What is your favourite British saying?
Aug 14th, 2006, 10:13 AM
#25
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Oh, and when I babysit for my cousins, they ask me to either "speak New York" which means speak in a New York accent, or "speak English" which is English with a British accent. They love "mind the gap" and when I say in a really cockneyed accent "Have you both gone mad?"
Aug 14th, 2006, 10:27 AM
#31
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"To pull a face." This is all over the Shopaholic novels which my S.O. and I just love (our guilty pleasure). We sometimes ask each other "Did you just pull a face?" (in most cases we have) and we both have to smile...
Aug 14th, 2006, 10:29 AM
#32
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My late husbands Godmother was born and raised in Cornwall. She had a saying I loved. When her husband had a problem and got frustrated she would say to him "pull your socks up Bill" meaning "get your act together".
Aug 14th, 2006, 10:30 AM
#33
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Josser- Wow! I forgot "snoggling" wasn't a real word. My friends and I made it up based on said experience with the Londoner who was really into cuddling. Snogging is making out, but snoggling is making out with cuddling.
God, I feel like a 6th grader passing a note in class. Snoggling. Too much!
God, I feel like a 6th grader passing a note in class. Snoggling. Too much!
Aug 14th, 2006, 10:59 AM
#34
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I like a lot of the ones already posted, but will add two of my favorites: Whinge, as in "What have you got to whinge about?"
or, "Oh, stop whingeing!" and "c'mon, welly it!", or "Put some welly in it, fer chrissake!" when you want the driver ahead of you to speed up. (Welly, from Wellington boots).
And since we're on the subject of slang, can someone please tell me the meaning of phwoar? Thankyou!
P.S. Scarlett, darlin', I, too, love "gobsmacked"!
or, "Oh, stop whingeing!" and "c'mon, welly it!", or "Put some welly in it, fer chrissake!" when you want the driver ahead of you to speed up. (Welly, from Wellington boots).
And since we're on the subject of slang, can someone please tell me the meaning of phwoar? Thankyou!
P.S. Scarlett, darlin', I, too, love "gobsmacked"!
Aug 14th, 2006, 11:03 AM
#35
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Last year I emailed my British friends to report that DH and I had both been put on layoff notice. (we have since found new jobs) Of course I was very upset to tell this news. My British friend wrote back and said she was gobsmacked. I had never heard that word before, but I presumed it meant surprised in a bad way.
Another time I was in a pub and a blind man's guide dog laid on my feet as I walked to the bar. I thought it was very sweet so I told the blind man that his dog was on my feet. The blind man replied, "He knows a bit of crumpet when he sees it." I wasn't sure if I had been insulted or not, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt and carried on a very pleasant converstaion with him.
Another time I was in a pub and a blind man's guide dog laid on my feet as I walked to the bar. I thought it was very sweet so I told the blind man that his dog was on my feet. The blind man replied, "He knows a bit of crumpet when he sees it." I wasn't sure if I had been insulted or not, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt and carried on a very pleasant converstaion with him.
Aug 14th, 2006, 11:10 AM
#36
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"Phwoar" is a conventional tabloid newspaper transliteration of what people (well, their stereotype of their presumed standard red-blooded meat-eating heterosexual male readers) say on seeing someone exceptionally (or stereotypically) sexually attractive. In the case of a woman, silicone and peroxide are probably involved somewhere, and not many clothes.
Aug 14th, 2006, 11:12 AM
#37
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I'm not sure if I should tell PM this, but what "phwoar" is nowadays was once upon time known as "crumpet" (I don't know if this has something to do with spreading butter - but let's not go there). Since it was a blind man talking, you must have a very attractive voice, PM.
Aug 14th, 2006, 11:16 AM
#38
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Forgive me if this is bad, but I heard it on a British show and can't stop using it (in a playful way of course...)
Bugger off! I'm hoping that means "leave me alone I'm very busy at the moment and don't care to hear your rambling"
Brilliant!
Right as rain...is that one British? I just seem to associate it with UK. Maybe because it rains all the time and it must be right.
Tara
Bugger off! I'm hoping that means "leave me alone I'm very busy at the moment and don't care to hear your rambling"
Brilliant!
Right as rain...is that one British? I just seem to associate it with UK. Maybe because it rains all the time and it must be right.
Tara
Aug 14th, 2006, 11:19 AM
#39
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What fun...the Brits are my fave people in the whole world and I can listen to that those wonderful accents all day. "you'r a right un" And Auntie,,,I love the term auntie.., I also like the term "mates".. Do they still use the phrase "are you bamming me"? Chic lit rules 
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