Summary: I've got British slang on the brains—or should I say, "on me down" for "down the drains"? These rhyming schemes are new to me. Have you heard with your ears or seen with your minces some of these fantastic phrases? Let's explore them together ...
This week's WOW got me interested in a British phenomenon that's always piqued my curiosity: rhyming slang. Ever since my husband brought home some gems from a British co-worker (his favorite: "It's all gone Pete"), the two of us have been on the trail of this highly amusing word play from abroad. When I mentioned it to my friend Bob, however, he had never heard of it, despite the occasional language barrier between him and his Londoner love interest.
Turns out, rhyming schemes are colloquialisms, too. They're part of the much-mocked Cockney accent, inbred in those from the East End of London—although it's a concept that's spread throughout the suburbs, too. (Check out this article from Wikipedia for more insight.)
So, what are Cockney rhyming slang words and phrases? As taken from the fabulously fun website CockneyRhymingSlang.co.uk, they're the substitution of words and phrases that rhyme with the ones you intend to use. For example, "It's all gone Pete" means, "It's all gone wrong." What's that you say? Pete doesn't rhyme with wrong? Ah, but here's where it gets fun/complicated/weird (take your pick): Pete Tong is a BBC 1 radio DJ who spins club-like sets and is wildly popular in London. Since Tong rhymes with wrong, and his name is easily recognizable as a household phrase, the rhyming scheme here is "Pete Tong - wrong."
Still don't get it? How about this list of body parts, also from CockneyRhymingSlang.co.uk:
FEET - rhymes with "plates of meat" - Cockney phrase = "Move your plates, mate"
LEGS - rhymes with "Scotch eggs" (a popular breaded meat-and-egg dish) - Cockney phrase = "Get up on your Scotches"
EYES - rhymes with mince pies (also a food dish) - Cockney phrase = "Her blinkin' minces"
In other words, you really have to be in the know to get this hipster slang. ("Hovis" is slang for "dead," since Hovis is a popular whole wheat bread brand, and "brown bread" rhymes with "dead.") ... Or you can check out the site and teach yourself some fun phrases—plus contribute your own and rate the ones you've heard as authentic or "Mockney."
By the way, how many rhymes can you think of for "mate," the common British word for friend? And can you brainstorm your list without looking for clues first?
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2010
Showing posts with label colloquialism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label colloquialism. Show all posts
Mar 4, 2011
Feb 28, 2011
WORD OF THE WEEK: Mardy
Summary: Tired of the dark days of February? Don't be so mardy, mate! Let's fight the blues with a little education today about British slang ...
Last week, while lunching with my friend Bob, he said over our salads and sandwiches, "I have a WOW for your blog."
I leaned in with interest, of course—interest that piqued when he explained it was an international word, shared with him by his British love interest. It seems they had their first row (rhymes with WOW). And as part of this little spat (okay, maybe it wasn't so noisy, after all), she said to him exasperatedly, "Don't be so mardy!" He gleaned what he thought she meant from the rest of their conversation—particularly when she told him he was too sensitive. No surprise, this hurt his feelings.
Now I may be partial, but I find Bob's sensitivity refreshing. He's someone I can have deep conversations with. And I value his input and creativity. Our brains work very similarly.
We were both dying to know exactly what mardy means. So, I trundled on over to the Dictionary of Slang (or "slanguistics," as they call it) at the UK website Peevish. And under the Ms, this is what I discovered:
Mardy (pronounced just like we Americans say, "Mardi Gras") - (n.) someone who is easily upset, scared or moans incessantly; someone who whines a lot. (adj.) Behaving like a mardy person.
As for the etymology, it took a little more detective work on my end. But many English speakers across the pond have shared their own thoughts and findings in chat groups, helping me to determine that it likely comes from the Old Englishe word mar, meaning to spoil or waste. A child who throws a tantrum was said to be marred, or marred-y, in the days of yore. Some words stick around, even as the rest of the language they come from changes; it seems marred-y is one of those words, only partly evolving itself into a type of slang that's most commonly used as a North England colloquialism.
Well, Bob ... now you know. (Let's not listen!)
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2010
Last week, while lunching with my friend Bob, he said over our salads and sandwiches, "I have a WOW for your blog."
I leaned in with interest, of course—interest that piqued when he explained it was an international word, shared with him by his British love interest. It seems they had their first row (rhymes with WOW). And as part of this little spat (okay, maybe it wasn't so noisy, after all), she said to him exasperatedly, "Don't be so mardy!" He gleaned what he thought she meant from the rest of their conversation—particularly when she told him he was too sensitive. No surprise, this hurt his feelings.
