[MrJoshua]

Hi all...

This is the only forum I'm a member of that has a large North American population, so I wondered whether some of you guys could clear a couple of things up for me please?

First of all... "I could care less". Shouldn't this be "I couldn't care less"? I just can't see how "I could care less" makes sense?
"I couldn't give a s--t" (as in, I couldn't be bothered to even have a poo)... Not "I could give a s--t" (as in, I would like to have a poo). Confused? I am!

Next on my list is "Ass (or) Assed Backwards"... What does this mean?

If I think of (or read) any more things that you guys say that I don't understand, I'll add it to this thread.

Likewise, if other non N/A members can think of any Americanizms that they don't understand, feel free to add to the list!

No bad feelings meant btw... I'm just interested!

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrJoshua First of all... "I could care less". Shouldn't this be "I couldn't care less"? I just can't see how "I could care less" makes sense? "I couldn't give a s--t" (as in, I couldn't be bothered to even have a poo)... Not "I could give a s--t" (as in, I would like to have a poo). Confused? I am! Next on my list is "Ass (or) Assed Backwards"... What does this mean?

the first two are just bad grammar ingrained in slang phrases. what can you do, folks who say such things aren't concerned with proper grammar for the most part.

"That is Ass" means "That is lame, or stupid, or something negative."

"That is Ass Backwards" or "That is Back Asswards" means "That is the opposite of how it should be - in life, in general, specifically for that situation, etc."

 

[steel102]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrJoshua Hi all... This is the only forum I'm a member of that has a large North American population, so I wondered whether some of you guys could clear a couple of things up for me please? First of all... "I could care less". Shouldn't this be "I couldn't care less"? I just can't see how "I could care less" makes sense?

most people do say "couldn't care less" i think, its just that when they're talking fast it sounds more like "could care less."

 

[MrJoshua]

Thanks Guys!

Jahn... You're edging ever nearer to the 10k post mark hehe

 

[stevesurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrJoshua Hi all... First of all... "I could care less". Shouldn't this be "I couldn't care less"? I just can't see how "I could care less" makes sense? "I couldn't give a s--t" (as in, I couldn't be bothered to even have a poo)... Not "I could give a s--t" (as in, I would like to have a poo). Confused? I am!

You're right - the "I could care less" is more informal and should really be "I couldn't care less", but then again is a very sarcastic comment, so you can say something and mean the opposite, right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrJoshua Next on my list is "Ass (or) Assed Backwards"... What does this mean?

The corresponding english term is "mucked up" or "he really mucked it up"

Man, when we get going here, it's got to be a real challenge for folks trying to translate directly!

 

[wakeride74]

I was just looking for a book for you but I can't find it or remember the name but it covers all the phrases and slang's and their origins and is very interesting, if I can find it I'll let you know.

I think the phrase "I could care less" is a short version of something that would go "I could care less about x than I do about a, b, and c" but "I couldn't care less" does make more sense.

Where the hell did we get "What's up?" from?

 

[VicAjax]

conversely, i'd like to know why anglicized french words are butchered in the Queen's English pronunciations, but not so much in Americanized English...

for instance...

Beret - in England it sound like "berry"
in America it's "beh-RAY"

Garage - in England it's "GAIR-idge"
in America it's "guh-RAHJ"

Buffet - English say "BUFF-it"
Americans say "buh-FAY"

Filet - same as Buffet



it's sort of odd, isn't it? considering English diction is generally far more dulcet than American?

 

[gratefulshrink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wakeride74 I was just looking for a book for you but I can't find it or remember the name but it covers all the phrases and slang's and their origins and is very interesting, if I can find it I'll let you know. I think the phrase "I could care less" is a short version of something that would go "I could care less about x than I do about a, b, and c" but "I couldn't care less" does make more sense. Where the hell did we get "What's up?" from?

Yeah -- I've heard about that book -- can't remember the name either.

Phrases/slang/vernacular are alot of fun, when you finally learn of their origins.

A lot of times, they come from unlikely sources.

