Cato's Grammar Grumble

[Cato]

Oh it's very common, sometimes British people even get subtitled on TV . To learn you summat about it, when us was living in Yorkshire we often heard the English language tret right badly .

There was a Scottish movie some years back which had subtitles (Trainspotting) ? ).

And we have watched a few British and Australian T.V. shows or movies, in which - at times, given the character - subtitles would have been nice.  😇

What would Professor Higgins say?  (I am positive I know what he would say!)  😇

[Pohjolas Daughter]

There was a Scottish movie some years back which had subtitles (Trainspotting) ? ).

And we have watched a few British and Australian T.V. shows or movies, in which - at times, given the character - subtitles would have been nice.  😇

What would Professor Higgins say?  (I am positive I know what he would say!)  😇

I've had to do that before in the past due to difficulties in understanding some accents--not to mention slang and/or different meanings of words between British English and American English.   

PD

[Cato]

I've had to do that before in the past due to difficulties in understanding some accents--not to mention slang and/or different meanings of words between British English and American English.   

PD

Recently Mrs. Ausonius and I were watching a crime drama, which was so full of East-Coast gangster slang, that she asked me whether I could understand any of it.  I admitted that it was rather difficult to decipher, so we turned it off.

[Karl Henning]

Recently Mrs. Ausonius and I were watching a crime drama, which was so full of East-Coast gangster slang, that she asked me whether I could understand any of it.  I admitted that it was rather difficult to decipher, so we turned it off.

Swimming in argot.

[drogulus]

     What's a Grambler Grummell. It sounds like a power tool. I'm wrong, yes?

[Cato]

What's a Grambler Grummell. It sounds like a power tool. I'm wrong, yes?

Oddly, there is a firm called Grummel Engineering!

I suppose there might be some grumblers at Grummel!

"Grambler" produces all kinds of links!

A Surfboard!

https://www.facebook.com/boteboards/videos/948481311841529/

A rambling gambler!

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Grambler


Grammar grumbling will, however, continue here!  😇

[DaveF]

This must have appeared upthread, but really bugs me.

When did the apostrophe start designating plural rather than possessive in English?
Here's one I saw today:

Mom's love our bakery.  Consider giving a gift card, tote bag or a special cookie.

For most of my life that would have been considered an embarrassing sign of illiteracy. But now I seem to see it, especially on the Internet, just as often as the normal "Moms". I don't understand how dumbasses could even think that the apostrophe is correct for plural.

As Sports Illustrated used to say, another sign that the Apocalypse is upon us. 🤮

It's a usage with a long and distinguished history in the UK, where it's known as the "Greengrocer's Apostrophe" (perhaps that should be "Greengrocers Apostrophe") - thanks to signs reading:

Todays Special's
Cabbage's
Bean's
Potato's

ect ect.

[steve ridgway]

There was a Scottish movie some years back which had subtitles (Trainspotting) ? ).

For a real challenge you could try the Scottish comedy series Rab C. Nesbitt on YouTube .

[DavidW]

For a real challenge you could try the Scottish comedy series Rab C. Nesbitt on YouTube .

It was one of my proudest accomplishments that by the end of Shetland I no longer required subtitles to understand them!

[Pohjolas Daughter]

It was one of my proudest accomplishments that by the end of Shetland I no longer required subtitles to understand them!

Repeated exposure helps for sure. 

PD

[Pohjolas Daughter]

For a real challenge you could try the Scottish comedy series Rab C. Nesbitt on YouTube .

I remember once having to "translate" for a Scottish musician.  This was at a diner.  The young waitress was asking us for our orders.  He had asked for a ham and cheese omelette.  She looked perplexed and asked "What?"  He repeated himself.  You can guess where this story goes.  I eventually interrupted and explained his order to her.

I suspect that she hadn't traveled far outside our local area.    To be fair to her, his accent was pretty thick.

PD

[DavidW]

The locals around here can still sometimes having me ask "what?" because many of them will talk too fast and slur all their words together.  They just don't believe in proper enunciation.  And they look at me like I'm the idiot for not following them.

I've lived here twelve years and surprisingly not any easier.

[Florestan]

It's English, folks!

Non ragionam di lor, ma guarda e passa.

[steve ridgway]

It's English, folks!

Non ragionam di lor, ma guarda e passa.

As Bernard Manning once said, "Any time you're passing, f***ing pass!".

[steve ridgway]

It's a usage with a long and distinguished history in the UK, where it's known as the "Greengrocer's Apostrophe" (perhaps that should be "Greengrocers Apostrophe") - thanks to signs reading:

Todays Special's
Cabbage's
Bean's
Potato's

ect ect.

And as for you with your ect ect..

[steve ridgway]

Regarding British accents and grammar, we have some very educational reality TV series if you can stream them from where you are -

999 Rescue Squad (Yorkshire) on https://uktvplay.com/

A&E: After Dark (Tyneside) on https://www.channel5.com/

They're free in the UK, just require registration and the watching of commercials.

[Cato]

Regarding British accents and grammar, we have some very educational reality TV series if you can stream them from where you are -

999 Rescue Squad (Yorkshire) on https://uktvplay.com/

A&E: After Dark (Tyneside) on https://www.channel5.com/

They're free in the UK, just require registration and the watching of commercials.

Thanks for the links!  Some interesting homework awaits!   


We have sometimes on Saturdays caught a show about veterinarians in Australia.  Often we find ourselves needing a second - or two, or three - to ponder: "Uhhh, what did they just say?"      The problem is the accent, usually, and not vocabulary.  Usually, we are successful!

[Karl Henning]

Thanks for the links!  Some interesting homework awaits! 


We have sometimes on Saturdays caught a show about veterinarians in Australia.  Often we find ourselves needing a second - or two, or three - to ponder: "Uhhh, what did they just say?"    The problem is the accent, usually, and not vocabulary.  Usually, we are successful!

Crikey!

[steve ridgway]

My aunt and uncle emigrated to Canada, I think in the 1960s or 70s, and she got a job teaching. Some kid went and told their parents their new teacher spoke funny and they went off to the school in a rage to complain about them employing foreigners who didn't know proper English .

[Cato]

Crikey!

Amen!  Some years ago Mrs. Cato became interested in an Australian series called McLeod's Daughters: the library had it on DVD's, so we were able to rewind and replay certain initially incomprehensible lines.

e.g. "Oil tyke kyra dis mobe."     

Translation: "I'll take care of this mob (i.e. herd of sheep/cattle)."

However, lines which were mumbled often remained incomprehensible!

My aunt and uncle emigrated to Canada, I think in the 1960s or 70s, and she got a job teaching. Some kid went and told their parents their new teacher spoke funny and they went off to the school in a rage to complain about them employing foreigners who didn't know proper English .

THAT is funny!

You remind me of the lament of Professor Higgins!