Telling time in U. K. English - Page 7

DMB · 07-13-2011, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

See, I already lost you with the word "Latin". I don't know Latin!

And I still think it's After Midday and Past Midday...

Don't you ever use other Latin abbreviations such as "etc.", "e.g." or "i.e."?

Bookworm_Girl · 07-13-2011, 03:55 PM

The expression "it doesn't faze me" is quite common in my experiences to mean that something doesn't bother you.

On my most recent trip to England, I noticed that everyone kept asking me "are you alright?". I don't recall being asked this question so commonly on previous trips. At first I kept thinking do I look like something is wrong with me like I'm jetlagged or ill? Then I realized it was just another way of saying "how are you?". In America we would not ask a question like that unless you thought that everything wasn't all right so I found it to be slightly irritating.

SeaBookGuy · 07-13-2011, 05:04 PM

"Are you alright?" as an alternative for "How (are) you doing?" would sound bizarre to me also.

Bilbo1967 · 07-13-2011, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

"Are you alright?" as an alternative for "How (are) you doing?" would sound bizarre to me also.

Me too. What we'd actually say is, "Alright?" - it"s just a way of saying hello, we couldn't care less how you are in reality

elcreative · 07-13-2011, 05:25 PM

Yeah... took me years to get to grips with the W Midlands/Black Country/Birmingham "alright" as "hello" instead of wanting a comment on one's health etc...

SeaBookGuy · 07-13-2011, 07:36 PM

I'm still trying to get used to restaurant servers who say "How's it tasting?" rather than "Everything okay?"

Freeshadow · 07-13-2011, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMB

Don't you ever use other Latin abbreviations such as "etc.", "e.g." or "i.e."?

It might well be, that in Dutch (as in Polish or German) said abbreviaitions are made from local idioms.

etc.: DE=usw. (und so weiter) PL=itd. (i tak dalej)
e.g.: DE=z.B. (zum Beispiel) PL=np. (na przykład)

where I can positively prove the use of lat. abbreviations is in case of footnotes in German when you want to avoid repetition of a footnotes content and say ibid or l.c. instead.

rogue_librarian · 07-14-2011, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freeshadow

where I can positively prove the use of lat. abbreviations is in case of footnotes in German when you want to avoid repetition of a footnotes content and say ibid or l.c. instead.

I find ebd. (ebenda) and a.a.O. (am angegebenen Ort) much more common, though both (including the Latin abbreviations) are frowned upon by recent style guides

This is really going to far, though, so I'll leave it at that.

pdurrant · 07-14-2011, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

On my most recent trip to England, I noticed that everyone kept asking me "are you alright?".

Just the current incarnation of "How do you do?", which I believe made it to the American West as "Howdy".

DMB · 07-14-2011, 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

The expression "it doesn't faze me" is quite common in my experiences to mean that something doesn't bother you.

On my most recent trip to England, I noticed that everyone kept asking me "are you alright?". I don't recall being asked this question so commonly on previous trips. At first I kept thinking do I look like something is wrong with me like I'm jetlagged or ill? Then I realized it was just another way of saying "how are you?". In America we would not ask a question like that unless you thought that everything wasn't all right so I found it to be slightly irritating.

Whereabouts in England was that? I visit England regularly and I can't say I've encountered that as a normal thing.

Sweetpea · 07-14-2011, 04:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMB

Don't you ever use other Latin abbreviations such as "etc.", "e.g." or "i.e."?

