Author Topic: English-to-English translation (Read 32804 times)

The Genuine · « **Reply #100 on:** January 15, 2012, 06:52:10 PM »

Maybe. Is she a black paralegal in New York?

Jonathon · « **Reply #101 on:** January 15, 2012, 07:42:00 PM »

Quote from: rivka on January 15, 2012, 02:49:03 PM

Quote from: Jonathon on January 15, 2012, 09:49:28 AM
I don't know what separates Cockney from a general London accent.
Class, or perceived class. Watch enough episodes of BBC sitcoms, and you'll pick up on some differences.

I was talking about phonetic differences. But I'm sure there's an association between class and certain features.

rivka · « **Reply #102 on:** January 15, 2012, 08:26:22 PM »

Quote from: Jonathon on January 15, 2012, 07:42:00 PM

I was talking about phonetic differences.

I know, but I always get those wrong when I try to explain them.

Porter · « **Reply #103 on:** January 17, 2012, 10:36:32 PM »

Quote from: rivka on January 15, 2012, 02:49:03 PM

Quote from: Jonathon on January 15, 2012, 09:49:28 AM
I don't know what separates Cockney from a general London accent.
Class, or perceived class. Watch enough episodes of BBC sitcoms, and you'll pick up on some differences.

That didn't work for me!

rivka · « **Reply #104 on:** January 17, 2012, 10:49:46 PM »

Note my cagey use of the weasel word "enough".

Clearly, you have not yet reached that quantity.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #105 on:** October 05, 2012, 12:47:49 PM »

Apposite. If you give somebody the apposite of what they are looking for, they will be pleased with you. Unless of course they are looking for say a fat lip.

I'm surprised opposite is such a common word, and yet I did not know the word apposite even existed until today. I'm pleased to know it.

pooka · « **Reply #106 on:** October 10, 2012, 11:00:00 PM »

I knew it existed but have hardly used it and would have to look it up.

rivka · « **Reply #107 on:** October 26, 2012, 07:35:01 AM »

http://www.netfunny.com/rhf/jokes/95q4/uk.html

pooka · « **Reply #108 on:** October 26, 2012, 01:09:26 PM »

That was pretty impressively long. I'm not even sure how far through I got.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #109 on:** October 26, 2012, 04:23:17 PM »

Made it through the whole list. I knew about 80% of them.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #110 on:** October 27, 2012, 07:28:03 AM »

It was a lot of work! I feel like some of the American words he misinterpreted, though. Like "mug" - he thought it meant thug. I don't think it means that anywhere, but it is a slangy word for face. I wonder if he thought that because he heard of mug shots and thought they were pictures of tough criminals, when actually they're pictures of tough criminals' faces.

pooka · « **Reply #111 on:** October 27, 2012, 02:00:49 PM »

I can mean a guy. Especially if you're Humphrey Bogart.

rivka · « **Reply #112 on:** October 27, 2012, 08:30:38 PM »

Quote from: Annie Subjunctive on October 27, 2012, 07:28:03 AM

Like "mug" - he thought it meant thug. I don't think it means that anywhere

Actually, I have heard it as slang along those lines. Can't recall where.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #113 on:** October 28, 2012, 12:16:26 AM »

Really? That's really odd sounding to me.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #114 on:** January 27, 2013, 09:45:35 PM »

There's a song by the Chemical Brothers called "Let Forever Be" that I love, but it always drove me nuts because the lyric says "How does it feel like …". To me, it should definitely be either "how does it feel" or "what does it feel like." Since I met my husband, though, I'm wondering how widespread the "how does it feel like" phrasing is. He says it all the time, and also says "how does it taste/sound/smell like" and the inverse, "how it feels/tastes/sounds like."

Do any of the rest of you say it this way? Is it a Northeast thing or a smaller, maybe generational thing?

Jonathon · « **Reply #115 on:** January 27, 2013, 10:13:57 PM »

I agree with your inclinations—"how does it feel like" sounds weird to me. I don't know anything about the variation, though.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #116 on:** January 28, 2013, 12:33:40 AM »

You are correct. It is "What is it like" or "How is it". "How is it like" is just wrong. And I'm born in New York and I reside in New Jersey for the past 26 years, so I have the Northeast thing pegged.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #117 on:** January 28, 2013, 08:17:34 AM »

You could say, "How does it feel like that?"

But, yeah. Saying "How does it feel like?" doesn't sound right.

rivka · « **Reply #118 on:** May 24, 2013, 05:09:06 PM »

I'm watching Doc Martin, so I'm back with more British English oddities. My favorite thus far is, "How far gone are you?" Which doesn't mean "Are you at death's door?" or "Have you lost your mind?" but instead means "How many months/weeks pregnant are you?"

pooka · « **Reply #119 on:** May 29, 2013, 01:08:23 PM »

Well, they do fall pregnant.

rivka · « **Reply #120 on:** July 19, 2013, 06:57:48 PM »

I've been rereading all the Anne books, and some of L.M. Montgomery's other books (Storygirl, Golden Road). Hooray for free ebooks.

They have quite a few usages or words that are either Canadian or just now out of fashion. Sonsy apparently means buxom and saucy. A queen pudding is a dessert somewhere between sponge cake and floating islands.

There have been others, but they escape me at the moment.

rivka · « **Reply #121 on:** July 22, 2013, 11:24:56 AM »

When a child is referred to as "a limb", it means "a holy terror". It's short for "a limb of Satan".

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #122 on:** July 22, 2013, 08:32:38 PM »

Wow. That's both funny and horrible.

rivka · « **Reply #123 on:** July 22, 2013, 09:27:16 PM »

I know!

And the first time I saw it I was very confused.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #124 on:** August 09, 2013, 03:09:43 PM »

Are the following obsolete, or are they still OK in British usage, does anyone know?

Many things in our lives go by contraries.
Give me as much again
I didn't make much of the lecture.