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Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
This is a thread about slang and swearing in English speaking countries.
Number one - don't swear unless you speak quite good English. Otherwise you only sound stupid and ignorant.
Secondly - women should avoid swearing, in English it sounds 10 times more vulgar when women swear than men. Many women from other countries do not realise this and accidentally end up seeming very rude and vulgar. If in doubt, do not swear!!!
But it's useful to know these words because many people use them a lot.
Some swear words and slang from the United Kingdom:
"Bloody" Example: "Bloody French people, they are so bloody annoying" Bloody is actually quite rude even though it doesn't sound like. It's less rude than f-ing though.
Can't be bothered, Other options: Can't be fussed, Can't be arsed.... Example "I can't be bothered to clean the bathroom right now... " (I know I ought to clean, but I don't feel like it). This is a very common expression but don't use it with people that you want to give a serious and professional impression to. Don't use it at work.
"Brilliant" Example: That film was brilliant (it was an excellent film). Americans use the word "awesome" instead. Brilliant is an ok word and can be used by anybody at any time.
"Bugger" This is a very rude word. It can be used in many ways. "Bugger off" "Where is that little bugger..?" (said about a person that you don't like. Male usage only!) This word is related to homosexuality, so it is a bit insulting.
"Darn" I think this is a slightly less way to say "damn" and "damned" Example: He's a darned idiot who keeps saying darn stupid things.
More coming soon!
Others, please add and learners feel free to ask questions!
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
"Brilliant" is a slang?! I felt a shock :shock:. I thought this word is like Russian "блестящий", but if it's a slang, then "потрясный" is a more close word.
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
Well, used in that way I think it is slang.. But not bad slang, quite normal. The Queen probably would not use it though! She'd say "That was quite an extraordinary film, very well made" or something like that. I think.
The reason I started this thread is because I personally have made MANY mistakes with slang. I worked with only men and started speaking like them - sometimes I sounded very vulgar and sometimes I misunderstood the slang expressions. This is not a problem for me at all anymore, but I have not forgotten how easy it is to make mistakes with slang.
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
It's so strange: the word derived from "a brilliant", and a brilliant is a most noble gem. This information is very, very, very unexpected and sudden for me.
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Originally Posted by Звездочёт
"Brilliant" is a slang?! I felt a shock :shock:. I thought this word is like Russian "блестящий", but if it's a slang, then "потрясный" is a more close word.
Okay, over across the pond here, we use "brilliant" the opposite way... as in putting someone down. If you did something really stupid it would be, "Well that was a brilliant idea." with the emphasis on the word, brilliant, and usually rolling your eyes at the same time. :roll:
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Originally Posted by rockzmom
Okay, over across the pond here, we use "brilliant" the opposite way... as in putting someone down. If you did something really stupid it would be, "Well that was a brilliant idea." with the emphasis on the word, brilliant, and usually rolling your eyes at the same time.
So, do you use the word for sarcasm and irony only?
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
Well, you could say "He is a brilliant scientist" meaning he is a very talented scientist, a leader in his field. Wouldn't that work in American English rockzmom?
You could also say "Jane and John threw a brilliant party, everything was perfect!"
Gosh there is plenty of scope for translatlantic confusion! :friends:
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Originally Posted by Звездочёт
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Originally Posted by rockzmom
Okay, over across the pond here, we use "brilliant" the opposite way... as in putting someone down. If you did something really stupid it would be, "Well that was a brilliant idea." with the emphasis on the word, brilliant, and usually rolling your eyes at the same time.
So, do you use the word for sarcasm and irony only?
That's a very good question! You have me thinking now. I guess I would also use it as a character trait, to describe someone, "He is a truly a brilliant person." But I don't think I would use it as say, "He had/has a brilliant idea." It sounds too corny now days.
Just to be clear, it is fine to use the word that way, just it sounds odd (false) because it is used so much the other way now (for sarcasm and irony).
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
I expected this word is a word of “high” speech style, that it’s a literately word, because it derived from “a brilliant”. When I say “brilliant” (adjective), I see a brilliant, which revolves in a light, I see how glimmers, small lights and irises sparkle and dance on facets. And I can’t imagine, that a word, which has so charmed internal beauty and harmony, is just… a slang and corny :cry: .
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Originally Posted by Johanna
Well, you could say "He is a brilliant scientist" meaning he is a very talented scientist, a leader in his field.
