American/English Slang: Contrasting Meanings

[wolram]

From this page.

http://www.intranet.csupomona.edu/~jasanders/slang/top20.html

I find that some american slang words mean the opposit in english.

17, dope = nice cool, in english it is a stupid person.

7, sick= great excellent, in english it is used to describe a pervert.

3, dog= friend, in english it is used to describe a (rough) woman

2, tight= great cool, in english it means either, drunk or a person not easily
parted with his/her money.

 

[Cyrus]

dope can mean both here too
sick can mean both here too
dog, " "
tight - that one yes for money, no for drunk.

 

[wolram]

I had,( Di-k head) edited out of one of my posts, in english it has become a
very mild cuss, just above say, (you twit), is it a harsher cuss in the US ?
may be we should not use slang at all, but not many britts speak the queens english.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I had,( Di-k head) edited out of one of my posts, in english it has become a very mild cuss,

it just seemed that we were already pushing limits, Mr Weiner Head.

 

[wolram]

it just seemed that we were already pushing limits, Mr Weiner Head.

Yes i must remember to lock that door

 

[Cyrus]

I had,( Di-k head) edited out of one of my posts, in english it has become a
very mild cuss, just above say, (you twit), is it a harsher cuss in the US ?
may be we should not use slang at all, but not many britts speak the queens english.

In america, slang is not used when your angry. When somone is angry in the US, you get cursed out, F-word, etc. Slang is used in casual talk, not aggressive talk.

 

[wolram]

In america, slang is not used when your angry. When somone is angry in the US, you get cursed out, F-word, etc. Slang is used in casual talk, not aggressive talk.

Oh my golly gum drops, we have a mountain of words to use before getting
to that one.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

As cyrus pointed out most of those slang terms are the same here as there. It's younger people who have started making their own slang lexicon which changes constantly that have made those other slang meanings popular. Most people here don't use them though. Well actually probably quite a few people here in california do but not in the US over all I don't think. None of my friends use those definitions though unless we are mocking someone who does.

 

[Mk]

17, dope = nice cool, in english it is a stupid person.

Or marijuana.

7, sick= great excellent, in english it is used to describe a pervert.

Sick is usually denoting "mentally sick," (probably shorten from "that is one sick [in the head] man") in slang, unless you are a teen skateboarder living in California. Then sick would be good.

3, dog= friend, in english it is used to describe a (rough) woman

Interesting. African-American vernacular has proven dawg to mean a friend.

2, tight= great cool, in english it means either, drunk or a person not easily parted with his/her money.

Drunk? Interesting too.

 

[wolram]

By MK

Interesting. African-American vernacular has proven dawg to mean a friend.

I think that DOG has all ways been a term for an unworthy person in english,
i may be wrong i am no expert, i think the word came to describe a rough
woman in the 60s

 

[brewnog]

Don't worry too much wooly. Here at PF we can still get buggered up the twat by a wanker, three of my favourite English curses!

 

[turbo]

From this page.

http://www.intranet.csupomona.edu/~jasanders/slang/top20.html

I find that some american slang words mean the opposit in english.

17, dope = nice cool, in english it is a stupid person.

7, sick= great excellent, in english it is used to describe a pervert.

3, dog= friend, in english it is used to describe a (rough) woman

2, tight= great cool, in english it means either, drunk or a person not easily
parted with his/her money.

Remember the source - a college in California. Those slang terms are not in general use (with those meanings, at least) throughout the whole country, and certainly not outside the age group of the sample. Interestingly, some people seem to question the use of the word "tight" as a synomym for "drunk", but that is a very common usage in New England. "Getting tight" means the same as "tying one on" - drinking with the intention of getting drunk.

If you want to envision the group that might use that slang regularly, think of the young single guys who pile into a cheesy little car fitted out with a $2000 sound system, and cruise around town playing hip-hop music so loud that you can hear the sub-woofers thudding when they are still several blocks away. In a few years, their conversations will be dominated by "huh, what'd you say?"

 

[Hootenanny]

Don't worry too much wooly. Here at PF we can still get buggered up the twat by a wanker, three of my favourite English curses!

I must say that Tango Whiskey Alpha Tango is one of my favourite words.

~H

 

[zoobyshoe]

I only recently ran into use of the word "sick" to mean something good. I was talking to a group of kids who all wore all black clothing, somewhat raggedy, that was decorated all over with those sheet-metal, stamped silver colored studs you can buy and apply yourself, plus different patches with what I took to be band names on them. I specifically asked if when they said "sick" they meant "good". He affirmed that they did and said it has been used that way "for ages", and wasn't something new. That all surprised me because I hadn't noticed it being used that way before.

 

[rhj23]

Don't worry too much wooly. Here at PF we can still get buggered up the twat by a wanker, three of my favourite English curses!

um.. actually 'buggered' implies sodomy or anal sex, and 'twat' is slang for female genitalia..

that doesn't stop them being quite an effective expletive when deployed together though!

 

[wolram]

By Turbo.

