Nuances and Idiosyncrasies of the English Language

[jiminstitches]

@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’.

[endo]

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.

[ARNC]

@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.

[Matt]

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

[endo]

thanks, gentlemen, for your support

[popvulture]

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.

[popvulture]

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

[louisbosco]

@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..

[AdamJ]

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

[JunkPants]

@AdamJ That was my favourite as well.

[Brian]

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

[T4920]

Commas are important...

[mclaincausey]

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

[injunjack]

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.

[Giles]

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....

[Matt]

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

[Mizmazzle]

Ain’t no one got time for that!

[Matt]

I’m just sitting back waiting for @mclaincausey ’s 1000 word essay on the history and merits of the Oxford comma. To which I will simply and succinctly reply: You’re wrong.

[mclaincausey]

Ambiguous: I invited my parents, Alice and Bob

Clear: I invited my parents, Alice, and Bob

Beyond that it just makes more sense syntactically if you think about the function of a comma.

QED

[Walery Smirnoff]

There is an opinion here in Russia that in English the sound R has become unclear because once upon a time in Foggy Albion the population had problems with teeth. This is just a theory. My ex-wife's second husband is Canadian. So he, in turn, compared the sound of the Russian language with the creaking of an unselected cart) You, he says, growl, rattle and make noise and do not speak)))