Anonymous
Post 03/03/2018 13:05     Subject: Re:British Turns of Phrase or Expressions?
Snog = kiss
Right slapper = whore, hussy
Fanny = vagina
Half-five = 5:30

I lived Manchester and when people would say thank you as “ta.” So, “Ta, luv, for the Quavers.”

They’d also say “Our Name” in reference to a friend/relative. “Our Andy went down the pub.”
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2018 12:19     Subject: Re:British Turns of Phrase or Expressions?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:One of my Brit friends called the other "a jammy sod" on FB this week. I laughed so loud - it's the most British expression ever.


I'm going to use that phrase!!!!! If only I knew what it meant.....


I’m British, living this thread. Don’t think anyone responded to this yet - it means you’re lucky
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2018 12:05     Subject: British Turns of Phrase or Expressions?
The use of "he's poorly" to mean he's feeling ill is one of my favorites. It's so precious, and makes me picture a grown man tucked up in a Victorian nursery with Nanny hovering over him spoon-feeding him porridge.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2018 11:47     Subject: Re:British Turns of Phrase or Expressions?
DH is British so I had to learn a few things-

have a kip- nap
getting pissed- getting drunk
nappy- diaper
cot- crib
buggy- stroller
go on a big bender- big night out
have a cuppa- tea
twat- douchebag
slag- slut
fag- cigarette
bummer- gay person
blimey- oh geez
to hoover- to vacuum
chuffed- proud
gutted- devastated
give you a bell- call you
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2018 11:21     Subject: British Turns of Phrase or Expressions?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:"Bugger off" always works for me. Sounds ruder than bug off but not as bad as f*** off. A nice in between.


Its very rude. Its a reference to buggery.

+1
100% not less rude than f*ck off and not even in the same category as bug off!



Okay, well, it still works for me.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2018 11:00     Subject: British Turns of Phrase or Expressions?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:"Bugger off" always works for me. Sounds ruder than bug off but not as bad as f*** off. A nice in between.


Its very rude. Its a reference to buggery.

+1
100% not less rude than f*ck off and not even in the same category as bug off!
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2018 10:52     Subject: British Turns of Phrase or Expressions?
PP who just wrote the last three posts - I'm British and I've just made some corrections for you here. A lot of mis-interpretations of actually VERY rude words. Haha.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2018 10:50     Subject: British Turns of Phrase or Expressions?
Anonymous wrote:"Bugger off" always works for me. Sounds ruder than bug off but not as bad as f*** off. A nice in between.


Its very rude. Its a reference to buggery.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2018 10:48     Subject: Re:British Turns of Phrase or Expressions?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:"Tosser" is a bad word to call someone...


Yep. I believe it means "f*cker". So yeah, really vulgar. I mean they don't even really say motherf*cker. It's only North Americans that say it.


No, its the same as "wanker" as in someone who tosses themselves off, masturbates.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2018 10:47     Subject: Re:British Turns of Phrase or Expressions?
Anonymous wrote:"SENT DOWN" means expelled from school.


No it means kicked out of university, not school. You can be "sent down" from Cambridge or Oxford
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2018 10:32     Subject: Re:British Turns of Phrase or Expressions?
Anonymous wrote:I'm always jarred by "takin' the piss out" when used in casual conversation. I've heard and read complaints in Britain that there is becoming a common drift towards a working class accent all over the country--with everyone turning the "th" into an "f" sound and genally speaking with a Yorkshire accent. It used to be you could practically tell which street a person lived on in Liverpool and now everyone has a "scouse" accent?


Oh, regional accents are still quite strong.

There is sort of a broader shift towards Estuary English (greater London) as sort of the closest to a national generic accent but it’s far from standard. Not sure where th turning into f is true, however. Class based accents are weaker than in the past but they definitely still exist.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2018 10:06     Subject: Re:British Turns of Phrase or Expressions?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I love the word "baubles!" Means ornaments (Christmas ornaments)


They love the word brick a brack too. Brikabrak?


It’s “bric a brac” (and it’s French in origin).


My mom always used that phrase -- I thought it was American! She, although American, lived in France for years and taught French for a living. Maybe that's why she used it ...
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2018 10:05     Subject: Re:British Turns of Phrase or Expressions?
Anonymous wrote:The two apps who answered OP's query were right. Collective nouns are singular in American English. Think about "United States," which for Americans is always followed by a singular verb despite technically being plural.


I did some research on this for a paper some time ago. Usage changed some time after the American Civil War. Before that, reference to the United States was plural. If you wanted to refer to the country in the singular, you usually called it the Union.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2018 09:24     Subject: British Turns of Phrase or Expressions?
There are so many I love. And the best insults.

But I really hate when they say:

"I was sat..."
Or "I learnt..."
Seem to be widely used and acceptable but they really grate.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2018 08:30     Subject: British Turns of Phrase or Expressions?
Sally was in a smash up on the motorway and ended up in hospital.