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Iron Heart Fall/Winter 2025 Live Reveal - Thursday 12th of June at 1700BST

Nuances and Idiosyncrasies of the English Language

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  • I
    IH-GARY
    Haraki san Student
    Joined: 3 Jan 2017

    You get a Breakfast just after you wake up and Supper just before you go to bed - both usually a choice between cereal or toast depending on whether there is any milk left.
    Tea is what you have at Tea Time, which is when you come home from school or work.
    Be careful not to do bad things after your Tea or you might not get any Supper.
    On Christmas Day between Breakfast and Tea you get Christmas Dinner, same on Sundays - you get a Sunday Dinner. If it’s not Christmas or Sunday it’s just called Dinner.
    Also if it’s not Christmas or Sunday, both dinner and tea come with chips but not always a vegetable.
    I think Lunch might be a bit like Dinner but always with a vegetable and crisps instead of chips.
    I have heard of the word Brunch but never seen one so can’t confirm.
    Hope this helps.

    N.B.
    A chip is a chip and a crisp is a crisp. There is something in between, which is called a fry - but these are best left alone as they are the devils work and no good can come of such sorcery.

    My contribution, to urban blues…

    last edited by 12 Apr 2024, 18:51 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
    • T
      Tago Mago
      Mod Squad
      Joined: 16 Jan 2021

      The nuances of the English language even have their own poem:

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chaos

      last edited by 12 Apr 2024, 19:40 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
      • T
        Tago Mago
        Mod Squad
        Joined: 16 Jan 2021

        Also, people who aren’t familiar with this are usually perplexed when they are addressed as either „love“ or „pet“ in a random shop in the north of England

        last edited by 12 Apr 2024, 19:43 J 1 Reply Last reply 12 Apr 2024, 20:15 Reply Quote 2
        • J
          jiminstitches
          Haraki san Prodigy
          @Tago Mago
          Joined: 16 Jan 2024

          @Tago-Mago very true, I get asked ‘ do you want a cup of tea love’ from customers multiple times in a week. But it’s usually an older lady asking a younger man or vice a Versa. I would say it’s usually used when there’s a two generation gap or 20 year gap. If you go to Stoke on Trent everyone calls each other ‘Duck’.

          last edited by jiminstitches 4 Dec 2024, 20:23 12 Apr 2024, 20:15 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
          • E
            endo
            見習いボス
            Joined: 29 May 2020

            for me, as a non-native english speaker (probably wrong already), capitalization is this real thing. You know, like the difference between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse, and helping your uncle jack off a horse.

            si tacuisses

            last edited by endo 12 Apr 2024, 20:21 A M 2 Replies Last reply 12 Apr 2024, 20:29 Reply Quote 9
            • A
              ARNC
              啓蒙家
              @endo
              Joined: 13 Dec 2020

              @endo you don’t want to mix those up, unless your Uncle Jack happens to be into that kind of thing. In that case, you might prefer to avoid spending time with said uncle in an equine environment.

              “Every day that you survive you get a free sunset“

              last edited by 12 Apr 2024, 20:29 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
              • M
                Matt
                見習いボス
                @endo
                Joined: 4 Oct 2011

                @endo either way your uncle’s lucky to have you.

                last edited by 12 Apr 2024, 20:33 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 6
                • E
                  endo
                  見習いボス
                  Joined: 29 May 2020

                  thanks, gentlemen, for your support

                  si tacuisses

                  last edited by 12 Apr 2024, 20:37 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                  • P
                    popvulture
                    見習いボス
                    Joined: 2 Oct 2018

                    I think the toughest Brit vs Yank thing for me to get used to is “quite.” To us, “quite good” sounds like you did pretty well, but to a Brit it’s more like you did sorta meh. I saw this funny chart once… lemme see if I can track it down.

