goddesstogo and mr. goddess's big London adventure (an ongoing tale)
Oct 31st, 2010, 07:40 AM
#461
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"....toilet is considered a bit Essex....."
"It's funny that we think that "toilet" is rafeened like "lounge" and "pardon" and our Seppo mates think that it is quite a naughty word."
I believe I've now completely lost control of the English language, my mother tongue.
1) I don't know what "a bit Essex" means.
2) for me, lounge is either a) a verb meaning to lie back in a sort of relaxed way, b) laze around, c) and anteroom, most commonly to the toilet/sink area of a ladies' public washroom, d) a piece of furniture, or e) a drinking establishment.
3) for me, pardon means a) excuse my burp (or worse), b) may I interrupt you for a moment, or c) the thing the government gives you to expunge a conviction.
4) rafeened = refined?
5) Seppo?
"It's funny that we think that "toilet" is rafeened like "lounge" and "pardon" and our Seppo mates think that it is quite a naughty word."
I believe I've now completely lost control of the English language, my mother tongue.
1) I don't know what "a bit Essex" means.
2) for me, lounge is either a) a verb meaning to lie back in a sort of relaxed way, b) laze around, c) and anteroom, most commonly to the toilet/sink area of a ladies' public washroom, d) a piece of furniture, or e) a drinking establishment.
3) for me, pardon means a) excuse my burp (or worse), b) may I interrupt you for a moment, or c) the thing the government gives you to expunge a conviction.
4) rafeened = refined?
5) Seppo?
)
Oct 31st, 2010, 09:28 AM
#463
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GTG- Google is your friend.
Seppo-rhyming slang for Yank( seppo=septic tank=Yank)
Lounge-a common word for front room, living room. Frankly I like "living room" more than lounge which reminds me of an airport.
As for a bit Essex, I believe it means low-class, ie "Jersey Shore". To be "an Essex girl" is an a a putdown.
Seppo-rhyming slang for Yank( seppo=septic tank=Yank)
Lounge-a common word for front room, living room. Frankly I like "living room" more than lounge which reminds me of an airport.
As for a bit Essex, I believe it means low-class, ie "Jersey Shore". To be "an Essex girl" is an a a putdown.
Oct 31st, 2010, 09:30 AM
#465
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The three words mentioned are considered downmarket (a word you must know by now) in the UK, as is the county of Essex, which is popularly conceived to be full of successful criminal types moved out from the East End and peroxided girls. A gross generalisation, of course.
The "correct" terms are lavatory or WC, sittingroom or drawingroom if you are especially grand, and excuse me or what, never ever pardon.
You got refined, and I don't know Seppo either.
The "correct" terms are lavatory or WC, sittingroom or drawingroom if you are especially grand, and excuse me or what, never ever pardon.
You got refined, and I don't know Seppo either.
Oct 31st, 2010, 09:52 AM
#466
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Never 'pardon'? Really? I normally say 'excuse me' but 'pardon me' (or just pardon) serves the same purpose at home. Just 'what?' if you haven't heard what someone has said is considered just a tiny bit rude. But passable.
And, tarquin, you little minx, are you joshing me about lavatory, WC, sitting room and drawingroom?
Yes, I remember lounge now from Coronation Street. (And also, "come through" where we'd say "come in" -- I always picture the visitor coming in the front door, through the house, and straight out the back door).
Oh, emily, Google may be my friend but it's not as much fun as you guys!
And, tarquin, you little minx, are you joshing me about lavatory, WC, sitting room and drawingroom?
Yes, I remember lounge now from Coronation Street. (And also, "come through" where we'd say "come in" -- I always picture the visitor coming in the front door, through the house, and straight out the back door).
Oh, emily, Google may be my friend but it's not as much fun as you guys!