Хм... I do not understand now. If I say “brilliant idea”, is it literately and bookish? Or I should avoid them in a “high” speech (like Queen :) )?
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
"bugger" sounds awfully British
if you're using that cheesy or corny term 'darn' or 'darn-it' (exc. god darnit! = god damnit,dammit! )you'll come off as a little slow or late southern hick :crazy: (at the extreme) old in other words it is a bit outdated (in most parts of the us) like that sh!t you get from hollywood movies - if making a point to mock something someones stupidity stress it with sarcasm :D
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Originally Posted by Johanna
Well, you could say "He is a brilliant scientist" meaning he is a very talented scientist, a leader in his field.
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Хм... I do not understand now. If I say “brilliant idea”, is it literately and bookish? Or I should avoid them in a “high” speech (like Queen :) )?
Well judging from Rockzmom's comments, "brilliant" is a complicated word in the US.
But in the UK it is quite safe to use it. It is completely normal and yes, you can say "that is a brilliant idea". It does not sound silly to me at all. I say it myself a lot.
As a foreigner and particularly a Russian, the best kind of (British) accent to aim for is the "Recieved Pronounciation" accent, which is also called RP, Queen's English and sometimes BBC English. This is the posh (upper-class) way of speaking, but it is also suitable for foreigners. British accents is a very complicated (sensitive) question but just trust me, I am a foreigner and I speak in this way - it has helped a lot. BBC Radio 4 is a good example of this accent - listen online.
The other option is to speak like an American.
As I understand it there are some pretty big cultural differences between the UK and the US in terms of slang and swearing. I don't always understand what Americans mean, to be honest - particularly when somebody is speaking New York slang, very fast, like my ex-boss. There are some other tricky accents there too. Real Americans DON'T speak like they do on TV shows and on CNN. Only very few do, those from California I think.
However Americans are very chilled, relaxed people though, so usually things work out well anyway.
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Originally Posted by rockzmom
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Originally Posted by Звездочёт
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Originally Posted by rockzmom
Okay, over across the pond here, we use "brilliant" the opposite way... as in putting someone down. If you did something really stupid it would be, "Well that was a brilliant idea." with the emphasis on the word, brilliant, and usually rolling your eyes at the same time.
So, do you use the word for sarcasm and irony only?
That's a very good question! You have me thinking now. I guess I would also use it as a character trait, to describe someone, "He is a truly a brilliant person." But I don't think I would use it as say, "He had/has a brilliant idea." It sounds too corny now days.
Just to be clear, it is fine to use the word that way, just it sounds odd (false) because it is used so much the other way now (for sarcasm and irony).
I've lived many years in the New York (state not city)/New Jersey area and disagree that brilliant is used mostly for sarcasm and irony. I also disagree that brilliant sounds too corny. Maybe it's the folks I talk with?
Scott
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
you can use "brilliant!" :good: (and mostly it is) idiomatically as to point out someones extreme screw up but you can use sarcasm at about anything else like awesome dude ( term dude is 'corny' and stresses sarcasm :mrgreen: )or 'nice job there' pal (pal is corny ;to keep overusing the term corny)
by the way I hate the word dude (its so cali and old)
hohohoho
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
Maybe an American person can explain DUDE and YA' LL (??) and some other American expressions.
I kind of like "dude" but I don't use it myself.
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Originally Posted by Johanna
Maybe an American person can explain DUDE and YA' LL (??) and some other American expressions.
I kind of like "dude" but I don't use it myself.
There actually is an older thread... How to speak Southern Ya'll - The Queen's English
And you can download a redacted copy of "A DICTIONARY OF THE QUEEN'S ENGLISH, NORTH CAROLINA" that was published in Raleigh, N.C. by the Travel and Tourism Division, Dept. of Commerce, [between 1978 and 1988]
http://www.mediafire.com/?tkmmmdyymyg
Now to answer your question about ya'll or y'all... it is used in the Southern U.S. to mean more than one person. Example: "Listen up ya'll" or "Come on y'all, stop fussin'."
The "listen up ya'll" is one expression that gives me away EVERYTIME because you also tend to throw a big "twang" or a "Southern drawl," in there when ya say it. So my normal middle of the road plain Jane no accent, goes right out the window!
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Originally Posted by rockzmom
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Originally Posted by Johanna
Maybe an American person can explain DUDE and YA' LL (??) and some other American expressions.
