Translations by Dolf.

Cockney slang is a bit of a myth. I lived in London for 5 years and could count th e number of times I heard it on the fingers of one hand.
 
I come to the thread late, only to discover that you clever thing managed to answer all of the questions without any help from me! I feel so redundant :(
 
I come to the thread late, only to discover that you clever thing managed to answer all of the questions without any help from me! I feel so redundant :(

So you could not be 'arsed' to get here sooner?
 
I come to the thread late, only to discover that you clever thing managed to answer all of the questions without any help from me! I feel so redundant :(

I still want Dolf answers so I'll have to come up with new questions, but I think LF still needs an answer to his question.
 
I come to the thread late, only to discover that you clever thing managed to answer all of the questions without any help from me! I feel so redundant :(

I worked for a British guy once, and he got some bad news in the middle of a staff meeting. He solemnly announced "Ah, I just found out my wife's been made redundant".

Nobody in the room knew what the hell he was talking about. Finally he explained that was the proper English way of saying she'd been laid off from her job.
 
This is perfect! Thank you! I've got a Brit character in my main group in the book I'm writing and other than watching BBC shows, I don't get a lot of exposure to idioms and sayings. Other than one of my fav book characters, King Rat, who spoke using Cockney Rhyming Slang(my favorite and I'm trying to get it to catch on is "My/Your I suppose" for your nose :heart: ).

I recently tried to think of how a British guy might refer to/accuse another guy of impregnating a woman. Google helped a little bit by giving me "Did you get one of your clients in a family way?"(because the guy he's talking to is a male whore, you see). I don't know if it's even common or what dialect would be appropriate(because the United Kingdom apparently has different strains of accents, just as much as US does comparatively with north/south). It'll get ironed out in the editing process but for now, that's what I put down.

Subscribing. I'll be back. Dolfie, Fata, Des, and Sean(if he's not busy with weddin' stuff), I'll pick your brains at a later date. :rose:
It would be "the family way", not "a family way". And it's fairly archaic. Depends on the character you're having say it, "up the duff" would be an informal, fairly common way of putting it.
 
It would be "the family way", not "a family way". And it's fairly archaic. Depends on the character you're having say it, "up the duff" would be an informal, fairly common way of putting it.

up the dolf?
 
Cockney slang is a bit of a myth. I lived in London for 5 years and could count th e number of times I heard it on the fingers of one hand.

I love it, though. I think we should try and bring it back, maybe even have a Cockney thread where everybody has to type using idioms and rhymes. :D


It would be "the family way", not "a family way". And it's fairly archaic. Depends on the character you're having say it, "up the duff" would be an informal, fairly common way of putting it.

Ah, thank you, Sean. I think he's aristocratic? I'm not sure yet. He's not really fleshed out as far as background yet. There's several things about his character so far that I've just picked out of a hat because it "sounds English" to me. I hope that's not offensive. Mostly, at this point in the writing process, I'm just trying to get the words down, so that the scenes and dialogue are more than just a bare-bones outline, you know? Like I said, I'll definitely be back to get this stuff sorted correct and research the fuck outta you Brits. :eek::heart:

After all, what's the point of having a sexy, intellectual British guy in your book if he just sounds like he's playing pretend?
 
This is perfect! Thank you! I've got a Brit character in my main group in the book I'm writing and other than watching BBC shows, I don't get a lot of exposure to idioms and sayings. Other than one of my fav book characters, King Rat, who spoke using Cockney Rhyming Slang(my favorite and I'm trying to get it to catch on is "My/Your I suppose" for your nose :heart: ).

I recently tried to think of how a British guy might refer to/accuse another guy of impregnating a woman. Google helped a little bit by giving me "Did you get one of your clients in a family way?"(because the guy he's talking to is a male whore, you see). I don't know if it's even common or what dialect would be appropriate(because the United Kingdom apparently has different strains of accents, just as much as US does comparatively with north/south). It'll get ironed out in the editing process but for now, that's what I put down.

Subscribing. I'll be back. Dolfie, Fata, Des, and Sean(if he's not busy with weddin' stuff), I'll pick your brains at a later date. :rose:
He put her in the pudding club.
 
Qu'est-ce que c'est "Bob's Your Uncle"? :eek:

Robert Cecil, then Prime Minister, was famous for nepotism. He appointed various family members to lucrative posts. It's become a phrase meaning "there you go" or "no worries" over time.
 
It would be "the family way", not "a family way". And it's fairly archaic. Depends on the character you're having say it, "up the duff" would be an informal, fairly common way of putting it.

knocked up is another common phrase though they both sound dated now to my ears.

littlefinger, if your character's aristocratic, they might pefer the french term 'enciente' but if they're deliberately shooting for vulgar then up the duff or knocked up both fit the bill. preggers is a bit more modern, a little less vulgar.
 
Robert Cecil, then Prime Minister, was famous for nepotism. He appointed various family members to lucrative posts. It's become a phrase meaning "there you go" or "no worries" over time.

"Surely Bjorn Stronginthearm is my uncle."

You a Terry Pratchett fan, Sean? Every time I hear "and Bob's your uncle" I think if the literal dwarf response.
 
I come to the thread late, only to discover that you clever thing managed to answer all of the questions without any help from me! I feel so redundant :(

Maybe you're smarter than you think Dolf. Redundant in Brit speak tends to mean clapped out - of no further use, wheras in American usage it tends to mean a back up or secondary (which may be essential)

Years ago I reported back to an American parent company that a particular piece of equipment was redundant. The Americans came back confirming 'ok then keep it as a stand by.' Unfortunately the local English manager had already scrapped it.

Thus Dolf you are only redundant in the American sense and remain an essential back up.:)

Comparasion of Websters with OED will confirm this.
 
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