Americanisation

[TheEarl]

I need to find out the American equivalent to an English phrase.

"I just don't see how we can be boyfriend-girlfriend if you're going to chuck a mental every time I go to kiss you."

The character speaking is American (from Boston) and I am aware that Americans don't actually use the phrase 'chuck a mental.'

For those not in the know: To chuck a mental - To get very angry over something, usually in a complete overreaction. c.f Throwing the toys out the pram, chuck a stress.

Any help?

The Earl

 

[openthighs_sarah]

'chuck a mental.'

blow a gasket
have a conniption
freak out
suffer an eight-ball hemorrhage
act like a dickhead
have a cow
turn into a psychotic asshole
pop a vein
go ballistic/postal/psycho


Helpfully,
s

 

[TheEarl]

Have a conniption I feel is probably closest. It's really getting very annoyed, usually for no good reason.

The Earl

 

[deliciously_naughty]

I'm in Boston...

Throw a mental works too...we say that
have a fit
freak

 

[TheEarl]

Chuck a mental is a worthy Bostonian phrase?

I thought it was an Englishism.

The Earl

 

[MathGirl]

Have a hissy fit ("hissy" from the Latin "hysterus" meaning uterus)

Have a fit and fall in it

Pitch a blue wobbler

Go all wahoonie shaped (From Terry Pratchett)

 

[Guest]

"Don't have a cow, man!" - Bart Simpson

 

[KillerMuffin]

go postal

I like that one. It comes from the post office worker habit of purchasing an automatic firearm of some sort, trotting down to the "office", and going on a killing rampage that usually includes the worker in question's supervisor.

Rent the movie "Clueless". It's a little dated, but they invented quite a bit of our current slang. Like "Go postal."

 

[CrownJoolz]

slang

never heard "chuck a mental" but "get all mental" or "go mental" is not uncommon. Also:

flip out

or

if you're from slightly farther down the Eastern seaboard:

act like a freakin' mental case

Joolz

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I think 'go crazy' or 'go mental' or 'freak' are closest and most acceptable. "Lose it" may be good too.

"Conniption" is very old-fashioned and wouldn't work.
A "hissy-fit" is more of a temper tantrum, originally used by gays.

"flip out" may be dated

Unsuitable but ones I like include:

have a grabber

have a thrombo

pitch a bitch

go apeshit

 

[Octavian]

or

Or, if Jane Austen happened to American,

'display a degree of vexation at his presumptuousness'.

Octavian

 

[Just-Legal]

*laughs*

Go Postal is always a favourite of mine.

*gets distracted by MG's rather delicious AV*

 

[Chicklet]

I need to find out the American equivalent to an English phrase.

Earl, darling, why do you need the american equivalent? Personally, being an american, and an american who doesn't know much slang from other countries, it excites the shit outta me (watches half of the hangout cringe) to read new phrases like that. Who the fuck cares if we don't use that in every day speech? I think it'd be awsome to read a story with that phrase in it.

mho

Chicklet

 

[deliciously_naughty]

Chuck a mental is a worthy Bostonian phrase?

I thought it was an Englishism.

The Earl

No, we say throw a mental

But if your character is british, then use the brit phrase...I've yet to have a brit friend stop using their slang just b/c they're here in boston. Or maybe your character heard the phrase in a bar and liked it and so now they use it. But no, we'd use..."don't throw a mental, Kenny"...personally i use "chill, Kenny" which means calm the f down

 

[TheEarl]

I never usually give into Americanisms. I hate them with a vengeance, as can be seen from my insistence on using the words 'arse' and 'knickers.'

However in this case the story is a celebrities story and involves Bobby and Rogue from the X-men film. So therefore Bobby needs to sound American when he speaks.

I may actually start a new thread on slang.

The Earl

 

[deliciously_naughty]

I never usually give into Americanisms. I hate them with a vengeance, as can be seen from my insistence on using the words 'arse' and 'knickers.'

However in this case the story is a celebrities story and involves Bobby and Rogue from the X-men film. So therefore Bobby needs to sound American when he speaks.

I may actually start a new thread on slang.

The Earl

With the clarification...Bobby is more likely to say something like "Christ chill out"

The bostonisms are..
retarded (as in that's so retarded...that's so stupid)
wicked (very cool) as in wicked good time, wicked good beer
wicked pisser (VERY VERY cool) Axis is a wicked pisser club

If you need anything else, I'm from mass and have lived in Boston for 7 years, with the exception of 7 months in NYC and a month in france

 

[deliciously_naughty]

damn double post