I kind of like "dude" but I don't use it myself.
There actually is an older thread...
How to speak Southern Ya'll - The Queen's English
And you can download a redacted copy of "A DICTIONARY OF THE QUEEN'S ENGLISH, NORTH CAROLINA" that was published in Raleigh, N.C. by the Travel and Tourism Division, Dept. of Commerce, [between 1978 and 1988]
http://www.mediafire.com/?tkmmmdyymyg
Now to answer your question about ya'll or y'all... it is used in the Southern U.S. to mean more than one person. Example: "Listen up ya'll" or "Come on y'all, stop fussin'."
The "listen up ya'll" is one expression that gives me away EVERYTIME because you also tend to throw a big "twang" or a "Southern drawl," in there when ya say it. So my normal middle of the road plain Jane no accent, goes right out the window!
yup,and you definitely sound like a douche if you call someone 'dude' too much :crazy: =@
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Originally Posted by Johanna
Maybe an American person can explain DUDE and YA' LL (??) and some other American expressions.
I kind of like "dude" but I don't use it myself.
I've heard it mostly used towards males but have heard it towards females. To me it sounds weird directed towards a female.
Dude can kind of be a replacement for a few words like (man, guy):
What's up dude?
Dude you're right.
Did you see that dude in the red car?
That's the dude that bought the beer.
Generally younger folks use it.
Hope this helps.
Scott
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Originally Posted by Johanna
Can't be bothered, Other options: Can't be fussed, Can't be arsed.... Example "I can't be bothered to clean the bathroom right now... " (I know I ought to clean, but I don't feel like it). This is a very common expression but don't use it with people that you want to give a serious and professional impression to. Don't use it at work.
funny you should say that, for that was probably the most used phrase at my work; also its variation "can't be f*cked" or "cannae be hooped" :lol: well, those, and "I'm doing f*ck all". :roll:
btw, I've always been wondering, is "knackered" an offensive word? I remember my friend once saying it's the kind of word you wouldn't say to your mother, yet I kept hearing it in various situations, spoken by all kinds of people.
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
Haha Kamka are you working in IT by any chance?
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
IT, as in Information Technology?
nah, was working in a restaurant, learnt LOTS of swear words while being there. Very interesting experience, really, especially language-wise. :lol:
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
@Kamka - Oh I see! Restaurant industry in the UK is NOT a good place to learn English, too many non-English. But you already speak it well by the sound of things though.
Another word that's used a lot is "git" but I don't know exactly what it means and I don't use it myself.
Example "He's a real git" (negative).
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Originally Posted by Johanna
@Kamka - Oh I see! Restaurant industry in the UK is NOT a good place to learn English, too many non-English. But you already speak it well by the sound of things though.
I actually worked with quite a lot of Scots, so it wasn't that bad. :) This one time on a quiet night, I even had a customer teaching me some Scottish slang! Good times :))
May I just ask, how long have you been in Britain?
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
I was really hoping this would make it to Youtube, because I am not certain if you all have "rights" to view MSNBC....
"peppercorns" this was a new one for me!!!!
http://www.popeater.com/2009/09/24/m...er-today-show/
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
Haha "Peppercorns"!
Never heard that before!
And Martha Stewart is out of prison!
(for a brief period in time I rather admired her as I tried to keep a perfect house... enough said!)
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Originally Posted by fortheether
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Originally Posted by Johanna
Maybe an American person can explain DUDE and YA' LL (??) and some other American expressions.
I kind of like "dude" but I don't use it myself.
I recently noticed that young girls (teens to early 20's) are calling each other dude, which is kind of cute. To me, it has a impolite, disrespectful ring to it; I don't appreciate being addressed as dude.
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Originally Posted by sperk
Quote:
Originally Posted by fortheether
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Originally Posted by Johanna
Maybe an American person can explain DUDE and YA' LL (??) and some other American expressions.
I kind of like "dude" but I don't use it myself.
I recently noticed that young girls (teens to early 20's) are calling each other dude, which is kind of cute. To me, it has a impolite, disrespectful ring to it; I don't appreciate being addressed as dude.
"You call me me DUDE ONE MORE TIME!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GgWrV8TcUc
Listen closely at the end at what he says..."You got that camera on? If I find myself on..."
This took place in Baltimore in the Inner Harbor area. The case was in the news here again this past weekend as the case was thrown out of court.
