English Slang For Perplexed Tourists
I watched the British version of 'Big Brother' recently. That's the television show which is a human hamster cage. Viewers go 'ooh' and 'aah' over the one they like or dislike, and vote to decide who leaves the house. In the interim, the contestants do tricks for the amusement of the public. The last man in gets £100,000. The production company makes millions. All contestants lose any shred of dignity and anonymity.
The 2005 version had an Essex boy and Essex girl on it; modern cockneys. Their speech was replete with annoying, redundant phrases; verbal filler, if you like. This 'got on my tits' (nerves) so much I decided to compile a list of these phrases. Now any visitor to London and surrounding areas can understand the natives.
- Respect: Very much in demand by those least deserving of it; street hoodlums, wide boys, geezers, Z-list celebrities, and rap acts from Chipping Sodbury.
- Aow Roight?: Hello, is all well (between us)?
- Right?: Interrogative used to punctuate sentences. A trick to ensure your audience is listening, to what is probably banal e.g. "I went inna caff on the high road, right? and this geeza looks at me funny, right?, an' I wasn' doin nuffin', right? and so I says to 'im, I says ...
- Cheers: Thank you. Derived from the drinkers' salute.
- At the end of the day: Meaning 'when all is said and done'. A cliché. Emphasises what comes after, which is also banal e.g. "At the end of the day, you've got to look after yourself, know woh a mean?"
- Know what I mean?: Emphasises what comes before it, also usually banal. A verbal trick, to get the listener's attention. Used by those who aren't sure they're expressing themselves clearly. Which is most of the time.
- Seriously: Another 'emphasiser'. Means 'I am serious about the following' e.g. "Seriously, I am well pissed of with you, Craig". Or as a question: "My mate (friend) Sandra's had a boob job (breast enhancement)". To which one replies: "Seriously?".
- To be honest with ya: Meaning, I'm not usually. I am, rather, being earnest. An overused phrase. What follows it is not guaranteed to be sincerely meant, or trustworthy.
- Which is good: A hint on one-upmanship, and disingenuous. e.g. "I won a grand on a scratchcard yesterday. Which is good".
- Scary: Might frighten a two year old. Used by women or gays to convey faux distress. A bad hairdo can be 'scary'. A spider making a sudden dash for the plughole is 'scary'.
- As it 'appens: A hint of one-upmanship here, e.g. "I was down the dogs (at the dog track) yest'day, as it 'appens" (happens).
- 'Th' pronounced as 'F': As in 'Wan, Foo, Fwee, Foah' (One, two, three, four). There is a definite sense that this is deliberately done. A reversion to a child-like speech-impediment.
- Oi dan't kna nuffin' abaht it: I don't know anything about it. Said with an air of grievance, as is ...
- Oi dunno, DO I?: You should somehow be aware of my ignorance, possibly by telepathy. This phrase is key. If you can penetrate to its reproachful, whinging core, you will understand the modern Englishman or woman.
- No disrespect to: I am about to criticise the following person, but do not wish take responsibility for so doing i.e. I AM disrespecting so-and-so.
- Sweet, or 'Sweet as' (a nut): Response to a manoeuvre successfully accomplished, or an unexpected bonus. Often said when you've earned something you're not entitled to e.g. you've robbed a warehouse of two hundred cartons of Benson and Hedges cigarettes, and got away with it. 'Sweet!'.
- Sha ap! (Shut up): I disagree with what you are saying, but haven't the wit, patience or vocabulary to repudiate it, so I'll tell you to 'Sha ap' instead. Repeatedly.
- I'm not 'appy (about ...): I am a Lord of Creation, hear my wrath.
- End of (End of story): I have made a final pronouncement, no more need be said on this subject.
T. O' Donnell ( http://www.tigertom.com ) is an ecommerce consultant and curmudgeon living in London, UK. His latest project is an ebook on conservatories, available at http://www.ttconservatories.co.uk T. O' Donnell freeware may be downloaded at http://www.ttfreeware.co.uk
MORE RESOURCES:
 FOXNews (blog) | House passes health reform; effort to insert abortion language fails Catholic News Service Dave Camp, R-Mich., to recommit the reconciliation package to committee with instructions to substitute language that would codify the Hyde amendment, ... Health Care Passage Hinged On Abortion Language Order on Abortion Solidifies Support Democrats worried about Republicans' motion to recommit on Stupak language |
 MiamiHerald.com | Spanish-language TV networks thriving MiamiHerald.com 'Spanish-language media consumption is going to change dramatically . . . and I don't know if the old guard understands what is going to happen,' says Miami ... Hispanic media keeps growing |
 BBC News | Extra funding for Irish language schools BBC News Irish language schools which have not qualified for full government funding are being given millions of pounds to improve their buildings. ... |
NCAA tournament 2010: Evan Turner's body language Washington Post (blog) "We talked about it throughout the course of the game," Coach Thad Matta said of Turner's body language. "I've known Evan for a long time; ... |
'Ill Fares the Land' by Tony Judt Los Angeles Times We need to rediscover a language of dissent. It can't be an economic language since part of the problem is that we have for too long spoken about politics ... |
Sign language – Hilary Hitchcock, Artist KMOV.com Signs are usually intended to catch the eye; these are photographs of some that have caught mine. facebook.com/urbaneatscafe urbaneatscafe.com/arts ... |
'Faggot' and 'Nigger:' Language used by health care reform protesters Dscriber By D. Scriber l Published: Sunday, March 21 2010 12:31 Conservative protesters who have amassed around the Capitol in opposition to a vote on a health care ... |
Lack of language volunteers will not have big impact on YOG: organisers Channel News Asia The shortage is mainly in the area of language experts where some 2000 are needed. Last Saturday, Sports Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, highlighted that ... |
First Hebrew-language charter school gets approval in Santa Clarita Valley Los Angeles Times (blog) Following months of debate, plans to create the first Hebrew-language charter school in California got the go-ahead this week, after modifications to the ... California's first Hebrew-language charter school OKed Einstein academy approved Unique Charter School Gets Approval From Hart District |
Aroldis Chapman picking up the language Cincinnati.com Fossas thinks the quickest way to overcome that is to learn the language. The other day in the clubhouse a teammate was teaching Chapman the days of the ... |
Learning a Foreign Language: the Ventriloquists Lesson
The main feature you have to master, in order to call yourself a ventriloquist, is to speak without moving your lips. It is not that difficult.
