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0 votes
1 answer
257 views

Current prevalence of idiom "pulling for you"

A prior question asks about the origin of the phrase "pulling for you," a phrase that conveys well-wishes and support (Merriam-Webster): US, informal : to say or show that one hopes (...
TaliesinMerlin's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
553 views

Who uses "uni" for "university"?

I think much has been clarified by the many interesting comments this post has received. In Edit 5 below, I've tried to summarize what I think I've learned and what questions are still outstanding. I'...
Dave's user avatar
  • 151
20 votes
2 answers
4k views

What does this Peter Sellers sentence mean?

What does the sentence mean which Peter Sellers is here quoting from his grandad? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mbUdsQfSq0&t=294s (I refer to the sentence he says immediately after you start ...
yglodt's user avatar
  • 319
2 votes
1 answer
130 views

Unusual conjugation of "to be" [closed]

I encountered several times a certain type of sentences (in colloquial contexts) which were clearly grammatically incorrect but seems to be widely spread and, as a non-native English speaker, I would ...
Falcon's user avatar
  • 121
3 votes
2 answers
150 views

Is there a word for 'everything' in the Northern English dialect?

I'm wondering if there's a word for everything in the Northern-English dialect that's spoken in and around Yorkshire. I know that there's summat (something), owt (anything), and nowt (nothing), but is ...
Qiu Ennan's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
98 views

Why does the 'Intrusive 'R' appear in the state of Mississippi?

I've seen people discuss the intrusive 'R'. I have also been very curious about this subject, because I am from Mississippi and both my Mother and my Grandmother use the intrusive 'R'. ('Warsh', ...
RiverMiss's user avatar
30 votes
10 answers
12k views

What would a British person call the biscuits that Americans put gravy on?

What are the biscuits that Americans put gravy on called in British English? They're very different from British biscuits. I like both kinds of biscuits, but the British ones would not be good with ...
Someone's user avatar
  • 770
1 vote
2 answers
105 views

Talking "saloon"

I recollect vaguely a line found in some piece of poetry by Dylan Thomas, and it suggests a question in many ways puzzling that I could hardly answer. I have not been able to find the poem and I ...
LPH's user avatar
  • 22.7k
4 votes
0 answers
197 views

Non-standard grammar feature in British dialect?

I moved from Worcestershire in the UK to a non-native English speaking country when I was a child, which has made me very aware of my accent. Unlike my parents, I used to have a regional accent. I ...
Daniel's user avatar
  • 41
6 votes
1 answer
893 views

Pronunciation of “tour”

Is the following pronunciation of the word “tour” attested in any common dialect of British English? [tɔ˞] This is approximately how I, a native British English speaker, pronounce it. However, it’s ...
TheProseMix's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
252 views

Can the idiom "fall off the wagon" be said to be "chiefly American"?

I read an answer on another site which referred to the idiom of falling off the wagon as being "chiefly American". That got me curious since I would have thought that this particular idiom ...
terdon's user avatar
  • 21.9k
15 votes
3 answers
3k views

Use of "Say ..." to begin sentences, particularly in BrE versus AmE?

We were looking at this sentence, or actually a line of dialogue: They're in the car. JACK Say John! I better concentrate. Would you be able to figure out the AC? Our colleague Jane who is generally ...
Fattie's user avatar
  • 10.7k
2 votes
2 answers
188 views

A north country question: is Varmint the root of Warm 'un?

I would like to examine the proposition that the Yorkshire and north country term warm ‘un may derive from the word varmint. I was brought up in south Yorkshire and often heard children referred to as ...
Anton's user avatar
  • 28.8k
3 votes
3 answers
266 views

Dialectal variation in subtleties of usage of the word "sore"

I grew up in southern England, and now live in Scotland. There are many interesting and well-known quirks of usage that differ between Southern English English and the various Scottish dialects and ...
tea-and-cake's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
946 views

What does this bit of Cockney mean?

In the 2nd episode of the 3rd season of Would I Lie To You?, a fragment is shown from a 1985 episode of London Weekend Television's The Six O'Clock Show, with someone purporting to be a former Teddy ...
SQB's user avatar
  • 421

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