No Periods in British Written English!
Feb 22nd, 2017, 05:29 AM
#21
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The latest shock is the name of the new Metropolitan police commissioner. (Head of the London Police)
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...e-commissioner
Now quotes will start with Dick said " blah blah blah" What??????
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...e-commissioner
Now quotes will start with Dick said " blah blah blah" What??????
Feb 22nd, 2017, 05:48 AM
#22
Perhaps even more amazing to me is when someone in the UK refers to the 'floor' when they are talking about the outdoors. In the outdoors, you 'fall on the ground', there is no 'floor' to fall on!>>
mmm - not sure I'd use "fall to the floor" referring to the outside either.
but as for trying to introduce logic and consistency into the pronunciation of english english or american english, Dogeared, I think you're flogging a dead horse.
And what, Pal, is wrong with the name "Dick"? it is a common diminutive of Richard is it not [think tricky Dickie] and if we're going to giggle in a juvenile fashion at Dick, why not doing away with cock [a male hen] rubber, [eraser to you], fag, etc., etc.?
mmm - not sure I'd use "fall to the floor" referring to the outside either.
but as for trying to introduce logic and consistency into the pronunciation of english english or american english, Dogeared, I think you're flogging a dead horse.
And what, Pal, is wrong with the name "Dick"? it is a common diminutive of Richard is it not [think tricky Dickie] and if we're going to giggle in a juvenile fashion at Dick, why not doing away with cock [a male hen] rubber, [eraser to you], fag, etc., etc.?
Feb 22nd, 2017, 05:58 AM
#23
<i> > And what, Pal, is wrong with the name "Dick"</i>
Nothing in my book, but "Bigus Dickus" is another story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPGb...youtu.be&t=108
Nothing in my book, but "Bigus Dickus" is another story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPGb...youtu.be&t=108
Feb 22nd, 2017, 11:24 AM
#25
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I'll get a coke" says the girl to the waiter and I want to scream "no, you'd like a coke, the waiter will get it for you"
How about the more common here "I'll take a coke: does that raise your hackles too?
In the outdoors, you 'fall on the ground', there is no 'floor' to fall on!>
We say also the forest floor - at least in Michigan.
Now about DICK - say a bloke named Dick is big - if someone says 'there's big dick' it would get giggles- a big dick is someone totally awful -one that likes to dick around with people.
And in the Viet Nam either it was "Dick Nixon Before He Dicks You"
Oh well the fun of lingustics!
One Briticism that perplexes moi is the use "buffet" on trains for snack bar and the use in France of "snack-bar" instead of "buffet"?????
Or in UK "Bureau de Change" and in France just "Change"
How about the more common here "I'll take a coke: does that raise your hackles too?
In the outdoors, you 'fall on the ground', there is no 'floor' to fall on!>
We say also the forest floor - at least in Michigan.
Now about DICK - say a bloke named Dick is big - if someone says 'there's big dick' it would get giggles- a big dick is someone totally awful -one that likes to dick around with people.
And in the Viet Nam either it was "Dick Nixon Before He Dicks You"
Oh well the fun of lingustics!
One Briticism that perplexes moi is the use "buffet" on trains for snack bar and the use in France of "snack-bar" instead of "buffet"?????
Or in UK "Bureau de Change" and in France just "Change"
Feb 22nd, 2017, 11:31 AM
#26
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Feb 22nd, 2017, 11:39 AM
#27
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Yes d-head is pure swearing- unpolite but often used "you d-head"-only to men I think however. The Trump P word is an equivalent and I think only applied in that context to men-applied to women it is taken literally. "Like I want some p"-I guess if our President could use it why not anyone?
Feb 22nd, 2017, 02:09 PM
#29
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<i> Unlike France where the august Academie de Francaise (sp?) pontificates... "le fin de la semaine (sp?) </i>
I know the French are all illiterate. That's the only rational explanation for why their literature is so pretentiously incomprehensible.
But surely not even an institution as bogus as the Academie Francaise can be so ignorant of the basics of French as to think it's acceptable to talk about "le fin de la semaine"? Can it?
The real French for weekend is "le weekend"
The silly French no-one ever actually says (or writes, unless they're a superannuated French academic in stupid clothes) is "la fin de semaine"
I know the French are all illiterate. That's the only rational explanation for why their literature is so pretentiously incomprehensible.
But surely not even an institution as bogus as the Academie Francaise can be so ignorant of the basics of French as to think it's acceptable to talk about "le fin de la semaine"? Can it?