Bridging the Language Gap Using Bilingual Picture Books
There are more than 39 million Hispanics live in the United States making it the fifth largest Spanish-speaking nation in the world. It is estimated that within five years, only Mexico will have more Spanish-speakers than the U.
Learning a Foreign Language: the Psychological Factor
When it comes about learning a foreign language, many people wonder if they will be able to memorize enough vocabulary. But this question never occurs about their mother tongue.
English Slang For Perplexed Tourists
I watched the British version of 'Big Brother' recently. That's the television show which is a human hamster cage.
Show Me the Bunny: Language Acquisition
Some children are really funny about experimenting with speech. Nonetheless, the first intelligible words bring such a feeling of elation to a parent.
What Does an Interpreter Do?
Many people get confused as to the difference between an interpreter and a translator. There is a common tendency to think translators interpreter, or that interpreters translate.
How To Learn Spanish Quickly and Easily
Spanish is a very useful language to learn as it is the world's second most popular language.Outside of the popular coastal tourist resorts a basic knowledge of Spanish is invaluable.
Learning a Foreign Language: Why Should you Learn Words You Never Use in Your Mother Tongue?
Imagine a child sitting in front of a desk, his head in his hands, and mumbling various lists of words over and over. Does this child remind you of your own experience? If yes, I bet that "list of words" does not sound appealing to you.
Learn Korean: Part 2 - Social Status in Culture
Part 1 of this series covered the language and language families in general for the Asian languages. Part 2 will cover the social conduct that is seen throughout Asian countries.
GROUSE ... GROUSE ... GROUSE!!!
I realize that we here in the United States consider ourselves at the top rung of the educational ladder, if only for the fact that so many foreign language students are breaking their necks to come here to both study and live English.But, on second glance, we should not deceive ourselves.
Preschool Spanish
Why an EarlyAGE 2nd Language?Research indicates that from ages 1 through 8 is the best time to introduce a new language to a child. If the 2nd language is introduced early in life children will learn it faster and retain it longer.
Mexican Living: Todays Obsession
I would like to talk about one of my many obsessions: learning Spanish. I have been thinking about this lately mostly because I am under the impression that, though I've lived in Mexico for two years, my Spanish sucks in a major way.
Learn Italian in Italy
You can combine your love of the Italian language with an unforgettable experience in the country where the language is spoken by studying Italian in Italy! Hands-down, the best way to learn a foreign language is to live, work, or study in a native speaking environment. Studying Italian in Italy is the best possible experience you can have to learn the language.
Can You Understand English?
There is a lot of talk about making English the official language of the USA. That would stop the need to spend so much money printing out things like drivers license, tax, voter registration and other official forms in so many languages.
Japanese Kanji Learning: Short-Cuts to Rapid Mastery (Part 1)
What? Kanji can be learned quickly? This seems an impossible dream to many students of Japanese who come from a non-kanji language culture. Even hiragana and katakana seem impossibly hard to the average beginner, so remembering kanji, with all their intricate strokes and multiple readings, can appear to be beyond the abilities of the human mind.
Teaching English in Mexico: A Decent Living?
What's more disappointing than a person who makes a promise he can't keep? A person who makes a promise that is a lie. Many promises to make a "decent living" teaching English in Mexico are just that-a lie.
English Language Sputtering Online Like an Old Ford!
Sad, but true. Just about everywhere you look online, the English language is suffering a fate worse than death.
Second Language Competence Beneficial but often Misunderstood
Second language learning has associated with it many types of benefits. Among them include: social, economic, intellectual and linguistic.
Whats In A Word? More Than You Realize
What's in a word?Apparently more than we might want.For others, the ability to express yourself in the most meaningful way.
Speaking Spanish To Increase Mind Power
Our "mind power" is largely in the way we use our words, and limited by our vocabulary. Words, and the concepts they express, are different in each language, and there are differing common expressions.
