Question for FG English Friends

[DesignerGal]

I am reading a book by a British author (Im in the USA) and am having trouble with some of the words I am not familiar with. I think they might be British dialect, in fact I am almost sure they are because Ive never heard of them and cant figure out what the author is talking about, can you Brits help?

Here are the words and sentence they are used in:

1) Fringe: Joe pushes an abundant fringe from his forehead....Is this what we call bangs? Short hairs covering the forehead above the eyes?

2) Panniers: (Talking about a new bike) I added an old fashion bell, squeezy horn, and camoflauge printed panniers. What is that?

3) Octopush: ( i have no clue about this one!) At least one night, he stays over in London fpr octopush.

Please help!!!

[abbey]

1) Fringe=Bangs

2)Panniers= Saddle/bike bags

3)Octopush= Underwater Hockey

[DesignerGal]

THANKS SOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!

I was totally lost on the octopush thing!!

[Bronwen]

DesignerGal wrote: I am reading a book by a British author (Im in the USA) Me too. I've always been a fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories, and I understand most of the Britisisms. However...

1. In several stories Holmes offers someone 'a sovereign' as a bribe. I know about farthings, pence, shillings, pounds and guineas, but what is a 'sovereign', referring to money?

2. In one story, either SH or Watson describes someone as being 'so far down queer street he may never find his way back'. What does this mean? I don't think it has anything to do with sexual orientation.

[gmc]

from the oxford english dictionary

queer

• adjective 1 strange; odd. 2 informal, derogatory (of a man) homosexual. 3 Brit. informal, dated slightly ill.

• noun informal, derogatory a homosexual man.

• verb informal spoil or ruin.

” PHRASES in Queer Street Brit. informal, dated in difficulty or debt. queer someone’s pitch Brit. informal spoil someone’s plans or chances of doing something.

” DERIVATIVES queerish adjective queerly adverb queerness noun.

” USAGE The word queer was first used to mean ‘homosexual’ in the early 20th century. It was originally, and usually still is, a deliberately derogatory term when used by heterosexual people. In recent years, however, gay people have taken the word queer and deliberately used it in place of gay or homosexual, in an attempt, by using the word positively, to deprive it of its negative power.

” ORIGIN perhaps from German quer ‘oblique, perverse’.


The context should tell you but probably conan doyle was referring to someone in debt.

A sovereign used to be a gold coin worth one pound sterling.

[abbey]

Queer st is the imaginary place where debtors live.

[SOJOURNER]

abbey wrote: Queer st is the imaginary place where debtors live.


What neat phrasing........ so far down Queer St they may never find their way back. Speaks to a common problem these days.

[DesignerGal]

Ok. I have to tell you my absolute favorite story regarding slang words between Brits and United Statesians (whatever we're called...Yanks is it?).

I befriended an Englishman named Andy when I waited tables in Atlanta about 10 years ago and he told me this story, said it happened to him:

He was just fresh in America and he was out one night and met a couple of ladies. They agreed to all go out for some chicken wings and beers the next weekend. While they are sitting at the table eating wings and getting drunk, one of the girls says: "Because of these wings, my fanny is going to hurt later!" Andy thought to himself: "Huh? Where is she going to put these wings?" He was so quiet for a few minutes and then all three of them figured it out.

"Fanny" in the US means your butt, a$$, etc. But in England it is a woman's front part!!!!!! She meant she was going to fart or have a really soft BM!!!! He was totally lost and embarrassed until he figured out she meant her behind!

I love that story!!!!!!!!

[Bronwen]

DesignerGal wrote: Ok. I have to tell you my absolute favorite story regarding slang words between Brits and United Statesians (whatever we're called...Yanks is it?).Thank you, DG and others, for the information and also for the story. Here's one that I think is a little better - it's SUPPOSED to be true.

First of all, let's establish that in the UK, the word 'screw', in addition to its literal meaning, means 'salary', the amount of money one earns per week or month. In the USA, the same word means, as a noun, an act of sexual congress, or as a verb, performing such an act.

The late, great Hollywood mogul Louis B. Mayer, watching some British films, noticed a young actress whom he considered very talented. He invited the young woman, whose name has apparently been lost to history, to come to Hollywood and sign a contract with MGM, and she jumped at the opportunity.

When she arrived, Uncle Louis greeted her warmly and said, 'My dear, I'm sure you'll be just fine here, but there's one thing on which I must insist: DON'T TALK TO THE PRESS - under ANY circumstances - until you get my approval! She agreed, but a few days later she was shanghaied by some reporters and, her vanity having gotten the better of her, agreed to answer their questions.

The first question was, not surpsisingly, 'Miss ________, what made you leave England to come to Hollywood?

'Well', she replied, 'after all, I'm a film actress, and Hollywood is the movie capital of the world! In addition to that, I have a lot of friends here in the entertainment business, the weather is wonderful, and besides, Mr. Mayer promised me a good screw every week!'

[DesignerGal]

Thats a great story! I'll have to pass it on. Thanks for the chuckle so early in the morning!!!!!! Now my day will be wonderful even though my screw sucks!

I do have one more word in my book that needs addressing:

WELLIES?

THe sentence: (She is cleaning before her judgemental sister comes over) I have baby wiped every visible surface-even Tod's wellies- and shaken the toaster upside down...

[Bronwen]

DesignerGal wrote: WELLIES?Wellington boots? Dunno, I'm just guesssing.

