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Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,047,835 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TKramar
Wow. I rarely hear people NOT using contractions, unless they're trying to emphasize the NOT in the sentence.
Well it's enough for me to notice it as being a distinctly 'American' thing. I hear phrases like 'I cannot let you do that,' 'I will not disappoint you' ALL the time on American TV. The same would sound weird out of the mouth of an Aussie (maybe more common with Brits).
Agreed! I remember this one from my Old English class at University and anyone else who has studied Old English can probably get the answer. The riddle is NSFW to most (dirty) minds but, ironically, the proper answer is! ;-)
Ic eom wunderlicu wiht wifum on hyhte neahbuendum nyt; nægum sceþþe burgsittendra nymthe bonan anum. Staþol min is steapheah stonde ic on bedde neoðan ruh nathwær. Neþeð hwilum ful cyrtenu ceorles dohtor modwlonc meowle þæt heo on mec gripe ræseð mec on reodne reafath min heafod fegeð mec on fæsten. Feleþ sona mines gemotes seo þe mec nearwað wif wundenlocc. Wæt bið þæt eage.
I just encountered the expression "aga saga" used about a book I happen to love.
I'm switching from using the word vacuuming, which is a noisy and tedious chore to hoovering which sounds like it could be fun.
In USA - would you like to have some coffee? In the UK - would you like to have a coffee? stove - cooker, dishes, crockery.
I am a dog lover as are most of my closest friends so when I heard the expression "chin wag" I adopted it right away, since we spend too much of our time, both in person and on the phone doing just that.
Agreed! I remember this one from my Old English class at University and anyone else who has studied Old English can probably get the answer. The riddle is NSFW to most (dirty) minds but, ironically, the proper answer is! ;-)
Ic eom wunderlicu wiht wifum on hyhte neahbuendum nyt; nægum sceþþe burgsittendra nymthe bonan anum. Staþol min is steapheah stonde ic on bedde neoðan ruh nathwær. Neþeð hwilum ful cyrtenu ceorles dohtor modwlonc meowle þæt heo on mec gripe ræseð mec on reodne reafath min heafod fegeð mec on fæsten. Feleþ sona mines gemotes seo þe mec nearwað wif wundenlocc. Wæt bið þæt eage.
To me, old English is something I read in the Three Musketeers.
"dear" in UK (in various European languages "caro" or "chere") can either mean costly, or a term of endearment for a loved person. But in America "dear" only has the latter meaning.
Americans would say "expensive" or "Costly" to refer to price.
"Railway" in UK = "Railroad" in US. "Goods" in UK = "Freight" in US.
Born and raised in the midwest here. Have you never heard the expression that so-and-so paid dearly for that mistake or will pay dearly when his/her mother/spouse/boss finds out? It means that an action or behavior is going to be costly in terms of severe consequences.
Good used to be more common here when there were still dry goods stores instead of supermarkets.
Would it be inappropriate to say that I usually cannot tell the difference between old English and High German. Especially, when I am having high hopes and pipe dreams on my own.
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