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More fun Britishisms
- Thread starter Büge
- Start date
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Well, MY take on Steve Jobs is far less generous.
Septic, ah, so where all the shit goes. Sounds reasonable.
That, and it's also rhyming slang: "septic [tank]" --> "Yank." In Australian slang, it gets modified into "seppo."
The dog's?
It occurs to me that I’ve never actually heard someone say this one out loud. I’ve heard that it’s a rhyming slang shortening of “Berkshire Hunt,” so do people pronounce it to rhyme with “jerk,” or to rhyme with “dark”?
Phantoon
I cuss you bad
Rhymes with "jerk", though it should actually rhyme with "dark"
Only "should" rhyme with dark when before -shire! Berk will always to me mean the main character of children's claymation series Trapdoor, and so any use of the term as an insult merely sounds like being compared to him.
Not heard Kaylied for drunk but it has long and widely been noted that you can say [anything]ed in British English and mean drunk.
I suppose I should add "ta" to my 'most used' list, it's just quicker and more punchy than other thanking phrases.
Not heard Kaylied for drunk but it has long and widely been noted that you can say [anything]ed in British English and mean drunk.
I suppose I should add "ta" to my 'most used' list, it's just quicker and more punchy than other thanking phrases.
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I am never not amused by the harder, reinforced carry case sold by Games Workshop being called the 'Ard Case.
Phantoon
I cuss you bad
The thing I find most interesting about the way we use the English language isn't the funny words other people don't use, it's how we use the words other people also use. This is a bit of a meme but it's not actually wrong
I deal with non British people all the time and I constantly have to rewrite emails because they read to normal people like polite suggestions, whereas to a British person they'd read as "start doing what I'm saying now because I'm bloody livid with you"
It's missing "that's a brave suggestion" which translates to "I think you're insane"
| What Brits say | What you think they mean | What they actually mean |
| I hear what you say | They accept my point of view | I totally disagree and do not want to discuss this further |
| With the greatest respect | They’re listening to me | This is stupid |
| I almost agree | They’re not far from agreement | I do not agree at all |
| That’s not bad | That’s poor | That’s good |
| Quite good | Very good | Not very good |
| Very interesting | Wow, they’re impressed with what I’m saying | Boy, this person is boring and talking nonsense |
| Incidentally/by the way | That’s not important | That’s the main point |
| I’m sure it’s my fault | They think it’s their fault | This is your fault |
| I only have a few minor comments | There’s no major issue | Please redo the whole thing |
| You must come to dinner | They want me to come | This is not an invitation; I’m just being polite |
| Sorry | They’re sorry, but for what? | I simply want to ask a question |
| I might join you later | They might be coming later | There’s no chance that I’m coming out |
| I’ll bear it in mind | They’ll consider my suggestion | There’s no way I’m doing that |
| How are you? | They want to know how I’m doing | Please don’t tell me your life story |
I deal with non British people all the time and I constantly have to rewrite emails because they read to normal people like polite suggestions, whereas to a British person they'd read as "start doing what I'm saying now because I'm bloody livid with you"
It's missing "that's a brave suggestion" which translates to "I think you're insane"
Some British uses of language resemble other cultural groups that understate their meaning in speech, while others resemble overly polite or euphemistic cultures. We're a kind of mix between the two. I've noticed a resemblance with some jokes about Minnesotan understated speech, for instance, and some of the "being polite but actually meaning something disapproving or dismissive" resembles the way some Japanese and Chinese manners work.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
A sensible shortening of Wellington Boots.
I'm quite partial to "Oh my days" as an alternative exhasperated exclamation to "Oh my god", but that might be down to delivery (and I'm not entirely sure of how British it is - might be a Caribbean import).
