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English for Americans
June 24, 2003, 18:31
pauldEnglish for Americans
Is
this known to you? Quite fun, although he spells
Mackintosh wrongly.
June 24, 2003, 21:38
KallehNo, it isn't familiar, and I loved it!
"Queen Anne's dead" was one of our favorites. Unfortunately, not that many women wear petticoats anymore.
BTW, is "going commando" familiar to you Brits?
June 25, 2003, 01:55
arniequote:
Queen Anne's dead
Our usual phrase to draw attention to an errant petticoat used to be "it's snowing down south". As Kalleh says, not a lot of women wear petticoats these days, and the last time I used it I was met with a stare of blank incomprehension.
quote:
going commando
I can't say that I'm
familiar with the phrase, although I have heard it used on TV a few times recently.
June 25, 2003, 07:03
pauldGoing commando -- without underwear? Yes, reasonably well-known here, I think, but seems to be a fairly new usage. I rather like it. (The phrase, do I need to say?) Any idea of its derivation?
June 25, 2003, 07:05
TrossL"Going commando" means a man not wearing anything under his pants. Though I don't know why... As a former Army Airborne member, I never found that any of the Rangers went without their skivvies... and believe me, I checked alot!
June 25, 2003, 07:20
pauldAnd while trying (unsucessfully) to find a derivation for
going commando I found
this - a dictionary of British slang. It all looks pretty accurate and up-to-date to me, although it doesn't have
making a horlicks of it.
June 25, 2003, 07:23
Graham NiceJoey went Commando on Friends - the first time I heard the phrase.
Does queue really need explaining? Is it the concept of waiting your turn or the actual word that is alien to other nations?
June 25, 2003, 07:29
pauldThe word, I'd guess.
June 25, 2003, 07:55
BobHalequote:
Originally posted by TrossL:
"Going commando" means a man not wearing anything under his pants. Though I don't know why... As a former Army Airborne member, I never found that any of the Rangers went without their skivvies... and believe me, I checked alot!
But being English I
never wear anything under my pants. I do however wear my pants under my trousers.
Non curo ! Si metrum no habet, non est poema.
Read all about my travels around the world here.Read even more of my travel writing and poems on my weblog.June 25, 2003, 09:54
Richard EnglishBut what does a Scotsman wear under his kilt?
I asked one once, "...Is anything worn under your kilt...? His response was, "...No. It's all in perfect working order..."
Richard English
June 25, 2003, 10:48
arniequote:
Joey went Commando on Friends - the first time I heard the phrase.
Ah yes! I think that's where I heard it, too.
June 25, 2003, 10:58
pauldquote:
Originally posted by Richard English:
... Scotsman ... kilt
Och, Dougal, it's gruesome ...
June 25, 2003, 12:08
C J Strolinquote:
Originally posted by Graham Nice:
Joey went Commando on Friends...
Does queue really need explaining?
That same episode ended with Jennifer Aniston "going commando" in a beautifully slinky gown. Totally hot and very, very probably the reason this term has gained popularity. I really doubt a sizable percentage of any pre-Friends test group would have reported ever hearing this term.
Regarding "queue," this word was almost totally unheard of in the states back, say, in the 70's but it is slowly starting to gain inroads over here. It's a great word, if for no other reason, because it is the correct answer to the question "What 5-letter word can loose its last 4 letters and still be pronounced the same?" (I'm proud to say that
I came up with that particular trivia question though I've yet to find someone to provide the correct answer. I imagine it wouldn't be such a stumper over there.)
June 25, 2003, 19:19
KallehYes, the first time I had heard of "going commando" was on that Friends' episode.
As for queue, before this board I had vaguely known the definition, but I had never used it nor heard it used. However, this spring I was surprised when I called my daughter's university (University of Southern California); they said, "You are 6th in the queue...." I especially was surprised because I think the eastern coast here is closer to using English vernacular than the west coast is.
July 01, 2003, 05:40
Graham Nicequote:
Originally posted by pauld:
Is http://www.hps.com/~tpg/ukdict/index.html known to you? Quite fun, although he spells _Mackintosh_ wrongly.
It's also got the best word missing. The word that Americans seem to use for energy, and Australians reserve for good-looking men, means something quite different to me