International Slang 101

Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by becca, Mar 2, 2009.

  1. sweetchaos

    sweetchaos New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2008
    Messages:
    2,701
    Likes Received:
    11
    Location:
    Oshawa, Canada
    I'm Canadian and we more or less sound like Americans. I use the usual things like "sweet" "sick" and "hella" (major).

    I hear the "****-Disturber" is a Canadian word. Means someone who causes trouble for the fun of it.

    Not really slang, but a lot of people don't understand this phrase:

    Pass me a serviette, I've just spilled poutine on the chesterfield.

    Translation:

    Pass me a napkin, I've just spilled my fries and gravy with cheese on the couch.

    Of course there's "Toque". That's a hat you wear in the winter. I don't know what the equivilant is. I've heard there isn't one. Though, my friend from California has a tendancy to call them Beanies, which I don't think is right.

    I can't think of any other terms that are Canadian at the moment. I tend to shy away from slang unless I'm joking around. And the slang I do use is made up between my friends and I. HAHA
     
  2. Rei

    Rei Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2008
    Messages:
    7,864
    Likes Received:
    32
    Location:
    Kingston
    I think a better difinition of poutine would be "heart attack on a plate"
     
  3. sweetchaos

    sweetchaos New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2008
    Messages:
    2,701
    Likes Received:
    11
    Location:
    Oshawa, Canada
    But a heart attack well worth it :) MMMMM Now I'm craving me some poutine.
     
  4. sophie.

    sophie. New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2009
    Messages:
    1,054
    Likes Received:
    4
    Location:
    England
    True...it's taking over the world though :O

    so what's wrong with using the word 'brilliant'?
    wicked isn't used so much any more.
     
  5. sweetchaos

    sweetchaos New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2008
    Messages:
    2,701
    Likes Received:
    11
    Location:
    Oshawa, Canada
    ....I use wicked all the time:redface:
     
  6. Rei

    Rei Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2008
    Messages:
    7,864
    Likes Received:
    32
    Location:
    Kingston
    Yeah, but we're the Canadian freaks. A little over a year ago, I heard a guy from England say "Jolly good," and I thought that was hilarious. I didn't think anyone still said that (well, he was in his fifties, so he probably doesn't represent people like Banzai.
     
  7. Aeroflot

    Aeroflot New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2009
    Messages:
    180
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Houston, TX
    No but I lived in Spain for a while and picked up some expressions. That one happened to be the one that stood out the most because it always seemed racist to me--though it's not, it just seemed that way. ;)
     
  8. sophie.

    sophie. New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2009
    Messages:
    1,054
    Likes Received:
    4
    Location:
    England
    haha people do say that but they are generally older. 'jolly good' is a bit old fashioned, it's true!

    When I say 'wicked' isn't used much any more, I mean here in England, or at least the bit of England I'm living in. 'Brilliant' is though!

    But yeh - what's with the stereotype that all English people are really posh/obsessed with class?! Like the villain in films is often English with a cut-glass accent and a raised eyebrow.. :S
     
  9. Rei

    Rei Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2008
    Messages:
    7,864
    Likes Received:
    32
    Location:
    Kingston
    False perceptions. How you talk can say a lot about you, and for some reason, North Americans often associate the English accent with those things. As dumb as it seems, things do sound different with the English accent even if you're saying the exact same thing, save for a few variations in dialect.
     
  10. sophie.

    sophie. New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2009
    Messages:
    1,054
    Likes Received:
    4
    Location:
    England
    Us English think much the same of the American accent in their spoken English.

    When we were on a trip to Italy recently, we met a school group of teens from Arizona. They thought it was hilarious we say 'boot' instead of 'trunk' and 'pavement' not 'sidewalk'. We thought they were completely mad :p

    At one point, one of them turned to my friend and I, saying in amazement 'hey...let's get this straight...I have an ACCENT to you?!'
    Bloody hell yes!!! haha.
     
  11. Rei

    Rei Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2008
    Messages:
    7,864
    Likes Received:
    32
    Location:
    Kingston
    It's a sad thing. It's not fair to sterotype or make generalizations about a country or culture. However, stereotypes don't come out of nowhere and there are people who fit them.
     
  12. sweetchaos

    sweetchaos New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2008
    Messages:
    2,701
    Likes Received:
    11
    Location:
    Oshawa, Canada
    I'm from a British family, do it doesn't seem all the strange to me. Hell, I grew up with Coronation street on in the background every Sunday morning. Yes, I know, that doesn't make me a British expert. I'm just saying, I do expect half of you to speak in a way I couldn't understand if my life depended on it. HAHA. I can't figure out most of the stuff that's said on the show. lol

    Though, I do remember saying that same thing to a friend of the family when I was a kid. We were both about eight and she was getting frustrated with me. I said she sounded funny and she replied with "Well so do you" and walked away. I was offended that she thought I would have an accent. HAHA.

    I also worked for Onstar a few years ago. As soon as they found out I was Canadian, they'd ask me to say things all the time. About was a big one. I say it how it's supposed to be said dammit! Or they'd get really excited and tell me how beautiful Toronto is because they assumed that living in Canada that I automatically lived there.

    I'm not a lumberjack. I don't live in and igloo. And I don't say 'eh' at the end of every sentence... just a few :p
     
  13. sophie.

    sophie. New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2009
    Messages:
    1,054
    Likes Received:
    4
    Location:
    England

    Haha. Too true.. Stereotypes are stupid.

