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    Iron Heart Fall/Winter 2025 Collection Preview - Now Live

    Nuances and Idiosyncrasies of the English Language

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    • EdHE
      EdH
      Iron Heart Deity
      @seawolf
      Joined:

      @seawolf said in Random conversations:

      Imagine trying to tell the difference between a butt-dial and a booty-call.

      A fat-chance and a slim-chance are the same thing...
      Tooth/teeth, but not booth/beeth
      Mouse/mice, but not house/hice
      etc, etc

      English is such a bastardised and influenced language that it's apparently very hard to learn as a second language or as an adult. I've got a Ukrainian friend who, even after marrying a Brit over 20 years ago, and him not bothering to learn her language, still makes grammatical errors like the above.

      Take the dive...

      last edited by EdH 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • GilesG
        Giles
        IHUK Crew
        Joined:

        Plural of Salmon is Salmon not Salmons
        Same with Trout, Cod, Tuna etc etc

        But the plural of Ray is Rays
        Same with Sharks, Whales,

        Is that because Rays, Sharks and Whales are either cartilaginous or mammalian?

        "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 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
        • BrianB
          Brian
          Joined:

          The beauty of the c word is that it can be the highest form of endearment or the worst thing to ever call someone and it all lands on the situation and person
          Swear words have their place in language no matter what that language may be, I learnt this week how to say mother f****er in Vietnamese
          From a customer it wasn’t directed at me I might add

          One of these things that I’ve never got my head around is the dinner / tea use depending on where you are not only in England but even in Oz

          last edited by ARNCA 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
          • todyT
            tody
            啓蒙家
            Joined:

            I really enjoy reding this thread. My dad, who was an english teacher had an old friend in the UK, who in turn taught German. They would go on lengthy discussion on language-centered topics. They have both passed away, and I really miss listening to them.

            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
            • ARNCA
              ARNC
              啓蒙家
              @Brian
              Joined:

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

              One of these things that I’ve never got my head around is the dinner / tea use depending on where you are not only in England but even in Oz

              You’re brave to go there! So many elements of geography, culture and class to unpick with this. Reminded me of the whole U and non-U thing, which thankfully is mostly obsolete. I’m not sure anyone would consider it “common” to refer to a mirror rather than a looking glass in 2024!

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

              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
              • WhiskeySandwichW
                WhiskeySandwich
                啓蒙家
                @T4920
                Joined:

                @T4920 I pronounce it like that but I often hear "Merlin" as well

                "The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow and loses today...The whole future lies in uncertainty: Live immediately."
                -Seneca

                last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                • goosehdG
                  goosehd
                  Mod Squad
                  Joined:

                  I grew up with there being 3 meals in the day: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. As I started moving around to different parts of the US and Canada, I ran across Dinner can be at lunch time or dinner time depending on the size of the meal as dinner is often the largest meal of the day. Supper is alway's an evening meal and typically smaller than dinner.

                  Then you have brunch which is a late breakfast and early lunch. So what happens when you call your midday meal dinner and it's brunch time? Brinner?

                  "I don't give a shit what anyone else is doing, we will do what is best for us and our customers" - Giles P. :)

                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
                  • MattM
                    Matt
                    見習いボス
                    Joined:

                    This should clear things up..

                    last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
                    • endoE
                      endo
                      見習いボス
                      Joined:

                      tusdy ... 😁

                      si tacuisses

                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                      • jiminstitchesJ
                        jiminstitches
                        Haraki san Prodigy
                        Joined:

                        @goosehd @Brian @ARNC So my friends up north in the U.K. call dinner, Tea. My grandparents and the war generation tend to call lunch time dinner. But then it seems common in the U.K. that my grandparents always have a hot meal at lunch time and that’s why it’s probably called dinner.

                        So if that’s confused you I’ll clarify:-

                        So at work i have a “tea break” where I dont drink tea but instead have a can of Dr Pepper.

                        On my lunch break . I eat my dinner

                        In the evening my main meal is my tea. Again i do not drink tea. For example tonights tea is a chicken curry and Pale Ale.

                        But then when I was at school the ladies that served our lunch were called ‘Dinner Ladies’😂

                        last edited by jiminstitches goosehdG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 5
                        • goosehdG
                          goosehd
                          Mod Squad
                          @jiminstitches
                          Joined:

                          @jiminstitches Just about enough of that…Probably don’t even want to ask about aperitifs, digestifs, cocktails, etc. 🙂

                          "I don't give a shit what anyone else is doing, we will do what is best for us and our customers" - Giles P. :)

                          last edited by jiminstitchesJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                          • jiminstitchesJ
                            jiminstitches
                            Haraki san Prodigy
                            @goosehd
                            Joined:

                            @goosehd lol I bloody love digestives, 2 packs in the weekly shopping, I usually have them after dinner with my tea!😂

                            last edited by goosehdG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
                            • goosehdG
                              goosehd
                              Mod Squad
                              @jiminstitches
                              Joined:

                              @jiminstitches 🤣 🤣🤣

                              "I don't give a shit what anyone else is doing, we will do what is best for us and our customers" - Giles P. :)

                              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • IH-GARYI
                                IH-GARY
                                Haraki san Student
                                Joined:

                                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 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
                                • Tago MagoT
                                  Tago Mago
                                  Mod Squad
                                  Joined:

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

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

                                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                                  • Tago MagoT
                                    Tago Mago
                                    Mod Squad
                                    Joined:

                                    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 jiminstitchesJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                                    • jiminstitchesJ
                                      jiminstitches
                                      Haraki san Prodigy
                                      @Tago Mago
                                      Joined:

                                      @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 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                      • endoE
                                        endo
                                        見習いボス
                                        Joined:

                                        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 ARNCA MattM 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 9
                                        • ARNCA
                                          ARNC
                                          啓蒙家
                                          @endo
                                          Joined:

                                          @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 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
                                          • MattM
                                            Matt
                                            見習いボス
                                            @endo
                                            Joined:

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

                                            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 6
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