Now I may be partial, but I find Bob's sensitivity refreshing. He's someone I can have deep conversations with. And I value his input and creativity. Our brains work very similarly.
We were both dying to know exactly what mardy means. So, I trundled on over to the Dictionary of Slang (or "slanguistics," as they call it) at the UK website Peevish. And under the Ms, this is what I discovered:
Mardy (pronounced just like we Americans say, "Mardi Gras") - (n.) someone who is easily upset, scared or moans incessantly; someone who whines a lot. (adj.) Behaving like a mardy person.
As for the etymology, it took a little more detective work on my end. But many English speakers across the pond have shared their own thoughts and findings in chat groups, helping me to determine that it likely comes from the Old Englishe word mar, meaning to spoil or waste. A child who throws a tantrum was said to be marred, or marred-y, in the days of yore. Some words stick around, even as the rest of the language they come from changes; it seems marred-y is one of those words, only partly evolving itself into a type of slang that's most commonly used as a North England colloquialism.
Well, Bob ... now you know. (Let's not listen!)
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2010
Mar 15, 2010
WORD OF THE WEEK: Elide
Summary: Do you ever drop your Gs in such words as using or thinking? If so, you aren't just speaking slang, you're eliding!
Elide (ee - LYED) - (v.) to delete or omit; to leave out as a vowel, a syllable or a piece of information in computer code.
While lying in bed reading the other night (a guilty pleasure I'm supposed to avoid since it begets my natural insomnia), I came across a word that was totally new to me: elide. This word, it turns out, can be used to reference a variety of omissions—from computer coding to words, syllables and even letters. It means to drop, or delete, and comes from the Latin word elidere, meaning to strike out.
Interestingly enough, that word comes from the combination of two other Latin words: e and laedere, which mean to injure by striking.
Stop and think about that from a grammatical standpoint for a second. If I'm the kind of person who often drops the G in such words as thinking, reading and writing (pronouncing them as thinkin' and readin' and writin'), in a sense, I'm harming the words I say. And if I regularly drop words or even whole syllables—gov'ment for government, for instance—some would say I'm butchering the English language; injuring it beyond recognition.
The fact is, most Americans perform some type of elision in everyday language. I actually am the sort of person who sometimes drops her Gs in -ing suffixes. Worse, I use a Hoosier colloquialism from time to time that I grew up using (one my husband finds comically ironic for a communications coach): I'll say, "These blankets all need washed," when what I mean is either, "These blankets all need to be washed," or "These blankets all need washing."
See if you can notice any elisions in use around you this week. And post them here!
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2010
Elide (ee - LYED) - (v.) to delete or omit; to leave out as a vowel, a syllable or a piece of information in computer code.
While lying in bed reading the other night (a guilty pleasure I'm supposed to avoid since it begets my natural insomnia), I came across a word that was totally new to me: elide. This word, it turns out, can be used to reference a variety of omissions—from computer coding to words, syllables and even letters. It means to drop, or delete, and comes from the Latin word elidere, meaning to strike out.
Interestingly enough, that word comes from the combination of two other Latin words: e and laedere, which mean to injure by striking.
Stop and think about that from a grammatical standpoint for a second. If I'm the kind of person who often drops the G in such words as thinking, reading and writing (pronouncing them as thinkin' and readin' and writin'), in a sense, I'm harming the words I say. And if I regularly drop words or even whole syllables—gov'ment for government, for instance—some would say I'm butchering the English language; injuring it beyond recognition.
The fact is, most Americans perform some type of elision in everyday language. I actually am the sort of person who sometimes drops her Gs in -ing suffixes. Worse, I use a Hoosier colloquialism from time to time that I grew up using (one my husband finds comically ironic for a communications coach): I'll say, "These blankets all need washed," when what I mean is either, "These blankets all need to be washed," or "These blankets all need washing."
See if you can notice any elisions in use around you this week. And post them here!
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2010
Aug 14, 2009
WEEKLY UPDATE: Everyday English
This afternoon, my husband I are headed to our local county fair. Talk about a celebration! But it's a different kind of celebration: Instead of dressing up in a special outfit and polishing up on five-dollar words, we'll be wearing our plain-ol' blue jeans and talking in the argot of the everyday. (Remember our recent discussion about colloquialisms?)
Being down-to-earth doesn't mean dumbing yourself down, however. There are plenty of public speaking opportunities at a county fair—from handing out blue ribbons to pie-makers and pumpkin-growers to emceeing horseback-riding competitions and pig races.
