Life Why do British people talk like idiots? - Page 3

**RealSNR** · 10-12-2014, 07:03 AM

Yes, I know standard American English isn't perfect. And by "talk like idiots" I'm not talking about stupid people who speak English. I'm talking about how normally intelligent British people CHOOSE to talk like idiots.

For example, here's what one of my Facebook friends from London said in a status: "Gods, tonight's 'Doctor Who' was patchy twaddle."

Patchy twaddle, eh? I'm pretty sure you just made that crap up, as if there aren't hundreds of words you could use to mean "bad." It's the words they choose, as well. They seem to fancy themselves as a literary culture, so they choose words that sound fun. All the baby talk crap we use in Standard American English like "wibbly-wobbly" and "bibbity-boppity" had to have come from the brains of these ****ing weirdos.

And yes, I'm aware that Shakespeare invented hundreds of words used by all speakers of English to this very day. But I don't think he went around using all the new words he invented on the street. They were adapted into the daily use over time.

They didn't zoomy-woomy so quackadilly that before they could say "Bob's your uncle!" that people couldn't bloody cochleante a blimey word they was articulating!

**srvy** · 10-12-2014, 09:09 AM

you mean like this guy?

**srvy** · 10-12-2014, 09:14 AM

**srvy** · 10-12-2014, 09:24 AM

**Baby Lee** · 10-12-2014, 09:29 AM

Ever since I got the Hola extension, I often put the BBC on in the background. Also, I watch a lot of my sports streaming from SKY1, so I hear almost as much British as I do American some days. Easy to get used to, still can't replicate it to save my life.

Just Passin' By · 10-12-2014, 09:32 AM

Since Donger hasn't shown up, I'll give the English side a bit of a defense

Twaddle has been in use since at least as far back as 1782
Patchy has been around since at least 1798
Aluminium was in use before aluminum

It's not the fault of the British that Americans don't use more of the language.

GloucesterChief · 10-12-2014, 09:40 AM

The Brits are pretty easy to figure out for the meaning for the most part. Some of the Northern dialects sound like a foreign language though.

We have some Aussies from Perth in our office. Normally they are easy to understand since they have been in the US for about half a decade but when they get excited or annoyed they are damn hard to figure out.

**alpha_omega** · 10-12-2014, 10:05 AM

Smashing.

**DaFace** · 10-12-2014, 10:17 AM

Really? Have you paid attention to all the stupid shit we say in this country lately?

GloucesterChief · 10-12-2014, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Really? Have you paid attention to all the stupid shit we say in this country lately?

Meh. English is a creole that has gained some sort of respectability. It takes the loose rules of Germanic languages and loosens them further. Throw in some words borrowed from French and every other language that English speakers encountered and you got modern English.

BWillie · 10-12-2014, 10:21 AM

I agree. Its almost like they are trying too hard to speak. In the US, its much more direct so to speak

**DaFace** · 10-12-2014, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GloucesterChief

Meh. English is a creole that has gained some sort of respectability. It takes the loose rules of Germanic languages and loosens them further. Throw in some words borrowed from French and every other language that English speakers encountered and you got modern English.

Totes.

Simply Red · 10-12-2014, 10:32 AM

I will leave it at this - doing business w/ the UK has been a pleasure for me - though I don't do as many UK orders any more - The UK always have their shit together, I'm dealing more with Germany these days and Denmark vs the UK - but the UK were a pleasure to deal with 9 times out of 10 - & yes as sad as it sounds they usually have their shit correct and complete versus domestic orders, as bad as that may be, it's been my overall observation and perhaps it's because the volume is so much higher for domestic orders that they/you/we seem sloppier (hopefully that's spelled correctly) if not feel free to correct me since your grammar is so perfect.

**Easy 6** · 10-12-2014, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lonewolf Ed

I find British slang and improper accents, such as the Brumie or general northern bastard to be hilarious! That annoying viagra commercial played over and over and over on TBS during the games, for example, would be a riot if some Cockney tart was pitching it instead of the woman that is doing it now.

Oi! Ga' a problem wif the willie, eh? Cont get any starch inna ol' sails? Well, bollocks to that lot! 'Ere is this littul blue pill and it will make you a right terror between'a sheets again! Now Oi'm randy, so come on, throw a leg ovah, ya dirty wee bastard!

splatbass · 10-12-2014, 11:18 AM

There are a lot of American sayings, particularly southern, that confuse non Americans too. It's all a huge goat rope.

I have a friend in Korea, where I travel a lot of business, and she asks me all the time what things I say mean. And she speaks English perfectly, but textbook English so the slang confuses her a lot.

Some examples:

ball-park figure
bark up the wrong tree
beat around the bush
And the previously mentioned "goat rope".

She has explained Korean idioms to me too, and they are the same. Every culture has their slang, and other people think it sounds stupid. Ever hear an Aussie talk? If you think Brits say strange things go down to Louisiana some time.

Or listen to Hawaiian pidgen sometime. Ho, brah, caught one ulua wen broke da mouth.

Lonewolf Ed · 10-12-2014, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wallcrawler

I have a British girl that works for me. She's pretty cool to have around just to listen to her talk.

The one thing that always gets me is the "TH" being pronounced with an "F".

Three becomes free, months becomes monfs, think becomes fink, etc..

Dilly-dally gets thrown around the place quite a bit, and "numpty prat" has become my new call-sign after repeated pranking.

The best mixup in translation from British to American was the other day.

