US vs. UK English

[whocares]

Ok, I just got really annoyed by a post that criticized my use of UK English. I promptly replied whit a post that was most likely exaggerated. So the question is: is there any etiquette about the spelling that should be used on these forums (color vs. colour).

I remember there being a thread about UK vs US spelling, but I didn't address this etiquette issue IIRC. I know there are quite a few posters from different countries where English is an official language. There are also many people for whom (yes whom :p ) English isn't a native language and that was learned at school. I would like to know what you guys and gals thaught about this :)

Here's the incriminating thread:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=45833

Typos

[bousozoku]

There's no reason to worry about it. The only reason some would complain is that they've been sheltered from reality far too long and don't know the equivalent word. If you know the word, use it and explain what you mean.

If the person is not nice about it, you should report the post. There's no reason for any of that.


Actually, after reading the thread further. I would complain about most of the posts in it. Few had proper grammar, spelling, or etiquette. The whole thread could probably be sent to Wasteland without a second thought.

[Macco]

Originally posted by whocares
I promptly replied whit a post that was most likely exagerated...

I would like to knwo what you guys and gals thaught about this :)...

Here's the increminating thread:


What part of England do you come from? I thought people over there were supposed to be proper, precise, and careful. Actually, I guess I'd better take that back. Some people might think I'm a racist... :rolleyes:

[mactastic]

Take a torch to them.

And learn how to say aluminium!:D

[whocares]

Originally posted by Macco
Actually, I guess I'd better take that back. Some people might think I'm a racist... :rolleyes:

Wise move :D
I don't live there, I was just born there. I now live in France.

-macstatic
do you mean "a-lee-u-minium"? :p

[Durandal7]

It shouldn't matter if you use US or UK English. If someone can't figure that out then that's their problem.

On the subject, I remember a UK tabloid was running a supposed "intercepted memo" from inside the Bush administration. The memo was fairly easily shown to be a fake when it was pointed out that the supposed author (it was either Bush or Powell) was using all British spellings of common words.

[Rower_CPU]

I closed the other thread.

Typo pointing out is not cool in most cases, since you open yourself up to counter-criticism. In the case of that thread, I think asking the original poster to make an attempt was justified but then the whole thing just deteriorated from there...

[whocares]

Originally posted by Rower_CPU
I closed the other thread.

Typo pointing out is not cool in most cases, since you open yourself up to counter-criticism. In the case of that thread, I think asking the original poster to make an attempt was justified but then the whole thing just deteriorated from there...

Exactly my feeling, but I fell for it anyways...

[mactastic]

It's Al-u-min-um, not Al-u-min-ee-um! Lol, always cracks me up to hear a brit say it.:p

[Dros]

Originally posted by whocares
Ok, I just got really annoyed by a post that criticized my use of UK English


Oddly enough, the original poster lacking punctuation seemed to be someone from the UK. You criticized them, and someone corrected your typo. Confusingly, they made an irrelevant reference to American English, which then pissed you off. However, they weren't criticizing your use of UK English, they were just irritated by your criticisms of the original poster, and nit-picking your typos in return. No need to make this another American arrogance thread.

The whole thing is silly. No one seems to have understood anyone else in that whole thread.

Anyone attacking the spelling of "colour" is a nut. Those are my thoughts.

[krossfyter]

oh man that was a mess. evoked a laugh out of me. rower did a good job of closing that one up.


porky pig man!


:D

[bousozoku]

Originally posted by mactastic
It's Al-u-min-um, not Al-u-min-ee-um! Lol, always cracks me up to hear a brit say it.:p

It's better the Japanese-English way: alumi. We avoid the mess entirely. ;)

[idea_hamster]

Originally posted by Dros
Anyone attacking the spelling of "colour" is a nut.
I agree totally -- unless we US-ers are talking about fanny packs. Or our Fannie Mae investments. That's really the only thing that I can think of that might create some friction -- and then it should really come from the UK-ers. (Sorry to the UK-ers who would have rather had some ****** instead -- maybe vBulletin should have US/UK settings for censorship.)

[mactastic]

Originally posted by idea_hamster
maybe vBulletin should have US/UK settings for censorship.)

