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Author Topic:   Questions for Britishers
Amlodhi
Inactive Member


Message 16 of 28 (139200)
09-02-2004 2:23 PM
Reply to: Message 2 by Dr Jack
08-31-2004 11:03 AM


The joy of language
Hello Mr. Jack, etal.
Though I am not versed in the various internal dialects in the UK, one thing I had noticed (and enjoyed) in common British speech is what might be called "inverse emphasis". I later heard this example given:
quote:
To the British, an evening when the mosquitoes are particularly aggressive is described as a bloody massacre; whereas, World War II was a bit of a tiff. (unknown attribution)
Along with many others, I find it very pleasing to listen to alternate dialects. Not only because of unique accentuation, but also because the words themselves are quite often employed in a manner which was previously unfamiliar to me. And this unfamiliar word usage can evoke refreshing perspectives on what would otherwise be mundane events.
Many years ago, before I had access to the world's bookshelves via my computer, finding particular books was not always an easy task. At one point, I was trying to find a copy of R.O Faulkner's "The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts", but was not having much luck. I decided, then, to contact the publisher in order to either buy the book directly from them, or to obtain information as to where I might find it.
From the bibliography I had, the publisher was listed as Aris & Phillips, Ltd., Teddington House, Warminster, Wiltshire. So I obtained their number and called them up. They informed me of a U.S. affiliate under the name of The David Brown Bookstore.
Upon calling this affiliate, it was immediately apparent that the person I was talking to must be a UK native, possibly from this Warminster, Wiltshire.
When I asked him if he had a copy of this book, he replied, "Yes, I think so. Let me just rummage about here". While he was "rummaging about", he asked me where I had previously looked in trying to obtain a copy. Upon naming one major franchise bookstore (which I won't name here), he replied:
"Oh yes, '(named bookstore)', you won't get any joy there."
And he was right; I have seldom gotten any joy there. I did, however, get a great deal of joy in listening to him talk.
Amlodhi

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portmaster1000
Inactive Member


Message 17 of 28 (139346)
09-02-2004 10:46 PM
Reply to: Message 15 by Percy
09-01-2004 5:58 PM


US Southernese
Percy writes:
I wonder if there's a translator to the US southern accent?
Not quite a translator but here's a useful dictionary.
http://www.fdu.com/bubbaandclem/dictionary.htm
Growing up in rural NC, I can definitely relate to many of these "words."
Like these:
Bob War - Something to be careful of when cow tipping.
Anar - Useful rhyme for car, "I betca my car can do over 150 miles anar"
Britches - Something you "hold on to" when in a car doing over 150 miles anar.
Liberry - A place for some powerful tinking or cyphering.
Merlin - Southern state named after a fella in some ole' English legend.
Night Y'all
PM1K

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Replies to this message:
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Amlodhi
Inactive Member


Message 18 of 28 (139579)
09-03-2004 1:37 PM
Reply to: Message 17 by portmaster1000
09-02-2004 10:46 PM


Re: US Southernese
Hi portmaster1000,
And a couple more gleaned from occasional visits to an uncle in Arkansas:
fade barn = a sheltered place for cattle to eat hay.
just a rat = perfect water temperature for swimming or bathing.
Ya gotta love it,
Amlodhi

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berberry
Inactive Member


Message 19 of 28 (139653)
09-03-2004 4:16 PM
Reply to: Message 17 by portmaster1000
09-02-2004 10:46 PM


Re: US Southernese
Cute site, but they got the name wrong. There are two distinct Southern dialects: the African-American variety is known as 'ebonics'. The white Southern dialect is called 'bubbanetics'.

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nator
Member (Idle past 2169 days)
Posts: 12961
From: Ann Arbor
Joined: 12-09-2001


Message 20 of 28 (140063)
09-05-2004 12:02 PM
Reply to: Message 8 by joz
09-01-2004 3:25 PM


Re: More Britishisms
quote:
Roughly equivalent to fag, queer etc, often with the connotations of pederasty...
But isn't a fag a cigarette?