If you want to envision the group that might use that slang regularly, think of the young single guys who pile into a cheesy little car fitted out with a $2000 sound system, and cruise around town playing hip-hop music so loud that you can hear the sub-woofers thudding when they are still several blocks away. In a few years, their conversations will be dominated by "huh, what'd you say?"

we have some like that here, they fill the boot/trunk of their car with
amps etc that cost thousands, then have go faster stripes stuck on the side
of the car, i would call them (plonkers)

 

[brewnog]

um.. actually 'buggered' implies sodomy or anal sex, and 'twat' is slang for female genitalia..

that doesn't stop them being quite an effective expletive when deployed together though!

I know, the point I was making was that PF didn't asterisk them out!

 

[rhj23]

a personal favourite of mine is 'bollocks'. just enough harsh sounds in there to make you feel better if you stub your toe :)

 

[J77]

When one of my mates moved to the US, he had to stop bumming fags so often in pubs.

 

[George Jones]

An English guy I know came to Canada to do a PhD, married a Canadian girl, and stayed. On one visit back to England, his wife and small children were in a department store, when one of the kids went on a sitdown strike. In a loud voice, his Canadian wife commanded "Get off your fanny!", not realizing that other customers in the store would hear something different than what she thought she was saying.

Regards,
George

 

[wolram]

An English guy I know came to Canada to do a PhD, married a Canadian girl, and stayed. On one visit back to England, his wife and small children were in a department store, when one of the kids went on a sitdown strike. In a loud voice, his Canadian wife commanded "Get off your fanny!", not realizing that other customers in the store would hear something different than what she thought she was saying.

Regards,
George

That is one that had me confused years ago, when i read in a book (he smacked her *****) i thought at the time that there are some strange people about.

 

[Zantra]

well if you're across the pond on the island, and you have a friend miss a meeting, make sure you don't ask him why he blew you off, especially in public

 

[Dumbobaby]

An English guy I know came to Canada to do a PhD, married a Canadian girl, and stayed. On one visit back to England, his wife and small children were in a department store, when one of the kids went on a sitdown strike. In a loud voice, his Canadian wife commanded "Get off your fanny!", not realizing that other customers in the store would hear something different than what she thought she was saying.

Regards,
George

You really got the main point of long stays.

 

[Chi Meson]

well if you're across the pond on the island, and you have a friend miss a meeting, make sure you don't ask him why he blew you off, especially in public

I also heard that one should not proclaim "I'm stuffed!" after a meal.

Any truth to this?

 

[Kazza_765]

I've found most curse words have lost there edge down here. Except perhaps c**t, which is still a filthy word in my mind. Dunno if you guys have seen the tourism ad for australia that says "where the bloody hell are you?". It was banned in the UK.

 

[wolram]

I also heard that one should not proclaim "I'm stuffed!" after a meal.

Any truth to this?

I usually say (one is rather full now), eerm not, I can not see what is wrong with, " I'm stuffed",

 

[wolram]

I've found most curse words have lost there edge down here. Except perhaps c**t, which is still a filthy word in my mind. Dunno if you guys have seen the tourism ad for australia that says "where the bloody hell are you?". It was banned in the UK.

I could'nt let my mom go down there then, she would be tut tutting all day.

 

[rhj23]

I've found most curse words have lost there edge down here. Except perhaps c**t, which is still a filthy word in my mind. Dunno if you guys have seen the tourism ad for australia that says "where the bloody hell are you?". It was banned in the UK.

it wasn't banned in the UK - there were a few complaints but they weren't upheld and the ad is all over the broadcast/print media

 

[wolram]

it wasn't banned in the UK - there were a few complaints but they weren't upheld and the ad is all over the broadcast/print media

Oh sugar, now mom can really go to town , by the by have any of you, " down underers" stuffed a roo yet.

 

[Chi Meson]

I usually say (one is rather full now), eerm not, I can not see what is wrong with, " I'm stuffed",

We say the same thing!
"are you done eating, dear?"
"Yes, m'luv. One is rather full now."
"That's nice, dear. Get stuffed!"

 

[wolram]

We say the same thing!
"are you done eating, dear?"
"Yes, m'luv. One is rather full now."
"That's nice, dear. Get stuffed!"

 

[wolram]

I've found most curse words have lost there edge down here. Except perhaps c**t, which is still a filthy word in my mind. Dunno if you guys have seen the tourism ad for australia that says "where the bloody hell are you?". It was banned in the UK.

We Britts love Muffin the mule.

 

[kleinjahr]

In Canada twat can also mean a real dumbf---k, generally female. Sort of exchanging twit for twat.

 

[Chi Meson]

In Canada twat can also mean a real dumbf---k, generally female. Sort of exchanging twit for twat.

This just occurred to me: is "twit" a shortening of the word "nitwit"? I don't have my OED with me today (Usually I take it everywhere).

 

[wolram]

According to Chambers,

twit1 noun, colloq a fool or idiot.
ETYMOLOGY: 1930s.

twit2 verb (twitted, twitting) to tease, reproach or criticize, usually with good humour or affection.
ETYMOLOGY: 16c: from Anglo-Saxon ætwitan, from æt at + witan to blame.