[Bothwell]

Wellies = Galoshes

Can also be used when you are doing something to the maximum, i.e. when driving fast you are "giving it some wellie"

[Bothwell]

And they were indeed named after one of our greatest The Duke of Wellington who along with Lord Sandwich ensure our feet would be dry whilst we eat something between two slices of bread. Come to think of it the Duke of galoshes does not have the same ring to it:D

[Bronwen]

Bothwell wrote: Wellies = Galoshes

Can also be used when you are doing something to the maximum, i.e. when driving fast you are "giving it some wellie"Americans would say, "Step on it", (i.e. the accelerator pedal), even if not referring to driving. Maybe Brits say that too.

[Bothwell]

No that would be Sir Elton John the rightful "Queen" of England:D

[abbey]

Bothwell wrote: No that would be Sir Elton John the rightful "Queen" of England:D:wah: :wah: Good one.

[jennyswan]

Can someone tell me what a twinkie is?:o

[gmc]

posted by arnoldLayne

Actually The 3rd Earl of Flares has a lot to answer for




If it wasn't for flairs there would be no point using the stairs.:yh_rotfl

The Welly Boot Song

(from the LP "The Pick of Billy Connolly")

If it wasn't for your wellies where would you be

You'd be in the hospital or infirmary

'Cause you would have a dose of the flu or even pleurisy

If you didn't have your feet in your wellies

Oh wellies they are wonderful, oh wellies they are swell

'Cause they keep out the water and they keep in the smell

And when you're sitting in a room you can always tell

When some bugger takes off his wellies

If it wasn't for your wellies where would you be

You'd be in the hospital or infirmary

'Cause you would have a dose of the flu or even pleurisy

If you didn't have your feet in your wellies

Oh and when you're out walking in the country with a bird

And you're strolling over fields just like a farmer's herd

And somebody shouts, "Keep off the grass" and you think how absurd

and SQUELCH you find why farmers all wear wellies

If it wasn't for your wellies where would you be

You'd be in the hospital or infirmary

'Cause you would have a dose of the flu or even pleurisy

If you didn't have your feet in your wellies


If I could find one i would post a link to his crucufixion sketch just to see the reaction. Mabe you have to grow up with sectarianism to really appreciate the humour.

[DesignerGal]

jennyswan wrote: Can someone tell me what a twinkie is?:o


You mean like the food? If that's what you mean (which I kind of doubt) its the sponge cake with white filling inside. But I think you might mean something else entirely.

[jennyswan]

No I meant the food.

Thanks for clearing that one up

[Galbally]

I love this stuff, I have a story. Once when in college I lived with a load of Americans and they had some of their friends over from the states visiting. We had a big dinner for everyone After the meal I felt like a smoke but I had no cigarettes so I asked the assorted Americans "Can I bum a fag please?" Several people (other men) coughed loudly and everyone else went silent (and a little pale) I (being an gobsh*te) asked again. Whereupon one of the new arrivals said "listen buddy, what you do is your own business, but aint no other fags at this table".

The one that always intrigued me when I was young was sedans. You know in the shows the cops are always chasing villians in a "black sedan" I though Mr. Sedan was the most successful car manufacturer in the world.... well, him and Mr. Stationwagon. What about "Faucet" how did "tap" become "Faucet" in the U.S.? weird, maybe the first guy who made em in the states was French.

[Bronwen]

---

[Bronwen]

Galbally wrote: What about "Faucet" how did "tap" become "Faucet" in the U.S.? weird, maybe the first guy who made em in the states was French.
Americans say 'tap' too, also 'spigot'.

Another interesting contrast is 'to knock up'. British: to call on someone at home. American: to make someone pregnant.

The Brit, visiting America, told a girl he met that he would like to knock her up, and didn't understand why he was slapped.

[Bronwen]

SnoozeControl wrote: My lovely English co-worker always says "I'm going to go burn a fag after going to the loo?" If I tried saying that, I'd have a sexual harrassment charge in my records.:-2Snoozer, or anyone, do you know the origin of 'loo'? One source says it comes from the French word (l'eau) for 'the water'. Another source proposes that it comes from the number 100, being the traditional room number of the shared lavatory in tourist hotels, with the actual rooms being numbered 101, 102, etc.

[abbey]

Bronwen wrote: Snoozer, or anyone, do you know the origin of 'loo'? One source says it comes from the French word (l'eau) for 'the water'. Another source proposes that it comes from the number 100, being the traditional room number of the shared lavatory in tourist hotels, with the actual rooms being numbered 101, 102, etc.


There are several theories about the origin of this common term for a familiar article of sanitary furniture. The first, and most popular, is that it is derived from the cry of 'gardyloo' (from the French regardez l'eau 'watch out for the water') which was shouted by medieval servants as they emptied the chamber-pots out of the upstair windows into the street. This is historically problematic, since by the time the term 'loo' is recorded, the expression 'gardyloo' was long obsolete. A second theory is that the word derives from a polite use of the French term le lieu ('the place') as a euphemism. Unfortunately, documentary evidence to support this idea is lacking. A third theory, favoured by many, refers to the trade name 'Waterloo', which appeared prominently displayed on the iron cisterns in many British outhouses during the early 20th century. This is more credible in terms of dates, but corroborating evidence is still frustratingly hard to find. Various other picturesque theories also circulate, involving references to doors numbered '00' or people called 'Looe'.



Guess we'll never really know eh?

[Bronwen]

wrote: Guess we'll never really know eh? ;)P'raps not, but that leads to the next question: Why do Americans call it 'the John'?

[Bez]

Why is it called a "loo?"

The British word for toilet, "loo", derives from the French "garde a l'eau!" In medieval Europe people had little conception of hygiene and threw the contents of their chamber pots out the window into the street below. In France the practice was preceded by "garde a l'eau!" ("watch out for the water!"). In England, this phrase was Anglicised, first to "gardy-loo!", then just "loo", and eventually came to mean the toilet/lavatory itself. The American word for toilet, "john", is called after the John Harington mentioned above.