American Language

[christelsabine 1]

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An alternative meaning of the phrase is that if you were to knock on someone's door in the morning to wake them up up then you would have "knocked them up".

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
yeah, totally not what i would have thought that meant at all!

Oh please!

Did you really believe Mr. mr2mk1g's explanation?

He was exactly NOT talking about what I was thinking, too!

dudeist skydiver # 3105

[shropshire 0]

He did speak the truth..... so what were you thinking?

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Diezel 0]

The meaning can only be conveyed by the context... kinda like the word "bollocks". That can have many meanings dependant on the context.

[shropshire 0]

More like..

That's the bollocks.

or

That's bollocks

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Diversgodown 0]

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Need some help from Americans only. I'm currently working on an international website, and we have a problem with a particular phrase.

Would you interpret the phrase "I'm going to see my mate" as:

a) I'm going to see my partner/husband/wife

or

b) I'm going to see a friend

Thanks

Most definitely B. But don't listen to me I'm just your average Bluecollar slup..

***Glory Favors the Bold***

[gmittar 0]

Alot of people, especially in more liberal areas don't like calling their S/O a boyfriend, or any other cliche term. I've heard many people refer to them as partner or mate, even in hetrosexual relationships.

English derives so much of it's meaning from context, I'd recommend that you make the context clear, and the phrase will follow suit.

|>.<|
Seriously, W.T.F. mate?

[Bigwind 0]

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I think the greatest example of cross-pond misunderstanding is the Cockneyism: "can I bum a fag?"

In the UK you'd just be asking to borrow a cigarette... in the US... well.. I'm sure you all imagine the 'fun and games' that could ensue.

i remember the first time i went to america, my dad went to a "liquor" store and asked for 20 fags

[GTAVercetti 0]

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SO = "Serious Other" - as in the person with whom they'd mate.

ehhh...

mate 1 Pronunciation (mt)
n.
1. One of a matched pair: the mate to this glove.
2. A spouse.
3.
a. Either of a pair of animals or birds that associate in order to propagate.
b. Either of a pair of animals brought together for breeding.
4.
a. A person with whom one is in close association; an associate.
b. Chiefly British A good friend or companion.
c. A person with whom one shares living quarters. Often used in combination: advertised for a new flatmate.
5. A deck officer on a merchant ship ranking next below the master.
6. A U.S. Navy petty officer who is an assistant to a warrant officer.
v. mat·ed, mat·ing, mates
v.tr.
1. To join closely; pair.
2. To unite in marriage.
3. To pair (animals) for breeding.
v.intr.
1. To become joined in marriage.
2.
a. To be paired for reproducing; breed.
b. To copulate.

Only one entry -- and noted for being British -- is for friend.


You lose.

(I really don't use it for SO or friend)

Why yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing.

[Tenshi 0]

Silly Americans

[BillyVance 34]

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Silly Americans

Now you see why American English is the most complicated language in the world...

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[shropshire 0]

England and America, two countries separated by a common language - So said George Bernard Shaw.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Andy9o8 0]

You will never hear/see an American use the word "bollocks" (or "bollox") - which literally means testicles - as an expletive, the way Brits do. It's simply not in our lexicon, the way "lorry" (for our "truck") is not in our lexicon. The closest we'll get to it is to sometimes refer to something which is all f**ked up as "all bolloxed up."

It's like "wanker". No self-respecting Yank would be caught dead using the word (except to poke fun at Brit-speak). I'd go as far as suggesting that many Americans who have little exposure to Brit colloquialisms have never even heard of the word. The closest an American would come to calling someone a "wanker" would be to call him a "jerkoff", or maybe a "pussy", but that's an inexact comparison at best.

[BillyVance 34]

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You will never hear/see an American use the word "bollocks" (or "bollox") - which literally means testicles - as an expletive, the way Brits do. It's simply not in our lexicon, the way "lorry" (for our "truck") is not in our lexicon. The closest we'll get to it is to sometimes refer to something which is all f**ked up as "all bolloxed up."

It's like "wanker". No self-respecting Yank would be caught dead using the word (except to poke fun at Brit-speak). I'd go as far as suggesting that many Americans who have little exposure to Brit colloquialisms have never even heard of the word. The closest an American would come to calling someone a "wanker" would be to call him a "jerkoff", or maybe a "pussy", but that's an inexact comparison at best.

Other British bad words...

Isn't "bloody" considered to be on the same level of offensive in England as "shitty" or something like that in America?

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[shropshire 0]

<> - Not these days. I would consider Bloody tame even against Shitty.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[BillyVance 34]

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<> - Not these days. I would consider Bloody tame even against Shitty.

Okay...

How about ranking your words and slang in terms of offensive to tame...

Just curious... I want to call Skinnyshrek all kinds of names that at least he can understand...

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[Andy9o8 0]

"BUGGER!!"

FWIW, Americans never use that as a one-word, stand-alone expletive.

[BillyVance 34]

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"BUGGER!!"

FWIW, Americans never use that as a one-word, stand-alone expletive.

I don't think anyone uttered that word more than Hugh Grant in his movies about life on the British Isles...

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[champu 1]

me: "You know in England they use 'Good Morning', etc to be a fairwell rather than a greeting."

friend: "Yeah well, we're not in England, fag."

me: "Nah, I don't smoke."

[jakee 1,257]

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"You know in England they use 'Good Morning', etc to be a fairwell rather than a greeting."

Do we?

So much to learn, so little time..

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[shropshire 0]

The pure simplicity of the single word conveys so much more.

The one-liner stings much more than a mouth full, so the single word strikes even harder, much more classy (at least over here)

Less is more!

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[mr2mk1g 10]

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You lose.

It wasn't a competition. I didn't mean that the use of "mate" to mean spouse was wrong, just that to Brits its use in that context is damn funny to the point where people would stand round and point at you laughing.

You just wouldn't use it that way here (hence the whole point of the thread). Just as the use of "fag" to mean cigarette would be in seen as bizarre and funny in the States. For examples on the use of "mate" here, look to the Oxford English Dictionary which doesn't even have listing for "mate" as a synonym for spouse:
mate1

• noun 1 Brit. informal a friend or companion. 2 in combination a fellow member or occupant: his teammates. 3 the sexual partner of an animal. 4 an assistant. 5 an officer on a merchant ship subordinate to the master.

[GTAVercetti 0]

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You lose.

It wasn't a competition. I didn't mean that the use of "mate" to mean spouse was wrong, just that to Brits its use in that context is damn funny to the point where people would stand round and point at you laughing.

Dude, it was a joke.

Why yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing.

[mr2mk1g 10]

So were my posts... including the last one.

Guess I edited all of the humor out of it trying not to offend people. Oh well. There were some great colonies jokes in there originally.

[GTAVercetti 0]

I like jokes. Tell jokes.

Why yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing.

[mr2mk1g 10]

What do you call a baby with no arms and no legs in the middle of the ocean?

















Fucked.