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Replies to this message:
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nator
Member (Idle past 2169 days)
Posts: 12961
From: Ann Arbor
Joined: 12-09-2001


Message 21 of 28 (140066)
09-05-2004 12:20 PM
Reply to: Message 18 by Amlodhi
09-03-2004 1:37 PM


Re: US Southernese
There's some pretty strong accents in the Pittsburgh, PA area, where I grew up:
Dahntahn- Downtown
anat- and that
jagoff- "He's a jack-off"
yinz-you all
nebby-nosey
Jeet?-did you eat?
crick-creek
grinny-chipmunk
keller-color
airyago-There you go
like at-like that
can a corn-something easy
More here:
http://pittsburghese.com/

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 Message 23 by Percy, posted 09-05-2004 12:32 PM nator has replied

  
jar
Member (Idle past 393 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 22 of 28 (140070)
09-05-2004 12:29 PM
Reply to: Message 21 by nator
09-05-2004 12:20 PM


Re: US Southernese
I grew up in Bal'mer, Mare'land. Yall needs to understand I was born in Virginya and also lived in Georgia, Noth and South Carlina as well. Learned to count one, two, tree, foe at an early age.
When I had an apartment in Bal'mer, young chick from England moved in upstairs. My roommate and I helped her carry her stuff up the steps. Later on theh stoop she showed her 'preciation by saying, "Why don't you knock me up some time".
Life can be good.

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

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Percy
Member
Posts: 22388
From: New Hampshire
Joined: 12-23-2000
Member Rating: 5.2


Message 23 of 28 (140071)
09-05-2004 12:32 PM
Reply to: Message 21 by nator
09-05-2004 12:20 PM


Re: US Southernese
I didn't know you were a near-Pittsburghite! What a wonderful city. I was there for three years just at the tail end of the steel industry's presence when the air was rapidly becoming cleaner. The windward side of the Cathedral of Learning (at my University we called it the Tower of Ignorance, you can guess where I went) was always black, every decade or two they'd clean it. I lived on Baum Blvd and on Atwood Street, and I had close friends in the suburbs in Brentwood and the surrounding area. Played a lot of tennis tournaments at Frick Park, Schenley Park, South Park and various other further flung venues. Never rode the incline, but what a beautiful city Pittsburgh is from the top, I used to drive up there all the time. And there's nothing like a Pittsburgh style sub!
Never encountered the Pittsburgh accent, but that makes sense, university can be kind of insular, everyone I knew was from somewhere else.
--Percy

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Replies to this message:
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nator
Member (Idle past 2169 days)
Posts: 12961
From: Ann Arbor
Joined: 12-09-2001


Message 24 of 28 (140078)
09-05-2004 1:03 PM
Reply to: Message 23 by Percy
09-05-2004 12:32 PM


Re: US Southernese
You never listened to Myron Cope...on sports?
Here's a great website which has some audio clips of Cope doing sports commentary. A more authentic Pittsburgh accent you will never hear.
http://www.iencompass.com/subsites/myron/default.html
Jim and I lived on Graham St in Friendship, which is between Bloomfield and Shadyside while he was working at CMU.
I really miss the 'burgh and would love to live there permenantly.
You shuld go back there now. It's very clean, and there is so much to do and see. They have developed the riverfront down by the Grand Concourse, and although it is unfortunately full of national chains, it's a lot better than the empty dock that was there. The Strip District is also filled with restaurants and night spots that have a lot of live music.
There has also been a big push to develop a lot of older downtown buildings into lofts and apartments so people will live there.
Did you ever get a Primanti (pronounced, "Permani's") Bros. sandwich in the strip in the middle of the night?
Did you ever go to Point State Park to watch the Zambelli fireworks on the 4th of July?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 23 by Percy, posted 09-05-2004 12:32 PM Percy has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 25 by Percy, posted 09-05-2004 5:27 PM nator has replied

