Dick with custard was on the menu...
I love collecting mysterious Brit words on those visits and sprinkling them into conversation over here. (With lots of "brilliant" and "oh, riiiight".) And watch out for the manky bits.
When Robin McNeil did "The Story of English" on PBS he traced vernacular language and accents to see where settlers of a US region had originated in the UK. For example, I think Cornwall and Maine were linked that way, if I remember right ('twas a few years back).
I've lived half my life in England (where I took elocution lessons, can you imagine) and half in New England. I guess I'm kind of mid-Atlantic now, and my origins are mistaken in both directions. Americans almost always "get" where I'm from, but when I go "home" for a visit (hmm, where is that exactly?) Brits think I'm American. Or at least, from away.My children are pretty Yankified, and cracked up the first time they went to a pub for dinner and Spotted Dick with custard was on the menu...
I love collecting mysterious Brit words on those visits and sprinkling them into conversation over here. (With lots of "brilliant" and "oh, riiiight".) And watch out for the manky bits.
When Robin McNeil did "The Story of English" on PBS he traced vernacular language and accents to see where settlers of a US region had originated in the UK. For example, I think Cornwall and Maine were linked that way, if I remember right ('twas a few years back).
Aug 28th, 2003, 04:02 AM
#135
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The discussion of 'spunky' reminds me of the American name Randy. Us Brits find this highly amusing, as the word 'randy' in Britspeak is the same as the word 'horny' in American!!
Yank: "Hi, I'm Randy"
Brit: "I bet you are!"
Yank: "Hi, I'm Randy"
Brit: "I bet you are!"
Aug 28th, 2003, 04:27 AM
#136
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Does "pissed" really mean (in some British circles) "getting drunk" - as in "I am going to get pissed tonight?"
Reference: http://www.effingpot.com/index.html
Cheers,
Ron
Reference: http://www.effingpot.com/index.html
Cheers,
Ron
Aug 28th, 2003, 04:35 AM
#137
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"I'm (or you're) pissed" means ONLY "drunk". In all British circles, except those who regard the word as in the 8-10 range of offensiveness. It is, BTW, always more or less offensive.
The British term for "annoyed" is always "pissed off". Again, always having some degree of offensiveness.
The British term for "annoyed" is always "pissed off". Again, always having some degree of offensiveness.
Aug 28th, 2003, 04:46 AM
#138
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For Kate:
A non-10 C word is "cow," still offensive if you happen to be the female to which it is applied, but has the parental seal of approval.
Can be softened to "moo," as in "you silly moo." Used to me by my husband when I have been whingeing all evening.
A non-10 C word is "cow," still offensive if you happen to be the female to which it is applied, but has the parental seal of approval.
Can be softened to "moo," as in "you silly moo." Used to me by my husband when I have been whingeing all evening.
