Wankled

[ColoradoBelle1]

I had to post what I was trying to write on my now locked thread!!
I was trying to write 'wankled' as defined: unsteady, unstable, sickly, staggered. Guess I missed a letter...and sorry if I offended anyone, tho I thought wan$er meant jerk?

Also, I certainly didn't take any offense at the UK community board not wanting a bigger board to 'take over' the small, comforting, community feel of this forum.' Far from it.And while it wasn't my original intent, the post actually served a better purpose in that it showed how much you value your small and friendly community board (as opposed to the huge and rather strange US community board). MOst of us on the DVC felt the same about our community board as you do here.

If you don't already know, we weren't trying to start a community board over on DVC....we actually had our longstanding and very open and friendly community board taken away in the middle of the night.
The powers that be weren't upfront as to their reasons, and moved a bunch of threads all over the place, and weren't responsive (and still not) to our concerns.

Ah WebmasterPenny...I hope I'm not being cheeky in the least when I say that I thought nearly all of us proudly wore our Mickey ears on our heads! LOL...maybe i am being a little cheeky, but only a little. Thanks for the ,
I enjoy your sense of humor (and I enjoy mine too, even if I am the only one)
As for diplomacy and culling favor: I honestly believe that what was done over on the DVC was very wrong, very passive aggressive and as such, destructive. Perhaps I should have alluded to the tarnishing of mickey ears as opposed to pulling them out of a er...hat so to speak!

 

[Miffy2003]

In the UK the word w***er is extremely rude, far more worse than jerk!!! I will say no more but don't do a Google with it as you might find lots of unpleasant websites!!

 

[Dimplenose]

I can't even find your intended wankled in my dictionary. Perhaps we should start a transatlantic game of "Call My Bluff!".

I couldn't believe my ears the first time I heard someone (and a very nicely spoken lady at that) say fanny pack. It was only later I found out it wasn't rude over there.

Libby

 

[Frances999]

Sorry to hear that the DVC lost their community board I read the long thread over there and it seems such a shame it has gone. I hope you guys get it back

 

[Miffy2003]

Libby!!

By the way, the word you mention above had the "L" missing on the original post, hence the rudeness if you see what I mean

 

[FizzyPop]

That sounds like fun Libby The one that makes me laugh is nipples which over here is teats (as in the teats for babies bottles)

 

[ColoradoBelle1]

oh dear, is fanny a bad word in the UK???

Here, it is the 'cultured' word for bum and moms usually teach our kids to use it in place of bum.

Wankle is in the Webster's Third New International Dictionary, right above 'wanky'. I used it once in scrabble...it was challenged (the challenger thought it should be spelled wrankled with an r) and I guess I have used it in conversation ever since. Sadly, I eat and drink while using my keyboard and sometimes the keys stick or don't connect. I got a private PM as to what the OTHER word means...and here in the US we use a different word I think: as when you whack off a tree limb with a machete.

Thanks all for your concern re us getting our board back! It means as much to us as your community board means to you! We will fight the good fight.

 

[mark&sue]

This has been the first thread to make me laugh today and it is nearly bedtime.

Please bring back the DVC community board.


Susan

 

[Queenie]

Yes fanny is somewhat of a bad word in the UK, not an unforgivably bad word but you certainly wouldn't want to be heard saying it by your inlaws (unless they're very open minded!) It is a slang term for the internal part of a woman's private bits!

Funny how words that we you guys say are so offensive here and vice versa. I remember my (smoker) friend telling me about the horrified looks he was given when he was overheard telling someone he would kill for a *** when in NYC!

 

[carolfoy]

This has cheered my day up, so funny getting wires crossed, I agree Queenie that the slang for a cigarette here is a strange word for abuse over there, such strange looks when want to bring back some cheap ones from your hols!

 

[BONZO]

I found this piece interesting

Divided by a common language - a light hearted look at linguistic differences across the Atlantic



by Val Boyko, Coach and Intercultural Specialist


The Irish writer George Bernard Shaw once said: “England and America are two countries divided by a common language” Most English speaking people don’t realize how great the differences are between British English and American English. I certainly didn’t until I moved to the US over 10 years ago. That was when I was surprised to discover that we do speak a different language. Did you know that there are over 4000 words in everyday use in the United States that are not in British English? That’s a lot! Words like bleachers, busboy, podiatrist, odometer, valance and, one of my favorites, rutabaga were all completely foreign to me.

