We had an unspoken agreement in our family that there were certain people you never asked 'How are you', because they would actually tell you. At great length, and in gory detail.
We had an unspoken agreement in our family that there were certain people you never asked 'How are you', because they would actually tell you. At great length, and in gory detail.
The local versions are "Y'kay?" or "Awri'?" Younger denizens will say "'Up bro?" Which translate into versions of "(Are) you OK?" "(Are you) alright?", and "What's up, bro?". None of which expect much of an answer.
We had an unspoken agreement in our family that there were certain people you never asked 'How are you', because they would actually tell you. At great length, and in gory detail.
In Newfoundland the shortest way of asking that question is, "Y'at?" Short for "Whaddya at" [what are you at?] which technically means "What are you doing?" but really means "How are you/What is currently happening in your life/etc."
The only acceptable answers are "Not much" or "This is it." Answering "Y'at?" with a detailed description of your current work or leisure activities is as socially inappropriate as answering "How are you?" with a description of how painful your gallstones are.
Although "different than" is linguistically interesting, as it may show a spread from comparatives, e.g., better than. I wonder if it's increasing. There is also "other than", quite rare I think, but showing the influence of than.
Yes, “other than” is very common and normal in my experience. I’m not sure what the alternative would be.
Apart from. Except. Not counting.
If I say "Except for mousethief, who wants a beer?" then our felonious rodent is going thirsty. "Other than mousethief, who wants a beer?" means that I already know mousethief wants beer. "Apart from" has the same meaning as "Other than".
I think if I was to start a sentence with "Not counting mousethief," I'd have to continue with "how many people want beer?"
Although "different than" is linguistically interesting, as it may show a spread from comparatives, e.g., better than. I wonder if it's increasing. There is also "other than", quite rare I think, but showing the influence of than.
"Other than" is common here also. "Different than" is sadly also in common use. Why it is is beyond my understanding as "different to" or even "from" takes no effort.
Although "different than" is linguistically interesting, as it may show a spread from comparatives, e.g., better than. I wonder if it's increasing. There is also "other than", quite rare I think, but showing the influence of than.
"Other than" is common here also. "Different than" is sadly also in common use. Why it is is beyond my understanding as "different to" or even "from" takes no effort.
Because meaning is arbitrary. There is no intrinsic meaning to "different" and "than".
This may have been mentioned before, but 'bored of' always sets my teeth on edge. 'Tiredof', yes, but 'bred by'. And also use of 'of' for 'have' in print: 'You should of' - ugh.
I'd say: "I'm bored of dealing with your mess!" to someone when yelling at them to clear up.
or, when referring to the conversation, to being bored of/by the permanent tip surrounding said individual, interchangeably. I think the difference is whether I'm linking the "bored" to a noun or a verb.
To me "bored of" and "bored by" is a nuanced distinction having to do with how long I've had to tolerate the boring thing. So I might be bored by the long sermon my pastor is preaching, but if he's been doing this every week for ages, I may be growing bored of his sermons, and perhaps his whole ministry, in a more general sense. That might just be how I use it though.
Fun item for this thread- Jay Leno when he did The Tonight Show used to do a bit called "Headlines", sort of like our "Headlines of Utter Weirdness" except it was anything printed in newspapers including things in the body of the story, classifieds, and photos. I ran across an old clip where he had a photo of Prince Charles meeting and shaking the hand of the CEO of Walmart with a woman standing back between them. The caption said: "The woman was unidentified but she might have been an interpreter."
I heard a curious Americanism with no British equivalent that I can think of when someone told my wife's elderly grandpa something he didn't believe. His immediate response was, "So's your old man!" I asked about it later and was told it was a perfectly normal thing to say in Montana.
(Exact conversation... Neighbour: "Walter - there's water in the irrigation ditch!" Grandpa: "So's your old man!")
I heard a curious Americanism with no British equivalent that I can think of when someone told my wife's elderly grandpa something he didn't believe. His immediate response was, "So's your old man!" I asked about it later and was told it was a perfectly normal thing to say in Montana.
(Exact conversation... Neighbour: "Walter - there's water in the irrigation ditch!" Grandpa: "So's your old man!")
There are phrases in Anglo-English that serve the same purpose. 'And the rest!' leaps to mind. It certainly doesn't literally mean exactly the same as 'So's your old man!' (and now I come to think about it, I'm not sure quite what it's literally meant to mean) but both are short phrases capable of being spoken in a thoroughly disbelieving tone - which to at least some extent is the point of them.
