Fortnight regional language (Full Version)

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MercTech -> Fortnight regional language (3/13/2014 6:40:27 PM)

A remark about "WTF is a Fortnight" in another thread got me thinking.

"Fortnight" is a bit anachronistic but still in common use regionally in the U.S. and widely found in literature.

I can't remember the exact quote but I believe Winston Churchill said something about the British and Americans being peoples divided by a common language.

Let's have some fun. What are some words or phrases you have heard that had you scratching your head.

Who knows what the following are:

Some from the U.S.
eating goobers
run up the kitchen
hoppin' john
egg cream

Some from Britain
knock me up tomorrow
spotted dick
on the piss

For the record, I was born and reared in the backwoods of East Mississippi, but I reformed.

Right now, I'm a bit peckish. I think I'll cook up a toad in the hole with spotted dick for afters.



PeonForHer -> RE: Fortnight regional language (3/13/2014 7:17:00 PM)


OK, without googling, and without being American:


Some from the U.S.
eating goobers - Eating bogies from the nose?
run up the kitchen - No idea.
hoppin' john - Needing to use the toilet frequently?
egg cream - No idea.





jlf1961 -> RE: Fortnight regional language (3/13/2014 7:22:30 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: MercTech

A remark about "WTF is a Fortnight" in another thread got me thinking.

"Fortnight" is a bit anachronistic but still in common use regionally in the U.S. and widely found in literature.

I can't remember the exact quote but I believe Winston Churchill said something about the British and Americans being peoples divided by a common language.

Let's have some fun. What are some words or phrases you have heard that had you scratching your head.

Who knows what the following are:

Some from the U.S.
eating goobers
run up the kitchen
hoppin' john
egg cream

Some from Britain
knock me up tomorrow
spotted dick
on the piss

For the record, I was born and reared in the backwoods of East Mississippi, but I reformed.

Right now, I'm a bit peckish. I think I'll cook up a toad in the hole with spotted dick for afters.



From the US

eating peanuts
and egg cream is a kind of sweet drink

From UK
Come by tomorrow
Some kind of food that sounds like an STD
I believe the last one is pissed off.



MercTech -> RE: Fortnight regional language (3/13/2014 7:33:26 PM)

Some from the U.S.
eating goobers Yep, goobers are peanuts
run up the kitchen heard in rural Ohio, cleaning up the kitchen after dinner
hoppin' john side dish of rice and blackeyed peas
egg cream New York beverage containing soda and milk... but no eggs

Some from Britain
knock me up tomorrow heard in college and all the male ears perked... come by my place tomorrow
spotted dick a dessert, custard with raisins approximately
on the piss Drunk


Now who has some they have heard?



Lucylastic -> RE: Fortnight regional language (3/13/2014 7:41:06 PM)

custard goes on the spotted dick, it is a thick pudding that is steamed with raisins/currants/sultanas in it,



Lucylastic -> RE: Fortnight regional language (3/13/2014 7:43:12 PM)

Arse is not a fanny
its the ladies front bottom
lol I always cringe when I type that




MercTech -> RE: Fortnight regional language (3/13/2014 7:57:56 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Lucylastic

custard goes on the spotted dick, it is a thick pudding that is steamed with raisins/currants/sultanas in it,


Trying to explain a steamed pudding, or why there would be a small hook in the inside of the lid of a large kettle, is near impossible in the states. <grin>

You get thorough looks of incomprehension as you do when trying to explain marmite or vegamite.

BTW, if you crave puteen in the states; try asking for "wet fries" and you get an approximation. Rather like "chicken fried steak" is a variant on schnitzel.



DaddySatyr -> RE: Fortnight regional language (3/13/2014 8:17:32 PM)

If we're talking regional differences, I spent a fair amount of time in Abalama and Georgia after having grown up in Brooklyn (the birthplace of the egg cream, by the way).

In Abalama and Georgia, it is frequent to hear something like:

"Heya! Get me a coke while you're in the store?"

"Sure. What flavor do you want?"

"Sprite"

In other places (I believe Ohio is one of them), any soft drink is a "pop".

I almost married a Brummie bint that lived in Wales so, there were a few expressions that I picked up.

"Could you lift me, tomorrow?" = "Can you give me a ride, tomorrow?"

"Taking the piss/mickey" = "making fun of"

I think we all know how they say "cigarette". That took me quite a bit of getting used to.

Then, you could get into all the Cockney rhyming slang which was quite popular over there for a while. I don't want to post them here because it's much better to have a Chevy Chase to Chevy Chase so we don't get into Barney.






KMsAngel -> RE: Fortnight regional language (3/14/2014 12:36:26 AM)

i get paid fortnightly, so it's not "occasional usage" over here, it's all the time.

where's aries??

'stone the crows'
'flat out'
dead horse
swimmers, bathers, cossie (depending on which state you grew up in)
postie, chrissie, pressie, milko, cardie.....




Lucylastic -> RE: Fortnight regional language (3/14/2014 1:05:21 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: MercTech


quote:

ORIGINAL: Lucylastic

custard goes on the spotted dick, it is a thick pudding that is steamed with raisins/currants/sultanas in it,


Trying to explain a steamed pudding, or why there would be a small hook in the inside of the lid of a large kettle, is near impossible in the states. <grin>

You get thorough looks of incomprehension as you do when trying to explain marmite or vegamite.