Not a lot. Of those 3 you mention, I only use "etc". Etcetera is also adopted into the Dutch language (the same with nota bene).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freeshadow

It might well be, that in Dutch (as in Polish or German) said abbreviaitions are made from local idioms.

etc.: DE=usw. (und so weiter) PL=itd. (i tak dalej)
e.g.: DE=z.B. (zum Beispiel) PL=np. (na przykład)

where I can positively prove the use of lat. abbreviations is in case of footnotes in German when you want to avoid repetition of a footnotes content and say ibid or l.c. instead.

etc = etc
e.g. = bijv. (bijvoorbeeld)

rtype · 07-14-2011, 08:03 AM

A phrase I always notice on US TV is "shot to death",

whereas I've only ever heard "shot dead" on Irish/British TV.

i.e. "The intruder was shot dead by the police"

There have been a couple of articles over the past year where people visiting Ireland have expressed amusement/irritation at our tendency to say "How are you", or "How's it going" in place of hello, and most often not expecting/listening to the response.

orlok · 07-14-2011, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtype

There have been a couple of articles over the past year where people visiting Ireland have expressed amusement/irritation at our tendency to say "How are you", or "How's it going" in place of hello, and most often not expecting/listening to the response.

In South Africa, it is common to say "Howzit", yet another contraction in the same vein as "Howdy". Again, the speaker is not really expecting an in depth response regarding your health - it's just another way of saying hello. The usual response is "Howzit" right back.

Bookworm_Girl · 07-14-2011, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Just the current incarnation of "How do you do?", which I believe made it to the American West as "Howdy".

Howdy is popular in Texas and the American South, I think, but not so much where I live.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMB

Whereabouts in England was that? I visit England regularly and I can't say I've encountered that as a normal thing.

I travel regularly to Southern England, more specifically the areas surrounding the Solent: Isle of Wight - Southampton - Portsmouth. It's very beautiful in the coastal areas, the people are friendly, and I very much enjoy it there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtype

There have been a couple of articles over the past year where people visiting Ireland have expressed amusement/irritation at our tendency to say "How are you", or "How's it going" in place of hello, and most often not expecting/listening to the response.

That would be the typical American greeting that I'm used to as well.

wodin · 07-14-2011, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtype

A phrase I always notice on US TV is "shot to death",

whereas I've only ever heard "shot dead" on Irish/British TV.

i.e. "The intruder was shot dead by the police"

I've see the phrase used in the news media often of late.

Regarding the dived - dove controversy, is that like hanged - hung?

As I understand, hanged is like "hanged by the neck until dead" whereas hung is like "well endowed"!

07-14-2011, 08:03 AM	#102
rtype Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 200 Join Date: May 2009 Device: none	A phrase I always notice on US TV is "shot to death", whereas I've only ever heard "shot dead" on Irish/British TV. i.e. "The intruder was shot dead by the police" There have been a couple of articles over the past year where people visiting Ireland have expressed amusement/irritation at our tendency to say "How are you", or "How's it going" in place of hello, and most often not expecting/listening to the response. Last edited by rtype; 07-14-2011 at 08:11 AM.

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07-13-2011, 03:55 PM	#92
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,873 Karma: 36536965 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	The expression "it doesn't faze me" is quite common in my experiences to mean that something doesn't bother you. On my most recent trip to England, I noticed that everyone kept asking me "are you alright?". I don't recall being asked this question so commonly on previous trips. At first I kept thinking do I look like something is wrong with me like I'm jetlagged or ill? Then I realized it was just another way of saying "how are you?". In America we would not ask a question like that unless you thought that everything wasn't all right so I found it to be slightly irritating.

07-13-2011, 05:04 PM	#93
SeaBookGuy Can one read too much? Posts: 2,029 Karma: 2487799 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Naples, FL Device: Kindle PW 3, Sony 350 and 650	"Are you alright?" as an alternative for "How (are) you doing?" would sound bizarre to me also.

07-13-2011, 05:25 PM	#95
elcreative Wizard Posts: 2,888 Karma: 5875940 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: PRS505, 600, 350, 650, Nexus 7, Note III, iPad 4 etc	Yeah... took me years to get to grips with the W Midlands/Black Country/Birmingham "alright" as "hello" instead of wanting a comment on one's health etc...

07-13-2011, 07:36 PM	#96
SeaBookGuy Can one read too much? Posts: 2,029 Karma: 2487799 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Naples, FL Device: Kindle PW 3, Sony 350 and 650	I'm still trying to get used to restaurant servers who say "How's it tasting?" rather than "Everything okay?"