Dialogue and the Oddities of the English Language

[jannifer]

One of the wonderful things about the English language is its richness. There are so many regional variations -- not just among British, American, Australian English, but within those countries. Some of these expressions are wonderful and could offer something special in dialogue within our fiction. Other things are just interesting little bits.

I've added some new comments with more goodies I remember my grandmother using. Yay!

UPDATED QUESTION: Could some kind speaker of UK English explain the meaning of the phrase "no better than she should be"? I have the basic idea, but some clarification would be helpful.



In the conversation following the release of Chapters 51 and 52 of VLSV, ScaryLady and Lenna mentioned a few of these phrases in regards to having a fight or throwing a fit (as we might say in the States).

From ScaryLady -- "Caerwyn throwing an almighty paddy at the uncaring archdemon made this chapter for me.

'Oi, AD, quarter to four, school gates. I'm 'aving yer out.'"

In a later post -- "having a strop? throwing a wobbler? losing his rag?"

From Lenna -- "Duking it out. Scrapping. Busting someone's ass. Giving a knuckle sandwich. Opening a can of whoopass. Er, uh... Kicking the shit out of someone?"

Now, because this post and its attendant comments have the potential to wander waaaaaaaaayyy off the DA topic of this community, I've written a post over on my journal which offers up a few of the turns of phrase I've heard here in my little corner of heaven. I'd like for you to stop by and add your various regional expressions, turns of phrase, metaphors and slang. I'm sure that some of these expressions will be useful in dialogue and some won't be. All of them will be great fun!

Please, join the discussion! You may comment here or at http://jannifer.dreamwidth.org/2172.html

Comments

[jannifer]

I think of any single serving bread product as a roll if it uses yeast and a biscuit if it uses shortening and baking powder.

Sten's favorite sweet is a cookie rather than a biscuit. And a muffin is a quick bread made with batter (using baking powder as the leavening agent) and intended to be eaten with butter if it isn't sweet and as a breakfast or snack food if it is.

Cupcakes are simply cake batter poured into muffin tins to make individual servings, much like English fairy cakes. However, it is my understanding that at one point they were actually baked in teacups.

And those things made from batter that are fried on a griddle or in a skillet are what I call "pancakes."

As a Southernism, there is a johnny cake, which is simply biscuit dough shaped into a small, round loaf and baked that way rather than being rolled out and the biscuits cut individually.

[scarylady]

Wow, I think we managed to disagree on absolutely everything! :D

[jannifer]

Yeah, I had to get used to certain things when I started reading British authors. I've learned a lot from watching British television, particularly British comedies, which I love. And no, it's not just Monty Python. My sister has the series "Are You Being Served," "Grace and Favor" (AYBS Again), "As Time Goes By" (gotta love Dame Judy), "Keeping Up Appearances" (Oh God, it's the Bucket woman!) and "Fawlty Towers" (Basil!).

[jannifer]

Oh, and I forgot -- an unsweetened, sometimes unleavened cookie is a cracker. :)

In the South, however, you will find old recipes for "teacakes". It's a term not commonly used now. Most of the ones I've seen are made from a soft dough and are dropped onto the baking sheet rather than being rolled out and cut.

[scarylady]

We have cream crackers.

In fact, cream-crackered is rhyming slang for knackered.

[aithne]

Oh, you have no *idea* the discussions that go on in our household. I think Bryan mostly knows that when we have biscuits with dinner we're having bread, not things Sten likes.

Mostly. He still likes to tease us about it, though.

And a hot cross bun in South Africa is *nothing* like an American hot cross bun.

[scarylady]

*curious* tell me of your hot cross buns.

[jannifer]

One of my favorite silly jokes is...

What do you get when you pour hot water down a rabbit hole?

hot, cross bunnies *giggle*

[aithne]

American hot cross buns are huge, and fluffy--think soft, slightly sweet dinner yeast rolls covered in glaze and with a cross made of lemon goo or icing on the top. They're generally baked in a pan all squished together like cinnamon rolls. They're...just not all that good, especially not when compared to their cousin, the cinnamon roll.

South African hot cross buns are sweet yeast rolls with currants and spices in them. (Like the picture here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_cross_bun) They have a cross on the top made of a flour and water mixture and covered in glaze after baking. And they're good. (Okay, they're good if I'm not the baker. For whatever reason, I fail hot cross buns forever. I'm usually a very good baker.)

[scarylady]

Ah, ours are like yours!

[lina]

Those are the type of HCBs that we have in Hong Kong. I like them quite a bit. :9