    What gets me is when n American people (not on here) say stuff like 'why do British people speak with an acent' or 'why do British people spell color with a 'u'' in it - I say back, that is how it's supposed to be spelt!! :p English came from from England and other European countries after all. My house is older than the pilgrims' modern America, I'll spell 'sulphur' without an 'f' if I flipping well feel like it. *rant over*

    I suppose I'm trying to say, accents shouldn't matter. :)
     
  14. sweetchaos

    sweetchaos New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2008
    Messages:
    2,701
    Likes Received:
    11
    Location:
    Oshawa, Canada

    People spell sulphur with an 'f'?

    I dunno, I guess I've always spelled with British english. It's how we do!

    Colour. Neighbour. Honour. Armour (though i think that one has a 'u' no matter what).

    It's how it's spelt!
     
  15. Rei

    Rei Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2008
    Messages:
    7,864
    Likes Received:
    32
    Location:
    Kingston
    I think we need to start a new thread. This is getting off topic.
     
  16. sophie.

    sophie. New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2009
    Messages:
    1,054
    Likes Received:
    4
    Location:
    England
    Yepp that's what I think! Apparently the American spelling is 'sulfur'..my chem teacher tried to get us all to spell it like that too. Why?!


    OK sorry, back to slang - watching telly -watching TV
    I think that's quite universal though.
    What you looking at? - way to start a fight. Say that before you hit them.
    What are you like! - jokey exclamation in surprise at someone whos done something a bit strange/daring :p
    Alkie! - drunkard. Jokey 'you're such an alkie'

    I heard someone used to call the pub 'the office' ;) 'I'm just off to the office, very busy today'
     
  17. sweetchaos

    sweetchaos New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2008
    Messages:
    2,701
    Likes Received:
    11
    Location:
    Oshawa, Canada
    What's your matter? - What's wrong?
    Though this one might be more between my friends than an actual well known slang. I could be wrong.
     
  18. Kratos

    Kratos New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2008
    Messages:
    787
    Likes Received:
    15
    Location:
    Maryland, United States
    Yes we Americans spell it sulfur. I never knew it was spelled sulphur. It just looks weird to me.

    Anyway, I don't know what the American accent sounds like because I'm American. Americans just speak normal to me. But I know that I do have an accent if I was talking with someone not from Maryland. That's why your friend asked if they had an accent. Some ignorant people believe that Americans don't have accents; that we're normal and everyone else is weird. Not saying that I agree with that of course.

    Oh, and I love the British accent. :D
     
  19. the norse atlantic saga

    the norse atlantic saga New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2008
    Messages:
    54
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Canada
    BURGIN: eg. "I'm burgin' so hard right now." utilized mainly while driving around with friends (or in any situation when an easily accessible burger is greatly desired). often said with a growl in the throat on the "ur". I don't know where this started.

    pote': short for "potential"; something a guy posesses if he could be a babe but doesn't manage himself quite correctly. I'll still wink at him, of course.

    there are a ton, actually...these are just ones common among some of my friends. I've developed a semi-hick accent as well as local slang, curiously enough. It's noticeable mostly in words like "they're", "sure", etc. I don't know why I have personally developed this habit, but it's lasted a few years so far and so I'm mostly OK with it.
     
  20. Neha

    Neha Beyond Infinity. Contributor

    Joined:
    Dec 24, 2007
    Messages:
    4,061
    Likes Received:
    38
    Location:
    India
    umm...paagal-that's hindi for mad, crazy

    bheja satak gaya?/
    aidi ho gayi hai/gaye ho kya?
    -that's Mumbaiya hindi for have you gone mad?(gayi hai is for females and gaye ho is for males.)

    fish(this became a recent craze after the movie MP3)-it's usually used as a slang for darn it, etc.

    dang it-my best-friend's version of darn it.

    patanahi(t as th, like in german)-that's hindi for I don't know
     
  21. becca

    becca Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    Messages:
    0
    Likes Received:
    26
    Alkie, and dang it are also used in the United States with the same meaning.

    We also use Gosh darn it! In place of dang it/da*m it/darn it.

    Alkie/Drunk -Someone who gets drunk a lot.

    S**t faced -Falling down drunk.
     
  22. Dalouise

    Dalouise New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2009
    Messages:
    822
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    Ireland
    Gobsh*te

    An unpleasant person who talks too much. Love that one, call one of my dogs that when nobody's around. :redface:

    Lock in

    When it's closing time in the pub and the landlord locks the door and turns off the outside lights to fool Garda patrols. Everyone carries on drinking for hours after time. Extremely common in rural Ireland.

    Culchie

    A person who lives in the rural areas of Ireland, considered to be below average intelligence by those living in cities and major towns.
     
  23. sophie.

    sophie. New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2009
    Messages:
    1,054
    Likes Received:
    4
    Location:
    England
    Good points.
    As regarding the british accent...which one? :p

    Hacked off - really really annoyed about something.

    Some French slang -
    pote - mate, guy
    nana girl
    la picole booze
    les clopes fags...oh that's one too!

    Fag - cigarette, or a gay man (offensive)
     
  24. becca

    becca Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    Messages:
    0
    Likes Received:
    26
    Banzai, plastered, tipsy, three sheets to the wind (usually when joking because it is considered a British saying), tanked, F**ked up, off your a**, sloshed, are all used in the US, plus many more that I am sure change from time to time. Never been drunk, so I wouldn't know that many more of those. :p
     
  25. becca

    becca Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    Messages:
    0
    Likes Received:
    26
    That is funny. I have to admitt you guys are talented and creative when it comes to the english language. Tending to use everyday words to mean something extrodinary.

    We Americans just invent new words, by joining a couple, or cutting them short. I have made up a few original words of my own.
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice