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You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: Anonymous User (---.dalect01.va.comcast.net)
Date: July 15, 2003 11:54PM
You hear the phrase "Kids are shagging balls in the outfield."
And you get a shocked expression on your face before you realize they're talking about retrieving baseballs during batting practice!.
And you get a shocked expression on your face before you realize they're talking about retrieving baseballs during batting practice!.
Re: You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: poetscientistdrinker (---.cache.pol.co.uk)
Date: July 15, 2003 11:56PM
Is that really the correct verb???
*boggles*
PSD
==========
This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.
*boggles*
PSD
==========
This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.
Re: You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: Anonymous User (---.dalect01.va.comcast.net)
Date: July 15, 2003 11:57PM
yup it is!
Re: You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: Anonymous User (---.dalect01.va.comcast.net)
Date: July 16, 2003 12:00AM
According to the English to American dictionary:
'Nuff said!
Post Edited (07-16-03 01:02)
Quote:shag v. Used in very similar contexts to the US term lay, shagging usually refers to the act of intercourse itself, except when used by a bloke giving his mates the details about what happened with that tidy bird he pulled in the club the night before. In this instance, shag can be interpreted to mean anything between a peck on the cheek and a punch in the face. As American readers will know, the Carolina Shag is a dance and this amusing contradiction provides endless hours of simplistic amusement to us Brits. Even more amusing for UK residents, I am told that running for catches on the sports field is commonly known in the US as shagging balls and that the phrase "go shag some balls" is not uncommon. And yes, we in the UK do have "shag carpet". And I'm pretty sure that all available jokes have already been made.
'Nuff said!
Post Edited (07-16-03 01:02)
Re: You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: kaz (139.134.58.---)
Date: July 16, 2003 12:17AM
I reckon British slang is among the best in the world. After all, they've had so much more time than Americans, Aussies and Kiwis to mangle the language so they have it down to a fine art by now.
Amongst my favourites are: Snogging (classic expression, that one), Pukka tukka (thanks to J. Oliver) and my all time absolute fave: Bollocks!
Amongst my favourites are: Snogging (classic expression, that one), Pukka tukka (thanks to J. Oliver) and my all time absolute fave: Bollocks!
Re: You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: Skiffle (---.cache.pol.co.uk)
Date: July 16, 2003 12:20AM
I've been watching too much Farscape recently. The characters use variations on 'frell' as a swearword: "frelling Peacekeepers !" I found myself inadvertantly using it the other day.
Re: You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: kaz (139.134.58.---)
Date: July 16, 2003 12:28AM
I've done that. You tend to get some funny looks if you do it in public.
Re: You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: Bluebottle (---.server.ntl.com)
Date: July 16, 2003 12:35AM
<i>my all time absolute fave: Bollocks!</i>
Which means crap. However if something is the 'dogs bollocks' it's brilliant.
I wonder how that evolved. It makes no sense!
Which means crap. However if something is the 'dogs bollocks' it's brilliant.
I wonder how that evolved. It makes no sense!
Re: You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: Anonymous User (---.dalect01.va.comcast.net)
Date: July 16, 2003 12:37AM
well, it's close enough to the American "balls" so I think they probably came from the same, uh...ROOT
GSD, I slay myself sometimes....
GSD, I slay myself sometimes....
Re: You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: poetscientistdrinker (---.cache.pol.co.uk)
Date: July 16, 2003 12:37AM
I have no idea either, but originally the db's were printing slang for :-
Most people I know now refer to good things as 'the dogs', without even needing the second word.
PSD
==========
This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.
Most people I know now refer to good things as 'the dogs', without even needing the second word.
PSD
==========
This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.
Re: You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: kaz (139.134.58.---)
Date: July 16, 2003 12:38AM
I was always under the impression that bollocks meant 'balls' and was to be used in the same context as we Aussies use 'B****r'.
Re: You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: poetscientistdrinker (---.cache.pol.co.uk)
Date: July 16, 2003 12:40AM
Well, it does mean that. Or it means 'a load of tosh', as in 'your talking bollocks, mate'. If they're the dog's bollocks, however, they're very good indeed.
The other phrase it's spawned is 'the mutt's nuts'
PSD
==========
This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.
The other phrase it's spawned is 'the mutt's nuts'
PSD
==========
This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.
Re: You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: kaz (139.134.58.---)
Date: July 16, 2003 12:44AM
I can see all sorts of opportunites to use my new knowledge out and about today!
Re: You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: Guy (---.in-addr.btopenworld.com)
Date: July 16, 2003 01:44AM
I always assumed in my naive East Anglian way that the reason why the dog's bollocks are better is that you can't lick* them.
(Unless you have a very obliging dog.)
((This may be where the theory falls down.))
(*lick is a British slang word for 'beat' as in get the better of.)
Jesus saves; Buddha does incremental backup.
(Unless you have a very obliging dog.)
((This may be where the theory falls down.))
(*lick is a British slang word for 'beat' as in get the better of.)
Jesus saves; Buddha does incremental backup.
Re: You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: kaz (139.134.58.---)
Date: July 16, 2003 01:52AM
Then again, an explaination may be that dogs CAN lick their balls, so if you had the dogs bollocks you could lick them and that would be really good.
Or something.....
Or something.....
Re: You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: KT (---.in-addr.btopenworld.com)
Date: July 16, 2003 08:19AM
The Sex Pistols "Never mind the Bollocks" LP got past the censors by stating that Bollocks originally meant Orchids.
Re: You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: Lycanthra Pod (---.dyn-du.worldhq.net)
Date: July 16, 2003 08:39AM
Bollocks was a name for a preacher or church layman who would talk for ages and ages about nothing hence the term 'talking bollocks'
Correct me if I'm wrong - and I know someone will if I am - but when the Sex Pistols were taken to court because of the title of their album, this was the explaination that was used
Correct me if I'm wrong - and I know someone will if I am - but when the Sex Pistols were taken to court because of the title of their album, this was the explaination that was used
Re: You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: KT (---.in-addr.btopenworld.com)
Date: July 16, 2003 09:18AM
Yep, I think you're right. But I seem to remember it meaning orchid as well.
Re: You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: Big John (---.rit.reuters.com)
Date: July 16, 2003 10:20AM
Says the man who works with Greek people ("I see Greek people!") - "orchidia" (these days that's pronounced "arHEEthia") is the Greek word for "bollocks", and the root for the word "orchid" (and, interestingly, the word "orchestra". And probably everything else beginning with "orch-"). So the bollocks were first. Or, as my Latin teacher used to say, "Better than a kick in the orchestra pit".
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"Whisky-wa-wa," I breathed - she was dressed as Biffo the Bear.
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"Whisky-wa-wa," I breathed - she was dressed as Biffo the Bear.
Re: You know you're talking to Brits too much when...
Posted by: Holly Daze (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: July 16, 2003 10:33AM
I suppose you all know you're talking bollocks!
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