 

[MrJoshua]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VicAjax conversely, i'd like to know why anglicized french words are butchered in the Queen's English pronunciations, but not so much in Americanized English... for instance... Beret - in England it sound like "berry" in America it's "beh-RAY" Garage - in England it's "GAIR-idge" in America it's "guh-RAHJ" Buffet - English say "BUFF-it" Americans say "buh-FAY" Filet - same as Buffet it's sort of odd, isn't it? considering English diction is generally far more dulcet than American?

OK, I'm from north of "the Midlands" in the UK, were accents usually get a bit stronger, however I like to think my accent is fairly middle-of-the-road due to me conversing with people from all over the country in my job (we have offices all over the place).

My pronounciation of your words are as follows:

Beret = Berr-ay

Garage = Gar-idge or Gar-ahge (depending on who I'm talking to (North vs South of England)

Buffet = Buff-ay

Filet = Fill-ay

 

[rsaavedra]

Some tribes in Africa still eat wild rats. Mind you these are not city sewer rats, these are just fat rodents in the wild, just wild animals as any deer or pig they could hunt.

Legend says

that in such rat-eating tribe, the chief had a very attractive daughter, and an old member of the tribe was interested in having his son married to the chief's daughter. So this old guy goes to the chief of the rat eating tribe to negotiate the possible marriage of his son with the chief's daughter. The guy proceeds to highlight his son's strentgh and health, and how he would be a respectful son for the chief's daughter. Then he asked what the chief would give as dote for this marriage. The chief actually knew the old man's son and didn't like him as a husband of his daughter, so he most ceremoniously offered: "I give a rat's ass". The old man pondered and considered the dote unworthy of his son, and the chief apologized but kept his dote unaltered. Hence the marriage plans were abandoned.

Since then, whenever someone doesn't care much about a specific proposal, it is customary to answer... just as the rat-eating tribe chief.

PS. While I'm no native English speaker, I can provide scholarly papers and bibliography for this well known fact of linguistic history.

 

[gratefulshrink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsaavedra Some tribes in Africa still eat wild rats. Mind you these are not city sewer rats, these are just fat rodents in the wild, just wild animals as any deer or pig they could hunt. Legend says that in such rat-eating tribe, the chief had a very attractive daughter, and an old member of the tribe was interested in having his son married to the chief's daughter. So this old guy goes to the chief of the rat eating tribe to negotiate the possible marriage of his son with the chief's daughter. The guy proceeds to highlight his son's strentgh and health, and how he would be a respectful son for the chief's daughter. Then he asked what the chief would give as dote for this marriage. The chief actually knew the old man's son and didn't like him as a husband of his daughter, so he most ceremoniously offered: "I give a rat's ass". The old man pondered and considered the dote unworthy of his son, and the chief apologized but kept his dote unaltered. Hence the marriage plans were abandoned. Since then, whenever someone doesn't care much about a specific proposal, it is customary to answer... just as the rat-eating tribe chief. PS. While I'm no native English speaker, I can provide scholarly papers and bibliography for this well known fact of linguistic history.

No way -- you're "pulling my leg" (where does that phrase come from????)

 

[VicAjax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrJoshua OK, I'm from north of "the Midlands" in the UK, were accents usually get a bit stronger, however I like to think my accent is fairly middle-of-the-road due to me conversing with people from all over the country in my job (we have offices all over the place). My pronounciation of your words are as follows: Beret = Berr-ay Garage = Gar-idge or Gar-ahge (depending on who I'm talking to (North vs South of England) Buffet = Buff-ay Filet = Fill-ay

no kidding! i lived down in Kent (Canterbury, actually) for a year, and everyone said "FILL-it" and "BUFF-it." i guess it should have occurred to me that it might be a regional thing.

 

[stevesurf]

There are many slang dictionaries, but this one actually gives quotes from popular movies too...very humorous. I could just see this class being taught at a continuing education facility

 

[rsaavedra]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gratefulshrink No way -- you're "pulling my leg" (where does that phrase come from????)

Ok granted, my story might be a bit of a "leg-pull"

(Sorry about my using "dote", that's a Spanish word, for some reason I thought it also exists in English. That should have been "dowry".)

 

[Spiritboxer]

My current fav is hey, whatever floats yer boat. One of my students is Serbian and hearing her run that back on me just knocks my socks off.