Oct 31st, 2010, 12:50 PM
#468
Nancy Mitford [yes, one of those Mitfords] wrote a handbook for s/nobs, called "U and non U".
if you can get hold of a copy, you will discover that it is lavatory not toilet, napkin not serviette, sitting room not lounge, couch not sofa [or is it the other way round?]
not that I care - much!
if you can get hold of a copy, you will discover that it is lavatory not toilet, napkin not serviette, sitting room not lounge, couch not sofa [or is it the other way round?]
not that I care - much!
Oct 31st, 2010, 01:04 PM
#470
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I highly recommend reading 'Watching the English'. The author actually gets into how the 'pardon' 'sofa' works in reality in England and with Americans in practice. It's a really interesting book:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watching-Eng.../dp/0340818867
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watching-Eng.../dp/0340818867
Oct 31st, 2010, 01:49 PM
#471
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Toilet, lav and loo are common British terms I've heard for describing the room where one answers nature's call. Bathroom and washroom are literally places where one goes to bathe or wash.
'Come through' was used when the sitting room (literally a place where one sat and passed the time of day reading or doing needlework or other exhausting Victorian activities) was located further within the house and one had to pass through the house to get to it, often via a 'passage' or hallway. The front room served a similar purpose but was located at the front of the house close to the entrance, where the sun's warmth or the view was best experienced. As the sun's position moved from morning to evening, so did the gathering room, and a large house could have more than one sitting room.
I think 'Essex' and 'Chav' are similar if not the same thing.
'Come through' was used when the sitting room (literally a place where one sat and passed the time of day reading or doing needlework or other exhausting Victorian activities) was located further within the house and one had to pass through the house to get to it, often via a 'passage' or hallway. The front room served a similar purpose but was located at the front of the house close to the entrance, where the sun's warmth or the view was best experienced. As the sun's position moved from morning to evening, so did the gathering room, and a large house could have more than one sitting room.
I think 'Essex' and 'Chav' are similar if not the same thing.
Nov 1st, 2010, 01:14 AM
#472
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Annhig, you forgot mirror and looking glass, which is rarely heard today but is a great word, I think.
These things do matter here; "pardon" is beyond the pale, as is holding your knife as if it's a pen.
These things do matter here; "pardon" is beyond the pale, as is holding your knife as if it's a pen.
Nov 1st, 2010, 04:41 AM
#474
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Life's too short to fret about such things any more. "Loo" will do for most circumstances, but the ultra-sensitive can get away with anything that sounds like an obvious euphemism, as in "Where's your whatsit", and such like. But it's not the end of the world (or much less so than not getting there in time because of linguistic uncertainties!).
Nov 1st, 2010, 04:52 AM
#475
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Hahaha - you are getting quite an education!
My favourite rhyming slang is 'have a butchers...'
It means 'have a look'
Have a look > butchers hook > have a butchers = have a look
Did you know there is an ATM in the eastend somewhere (please someone enlighten me because I want to go see it) that 'speaks' only in cockney rhymes!
Another is 'trouble and strife' = wife
As in - are you going home to your trouble and strife...
My favourite rhyming slang is 'have a butchers...'
It means 'have a look'
Have a look > butchers hook > have a butchers = have a look
Did you know there is an ATM in the eastend somewhere (please someone enlighten me because I want to go see it) that 'speaks' only in cockney rhymes!
Another is 'trouble and strife' = wife
As in - are you going home to your trouble and strife...
Nov 1st, 2010, 09:43 AM
#477
I did have a bit of trouble explaining Essex. By 'fashionista' I didn't mean a trend setter/fashion icon.
I mean folks who buy anything w/ a shouting label -- Burberry head to foot (even on the toddlers), that sort of thing.
Still not exactly what I mean -- but Chav does about cover it.
I mean folks who buy anything w/ a shouting label -- Burberry head to foot (even on the toddlers), that sort of thing.
Still not exactly what I mean -- but Chav does about cover it.
Nov 1st, 2010, 03:45 PM
#479
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So far, I don't think I've seen any signs that say "Lavatory" or "W.C." even in the posh department stores and restaurants. They all say "Toilets".