  
Percy
Member
Posts: 22388
From: New Hampshire
Joined: 12-23-2000
Member Rating: 5.2


Message 25 of 28 (140126)
09-05-2004 5:27 PM
Reply to: Message 24 by nator
09-05-2004 1:03 PM


Re: US Southernese
Schraf writes:
You never listened to Myron Cope...on sports?
I listened to Myron Cope all the time. I can still hear his nasal voice saying, "This is Myron Cope, on sports!" What was the radio station? Was it WTAE?
I miss CMU a lot, but I wonder if I would recognize it anymore. The tennis courts used to be at the center of the campus just outside of Skibo, but Skibo is gone and the tennis courts were rotated 90 degrees, if I understood the diagram I saw, which puts the sun at a bad angle. Anyway, it was a wonderful place and I enjoyed it a lot.
I never heard of Primanti Bros, but I was there in the mid-70s. We used to go to Antonino's a lot, which was on North Craig Street (I think - it's been a while) a couple blocks down Forbes toward downtown.
I'm not sure where the strip is or the Grand Concourse. Except for tennis I didn't get off campus much. I was also assistant coach for the tennis team (a grad student can't be head coach), so I got to travel all around Pennsylvania and Ohio every spring, but didn't get to see too much of the area down by the point. I understand Three Rivers Stadium is gone now - I once saw a game there, against Cleveland. When the Steelers had a game coming up on natural turf they would practice at Carnegie Mellon's football field, and we would sit in the stands and watch Bradshaw hit Swann with Blount in coverage.
--Percy

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nator
Member (Idle past 2169 days)
Posts: 12961
From: Ann Arbor
Joined: 12-09-2001


Message 26 of 28 (140159)
09-05-2004 7:39 PM
Reply to: Message 25 by Percy
09-05-2004 5:27 PM


Re: US Southernese
Wow, I hope you don't mind me saying so, but those were the places and names of my childhood (sorry!) and it's great to talk about them again.
The strip probably wasn't anywhere tyou wanted to be back then...just a lot of wholesale produce markets run by Italians and Koreans.
Did you know that something like 5 out of the 7 Hindu temples in the US are in the Pittsburgh area? Man, do I ever miss the fabulous Indian food!
And did you ever go to Dell's or the Pleasure Bar (both Italian Restaurants, not a bar and a strip club as the names suggest) in Bloomfield?
We were living there in the middle of all of that new construction at CMU. The new student center is really great. We went to go see Art Spiegleman, author of the graphic novel "Maus" speak there.
It's too bad you didn't get around town more. You were there for 3 years and you never made it to the point for the 4th? Wow, you must have worked too much. The Zambelli's are one of the top fireworks companies in the country and did the big show in NYC a few years back. I try to get there every couple of years to go see them with my sister.
Anyway, Percy, you'd better be careful. You're giving more and more information about you. Some of us could figure out who you could be. Tennis coach at CMU in the 70's...science major...graduate student...

This message is a reply to:
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Dr Jack
Member
Posts: 3514
From: Immigrant in the land of Deutsch
Joined: 07-14-2003
Member Rating: 8.7


Message 27 of 28 (142667)
09-16-2004 7:15 AM
Reply to: Message 7 by Percy
09-01-2004 2:54 PM


Re: More Britishisms
What are "ponces"? Neglectful people? Dunces? Ne'er-do-wells?
Fops. Not neccesarily homosexuals, but defininetly camp.

This message is a reply to:
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Dr Jack
Member
Posts: 3514
From: Immigrant in the land of Deutsch
Joined: 07-14-2003
Member Rating: 8.7


Message 28 of 28 (142668)
09-16-2004 7:16 AM
Reply to: Message 20 by nator
09-05-2004 12:02 PM


Re: More Britishisms
But isn't a fag a cigarette?
Yup - as in 'Aahm avin a faaggg'

This message is a reply to:
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