                    WTB
                    IHSH-IHG-BLK XXL
                    Sugar Cane Coke Stripe SS L charcoal

                    last edited by 12 Apr 2024, 20:42 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                    • P
                      popvulture
                      見習いボス
                      Joined: 2 Oct 2018

                      IMG_1021.jpeg

                      My favo(u)rite is probably “brave proposal.” 😝

                      WTB
                      IHSH-IHG-BLK XXL
                      Sugar Cane Coke Stripe SS L charcoal

                      last edited by popvulture 4 Dec 2024, 20:45 12 Apr 2024, 20:44 A 1 Reply Last reply 13 Apr 2024, 08:57 Reply Quote 12
                      • L
                        louisbosco
                        啓蒙家
                        @Giles
                        Joined: 21 Feb 2013

                        @Giles said in Nuances and Idiosyncrasies of the English Language:

                        Cunt, used with the right inflection is the highest compliment you can give/receive......

                        in australia, your call your best mate is a cunt. and calling someone champ means dickhead or wanker.. after all this was a ad for the Northern Territory..

                        https-blueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com-uploads-card-image-274058-a4a9fa62ac4447b2a3a635924cc3d25f.jpg.avif

                        "Loyalty is a two way street. If i'm asking for it from you, then you're getting it from me."

                        • Harvey Specter
                        last edited by louisbosco 13 Apr 2024, 02:37 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                        • A
                          AdamJ
                          IHUK Crew
                          @popvulture
                          Joined: 29 Jun 2017

                          @popvulture my personal favourite is "very interesting = nonsense"

                          The devil is in the detail..

                          last edited by 13 Apr 2024, 08:57 J 1 Reply Last reply 13 Apr 2024, 09:03 Reply Quote 3
                          • J
                            JunkPants
                            Haraki san Student
                            @AdamJ
                            Joined: 20 Nov 2022

                            @AdamJ That was my favourite as well.

                            last edited by 13 Apr 2024, 09:03 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • B
                              Brian
                              Joined: 24 Nov 2022

                              Let’s not get into the roll, bap, barm cake, cob discussion

                              Many years ago I used to work in a high street electronics store on weekends and the manager used to love saying to customers who would come in and say can you help me out with the response of of course sir which way did you come in

                              last edited by 13 Apr 2024, 10:59 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                              • T4920T
                                T4920
                                見習いボス
                                Joined: 27 Apr 2022

                                Commas are important...

                                PXL_20240505_154051193.jpg

                                “𝑁𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑏 𝑦𝑜𝑢. 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑒𝑒𝑡 𝑖𝑡, 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜, 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑡𝑜𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑚 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡.”

                                last edited by 5 May 2024, 15:41 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 8
                                • mclaincauseyM
                                  mclaincausey
                                  見習いボス
                                  Joined: 12 Apr 2013

                                  Team Oxford comma here, and I think skipping the last serial comma is syntactic malpractice.

                                  Think it, be it.

                                  last edited by 6 May 2024, 15:49 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                  • injunjackI
                                    injunjack
                                    見習いボス
                                    Joined: 19 Feb 2010

                                    I seriously enjoy this thread. And laughing to myself, as I consider myself pretty good in english which is my second language. I realize now how much I mix english english (taught in school) and american english, which I've learned watching movies, series and old rock'nroll, which makes me probably using quite old idoms or slang. But one thing I almost hate, when people say something is badass, when it's just nice car of bike or clothes you wear or something similar. To me, badass is somebody who can literally kick my ass. (those are few :-D) Please, carry on.

                                    last edited by 6 May 2024, 17:24 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • GilesG
                                      Giles
                                      IHUK Crew
                                      Joined: 22 Sept 2009

                                      Glad you like it.

                                      Language mutates that is part of its beauty and interest: gay, sick, nice, aubergine and obviously badass (and I am sure cunt was not a term of affection 50 years ago) 😂

                                      I'm too lazy to think of more, but there will be thousands of examples....

                                      "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                      last edited by Giles 5 Jun 2024, 18:12 6 May 2024, 18:08 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • M
                                        Matt
                                        見習いボス
                                        Joined: 4 Oct 2011

                                        I’ve never used the Oxford comma. It’s superfluous. Prove me wrong.

                                        last edited by 6 May 2024, 22:23 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • MizmazzleM
                                          Mizmazzle
                                          見習いボス
                                          Joined: 29 Jun 2021

                                          Ain’t no one got time for that!

                                          In the easy chair with my boots on, melted whiskey in my hand. Could'na been asleep for more than three hours...time to go to work again...

                                          last edited by 6 May 2024, 22:25 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
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