Barmy British Whatsits, anyone?

@TinaT Kids in America have been saying things are "sick" for awhile. I remember saying it when I was growing up. I find it interesting that some that description isn't limited to Britain.

As for the British Slang, I took a couple classes on British lit, and after reading so much slang I started incorporating words like "bollocks" into my everyday conversation. It wore off as my reading changed, but sometimes if I stub my toe or something I will use it as a curse word...is that weird?

I still curse in german and italian, no not weird

Bollocks is an ace word
I like the fact that different areas of Britain each have their own slang, Tina T's rhyming slang is an East London (ie., Cockney) thing for example, I'm from Yorkshire and if I speak in my Yorkshire accent using some of the *ahem* colourful dialect from there then I'm pretty much incomprehensible to anyone else Geordies, Scousers and Brummies each seem to have their own language and the Cornish actually do.

I love this thread! I'm Canadian and I find myself saying some of the things you mentioned without really knowing it... My family uses sick as a dog, over the moon, bob's your uncle and a lot of others that I can't think of right now. My friends sometimes ask me what I meant when I come out with some more obscure ones. I thought they were commonly used but I guess they're not.

I get the brit slang for my mom's side of the family (Oh I also say "mum" sometimes in stead of mom, when that happens I usually end up saying "me mum") My grandmother was Irish so she has a lot of strange UK sayings in her vocab these things have rubbed off on my mom and then we grew up saying them. My grandmother used to say "He went arse over kettle" hahahah I always loved that one... Actually I heard a lot of the word "arse". My parents still use it but I've never used that one.

I don't really use a lot of brit "slang" as much as I say things a bit differently then other canadians sometimes... for instance I usually say "I pulled the car into the drive" instead of the canadian "driveway". I was also calling popsicles "ice lollies" for a while but I grew tired of telling people what it meant. I say "I'm going mad" instead of crazy. I also use the word "ace" instead of "cool" or "great". We say "bloody" sometimes when something breaks we will say "the bloody toilet is acting up again". I also say "I'm going to the loo". My grandma also used to call sausages bangers.

So to make this very long story short, I do use some brit slang/sayings but they're very natural in conversation.

Felicity W: Bollocks can be used in a swearing/cursing context, most of the time it is -- except for when something is the dog's bollocks (which means it's ace!!).

Laurel is right... I know my mate that now lives in Liverpool has picked up some slang and is always saying "Lush", I think they use that word a bit in Wales also?

Lo: The more you say it though, the more natural it will become to say them things

He he heee! this has made me chuckle - I am a mix of lots of different ones - Born in Kent (so i am a suv-nar (southener)) moved to oxford as a teen (so exceptionally posh) and came to uni then fell in love in scouserland (liverpool) I have a bizzare acent which is a mix of all - but scouselish is definately worth a look up!
here are a few
boss - great
sound - good
laaaaa - a male
bird (pronounced beeeerrddd) - a female
ta laaa - thankyou
bang - to beat up ( i'll bang you laaa)
bizzies - police
fit - good looking
made up - happy
trainees - trainers
yews - you

hope thats a help
John bishop a very funny scouser Beware he may be a bit rudey for some :S
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9yAJKcIVxk&feature=fvst

I LOVE LOVE LOVE John Bishop!! I've heard of boss being used by scousers but the rest is new to me.

he he he! I always say to the pupils in my posh accent 'thats boss' and they laugh at me lol! I also say taa laaa alot to them - it is a way of getting them to listen Mainly because it sounds so odd when i say it

This is such a funny thread...I live up t-North in Yorkshire so Laurel will be one person who understands this ;)

You could say a lot of folk I meet sound like Wallace and Grommit.

Right is Reet, nothing is Nowt and a smack on the face is 'a clip round t' ear or a clought'

Put wood in t'hole is close the door (translates as put the wood in the hole)

Eee...thas nowt stranger than folk!

av a reet gud kneesup n a bevvy n enjoy thesen x


ps....I have a very British accent as I'm ex-forces ;)

Lol Sheila, tha can allus tell a Yorksherman, but tha can't tell 'im much

Aye thas reet lass coz my fellas a Yorksherman an he says wot he likes and he likes wot he says ;)

lolz well i call the cinemas the flicks, i say thats 50 squid, skint, I say groovy a lot, keep your hair on ! where in barney rubble (trouble )

oh my, now i´m really scared to live in great britain.... that sounds so complicated!!

Lol, I wouldn't worry, once your ears are attuned to the regional accents you'll just pick the rest up as you're going along. It's kinda like osmosis

I think this is soo funny & interesting! I grew up in rural Idaho, USA. I have always loved british humor and the wild range of accents! Favs are of course Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Flying Circus, and now Skins! So I know what the main post is talking about, having slang slip out. My whole family loves Monty Python, so it started out as kinda a household inside joke.

On the other hand, I have said some Cowgirl/western slang in different parts of USA that people had no idea what I was talking about. Like
"I got a hitch in my get-a-long" = some sort of limp or leg cramp that makes you walk silly
"Your full of purple pollywogs" = your full of B/S
"knee high to a jackalope" = small or short

Its so funny how much the slang is different around the globe, I love it!