Then I wouldn't be able to type BLOODY 'ELL!;)

[WinterMute]

Two countries divided by a common language.:D

In my copy of the Oxford English dictionary, aluminium is spelt as it sounds, and on the periodic tables it is also described that way, it the US it spelt the other way, so neither country is mispronouncing the word, they are correct in context.

We're right though.;)

Just be careful what you do when a Brit asks you to lay the table.:eek:

[edesignuk]

Originally posted by mactastic
It's Al-u-min-um, not Al-u-min-ee-um! Lol, always cracks me up to hear a brit say it.:p
I'm so glad we amuse you :p :D :cool:

[kettle]

Originally posted by mactastic
It's Al-u-min-um, not Al-u-min-ee-um! Lol, always cracks me up to hear a brit say it.:p

http://www.world-aluminium.org/

English and American, don't get the two confused.

[kettle]

Aluminium was named aluminium by an English chemist called Sir Humphry Davy.
The origin of Aluminum has been traced to a spelling error early in the 19th century, the correct version was intended to be Aluminium in the same fashion as potassium, sodium, and magnesium, all named by the same English chemist.
The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry officially set the standardised spelling of aluminium in 1990.

How do you spell "colloquialism" ?

a colloquialism is language that has limitations of expression.

British = Brit
American = Yank
Aluminium = Aluminum
:eek:

[caveman_uk]

Personally I'm using the UK version of the language. If the Americans want to use theirs that's fine. I'm bilingual. As long as it's correct at least somewhere then that's fine. It pisses me off when either side criticises the others spelling through ignorance...

For the record

where the US ends words 'ize' we often use 'ise'
where we end with 'our' the US uses 'or' (so this is 'macrumours' in UK English)
we use 'ph' instead of 'f' a lot though officially 'sulfur' is now the correct scientific name for what we used to call 'sulphur'
The word 'draft' in US English is often spelt 'Draught' in UK English
We call the 'hood' of a car the 'bonnet', the 'trunk' the 'boot' and the 'fender' a 'bumper'. We also call 'fawcets' 'taps'.
The word 'Schedule' is pronounce 'shedule' in UK English and 'Skedule' in US English.
'Route' is pronounced 'root' here and 'rowt' there

...can anyone think of anymore???

[Mark James]

In Stevenage Town Centre (Centre, you'll note, not Center) I've often heard parents hail their shaven-headed, pierce-eared 6yo children with 'Wayneyoufahkinkarhn'. Is this, and the accompanying slap around the head, a uniquely Hertfordshire form of address?

[mrjamin]

Originally posted by caveman_uk
...can anyone think of anymore???

in the uk, clerk is pronounced 'clark'. Well, i say 'is', but many people don't.

I should no more being an ex-linguistics student! There's some great books on stuff like this.

The thing that gets right up my nose is when English is referred to as UK English, or worse yet, International English. Surely its just English and all other countries that speak English are "international english" or more specifically localised to "US English" in the states for example.

[mrjamin]

Originally posted by Mark James
In Stevenage Town Centre (Centre, you'll note, not Center) I've often heard parents hail their shaven-headed, pierce-eared 6yo children with 'Wayneyoufahkinkarhn'. Is this, and the accompanying slap around the head, a uniquely Hertfordshire form of address?

<ot>
You're not mark james of 'dust' fame are you? from st Albans?
</ot>

[Mark James]

Originally posted by mrjamin
<ot>
You're not mark james of 'dust' fame are you? from st Albans?
</ot>
Sorry to disappoint, Mister. Never heard of them, but a quick Google reveals that we now call them 'Verra Cruz'.

I'm a Welwyn boy by birth and I know St Albans well, but I jumped ship when those young scamps were still in nappies. Or diapers.

[caveman_uk]

Originally posted by Mark James
In Stevenage Town Centre (Centre, you'll note, not Center) I've often heard parents hail their shaven-headed, pierce-eared 6yo children with 'Wayneyoufahkinkarhn'. Is this, and the accompanying slap around the head, a uniquely Hertfordshire form of address?
No, I believe it also exists in certain areas of Essex, North Kent (see www.sheppeyscum.com - 'Native Lingo' section for a pronounciation guide) and the Metropolis. That form of address is common in 'new' (read 'ugly, unplanned, urban, don't go out at night unless you're tooled up') towns such as Stevenage as most of the inhabitants were shipped there from London in the 50s.

[Mark James]

Originally posted by caveman_uk
No, I believe it also exists in certain areas of Essex, North Kent (see www.sheppeyscum.com - 'Native Lingo' section for a pronounciation guide) and the Metropolis. That form of address is common in 'new' (read 'ugly, unplanned, urban, don't go out at night unless you're tooled up') towns such as Stevenage as most of the inhabitants were shipped there from London in the 50s.
Sheppeyesque looks about right, yep.

I take it you're not looking forward to the union of Hitchin and Stevenage, then?!

[idea_hamster]

Originally posted by caveman_uk
...can anyone think of anymore???
I was at a party where a Uk-er was telling a story from his childhood to a group of people who were, well, let's charitably say "unfamiliar" with cultures and people foreign to them. When he described how he'd had so much fun playing "torch tag" -- "you know, where you run around at night trying to get each other with torches" -- I had to translate. After all the looks on their faces were priceless: :eek: is pretty accurate!

[Mark James]

Depends where you are, Hamster. In Sheppey they really do run around after people carrying burning oily rags on sticks. Romanian asylum seekers, mostly.

See also http://www.guardian.co.uk/race/story/0,11374,1074767,00.html

Anyone care to explain the numberplate 'P1KEY'?!

[idea_hamster]

Originally posted by Mark James
Depends where you are, Hamster. In Sheppey they really do run around after people carrying burning oily rags on sticks. Romanian asylum seekers, mostly.

See also http://www.guardian.co.uk/race/story/0,11374,1074767,00.html

Anyone care to explain the numberplate 'P1KEY'?!

HA! :D -- wait...that's not funny :eek: -- I'd feel better if you stuck a " ;) " after that, Mark James!

As for P1KEY, that's probably supposed to be read "PIKEY", which, if I recall, was the (I guessed) derrogatory term used for the gypsies in the movie "Snatch" -- Brad Pitt is a mush-mouthed bare-knuckles boxer in Guy Ritchie's follow-up to LS&2SBs.

Just figured it for another slur that I'd never heard of.

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by whocares
Ok, I just got really annoyed by a post that criticized my use of UK English. I promptly replied whit a post that was most likely exaggerated. So the question is: is there any etiquette about the spelling that should be used on these forums (color vs. colour).

I remember there being a thread about UK vs US spelling, but I didn't address this etiquette issue IIRC. I know there are quite a few posters from different countries where English is an official language. There are also many people for whom (yes whom :p ) English isn't a native language and that was learned at school. I would like to know what you guys and gals thaught about this :)

Here's the incriminating thread:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=45833

Typos

having been here well over 3 years, i have seen every type of spelling in the english language including techie/internet related speak like lol, lmao, and ";)" and other oddities

there are thousands of each of brits, americans, and i suspect people from other countries registered here and due to my strange hours of work, i sometimes find myself posting with brits, asians, and europeans (i learned not to call brits europeans while in england) more than fellow americans...plus i went to university in london for a bit so i am used to different spellings and mannerisms of speech...it's just separating them all which is hard at times and i find myself using the term holiday more than vacation and i can't break myself of that habit

...and i don't watch british tv, either...and i am not a drama major:p

[codemother]

Originally posted by jefhatfield
... i find myself using the term holiday more than vacation and i can't break myself of that habit

.

In reverse, I have a friend (who is British) who always says vacation instead of holiday - so of course I have to correct him. Just show's you what too much Buffy can do to you!

BTW jefhatfield have you been posting back here long? - you used to post loads here about 2 years ago (esp. about processor design?) or have you been here all along and I've just not been paying attention :)

C.

[Iconocat]

I can absolutely relate to this topic! I am an american, but I lived in England for a while back in 1998 and my very best friend lives there. I am "bilingual" in UK English and USA English in writing and occasionally in speaking. It's a pretty strange hybrid. I also work with quite a few people from England (and many other countries) so this doesn't help much. :)

One interesting thing I've noticed is the auto manufacturer Jaguar is desprately trying to teach americans how to say it properly! I saw an ad the other day and it was very clearly saying Jag-U-Are as opposed to the commonly mispronounced Jag-Wire or Jag-War.

Btw, don't mess w/ Essex... my best friend is from Colchester. Okay, you can mess w/ parts of it.. heh, we could be talking about Slough or Croydon! :D

[Shifty]

Have you ever noticed, whenever you want to set a spellchecker to a certain language, your options are

- English
- British English
- Australian English


English ?!?! British English?!?!?!? ARGH! THere's no such thing!

[Sun Baked]

>Shifty

You left out California's gift to the English Language, ebonics.

[Shifty]

Originally posted by Sun Baked
>Shifty

You left out California's gift to the English Language, ebonics.

What's that then?

[Sun Baked]

Originally posted by Shifty
What's that then? Street slang...

A California School District thought would be an awsome idea to teach the little bastards in the language of the street (ebonics), since they had trouble understanding US English.

Imagine students that would have graduated from that school district... :rolleyes:

[Shifty]

Originally posted by Sun Baked
Street slang...

A California School District thought would be an awsome idea to teach the little bastards in the language of the street (ebonics), since they had trouble understanding US English.

Imagine students that would have graduated from that school district... :rolleyes:

Intresting

Well, there's a new slang every day. ;)

[cubist]

Originally posted by Iconocat
... One interesting thing I've noticed is the auto manufacturer Jaguar is desprately trying to teach americans how to say it properly! I saw an ad the other day and it was very clearly saying Jag-U-Are as opposed to the commonly mispronounced Jag-Wire or Jag-War. ...

I think those ads are incorrect. The word comes from a South American Indian language, through Spanish, and should be pronounced Jag-War.

[Geetar]

Originally posted by cubist
I think those ads are incorrect. The word comes from a South American Indian language, through Spanish, and should be pronounced Jag-War.

By your (somewhat dubious) logic, we should call Mercedes cars "Mehr-thed-ess" since this was originally a Castillian Spanish girl's name ........ even though the girl the Merc was named after was actually Austrian.

Confused yet?

No, on second thoughts, "jag-u-are" it is. The car is made by an English company (though one admittedly owned by Americans) so the guys who named it get to choose the pronunciation. And as for "Jag-wire"...... :confused: :rolleyes:

[leet1]

Jay Leno made fun of one of those commercials a few weeks ago. I don't think many people care how they want it to be said, lol.

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by codemother
In reverse, I have a friend (who is British) who always says vacation instead of holiday - so of course I have to correct him. Just show's you what too much Buffy can do to you!

BTW jefhatfield have you been posting back here long? - you used to post loads here about 2 years ago (esp. about processor design?) or have you been here all along and I've just not been paying attention :)

C.

when i first discovered macrumors, i just lurked for many months and posted very little

then i was big in the hardware area and mostly i posted about mac hardware rumors and issues

then i switched to political talk which i basically started here

now i spend most of my time in the community section talking about other things besides macs:p

[MrMacMan]

Ok a question.

My friend talked to me about how a cigarette is called a 'fag' but what about cigarettes or a carton of cigarettes... what do you call that?

Fags?

:rolleyes:

(No, I'm serious, not trying to be offensive to gay people)

[absolut_mac]

Originally posted by Durandal7
It shouldn't matter if you use US or UK English. If someone can't figure that out then that's their problem.

Most people won't have a hard time figuring out color versus colour, tire/tyre, check/cheque etc.

But others may have a harder time with....

bonnet = hood
boot = trunk
cubby hole = glove compartment
lift = elevator
Marmite = ??? (oops sorry, not available here) :)

Either way, go easy on those that aren't familiar with English words or spellings.

As an aside, English letters are based on Latin/Roman letters.

Poem from my first Latin text book (age 13)

Latin is a dead language as dead as dead can be,
Latin killed the Romans and now it's killing me :confused:

[krossfyter]

http://www.electube.com/celica/misc/smiles/romanlol.gif

[Nermal]

Originally posted by Iconocat
One interesting thing I've noticed is the auto manufacturer Jaguar is desprately trying to teach americans how to say it properly! I saw an ad the other day and it was very clearly saying Jag-U-Are as opposed to the commonly mispronounced Jag-Wire or Jag-War.

I remember several years ago, there was an ad from Aiwa which went something like this:

"This is the new ai-wa. It is not an ai-o-wa, and it is not an ai-ee-wa. An ai-o-wa is a state in the US, and an ai-ee-wa is a karate move. If you buy the wrong thing, you could end up with a large hunk of dirt, or an extreme pain in the backside".

As per language, we tend to use English English here, but we do use the occasional Americanism. But it really annoys me when people pronounce schedule as "skedule". And either as "ee-ther".

[caveman_uk]

Originally posted by MrMacman
Ok a question.

My friend talked to me about how a cigarette is called a 'fag' but what about cigarettes or a carton of cigarettes... what do you call that?

Fags?

:rolleyes:

(No, I'm serious, not trying to be offensive to gay people)
Indeed the expression asking someone to buy you some whilst they were out would be 'Can you get us some fags?'
Originally posted by Mark James
I take it you're not looking forward to the union of Hitchin and Stevenage, then?!
No.
Actually it's worse than that as we're wedged between Stevenage AND Luton and Luton's an even bigger ****hole

[Geetar]

Speaking as an expat Brit, I'm delighted to tell y'all (except my new Texan friends now insist it's "All y'all") that .....Ta-daaaa! Marmite IS available here [ Cue: cheers from the huddled Brit masses and puzzled looks from the American shoppers in what they've charmingly named the "Ethnic" section of Publix].

Here being Florida, they've managed to translate the price, too.


87 pence =$4.99

[caveman_uk]

[i]
Here being Florida, they've managed to translate the price, too.


87 pence =$4.99 [/B]
A similar thing happens here with Macs - it's probably transportation, import duties and sales taxes....at least that's what people here say when we point out how much macs cost in Europe :rolleyes:

[Squire]

Originally posted by caveman_uk
For the record

where the US ends words 'ize' we often use 'ise'
where we end with 'our' the US uses 'or' (so this is 'macrumours' in UK English)
we use 'ph' instead of 'f' a lot though officially 'sulfur' is now the correct scientific name for what we used to call 'sulphur'
The word 'draft' in US English is often spelt 'Draught' in UK English
We call the 'hood' of a car the 'bonnet', the 'trunk' the 'boot' and the 'fender' a 'bumper'. We also call 'fawcets' 'taps'.
The word 'Schedule' is pronounce 'shedule' in UK English and 'Skedule' in US English.
'Route' is pronounced 'root' here and 'rowt' there

...can anyone think of anymore???

In Canada we get bombarded with both American English and...English. But one of the differences you mentioned above really threw me: You call the fender (the part of the car's body over the tire...err...tyre) the bumper? What do you call the bumper? (I mean the part of the car at the front and rear that gets bumped in the majority of car accidents.)

Oh, another one is program vs. programme.

Noah Webster (as in the dictionary) is responsible for most of the differences. (I posted this in another thread several months ago.)

"The end of the war brought independence from Britain for the thirteen colonies, but political independence alone didn't satisfy Webster. He wanted the former colonies to be intellectually independent from Britain as well."

I guess pointing out typos is a bit nit-picky. However, the fella in that thread was making a total mockery of the language. Someone else (Shadowfax?) pointed out that a lot of newbies post in here as if it were a messaging service. I think that if more people were more concerned about writing informative/interesting/worthwhile post than they were about getting their post counts up and receiving an avatar, these threads would be a lot better.

<Man, that last part sounds a bit harsh but I'm not going to delete it. It's just that I spend my whole day reading and listening to poor English.>

Squire

[Wash!!]

I stick with Spanish....:D

[caveman_uk]

Originally posted by Squire
In Canada we get bombarded with both American English and...English. But one of the differences you mentioned above really threw me: You call the fender (the part of the car's body over the tire...err...tyre) the bumper? What do you call the bumper? (I mean the part of the car at the front and rear that gets bumped in the majority of car accidents.)

I thought the 'fender' was what we called the 'bumper'. If it is the bit of the car over the front wheel then we call that bit the 'wing'. The bumper is the bit that helps you park in tight spaces :D

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by MrMacman
Ok a question.

My friend talked to me about how a cigarette is called a 'fag' but what about cigarettes or a carton of cigarettes... what do you call that?

Fags?

:rolleyes:

(No, I'm serious, not trying to be offensive to gay people)

what is more than on cigarette called?

cancer on the installment plan as i have heard more than one smoker mention

[Squire]

Originally posted by caveman_uk
I thought the 'fender' was what we called the 'bumper'. If it is the bit of the car over the front wheel then we call that bit the 'wing'. The bumper is the bit that helps you park in tight spaces :D

I guess before one-piece body construction, cars had 4 fenders (one over each wheel) that stretched from the doors, along the side.

Dictionary.com gave me this info which explains the difference.
---------------------------------------
fend¡¤er €€ (€P€)€€Pronunciation Key€€(fndr)
n.
A guard over each wheel of a motor vehicle, for example, that is shaped and positioned so as to block the splashing of water or mud.


A device at the front end of a locomotive or streetcar designed to push aside obstructions.




A cushioning device, such as a bundle of rope or a piece of timber, used on the side of a vessel or dock to absorb impact or friction.


A screen or metal framework placed in front of a fireplace to keep hot coals and debris from falling out.
------------------------------------------
Interesting.

Squire

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by Squire
I guess before one-piece body construction, cars had 4 fenders (one over each wheel) that stretched from the doors, along the side.

Dictionary.com gave me this info which explains the difference.
---------------------------------------
fend¡?er €€ (€P€)€€Pronunciation Key€€(fndr)
n.
A guard over each wheel of a motor vehicle, for example, that is shaped and positioned so as to block the splashing of water or mud.


A device at the front end of a locomotive or streetcar designed to push aside obstructions.




A cushioning device, such as a bundle of rope or a piece of timber, used on the side of a vessel or dock to absorb impact or friction.


A screen or metal framework placed in front of a fireplace to keep hot coals and debris from falling out.
------------------------------------------
Interesting.

Squire

some SUVs i have seen seem to have four fenders (bumpers) with the regular bumpers on the front and back and then some roll cage looking deal (contraption) made for heavy brush...man, those urban yuppies need those brush bumpers just in case a large tubleweed attacks their car in the parking lot of their cushy coroporate job:p

[Squire]

Originally posted by jefhatfield
some SUVs i have seen seem to have four fenders (bumpers) with the regular bumpers on the front and back and then some roll cage looking deal (contraption) made for heavy brush...man, those urban yuppies need those brush bumpers just in case a large tubleweed attacks their car in the parking lot of their cushy coroporate job:p

Yeah, but in American English, wouldn't they be called fender guards?

I was unaware of the fender/bumper difference but now it's starting to make sense. I'm assuming that when a person says they've been in a "little fender bender," it refers to the UK usage of the word.

Squire

[Macco]

Originally posted by idea_hamster
I was at a party where a Uk-er was telling a story from his childhood to a group of people who were, well, let's charitably say "unfamiliar" with cultures and people foreign to them. When he described how he'd had so much fun playing "torch tag" -- "you know, where you run around at night trying to get each other with torches" -- I had to translate. After all the looks on their faces were priceless: :eek: is pretty accurate!

At summer camp, the woman doing the announcements on the loudspeaker was British. One day, she said, "Can whoever stole the red high-powered torch from the wood shop please return it?" There was quite a stir until she came back on a few minutes later and explained that torch means flashlight. We were all relieved, knowing that some crazy kid wasn't running around camp with a blowtorch :D.

[Shifty]

Who knows about cockney-rhyming slang, then?

[WinterMute]

Originally posted by Shifty
Who knows about cockney-rhyming slang, then?

This thread is getting on my bleedin' West Hams...:D

Any takers?

[Mark James]

Originally posted by Shifty
Who knows about cockney-rhyming slang, then?
I do, yer Putney berk.

<I'd insert a smiley, but I'm against them on religious grounds>

[Mark James]

Originally posted by WinterMute
This thread is getting on my bleedin' West Hams...:D

Any takers?

I don't believe West Ham can afford a reserve team these days, are they? Now Bristol City, there's a team...

[mrjamin]

Originally posted by Shifty
Who knows about cockney-rhyming slang, then?

"cockney rhyming slang" - aka "David 'ockney rhymin' Micheal Chang"

have a butchers at this http://www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk/rabbit_1.asp

[Shifty]

Originally posted by Mark James
I do, yer Putney berk.

<I'd insert a smiley, but I'm against them on religious grounds>

I should really remove my Postcode in my profile.

Ps. you're brown-bread, J/k ;)

[WinterMute]

Originally posted by Mark James
I don't believe West Ham can afford a reserve team these days, are they? Now Bristol City, there's a team...