She comes up to me in front of several customers and asks me if I have a spare rubber she can borrow. We all look at her funny, and it takes her an awkwardly long amount of time to get across that she was actually looking for an eraser.

Apparently erasers are called rubbers in England, and condoms are called "Johnnies".

Hilarious.

Ask her to say oregano. I know a Brit who says it ore-uh-gone-oh. Kills me every time!

10-12-2014, 07:03 AM
RealSNR Special Teams ACE!!! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Where the hell is SNR Casino cash: $2480208	Why do British people talk like idiots? Yes, I know standard American English isn't perfect. And by "talk like idiots" I'm not talking about stupid people who speak English. I'm talking about how normally intelligent British people CHOOSE to talk like idiots. For example, here's what one of my Facebook friends from London said in a status: "Gods, tonight's 'Doctor Who' was patchy twaddle." Patchy twaddle, eh? I'm pretty sure you just made that crap up, as if there aren't hundreds of words you could use to mean "bad." It's the words they choose, as well. They seem to fancy themselves as a literary culture, so they choose words that sound fun. All the baby talk crap we use in Standard American English like "wibbly-wobbly" and "bibbity-boppity" had to have come from the brains of these ****ing weirdos. And yes, I'm aware that Shakespeare invented hundreds of words used by all speakers of English to this very day. But I don't think he went around using all the new words he invented on the street. They were adapted into the daily use over time. They didn't zoomy-woomy so quackadilly that before they could say "Bob's your uncle!" that people couldn't bloody cochleante a blimey word they was articulating!
Posts: 90,250

10-12-2014, 09:09 AM	#31
srvy Fight, build, win! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: KC Casino cash: $1791250	you mean like this guy?
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10-12-2014, 09:14 AM	#32
srvy Fight, build, win! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: KC Casino cash: $1791250
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10-12-2014, 09:24 AM	#33
srvy Fight, build, win! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: KC Casino cash: $1791250
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10-12-2014, 09:29 AM	#34
Baby Lee Supporter Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $6838598	Ever since I got the Hola extension, I often put the BBC on in the background. Also, I watch a lot of my sports streaming from SKY1, so I hear almost as much British as I do American some days. Easy to get used to, still can't replicate it to save my life. __________________ We need the kind of courage that can withstand the subtle corruption of the cynics - E.W.
Posts: 95,642

10-12-2014, 09:32 AM	#35
Just Passin' By In Search of a Life Join Date: Feb 2009 Casino cash: $5460524	Since Donger hasn't shown up, I'll give the English side a bit of a defense Twaddle has been in use since at least as far back as 1782 Patchy has been around since at least 1798 Aluminium was in use before aluminum It's not the fault of the British that Americans don't use more of the language.
Posts: 69,748

10-12-2014, 09:40 AM	#36
GloucesterChief MVP Join Date: Jan 2013 Casino cash: $1896454	The Brits are pretty easy to figure out for the meaning for the most part. Some of the Northern dialects sound like a foreign language though. We have some Aussies from Perth in our office. Normally they are easy to understand since they have been in the US for about half a decade but when they get excited or annoyed they are damn hard to figure out.
Posts: 12,635

10-12-2014, 10:05 AM	#37
alpha_omega Supporter Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Liberty Casino cash: $1761251	Smashing.
Posts: 16,714

10-12-2014, 10:17 AM	#38
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $2146899	Really? Have you paid attention to all the stupid shit we say in this country lately?
Posts: 51,702

10-12-2014, 10:21 AM	#40
BWillie Leto Atreides for Prez 2024 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Caladan Casino cash: $2551241	I agree. Its almost like they are trying too hard to speak. In the US, its much more direct so to speak __________________ Who wants free money? Use the link below to sign up at Bovada, BetOnline, Black Chip Poker and Ignition. Contact me for private deals, spot bonuses, possible rakeback or any questions! Bovada, Ignition, BetOnline, Black Chip Poker: baldeaglepoker.com Bovada Poker is back! Get up to $500 poker deposit bonus.
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10-12-2014, 10:32 AM	#42
Simply Red You Sweetie! Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $2021206219 VARSITY	I will leave it at this - doing business w/ the UK has been a pleasure for me - though I don't do as many UK orders any more - The UK always have their shit together, I'm dealing more with Germany these days and Denmark vs the UK - but the UK were a pleasure to deal with 9 times out of 10 - & yes as sad as it sounds they usually have their shit correct and complete versus domestic orders, as bad as that may be, it's been my overall observation and perhaps it's because the volume is so much higher for domestic orders that they/you/we seem sloppier (hopefully that's spelled correctly) if not feel free to correct me since your grammar is so perfect.
Posts: 71,691

10-12-2014, 11:18 AM	#44
splatbass MVP Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Honolulu, HI Casino cash: $6730560	There are a lot of American sayings, particularly southern, that confuse non Americans too. It's all a huge goat rope. I have a friend in Korea, where I travel a lot of business, and she asks me all the time what things I say mean. And she speaks English perfectly, but textbook English so the slang confuses her a lot. Some examples: ball-park figure bark up the wrong tree beat around the bush And the previously mentioned "goat rope". She has explained Korean idioms to me too, and they are the same. Every culture has their slang, and other people think it sounds stupid. Ever hear an Aussie talk? If you think Brits say strange things go down to Louisiana some time. Or listen to Hawaiian pidgen sometime. Ho, brah, caught one ulua wen broke da mouth. Last edited by splatbass; 10-12-2014 at 11:29 AM..
Posts: 10,063

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