Favourite English word or phrase (or Irish or Scottish ....

[ajames79 0]

What is your favourite English(etc) word or phrase? And for those of you who are from the British Isles what is an American slang word or phrase you have picked up??

OR what do you hate? Is there a word or Phrase that irritates you!?

I forgot Welsh..but that is in there too!!

Edited March 12, 2007 by ajames79

[*julez* 124]

Bloody Hell!

[ajames79 0]

ha! Good one. I say that a lot!

[*julez* 124]

Another one I like that I learned from G is: "Its as black as yer hat over Bill's mothers." Not much call to use it since I always need to translate it, but I love it!

I also like the insult of calling someone a big girl's blouse! Hilarious!

[Dan+Nikki 0]

I like "Done and Dusted".

BTW the word Fanny has a whole new meaning to me now.

I will never again be able to ask a kid if they are alright after they slip and fall on their fanny. Atleast I wont with a straight face. This situation happens a lot in Minnesota in the winter. ( Ice )

[*julez* 124]

I like "Done and Dusted".

BTW the word Fanny has a whole new meaning to me now.

I will never again be able to ask a kid if they are alright after they slip and fall on their fanny. Atleast I wont with a straight face. This situation happens a lot in Minnesota in the winter. ( Ice )

I also cannot belive the UK meaning of fanny! Not a word I used often before, but now I NEVER do!

[Kez/JWolf 6]

My fav saying from home is:- "my head is like mince" My husband thinks this is so funny and one of my co-workers has started to say it too....

Kez

[Fandango 1,440]

As you already no doubt know, I'm partial to: 'summat' 'nowt' 'owt'

I really tried not picking anything up...cos I'm proud of my heritage and don't need to perpetrate like Madge.....I think I lasted a year Now, it's virtually impossible to shake.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

i love the word baps -- as both a word for sandwich and for womanly charms

[Fandango 1,440]

I hate anyone using the term 'chicken' as a term of endearment

Big Bro Michelle=big no no

[Mary Lou 681]

I like when Gary says brilliant or lovely, or when he says the old doll waited on me in the shop lol

He has one phrase he uses i cant stand, like if i say to him will you do the dishes he tells me to "catch myself on"

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

the phrase I really hate is "close of play", when used in a work/business context. People who abbreviate it COP deserve to die

[Mags 112]

Coming from Essex (where most of the people originated from the East End) I use a little bit of Cockney rhyming slang.

"let's have a butchers at that."

"you're telling porkies"

"hi there me old china"

"let's scarper (scapa)"

Stuff like that. Go to Essex and most people incorporate mild Cockney into everyday conversation but we aren't Cockneys at all, nor do we claim to be.

[ajames79 0]

Love it guys!

I have a whole dictionary of Yorkshire words and phrases that my sister in law gave to me when we got engaged. I'll have to dig it out and share when I get home!

[ajames79 0]

Here are a few that Chris and his family use that I like.

All right? - This is used a lot around London and the south to mean, "Hello, how are you"? You would say it to a complete stranger or someone you knew. The normal response would be for them to say "All right"? back to you. It is said as a question. Sometimes it might get expanded to "all right mate"? Mostly used by blue collar workers but also common among younger people.

Bloody - One of the most useful swear words in English. Mostly used as an exclamation of surprise i.e. "bloody hell" or "bloody nora". Something may be "bloody marvellous" or "bloody awful". It is also used to emphasise almost anything, "you're bloody mad", "not bloody likely" and can also be used in the middle of other words to emphasise them. E.g. "Abso-bloody-lutely"! Americans should avoid saying "bloody" as they sound silly.

Gutted - If someone is really upset by something they might say that they were gutted. Like when you are told that you have just failed your driving test!

Nowt - This is Yorkshire for nothing. Similarly owt is Yorkshire for anything. Hence the expression "you don't get owt for nowt". Roughly translated as "you never get anything for nothing" or "there's no such thing as a free lunch".

Snog - If you are out on the pull you will know you are succeeding if you end up snogging someone of the opposite sex (or same sex for that matter!). It would probably be referred to as making out in American, or serious kissing!

Ta - We said "ta" as kids in Liverpool for years before we even knew it was short for thanks.

Tara - Pronounced "churar", this is another word for cheerio or goodbye. Cilla Black, a scouse TV presenter has probably done most to promote the use of this word as she says it all the time on her programmes.