Or two of them obviously:D

One of the great things about "berk" is that it gets used a lot in polite conversation and most people don't actually know what it means:D

My mum used to call everyone a berk till I enlightened her... her current favourite is tosser:eek:

[caveman_uk]

Originally posted by WinterMute
One of the great things about "berk" is that it gets used a lot in polite conversation and most people don't actually know what it means:D

Would you care to enlighten me? Or is it so rude it'll have to wait til the next get together at the expo?

[yamabushi]

I heard once that Brits use the phrase "how's it been?" or "how have you been doing?" differently than in US English. In the U.S. it is often used as a casual way to say "Has your health been well lately?" or "Your life has been free of any difficulties lately, hasn't it?". I had heard that in the UK that similar phrases might be interpreted in a sexual way. If true, this could obviously lead to some unfortunate misunderstandings. Any word on this?

[WinterMute]

Originally posted by caveman_uk
Would you care to enlighten me? Or is it so rude it'll have to wait til the next get together at the expo?

It's origin is "Berkeley Hunt" need any more clues?:D

[caveman_uk]

Originally posted by WinterMute
It's origin is "Berkeley Hunt" need any more clues?:D
Oh..I see:eek:

[krossfyter]

ahh sheet someone had to mention cockney in here. damn now this thread has officially been hijacked.

[Shifty]

Originally posted by krossfyter
ahh sheet someone had to mention cockney in here. damn now this thread has officially been hijacked.

Sorry :(

I just though I bring it up, since it cockney is an intresting topic.

[Mark James]

Something that's always fascinated me (I'm *so* sad) about the word 'berk' is that it's pronounced 'burk' rather than 'bark'. The English pronunciation of Berkshire being 'Barkshire', Berkeley = Bar-clay etc.

My favorite innocent sounding naughty word is t*a*. To my young mind it was a simple collision of 'twit' and 'prat'. I still remember the look on my parents' faces when first I dropped it into conversation at the age of 10/11. For a definition of *w*t, see 'berk'.

[krossfyter]

Originally posted by Shifty
Sorry :(

I just though I bring it up, since it cockney is an intresting topic.

i agree that cockney is damn interesting. which is why the thread has been hijacked. this thread has just reached another level in importance with the advent of cockney on here. just my opinion.

[Sayhey]

So if I get this right, in cockney slang, the word "Apple," for instance, would be substituted for with a two word phrase like "Grey Dapple" (sorry, couldn't think of anything else that rhymes with apple) and that in turn would be shortened to "Grey"?

I guess that's not much of a phrase, but am I sort of on track?

[idea_hamster]

Originally posted by Sayhey
So if I get this right, in cockney slang, the word "Apple," for instance, would be substituted for with a two word phrase like "Grey Dapple" (sorry, couldn't think of anything else that rhymes with apple) and that in turn would be shortened to "Grey"?

I guess that's not much of a phrase, but am I sort of on track?
As I understand it, yes -- but I think that the phrases are generally known rather than thought up on the spot. I'm no expert, but I suspect that just picking words might be risky -- use the wrong one and you could get into lots of Barney.

[Shifty]

Half Inch = Pinch
Rub-A-Dub = Pub
Pitch And Toss = Boss
Jam Jar = Car
Captain Cook = Look
Iron Tank = Bank
Dancing Fleas = Keys
Bright And Breezy = Easy
Lemon And Lime = Crime
Bottany Bay = Run away
Pie And Mash = Cash
Read + Write = Fight
Bengal Lancer = Chancer
Pork Pies = Lies
Gregor Peck = Cheque
Derry Tom = Bomb
HotPoint Fridge = London Bridge
Danny La Rue = Clue
Sherbert Dab = Cab
Boat Race = Face
Oliver Twist = Fist
Grasshopper = Copper
Two Thirty = Dirty
Potatoes in the Mould = Cold
Duck + Dive = Hide
Garden Gate = Magistrate
Tea Leaf = Theif
Eggs = Legs
Drum + Fife = Knife
Sausage and Mash = Crash
Mince Pies = Eyes
Henry Moore = Door
Grass In the park = Nark
Brown Bread = Dead

[mrjamin]

Originally posted by Shifty

Captain Cook = Look


or Butchers Hook (shortened to Butchers, i.e. "have a butchers")

[WinterMute]

And my personal favourite:

Trouble and strife = wife :D