BTW, if you crave puteen in the states; try asking for "wet fries" and you get an approximation. Rather like "chicken fried steak" is a variant on schnitzel.

Lol yes it took me ages to figure out the steamed pudding part.
As a marmite fanatic, i know what you mean, here in canada, they recently put out a statement considering banning marmite....the expats went crazy , i even wrote a strongly worded email , alas it wasnt true n i had to stifle my contempt.

I dont crave poutine much at all, while i like the ingredients separately....it tends to be too salty for my delicate tongue;) we english, even expats are delicate critters[:D]



needlesandpins -> RE: Fortnight regional language (3/14/2014 2:00:44 AM)

I live in Yorkshire, and we have various sayings that my playmate had never heard of with him being from the south. off the top of my head, and written as they sound;

be reight,
spragged out,


erm, there are actually others, but I can't actually think of them. he may be able to remember what they are.

needles



LadyConstanze -> RE: Fortnight regional language (3/14/2014 2:42:59 AM)

Having a fag - smoking a cigarette



MercTech -> RE: Fortnight regional language (3/14/2014 9:58:51 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: KMsAngel

i get paid fortnightly, so it's not "occasional usage" over here, it's all the time.

where's aries??

'stone the crows'
'flat out'
dead horse
swimmers, bathers, cossie (depending on which state you grew up in)
postie, chrissie, pressie, milko, cardie.....




Hmm, "flat out" where I grew up was "at top speed".
I know that "paying off a dead horse" in the Navy was paying back a pay advance you took out for an unforeseen expense or pocket cash for a vacation.

Curios on the rest or if different where you live.

And, yes, in the deep south any carbonated beverage can be referred to as a "coke". Now,if they say "bring me a dope" they are specifically referring to a Coca-Cola (usually only older people use this). The old idea that Coca-Cola contained cocaine.



theshytype -> RE: Fortnight regional language (3/14/2014 10:31:23 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: MercTech

A remark about "WTF is a Fortnight" in another thread got me thinking.

"Fortnight" is a bit anachronistic but still in common use regionally in the U.S. and widely found in literature.

I can't remember the exact quote but I believe Winston Churchill said something about the British and Americans being peoples divided by a common language.

Let's have some fun. What are some words or phrases you have heard that had you scratching your head.

Who knows what the following are:

Some from the U.S.
eating goobers
run up the kitchen
hoppin' john
egg cream

Some from Britain
knock me up tomorrow
spotted dick
on the piss

For the record, I was born and reared in the backwoods of East Mississippi, but I reformed.

Right now, I'm a bit peckish. I think I'll cook up a toad in the hole with spotted dick for afters.


Never heard any of these, except maybe spotted dick and on the piss but I believe those were here.

In Michigan, we refer to it as pop, or some use soda. Coke is referring to Coca-cola only.
"Can you get me a pop to drink?"
"Sure, what kind?"
"Coke"
"Diet or regular? Oh, they only have Pepsi"
"That sucks. What else do they have?"



Exidor -> RE: Fortnight regional language (3/14/2014 11:06:21 AM)

I've encountered the word "fortnight" in a few British books. I figured it out in context.

I've never encountered it in a US publication or in common speech, or even in a movie that I can remember.



MercTech -> RE: Fortnight regional language (3/14/2014 1:18:34 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Exidor

I've encountered the word "fortnight" in a few British books. I figured it out in context.

I've never encountered it in a US publication or in common speech, or even in a movie that I can remember.



Yep, "fortnight" is an anachronistic term in current American English. But, if you read things from 1930s and earlier you run across it. When I mentioned regional usage I was thinking of Appalachian dialect which still uses a lot of grammatical and language conventions from Elizabethan English.

Thinking of Canada has me craving a Violet Crumble. I think the only place in the U.S. you can get them is Hawaii.



PeonForHer -> RE: Fortnight regional language (3/14/2014 1:22:13 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: LadyConstanze

Having a fag - smoking a cigarette




I nearly, so nearly, managed to convince Domiguy ages ago that we don't call cigarettes 'fags' in the UK any more - we call them 'gays'. So, if he was ever to visit the UK, he should pop into a grocer's and ask if they sell gays. But some Brit did a 'lol' (not you, Lady C) in the next post and ruined it. Grrr!



PeonForHer -> RE: Fortnight regional language (3/14/2014 1:24:22 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Exidor

I've encountered the word "fortnight" in a few British books. I figured it out in context.



Really? That's quite astute. It *is* an odd word and does, I'll admit, sound archaic. But it's quite common here in the UK, regardless.



jlf1961 -> RE: Fortnight regional language (3/14/2014 1:25:55 PM)

anyone want to go fishin down at the stock tank?



PeonForHer -> RE: Fortnight regional language (3/14/2014 1:27:41 PM)

If I were in the USA and were to say 'yes' to that, I'd get the FBI knocking at my door, wouldn't I. you scallywag!



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