Evolving English

[Fencergrl]

I've heard gacked before.

LOL... I think the first time was from your own lips... Let me paint the scene. It was the first time in a Canadian bar and you look up from your beer and the stripper was 3/4's through her dance... and you discovered the real difference between our countries.

[Empty Wallet]

she mentioned that her son had gone "flatting" with his girl friend. Translation: they shacked up, moved in together, etc.

I wonder if this is a British'ism or just a New Zealand ism. First "door stepped"
and now "flatting". And I used to think that "SO" (significant other) was such an euphuism.

"Flatting" is a well used word. Basically refers to young people who have moved out of home and are renting a flat/apartment. Often the idea of sharing with others to deal with the rent.

It is not a term that necessitates fringe benefits -- except being out of parental control. Perhaps the correspondent wanted a euphemism that made it sound like a nice arrangement.

Here is Elsewhere, we have no slang and no accents. So, I cannot add further.

[latenight]

LOL... I think the first time was from your own lips... Let me paint the scene. It was the first time in a Canadian bar and you look up from your beer and the stripper was 3/4's through her dance... and you discovered the real difference between our countries.

ROFL!

[telkanuru]

Well you know what they say. The UK and America, two countries separated by the Atlantic Ocean...


While we've been over the many meanings of "plowed" with latenight, I'm fairly sure there's no area of the US or Canada outside of New England that uses "wicked" as a positive modifier.

[Inquartata]

No, but it crops up in the UK as a positive descriptive...at least going by Britcoms it does.

"Gacked" is current in the SCA, meaning an abrupt, overly hard and/or usually unpleasant hit in combat. As in "That f***ing spearman, gacked me right in the cup, I'll be looking for him after I res(urrect )." Or "Thank God for steel gorgets, I got gacked in the throat just now."

[Fencergrl]

I'm fairly sure there's no area of the US or Canada outside of New England that uses "wicked" as a positive modifier.

Gets used all the time out here on the Westcoast of Canada... as in "That car is wicked!"

[jjefferies]

I read the term "gorked" to indicate something was forced askew into an unnatural position. The book (contemporary fiction novel set in the future) had lots of other verb-ized nouns and peculiar conjugations.)

Wasn't that "grokked" from Stranger in a Strange Land ? And if I remember from that era it meant to take some in until you became one with it. Sounds awful hippy these days.

[Go? Fencing?]

Wil Wheaton uses "grok" from time to time.

[Sean Butler]

Wasn't that "grokked" from Stranger in a Strange Land ? And if I remember from that era it meant to take some in until you became one with it. Sounds awful hippy these days.

Yes it was from Stranger in a Strange Land.

"Grok means to understand so thoroughly that the observer becomes a part of the observed—to merge, blend, intermarry, lose identity in group experience. It means almost everything that we mean by religion, philosophy, and science—and it means as little to us (because of our Earthly assumptions) as color means to a blind man." -- Robert Heinlein

Oh, it also means to drink.

[Timo]

Bushleague?

[Hyena]

I use the word "skank" quite often.

And "totally."

Also, "Omigod."


The kicker? I live in Mississippi.

[Lady Quindecim]

We here speak with absolute normalcy and abstain completely from any words, phrases or colloquialisms that would in any way be deemed peculiar in the slightest to anyone, anywhere, at any time and avoid clichés like the the plague.
[Because it is too cold to talk]
{Quiet, you.}

[rdg]

My favorite is the US southern use of verbs.

I 'might could' do that, for example. I have heard it used by very well educated people.

Same with 'should ought'a', amounst the not so educated.

And then there is 'bar-b-que'. What that means total depends on where you are. People will cook the stangest things on a fire and call it BBQ.

Finally there is 'yes mame'. Offencive to women in CA, and completely acceptable - no required - when answering any woman in the US South East who asks you a direct question.

Sam

[Inquartata]

Meh, the "edited for spelling" tag is very amusing, considering...

[Hauptman]

Finally there is 'yes mame'. Offencive to women in CA, and completely acceptable - no required - when answering any woman in the US South East who asks you a direct question.

Sam

I do hope you meant, "yes, ma'am". Not that I have anything against Mame... she's my favorite Auntie.

[Hauptman]

It's so much fun to hear the English language evolving. An old friend from New Zealand sent out her yearly update on her family's activities. It was by e-mail and despite any overtones one might feel about such - my cousin's, the missionary one, is a bit much to read much less digest. But this one was interesting, as much about the animals, new, old, died, as the humans. But one passage was rather interesting when she mentioned that her son had gone "flatting" with his girl friend. Translation: they shacked up, moved in together, etc.

I wonder if this is a British'ism or just a New Zealand ism. First "door stepped"
and now "flatting". And I used to think that "SO" (significant other) was such an euphuism.

It's fun.

I find your example fascinating in how nouns often become verbs. Looking for a "flat" becomes "flatting". Similarly, these days you can "disrespect" someone instead of "showing disrespect".

[Purple Fencer]

I find your example fascinating in how nouns often become verbs. Looking for a "flat" becomes "flatting". Similarly, these days you can "disrespect" someone instead of "showing disrespect".

Happens to people too. When I worked as a legal secretary we had one opposing attorney who would claim he was never sent letters of demand and such if sent by fax....so we ended up making it a policy that ANY written communiucation to him -- by fax or mail -- had a Proof of Service attached in case the matter ever came up in court.

It became such a usual thing that his first name became a verb....and any time another attorney claimed a fax or letter didn't get to him, we'd say we got "Sharooked."

In drum corps you hear the term "frack" a lot when a brass player makes a mistake like cracking a note or otherwise messing up notably...there's even one specific mistake by a soloist that was so bad you can menton "The Frack" to a fan and he'll know EXACTLT which one you mean!