Now about the teens..hehehe.. My girls were going to write a posting here about that. They DO in fact call each other and their friends "dude" and say, "What's your problem dude" or just "DUDE!" to each other ALL the time. To them "dude" is almost as common in a sentence as "like" these days.
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
that cop looks like a proper psycho to me. :wacko:
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Originally Posted by kamka
that cop looks like a proper psycho to me. :wacko:
Ohhhh, the jokes going on around here when this first came out! People blamed it on his having to drive a "toy" cop car and wearing shorts. Of course, the boy did not help by calling him "dude" over, and over, and over.
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Originally Posted by rockzmom
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Originally Posted by kamka
that cop looks like a proper psycho to me. :wacko:
Ohhhh, the jokes going on around here when this first came out! People blamed it on his having to drive a "toy" cop car and wearing shorts. Of course, the boy did not help by calling him "dude" over, and over, and over.
I didn't understand what did the cop get so upset about in first place :unknown:
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Originally Posted by kamka
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Originally Posted by rockzmom
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Originally Posted by kamka
that cop looks like a proper psycho to me. :wacko:
Ohhhh, the jokes going on around here when this first came out! People blamed it on his having to drive a "toy" cop car and wearing shorts. Of course, the boy did not help by calling him "dude" over, and over, and over.
I didn't understand what did the cop get so upset about in first place :unknown:
The kids were skateboarding in an area where you could not. The one boy had his earphones in from his iPod and did not hear him or just did not "want" to hear him. It set him off. He was having a really bad day.... :mad: :evil:
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Originally Posted by rockzmom
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Originally Posted by kamka
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Originally Posted by rockzmom
Ohhhh, the jokes going on around here when this first came out! People blamed it on his having to drive a "toy" cop car and wearing shorts. Of course, the boy did not help by calling him "dude" over, and over, and over.
I didn't understand what did the cop get so upset about in first place :unknown:
The kids were skateboarding in an area where you could not. The one boy had his earphones in from his iPod and did not hear him or just did not "want" to hear him. It set him off. He was having a really bad day.... :mad: :evil:
The cop needs some anger management training :). But, frankly, the kid was acting like a moron. I don't know if he is one, or if he was just being a teenager (always on the defensive, like typical teenagers are, etc), but his behavior wasn't smart.
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Originally Posted by rockzmom
The kids were skateboarding in an area where you could not. The one boy had his earphones in from his iPod and did not hear him or just did not "want" to hear him. It set him off. He was having a really bad day.... :mad: :evil:
oh, alright! that's for clearing that one up for me :D
translationsmr - most of 14-year-olds are morons, it's just a phase we all go through, when you act all cocky just for the sake of it, 'cause you feel oh-so-grown-up and fail to see why would anyone have any right to question whatever it is that you're doing. And I'd exepct a police officer to show just a wee bit more empathy, after all it's not like the kid was harmful in any way, or actually insulting the cop, he was probably just being his 14-year-old self.
That cop, on the other hand, acts as if he has not only some anger amangment issues, as you've pointed out, but also a huge problem with his self-esteem, hence he's taking it out on someone who's just this much more vulnerable. Scary thing.
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Originally Posted by kamka
That cop, on the other hand, acts as if he has not only some anger amangment issues, as you've pointed out, but also a huge problem with his self-esteem, hence he's taking it out on someone who's just this much more vulnerable. Scary thing.
Oh, yeah, I wasn't trying to say that the cop's behavior was alright just because the kid was acting stupid (and, by the way, now that I think of it, he probably acted as he did he was with his friends. He probably just didn't want to look like a wuss to them. Stupid, but understandable). There was absolutely no need to manhandle the boy and yell at him the way the cop did. I wonder if he behaves the same way towards his own children. Maybe it's just his idea of how to handle disobedient children :wacko:
By the way, law enforcement seems to be a magment to people with security and self-esteem issues. Even in the least corrupt societies, a certain percentage of police officers are liable to be like that guy.
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
Yeah I agree -- that policeman was a bit unprofessional. It seemed like he was in a very bad mood and partly took it out on the (very stupid!!) kid. He was the adult in the situation, and someone who is supposedly trained to handle such situations calmly. The kid WAS both stupid and disrespectful though. Fool meets fool situation...
What a strange uniform he wore! I didn't realise at first that the fellow who was shouting was actually the policeman...