And then there are the individual conversations that are sure to come up as you run into friends, family, and neighbors. These are ideal opportunities to practice new vocabulary words that you've recently added to your personal lexicon. Putting new phrases into practice in everyday conversation gives you a chance to see the reaction others have to these phrases, and to see—in a safe environment—if the words or phrases pan out the way you expected. You may even be able to teach what you've learned to someone new! And teaching is a wonderful way to reinforce learning for yourself.
If you don't have a local fair (or farmer's market) where you can play with everyday language, try your local mall for a similar atmosphere. Interactions with cashiers and salespeople are great moments to try your confidence, no matter what speaking form you want to build.
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Being down-to-earth doesn't mean dumbing yourself down, however. There are plenty of public speaking opportunities at a county fair—from handing out blue ribbons to pie-makers and pumpkin-growers to emceeing horseback-riding competitions and pig races.
And then there are the individual conversations that are sure to come up as you run into friends, family, and neighbors. These are ideal opportunities to practice new vocabulary words that you've recently added to your personal lexicon. Putting new phrases into practice in everyday conversation gives you a chance to see the reaction others have to these phrases, and to see—in a safe environment—if the words or phrases pan out the way you expected. You may even be able to teach what you've learned to someone new! And teaching is a wonderful way to reinforce learning for yourself.
If you don't have a local fair (or farmer's market) where you can play with everyday language, try your local mall for a similar atmosphere. Interactions with cashiers and salespeople are great moments to try your confidence, no matter what speaking form you want to build.
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Jul 27, 2009
WORD OF THE WEEK: A Local Collection of Colloquialisms
Recently, I ventured to Boston for the first time for a bite at my now-favorite seafood restaurant, Legal Sea Foods. Following on the heels of a conversation with a friend who grew up and resides in New Jersey (while I am a product of the Midwest), my ears were perked up to notice the differences in pronunciation that are so common (and often comical) between the regions of the U.S. Sometimes these differences can be so profound that even native English-speakers can occasionally not understand each other—to say nothing of those to whom it is a second or even third language!
Not only does pronunciation throw Americans off as we struggle to speak the same language, but our colloquialisms—or local or regional expressions—can confuse us even further. For example, at the restaurant, I asked one of the waitstaff, "Excuse me, which way is the washroom?" Suddenly, I realized he may not know that I needed the ladies' room, because the word washroom is a colloquialism in Chicago, several states away. Luckily for me, he was familiar enough with it to direct me without pause or question. (This likely had something to do with the fact that most of the patrons to the place were visiting from out of town.) In another example, I heard of a Bostonian traveling to a different part of the east coast and asking for a frappe at an ice cream shop. When the young woman behind the counter explained that they didn't serve Starbucks-style Frappucinos®, the man from Boston had some explaining to do, himself: He was asking for a milkshake!
The word colloquialism found its way into the English language in the early 1800s, while its parent word, colloquy, (conversation) was first introduced in 1751, a derivative of the Latin word colloquium, meaning conference, or literally, "speak together." Synonyms are cant, jargon, slang, and argot.
I found a fun, tongue-in-cheek list of colloquialisms collected by a local Bostonian (not to be confused with a Bostonite, which is a type of rock—found, not surprisingly, in and near Boston). Enjoy!
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Not only does pronunciation throw Americans off as we struggle to speak the same language, but our colloquialisms—or local or regional expressions—can confuse us even further. For example, at the restaurant, I asked one of the waitstaff, "Excuse me, which way is the washroom?" Suddenly, I realized he may not know that I needed the ladies' room, because the word washroom is a colloquialism in Chicago, several states away. Luckily for me, he was familiar enough with it to direct me without pause or question. (This likely had something to do with the fact that most of the patrons to the place were visiting from out of town.) In another example, I heard of a Bostonian traveling to a different part of the east coast and asking for a frappe at an ice cream shop. When the young woman behind the counter explained that they didn't serve Starbucks-style Frappucinos®, the man from Boston had some explaining to do, himself: He was asking for a milkshake!
The word colloquialism found its way into the English language in the early 1800s, while its parent word, colloquy, (conversation) was first introduced in 1751, a derivative of the Latin word colloquium, meaning conference, or literally, "speak together." Synonyms are cant, jargon, slang, and argot.
I found a fun, tongue-in-cheek list of colloquialisms collected by a local Bostonian (not to be confused with a Bostonite, which is a type of rock—found, not surprisingly, in and near Boston). Enjoy!
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
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