In the Socialism thread, as the topic turns to buses (as it always does), people are speaking of buses "picking up" and "setting down" passengers. This contrasts to nomenclature in the States (as I have experienced it): buses don't set down passengers, they let off passengers. (Or to be more accurate they let passengers off, although splitting the phrasal verb doesn't change the meaning, only the expression.)
He thought he saw a Banker's Clerk
Descending from the bus:
He looked again, and found it was
A Hippopotamus.
'If this should stay to dine,' he said,
'There won't be much for us!'
In the Socialism thread, as the topic turns to buses (as it always does), people are speaking of buses "picking up" and "setting down" passengers. This contrasts to nomenclature in the States (as I have experienced it): buses don't set down passengers, they let off passengers. (Or to be more accurate they let passengers off, although splitting the phrasal verb doesn't change the meaning, only the expression.)
I think I would go with letting off passengers here... although the whole idea that it's somehow up to the bus (or even the driver) rather than the passengers feels odd. You just get off the bus.
Yes, I realise that this is only practical if the bus ceases to move, but that's what happens if you press the button to indicate you want to get off at the next stop.
"It's a bit black over Will's mothers" (or Bill's mothers) is a phrase used in parts of the UK (although possibly now falling out of usage) to describe when there are heavy clouds on the horizon, threatening a downpour.
Has this phrase made it across the Pond? And are there any American phrases that have a similar usage in predicting the weather?
I was looking at the thread in the Circus, where you mangle a song by replacing the word "girl" by the word "squirrel". It occurred to me that maybe these words rhyme in American English. Would that be correct?
Comments
In Belfast, they'd say 'How about you?' - usually shortened to 'bout ye?
'How'r ye' is more an exclamation of incredulity, milder than 'Away and catch yerself on'.
Likewise.
When in doubt, don’t ask.
And the Doric, of course, is ‘Fit like?’
"How's things?" is more of an opening gambit.
Those who enjoy ill-health - literally.
And two good answers to that will be, "Nae affa weel", or if things are really bad, "Affa nae weel".
The only acceptable answers are "Not much" or "This is it." Answering "Y'at?" with a detailed description of your current work or leisure activities is as socially inappropriate as answering "How are you?" with a description of how painful your gallstones are.
"Other than @mousethief, who else finds this a common usage?"
I would say it's found in educated standard English. Or, if you like, it's posh.
I do. And it's not standard or posh here in America, it's just... English.
"Does anybody want more beer? Other than X, I mean."
Apart from. Except. Not counting.
If I say "Except for mousethief, who wants a beer?" then our felonious rodent is going thirsty. "Other than mousethief, who wants a beer?" means that I already know mousethief wants beer. "Apart from" has the same meaning as "Other than".
I think if I was to start a sentence with "Not counting mousethief," I'd have to continue with "how many people want beer?"
"Other than" is common here also. "Different than" is sadly also in common use. Why it is is beyond my understanding as "different to" or even "from" takes no effort.
I'd assume this use comes from beginning with "similar to", and then substituting "different" for "similar".
I think a lot of these forms happen like that, by analogy.
Because meaning is arbitrary. There is no intrinsic meaning to "different" and "than".
MMM
or, when referring to the conversation, to being bored of/by the permanent tip surrounding said individual, interchangeably. I think the difference is whether I'm linking the "bored" to a noun or a verb.
(Exact conversation... Neighbour: "Walter - there's water in the irrigation ditch!" Grandpa: "So's your old man!")
There are phrases in Anglo-English that serve the same purpose. 'And the rest!' leaps to mind. It certainly doesn't literally mean exactly the same as 'So's your old man!' (and now I come to think about it, I'm not sure quite what it's literally meant to mean) but both are short phrases capable of being spoken in a thoroughly disbelieving tone - which to at least some extent is the point of them.
At least at that moment, yes.
I seem to remember that bus passengers 'alighted' back in the day,
I always think of ‘alight to lighten the Gentiles’...
I'll fetch my own coat.
I think I would go with letting off passengers here... although the whole idea that it's somehow up to the bus (or even the driver) rather than the passengers feels odd. You just get off the bus.
Yes, I realise that this is only practical if the bus ceases to move, but that's what happens if you press the button to indicate you want to get off at the next stop.
Has this phrase made it across the Pond? And are there any American phrases that have a similar usage in predicting the weather?
I have naturally enlarged testicles. Every so often the doctor wants to check to see if there is not an anomaly. Guess how he does he does it.