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
VERY FUNNY, VERY RUDE (WARNING SENSITIVE PPL!) about London Underground (metro).
(good intro to some very rude and very common words in British English!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84vJ4vEWvAQ
If you really want to know exactly what the rude words are, make a search for the karaoke version which has all the words.
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
Two expressions I use a lot:
Sweet: another word for "Awesome!". Example: "Sweet! I just won the lottery!"
Sick: Awesome, very impressive. Example: "I just say [insert movie title here], that movie was SICK!" or "did you see what that magician did? That was sick, yo!"
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
Keep in mind that British slang and American slang is very different. In America we do not use "bugger off" or "bugger", we usually use "f*ck off". British people use "piss off" and "bloody", Americans do not. British also use "taking the piss out of me" which means to mock someone.
Some other words that I hear young Americans use quite a bit are: "stop being a fag" or "thats gay", they don't literally mean that you are homosexual.
Overall I think "f*ck" or "what the f*ck" are probably the most used swear words in the US.
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
Of course there are books for just about everything, so, too, for learning how to swear:
English as a 2nd F*cking Language
And by the same author: Watch Your F*cking Language
Robin
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Re: Slang and Swearing in UK, US and other countries
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Originally Posted by Johanna
Well judging from Rockzmom's comments, "brilliant" is a complicated word in the US.
Not really. It's actually simpler. We don't use it for everything. "Brilliant" is more strictly used as a synonym for "ingenious." And even then it sounds a bit pretentious.
Yes, personally, for instance, I might say "That film was brilliant," but only if I were too lazy to say "brilliantly done," or "ingenious," or "exceedingly intelligent plot-wise and in execution." Capische?
Generally, I'd just lazily drop the line "That was f**king good, dude." (nonspecific "dude" here).
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Originally Posted by Johanna
The other option is to speak like an American.
The better option. I don't like how Russians sound when their accent has British traces in it. Sounds funky.
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when somebody is speaking New York slang
I don't know that the slang differs too much from the rest of the country, although the accent is quite different. Most of my extended family lives in and around NYC.
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There are some other tricky accents there too. Real Americans DON'T speak like they do on TV shows and on CNN. Only very few do, those from California I think.
True dat! "Talking heads" and TV personalities are usually trained in their diction, and they go on the "Standard American English" model, or something, which supposedly emanates from Ohio.
Californians, on the other hand, are notorious for slang, especially the youth of Southern California (which is incidentally where I grew up).
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However Americans are very chilled, relaxed people though, so usually things work out well anyway.
I beg to differ! :D
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Originally Posted by Johanna
As I understand it there are some pretty big cultural differences between the UK and the US in terms of slang and swearing.
There are big differences. It's nearly impossible for me to get the meaning of someone speaking British slang unless they're using highly stereotypical words, like "bloody" or "bollocks," or unless the context lends clarity. The other day, a guy gamboled into my place of work, said something to me in British English and proceeded to laugh hysterically, while I sat there trying like hell to determine exactly what the f_k he had said. I understood the words (and I forget them as of now) but they made no sense to me whatsoever.
I suppose it's the same in reverse for Brits ... so ...
Speaking of slang ... as a young person (22 and under) living in the United States, slang and profanity are my fundamental building blocks of daily communication!
Here's an abbreviated list of some common American "slangisms" that you might be interested in:
I'm bummed out = I'm feeling a bit sad
Today sucks = I don't like how today is going
So, my grandpa croaked last night = My grandpa died
It's pretty dead here = There's not much activity going on
She's ditsy as hell = She seems quite vacuous, unintelligent, and bubbly
Come again? = What did you say?
Did you see that car? That sh*t was off the hook! = That was a really cool car
Stop power tripping! = Stop trying to control everything
Man, I just went and took the five minute diet! = I relieved my bowels to a vast extent in the toilet
OK - obviously, there are millions more than these, and ones that are much, much more profane. However, I'll only post extreme profanities upon request. Highly profane verbiage is very, VERY common in everyday situations between men and, increasingly, women, or even between women and men.
Generally, I'd say, profanity and slang comprises a great majority of my words when I'm talking about mundane things. But if I'm having serious conversations, or discussing something a bit more high-flown with some friends, I'll invariably switch to exceedingly high-form English. I kind of swing between the extremes and occasionally intermix them.
But, whatever!