The real French for weekend is "le weekend"
The silly French no-one ever actually says (or writes, unless they're a superannuated French academic in stupid clothes) is "la fin de semaine"
Feb 22nd, 2017, 03:14 PM
#30
"if we're going to giggle in a juvenile fashion at Dick, why not doing away with cock [a male hen] rubber, [eraser to you], fag, etc., etc.?"
We pretty much have done away with those usages in the US.
We pretty much have done away with those usages in the US.
Feb 22nd, 2017, 06:14 PM
#34
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Well, I guess I should join this thread for grammarians, having been soundly trounced on another thread today for daring to correct someone who was "waiting with baited breath", to point out the correct phrase should be "waiting with bated breath".
I will not join the "Dick" discussion, being that my given name is Richard, and I have successfully endured every conceivable slight attendant upon my nickname for some 86 years, now.
I will not join the "Dick" discussion, being that my given name is Richard, and I have successfully endured every conceivable slight attendant upon my nickname for some 86 years, now.
Feb 23rd, 2017, 12:07 AM
#36
Well I've not heard a Brit say "hit the floor" when they mean "hit the ground".
The logic of the ground floor and then looking up at the next one and thinking first floor is clear. The only reason for your confusion is that you live in a world of automatic lifts where it makes sense to number them 1 to 99, though G to 98 makes as much sense.
Now, before lifts were invented the best rooms were always on the first floor, hotels actually put the best rooms there and charged the most for them. It is only after safe lifts were invented that anyone wanted to go to the top of the building.
The concern about British pronunciation is just silly. We speak English which has crazy pronunciation and spelling throughout. I offer you "Read, read, lead, lead", even here look at the past tense, I read and I led.
The logic of the ground floor and then looking up at the next one and thinking first floor is clear. The only reason for your confusion is that you live in a world of automatic lifts where it makes sense to number them 1 to 99, though G to 98 makes as much sense.
Now, before lifts were invented the best rooms were always on the first floor, hotels actually put the best rooms there and charged the most for them. It is only after safe lifts were invented that anyone wanted to go to the top of the building.
The concern about British pronunciation is just silly. We speak English which has crazy pronunciation and spelling throughout. I offer you "Read, read, lead, lead", even here look at the past tense, I read and I led.
Feb 23rd, 2017, 02:25 AM
#38
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Another difference that I've noticed is:
Americans live <strong>on</strong> Main Street
Brits live <strong>in</strong> Main Street.
Fascinating how languages evolve...although I pride myself on good grammar, I have to admit that what we are sometimes taught in school is what the powers-that-be <em>wish</em> were correct.
Did I use the subjunctive ("were") correctly in that last sentence? Who the hell knows--"was" sounds better to me when spoken.
ssander
Americans live <strong>on</strong> Main Street
Brits live <strong>in</strong> Main Street.
Fascinating how languages evolve...although I pride myself on good grammar, I have to admit that what we are sometimes taught in school is what the powers-that-be <em>wish</em> were correct.
Did I use the subjunctive ("were") correctly in that last sentence? Who the hell knows--"was" sounds better to me when spoken.
ssander
Feb 23rd, 2017, 02:40 AM
#39
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I'll get a coke" says the girl to the waiter and I want to scream "no, you'd like a coke, the waiter will get it for you"
Are you sure it is not 'no, you'd like a cock, the waiter will get it ready for you'. Unless you have your periods. Full stop.
Maybe some people in Quebec talk about la fin de semaine. could be. They also say syntoniseur instead of tuner, parc d estaionnement instead of parking and courriel instead of -mail (I love that one, never use it though).
At a time it was said Princess Diana was to have twins from David Bowie.
The first names were chosen : Alain and Kent.
Alain Di, Bowie Kent (*)... Try this with fin de semaine ?
(*) try it with the french accent : it gives 'à lundi, beau week-end'.
Are you sure it is not 'no, you'd like a cock, the waiter will get it ready for you'. Unless you have your periods. Full stop.
Maybe some people in Quebec talk about la fin de semaine. could be. They also say syntoniseur instead of tuner, parc d estaionnement instead of parking and courriel instead of -mail (I love that one, never use it though).
At a time it was said Princess Diana was to have twins from David Bowie.
The first names were chosen : Alain and Kent.
Alain Di, Bowie Kent (*)... Try this with fin de semaine ?
(*) try it with the french accent : it gives 'à lundi, beau week-end'.
Feb 23rd, 2017, 04:14 AM
#40
It's also amazing that regardless of how bad one's English supposedly is, it never, ever stops anybody from taking one's "bad English" money. So, I guess we're still safe even if we didn't learn everything there is to know about "Britain" by watching "Coronation Street and worse, wishing we were IN it.
