Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

Yes, V, we sometimes use it to mean 'knocked' as in bonking a head.... but then it can also have that double meaning too....

[Jembru]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

So bonkers are unripe conkers? That's cool!

I learnt a new English word recently. 'Comfort station'. I have no idea where it is used, but I know I like it. There's a bit of a back story to how I came to uncover this most pleasant of words for a loo, but I won't bore you with it.

Wait, I'm Jembru. Of COURSE I'll recite a pointlessly long anecdote.

So, being the mature adults we are, JP and I like nothing more than to ask our Japanese friends to teach us childish words, like fart (onara (suru/koku)) and constipation (benpi). We discovered that in stark contrast to English, Japanese lacks slang words for toilet. They have plenty for naughty body parts and naughty acts involving said body parts, but nothing slangy for a toilet.

So we invented one ourselves, 'benbako' (crap-box), and we're hoping it will one day take off in Japan. We explained this to our new friend who transfered here from Japan. He said there is already a similar word, 'benjo'.

Next morning, after I threw up in a pan (drank WAY too much), I looked it up to see how common it was, and amongst the English translations was, 'comfort station'. Stuff the crap-box, it's the comfort station for me from now on...

[volcaniclastic]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

I enjoyed reading that perhaps more than I should have, Jem. I love your pointlessly long anecdotes

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

Love comfort station.... If I mention that to Mr Penry I'll never get him out of there. My favourite word for the loo in my youth, was Bog.

[Jembru]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

Oh I do like bog. I was just blown away by 'comfort station'. I'd love to know where this word originates. It's the kind of thing I'd imagine an airline making up to avoid sounding crude. It's things like this that make me so addicted to linguistics. I just wish I had one of those brains that could carry several languages at once. I could try to learn a few more, but I'd be in serious danger of forgetting where I live.

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

I told Mr Penry about the comfort station and he headed there straight away. He was particularly interested in the 'ben' prefix being 'crap'.... says he will never regard Ben Stiller in quite the same way again...

[Maria de Luna]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

I think the Ben prefix may actually be box... bako is more likely crap...

[Jembru]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

Yes, ben is 'crap'. It's a bit less slangy than 'kuso' with which Maria is probably more familiar as meaning 'sh*t' (Japanese don't really have swear words the way English does, but for once I'll skip the pointless lecture). Box is 'hako', but as we were using it in a compound after 'n' the h becomes b. I asked why this happens in another Japanese thread here and apparently it's just for ease of pronunciation.

Anyway, Ken Tanaka, a caucasian comedian who pretends to be Japanese and speaks the language fluently, made a video on youtube where we visited London. He pointed out the hilarity that we have a clock tower called 'big ben'. Now whenever we look at big ben, all we see is a giant crap.

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

Anyway, Ken Tanaka, a caucasian comedian who pretends to be Japanese and speaks the language fluently, made a video on youtube where we visited London. He pointed out the hilarity that we have a clock tower called 'big ben'. Now whenever we look at big ben, all we see is a giant crap.

*Falls over laughing*

[Jembru]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

It explains why it's always surrounded by Asian tourists taking photo's with massive grins on their faces!

[Maria de Luna]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

Yes, ben is 'crap'. It's a bit less slangy than 'kuso' with which Maria is probably more familiar as meaning 'sh*t' (Japanese don't really have swear words the way English does, but for once I'll skip the pointless lecture). Box is 'hako', but as we were using it in a compound after 'n' the h becomes b. I asked why this happens in another Japanese thread here and apparently it's just for ease of pronunciation.

Anyway, Ken Tanaka, a caucasian comedian who pretends to be Japanese and speaks the language fluently, made a video on youtube where we visited London. He pointed out the hilarity that we have a clock tower called 'big ben'. Now whenever we look at big ben, all we see is a giant crap.

My japanese ability is "ben."

[Jembru]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

My japanese ability is "ben."

You're allowed to be crap at a language you've never studied! You should hear my German now, and I DID study that! I bet you'll know words I don't. JP used a word from anime on Friday night that was so obscure, he had to explain it to our Japanese friends! I just know in anime, they say 'kuso' under their breath a lot, so guessed you'd more likely know this word.

[Nordic Druid]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

This language confuses me...

[Kahlenda]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

one ive just noticed, in the us the use of the word damn seems to be just as bad as the use of the word F**K,

i mean myself and everyone i know, have never been tuaght of it as a swear word, more just an expression of displeasure or frustration.

[Denarius]

Re: Differences between US and UK English (and others....)

Damn is pg, the other is pg-13 unless it's excessive which can bump it up to nc-17. They're both profane, but the F-word is considered vulgar as well.