Telling time in U. K. English - Page 15

wodin · 07-21-2011, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMB

Some time back in the 1970s I was giving a training course to some Americans and I used the word "fortnight". They assumed it was an obscure technical term.

Do you mean it NOT??

DMB · 07-22-2011, 01:19 AM

They were Texan engineers. Make of that what you will.

vans · 07-22-2011, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisBarker

I think it varies but I myself use the "twenty-five minutes to six" form, although in actual conversation (say a stranger asking the time) it goes something more like :

"Alright mate, got the time?"
"Twenty-five to."
"Six?"
"Yeah."
"Cheers"

We don't really say "minutes" as that's a bit formal, it does mean we round up a bit, it's always "quarter to six" rather than fifteen or fourteen or thirteen.

I agree.

One other point, I personal resit giving exact times. So I never say "17 minutes to" or "21 to" I always round to the nearest five. Except, when perversely I might say "just gone" as in "it has just gone 11.00"

cmargm · 07-22-2011, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Complete with misplaced apostrophe?

No, that was my mistake. I hang my head in shame.

elcreative · 07-22-2011, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMB

They were Texan engineers. Make of that what you will.

Come on, make your mind up, were they American engineers or Texans...

cmargm · 07-22-2011, 09:59 AM

Still talking about different and unusual food groups, has anyone tried "Prairie Oysters" or "Rocky Mountain Oysters"? This strange dish is sometimes found on the menu in the western parts of Canada and the US.

Bookworm_Girl · 07-22-2011, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmargm

Still talking about different and unusual food groups, has anyone tried "Prairie Oysters" or "Rocky Mountain Oysters"? This strange dish is sometimes found on the menu in the western parts of Canada and the US.

I have seen it on the menu but no thanks! I have tried fried rattlesnake. That's another specialty item found on appetizer menus out West. It tastes like calamari.

SeaBookGuy · 07-22-2011, 12:54 PM

I still find having baked beans at breakfast odd. However, things do come full circle as I've seen black beans (not re-fried!) offered as an option with breakfast here in the States.

As for "just gone" for time, here we'd use "just after" instead. I find that when asking the time of strangers, they usually round off (as I would). It would sound wonk-ish to me to get a reply of "two-sixteen". I wouldn't have the faintest clue what the word "antiphase" meant if I ran across it.

HarryT · 07-22-2011, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

I wouldn't have the faintest clue what the word "antiphase" meant if I ran across it.

I'm glad I'm not the only one. What DOES it mean?

issybird · 07-22-2011, 01:51 PM

This thread has recalled to me Nancy Mitford's article on U and non-U usage in Noblesse Oblige. I wonder how many of her preferred U terms are still in use? A few I remember are looking glass rather than mirror, false teeth rather than dentures, and spectacles (!) rather than glasses. Surely no one says spectacles any more.

I remember she waxed wroth in regard to the ethnic appellation Scot/Scots. Scotch, she insisted, was correct. And when she got the corrected proofs of her books back, she'd go into it and change all the corrections back to the Scotch she had used originally.

HarryT · 07-22-2011, 01:54 PM

"False teeth" is the normal term used in the UK. "Spectacles" is used less often than "glasses", but I wouldn't say it's uncommon. Nobody uses "looking glass".

Bookworm_Girl · 07-22-2011, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm glad I'm not the only one. What DOES it mean?

To make a long story short and nontechnical, antiphase means to be out of phase at a mid-point 180 degrees out of a possible range from 0 to 360.

At least I was able to interpret that he meant to hold a meeting in the same time slot and alternate the agenda between two topics. It appears that is not a common word. That's what happens when you deal with engineers whether they are American, Texan or British!

SeaBookGuy · 07-22-2011, 02:53 PM

Is the material that bonds one's false teeth in place called "false teeth cream" (U. S. "denture cream")? "Spectacles" conjures up an attorney about to go through some papers (for a vital piece of information), rather than the more common (in the States) "glasses". My father's mother used to say "ash receiver" instead of "ashtray", which my mom found quite archaic (and a tad pompous).

Another item that runs across elsewhere is "mutton"! I've never heard of it being sold in North America; lamb itself isn't that common, being significantly pricier than beef.

"Powerpoint" isn't used here, but I suppose non-Anglophiles would figure out the speaker was referring to an "outlet" by context.

pdurrant · 07-22-2011, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

Another item that runs across elsewhere is "mutton"! I've never heard of it being sold in North America; lamb itself isn't that common, being significantly pricier than beef.

Mutton is not lamb!

Lamb is from sheep less than a year old.
Mutton is from adult sheep, and has a much stronger flavour, but requires long, slow cooking.

Apparently, according to wikipedia, this distinction is rare in the US.

HarryT · 07-22-2011, 03:12 PM

Mutton was common when I was a child; one doesn't seem to see it very often these days.

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07-22-2011, 01:19 AM	#212
DMB Old Git Posts: 958 Karma: 1840790 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Switzerland (mostly) Device: Two kindle PWs wifi, kindle fire, iPad3 wifi	They were Texan engineers. Make of that what you will.

07-22-2011, 09:59 AM	#216
cmargm Enthusiast Posts: 30 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kindle 3	Still talking about different and unusual food groups, has anyone tried "Prairie Oysters" or "Rocky Mountain Oysters"? This strange dish is sometimes found on the menu in the western parts of Canada and the US.

07-22-2011, 12:54 PM	#218
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 still find having baked beans at breakfast odd. However, things do come full circle as I've seen black beans (not re-fried!) offered as an option with breakfast here in the States. As for "just gone" for time, here we'd use "just after" instead. I find that when asking the time of strangers, they usually round off (as I would). It would sound wonk-ish to me to get a reply of "two-sixteen". I wouldn't have the faintest clue what the word "antiphase" meant if I ran across it.

07-22-2011, 01:51 PM	#220
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 21,162 Karma: 234348875 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: Mini, H2O, Glo HD, Aura One, PW4, PW5	This thread has recalled to me Nancy Mitford's article on U and non-U usage in Noblesse Oblige. I wonder how many of her preferred U terms are still in use? A few I remember are looking glass rather than mirror, false teeth rather than dentures, and spectacles (!) rather than glasses. Surely no one says spectacles any more. I remember she waxed wroth in regard to the ethnic appellation Scot/Scots. Scotch, she insisted, was correct. And when she got the corrected proofs of her books back, she'd go into it and change all the corrections back to the Scotch she had used originally.

07-22-2011, 01:54 PM	#221
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	"False teeth" is the normal term used in the UK. "Spectacles" is used less often than "glasses", but I wouldn't say it's uncommon. Nobody uses "looking glass".

07-22-2011, 02:53 PM	#223
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	Is the material that bonds one's false teeth in place called "false teeth cream" (U. S. "denture cream")? "Spectacles" conjures up an attorney about to go through some papers (for a vital piece of information), rather than the more common (in the States) "glasses". My father's mother used to say "ash receiver" instead of "ashtray", which my mom found quite archaic (and a tad pompous). Another item that runs across elsewhere is "mutton"! I've never heard of it being sold in North America; lamb itself isn't that common, being significantly pricier than beef. "Powerpoint" isn't used here, but I suppose non-Anglophiles would figure out the speaker was referring to an "outlet" by context.

07-22-2011, 03:12 PM	#225
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Mutton was common when I was a child; one doesn't seem to see it very often these days.

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