Today I walked along some new streets for me -- along Great Portland, then Marlybone High Street to Oxford Circus, then Carnaby Street back to Wardour Street, and down to Oxford Circus again, doing little errands along the way, buying a few little gifts for work colleagues, etc. I was meeting SO at Berkeley Square for dinner before a talk at the Royal Institution and was too tired to think about taking the tube so I hopped on a bus instead. It went about two blocks, turned a corner, two blocks more, and there I was. I'll never get over how close everything is here. The restaurant we were meeting at (The Square) was more $ than we wanted to spend for a quick, casual dinner so we ended up at Pizza Express. We looked at a few other restaurants on the street (Bruton) but hey, when you're standing a minute from New Bond Street and across the road from Stella McCartney's shop, you can be sure the restaurants are going to be pricey. The few that were more reasonable weren't serving dinner till 7 and that would have been too late.
The talk was by Steven Johnson, an American science writer, on the origin of ideas and was pretty interesting and fun. These science guys are always fun -- no kidding. Afterwards, I bought his new book for SO and we had a chance to chat for a few minutes because he'd mentioned John Snow and the Broad Street pump in his talk, and we'd just been there (and me again today).
On the walk to the tube we decided that we wanted coffee and dessert. We stopped into a gorgeous restaurant (I'm not sure but I think it was called the Wolseley) but they were full with the dinner crowd (it was still only 8:30) so we walked farther. We stepped into the Ritz hotel to see if they had a room where we could have coffee and dessert. Hahahaha. We were very pleasantly told that gentlemen had to wear a tie and no denim was allowed. Moving along, we saw a nice looking place called Langen's Brasserie down the road from the Green Park tube stop and despite the fact that they were busy with the dinner crowd as well, they gave us a table. I had coffee and a steamed ginger marmelade pudding and SO had a liqueur. It's a nice lively place with beautiful art on the walls. We might go back for a meal some time.
And that's it for the day. Because of the tube strike tomorrow we'll be sticking close to home or maybe going somewhere by bus.
Today I walked along some new streets for me -- along Great Portland, then Marlybone High Street to Oxford Circus, then Carnaby Street back to Wardour Street, and down to Oxford Circus again, doing little errands along the way, buying a few little gifts for work colleagues, etc. I was meeting SO at Berkeley Square for dinner before a talk at the Royal Institution and was too tired to think about taking the tube so I hopped on a bus instead. It went about two blocks, turned a corner, two blocks more, and there I was. I'll never get over how close everything is here. The restaurant we were meeting at (The Square) was more $ than we wanted to spend for a quick, casual dinner so we ended up at Pizza Express. We looked at a few other restaurants on the street (Bruton) but hey, when you're standing a minute from New Bond Street and across the road from Stella McCartney's shop, you can be sure the restaurants are going to be pricey. The few that were more reasonable weren't serving dinner till 7 and that would have been too late.
The talk was by Steven Johnson, an American science writer, on the origin of ideas and was pretty interesting and fun. These science guys are always fun -- no kidding. Afterwards, I bought his new book for SO and we had a chance to chat for a few minutes because he'd mentioned John Snow and the Broad Street pump in his talk, and we'd just been there (and me again today).
On the walk to the tube we decided that we wanted coffee and dessert. We stopped into a gorgeous restaurant (I'm not sure but I think it was called the Wolseley) but they were full with the dinner crowd (it was still only 8:30) so we walked farther. We stepped into the Ritz hotel to see if they had a room where we could have coffee and dessert. Hahahaha. We were very pleasantly told that gentlemen had to wear a tie and no denim was allowed. Moving along, we saw a nice looking place called Langen's Brasserie down the road from the Green Park tube stop and despite the fact that they were busy with the dinner crowd as well, they gave us a table. I had coffee and a steamed ginger marmelade pudding and SO had a liqueur. It's a nice lively place with beautiful art on the walls. We might go back for a meal some time.
And that's it for the day. Because of the tube strike tomorrow we'll be sticking close to home or maybe going somewhere by bus.
