How to sound more British!

[Tango589]

If anyone from foreign lands wants to sound more British when they speak English, take a look at this list!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/robynwilder/...glish-language

Personally, I would add one more: Spiffing!



If any explanations are needed, feel free to ask away.

WARNING: some naughty words are in there.

[Betonov]

2 weeks too late

I used this one for help

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by Betonov

2 weeks too late

I used this one for help

Hmm, that's odd, this is the best guide to the English language.

[Lionclaw]

Idea(r).

Not sure why there's an "r" there in the pronounciation sometimes. Some type of dialect?

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Lionclaw

Idea(r).

Not sure why there's an "r" there in the pronounciation sometimes. Some type of dialect?

It's a British thing. Sometimes they also add the 'r' to other words ending with a vowel sound. I always remember Paul McCartney's rendition of 'Till There Was You'..."There were birds, in the sky, but I never sawr them winging..."

American dialects can be fun, too. Most Southerners pronounce "oil" as "owel". Texans don't even go that far. They pronounce it "ohl". When Jimmy Carter was president there were comic pieces written about the new dictionary. "Rat Cheer: The place were something is. 'I put it rat cheer'."

Then there's the New York/New Jersey dialect, in which the former is pronounced "Noo Yawk" and the latter "Noo Joisey". Then there's Minnesota, which is famous for following and exaggerating the Canadian "oo". "It's aboot a mile doon the rood". It's not quite Scottish, but cloose.

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Then there's Minnesota, which is famous for following and exaggerating the Canadian "oo". "It's aboot a mile doon the rood". It's not quite Scottish, but cloose.

Yoo Betcha! Ya left oot the state bird...the Loon!

[Lionclaw]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

It's a British thing. Sometimes they also add the 'r' to other words ending with a vowel sound. I always remember Paul McCartney's rendition of 'Till There Was You'..."There were birds, in the sky, but I never sawr them winging..."

American dialects can be fun, too. Most Southerners pronounce "oil" as "owel". Texans don't even go that far. They pronounce it "ohl". When Jimmy Carter was president there were comic pieces written about the new dictionary. "Rat Cheer: The place were something is. 'I put it rat cheer'."

Then there's the New York/New Jersey dialect, in which the former is pronounced "Noo Yawk" and the latter "Noo Joisey". Then there's Minnesota, which is famous for following and exaggerating the Canadian "oo". "It's aboot a mile doon the rood". It's not quite Scottish, but cloose.

Cool, I guess I'm more used to US English.

I remember hearing it said on the Monty Python series. "Idear" huh?

And "issue" being pronounced "is-you", I'm used to it being "ish-you"

Originally Posted by Kptlt. Hellmut Neuerburg

They forgot Capt. Slow's favorite word "Ronnied", which is British slag for screwed or fouled up and/or fubar. I tend to use bugger, buggered, or buggery a lot.

I've heard the word "pants" being used if something is bad, crap etc.

"This is dishwasher is pants"

[Eichhörnchen]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

It's a British thing. Sometimes they also add the 'r' to other words ending with a vowel sound. I always remember Paul McCartney's rendition of 'Till There Was You'..."There were birds, in the sky, but I never sawr them winging..."

My American nephew used to laugh at the way he says Brits call Sheena Easton "Sheenareaston"

[TarJak]

Originally Posted by Kptlt. Hellmut Neuerburg

They forgot Capt. Slow's favorite word "Ronnied", which is British slag for screwed or fouled up and/or fubar. I tend to use bugger, buggered, or buggery a lot.

I think you may have Rogered that quote.

[Kptlt. Neuerburg]

Originally Posted by TarJak

I think you may have Rogered that quote.

Might of done. Hard to believe that Google failed me on that one.

@Lionclaw, I've heard a quite a bit of British slang but pants is a new one.

@Jim, having read the Master and Commander series it's not difficult to know what buggery means. Now could you explain why the British use the term "boot" instead of "trunk" in car terminology?

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Kptlt. Hellmut Neuerburg

Might of done.

I'd just like to point out that in any English-speaking country it's "might have done." There is no "could of", "would of", or "should of". It comes from spelling and pronouncing the contraction "might've", but it's wrong.

Now could you explain why the British use the term "boot" instead of "trunk" in car terminology?

For the same reason the top of the car is the "hood" instead of the "roof", and the part covering the engine is the "bonnet" instead of the "hood".

And if you're an Englisman visiting America, never, ever, ever tell a woman you'll come around tomorrow and knock her up.

[Kptlt. Neuerburg]

Mind you the way some words are pronounced compared to the way they are spelled are sometimes quite different. So the way I heard "might of done" could of been pronounced as "might 'ave done", and the have minus the h sounded more like "of". Some of it comes down to the tone of voice and the persons matter of speaking too.

[clive bradbury]

I love the really quirky proper name pronunciations that give even many English natives no chance:

Buccleuch and Cholmondeley must be the best examples...and 'the Vale of Belvoir'...

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

I'd just like to point out that in any English-speaking country it's "might have done." There is no "could of", "would of", or "should of". It comes from spelling and pronouncing the contraction "might've", but it's wrong.


For the same reason the top of the car is the "hood" instead of the "roof", and the part covering the engine is the "bonnet" instead of the "hood".

And if you're an Englisman visiting America, never, ever, ever tell a woman you'll come around tomorrow and knock her up.

Similarly...don't ever go to the US and ask them for a fag.

[Tango589]

The New European Language!!!

Writer Unknown

Read Aloud For Best Effect!!!

The European Union commissioners have announced that agreement has been reached to adopt English as the preferred language for European communications, rather than German, which was the other possibility. As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty's Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a five-year phased plan for what will be known as EuroEnglish (Euro for short).

In the first year, "s" will be used instead of the soft "c." Sertainly, sivil servants will resieve this news with joy. Also, the hard "c" will be replaced with "k". Not only will this klear up konfusion, but typewriters kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik emthusiasm in the sekond year, when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced by "f". This will make words like fotograf" 20 persent shorter.

In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments will enkorage the removal of double letters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of silent "e"s in the languag is disgrasful, and they would go.

By the fourth year, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" by "z" and "w" by " v".

During ze fifz year, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou", and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters.

After zis fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubls or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech ozer.

Ze drem vil finali kum tru.