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Post by Horacewimp on Jan 3, 2016 19:03:38 GMT
Then there is the local variations you have to learn Helmut83Am you going into town for a jar of banks. Translates to "are you going to Birmingham (which is a city) for a pint of beer? Even more Brummie sayings here
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Post by vlogdance on Jan 3, 2016 19:05:26 GMT
There's the old French joke about their irregular plurals - a zoo owner writes to his supplier, asking for a jackal.
But jackal ("chacal") being one of those awkward words, he isn't sure if the plural is "chacaux" or something else.*
So he writes "Please send me a jackal. P.S. Please send me another one."
*He was right to be wary. It's "chacals".
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Post by Horacewimp on Jan 3, 2016 19:18:29 GMT
I once asked for a poisson (fish) beer at the George Pompidou Centre in Paris. I should of said pression meaning with air or a draft beer and so not bottled.
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Post by Helmut83 on Jan 3, 2016 19:56:40 GMT
It's almost as bad as French, when you have a choice of "le" or "la" for "the". You've got a job to remember which words require "le" and which need "la". That's not just French, the same thing happens in Spanish ("el" and "la), Italian ("il" and "la") and Portuguese ("o" and "a") as well. You've got to admit that the "the" is one advantage the English language has (I think German has it as well with "die"). Horacewimp, are you trying to drive me nuts with those Brummieisms? I've got enough trouble with the British and American variations of English, if I try to study local English dialects I'm going to mess up everything. They are fun to give a glance to though. And poisson beer doesn't sound too delicious but it would be worse if they end up bringing you poisoned beer.
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Post by Horacewimp on Jan 3, 2016 20:01:33 GMT
All right Helmut83 me duck, we will keep shtum about it for now
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Post by Helmut83 on Jan 3, 2016 20:09:16 GMT
All right Helmut83 me duck, we will keep shtum about it for now Shtum as a yumpy wench?
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Post by unomusette on Jan 3, 2016 20:23:02 GMT
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Post by Horacewimp on Jan 3, 2016 20:23:43 GMT
All right Helmut83 me duck, we will keep shtum about it for now Shtum as a yumpy wench? I'm afraid not, as in silent, non-communicative.
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Post by Helmut83 on Jan 3, 2016 20:38:02 GMT
I got it right then, it's the exact opposite. Uno, I took a glance at the "Cardiffisms". It calls my attention that a few of those expressions (1, 2, 5, 12, 16...) sound familiar to me. I would have said some of those are more global, not so local from Cardiff (or maybe I was learning that Wenglish they are talking about), but what do I know? The ones towards the end of the list sound more unknown and original to me.
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Post by unomusette on Jan 3, 2016 20:42:47 GMT
I wouldn't be surprised if some of them are wider spread, some of the Birmingham ones struck me that way too (eg cob, fizzog and barmy). And pop was in both My favourite Cardiffism is "Ta, Drive" - I don't use the bus much but whenever I do I always hear people saying it as they get off.
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Post by queenofthehours on Jan 11, 2016 17:54:35 GMT
Inspired by Helmut83 's 'Why English Is So Hard To Learn' post -
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Post by nickheynes on Jan 15, 2016 16:43:09 GMT
Yeah but what's ghoti?
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Post by Helmut83 on Jan 15, 2016 16:44:25 GMT
The phonetical word by which you teach people how to pronounce "fish".
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Post by nickheynes on Jan 15, 2016 16:52:35 GMT
And this makes sense!! James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher
Well no, actually.
This makes sense James, while John had had "had," had had "had had"; "had had" had had a better effect on the teacher.
It's a famous sentence all about describing a man who had had a cold. And showing how vital punctuation is.
James was correct (in other words a better effect on the teacher), John was incorrect. ( and got detention)
See?
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Post by Helmut83 on Jan 15, 2016 17:18:17 GMT
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