When I read the quote from George Bernard Shaw I started to wonder about how these differences had come about, and what impact they have on communications between the British and Americans today. Are we still two countries divided by a common language?


How the Divide Came About

We all know that there were settlers in the New World who came from parts of Britain. What is easy to forget is that in those days they were cut off from the folk they left behind and had no VERBAL contact. Their language became isolated and so the division of the language began. Words that have survived from this era – like “gotten” may actually be more proper, although they sound grammatically wrong to British ears!

Over the years other nationalities settled in America, bringing their languages with them. English was the dominant language but there were also German, Dutch, Spanish and French colonies, as well as Jews speaking Yiddish and other minorities adding to the mix. New words and phrases started to be incorporated into everyday speech. For example - Did you know “coleslaw” and “waffle” come from Dutch? “Coyote” from Spanish? To “nix” something is German? A “tush” is Yiddish? And yes, “entrepreneur” is a French word Mr. President!

Eventually, the pronunciation of the words themselves changed as people from different countries arrived here and learned English. Brand new words and expressions started to come into everyday use. After the revolutionary war it wasn’t surprising that Americans liked the fact that their English was different from British English. Noah Webster chose spelling that was simpler and more phonetic in the first American dictionary, which was aptly named Webster’s, and was published in 1828.

Since the industrial revolution, new technologies and inventions have occurred on both sides of the Atlantic – with Americans and the British creating new words for things. It made the differences even more distinct.


Misunderstandings Today

So, what happens when an American and an Englishman start talking, and think they are speaking the same language, but in fact, don’t understand everything that is being said? It can lead to confusion, frustration, embarrassment and sometimes hilarity.

As a coach and intercultural specialist I work with people on both sides of the Atlantic and have learned to use British AND American words at the same time. For example: Car park - parking lot; handbag – purse; boot – trunk; lift – elevator; And I am also aware of different pronunciations of things including fillet, ballet and basil.

But even with years of exposure to both kinds of English I can still find myself coming a cropper, throwing a spanner in the works and getting into a real pickle! In business the consequences can be dear or costly.

In business In Britain, to table something means to bring it TO the table for discussion. In the USA it means to put it aside. I was in a meeting when an American suggested tabling a topic - and a British colleague opened a whole discussion around it. The outcome wasn’t as planned. The American got annoyed with what he saw as English arrogance and someone who deliberately did it to make him angry, while the Englishman was bemused at the lack of interest and hostility around the table.

Another story comes from an Englishman who was at his wits' end with an admin assistant who never got around to doing his work. His American colleagues always seemed to get preferential treatment. What was really happening here? He would ask “Would it be possible to get this fax out today?” and she would put his request at the bottom of her pile of work. The Englishman meant “This fax is urgent and must be sent before 5.00” in American English.

When Americans interact with the British, there are many subtleties to consider. I worked with an American who had expatriated to London and would tell people how great it was that his British colleagues called him a “cowboy”. Cowboy, however, in Britain refers to someone who does poor quality work because they rush at things and don’t plan ahead!

Americans can also be on a sticky wicket when using SPORTS terms in business! Here is a golden rule: sports terms don’t travel well in countries where the sport isn’t played. So don’t be surprised if you get a blank stare if you ask an Englishman to step up to the plate. We only know a plate as something to eat off. The world isn’t involved in the World Series! It took me a while to figure out if STRIKING OUT was a good or bad thing and what is a curve ball anyway? – is it like going round the bend?

Here's something else for Americans to be aware of: did you know that an eraser is called a rubber in Britain? A good British Mum makes sure her children go to school with a rubber in their pencil case. There are many more examples that are guaranteed to bring lightness to any occasion!

© Copyright 2005. Val Boyko, My Global Coach

 

[Dimplenose]

That was a really interesting read, thanks for sharing it.

Libby

 

[ColoradoBelle1]

Bonzo, I LOVED your post! Thanks for writing.

I loved the Shaw quote too. But I find that for most of us, the differences are funny, light, enjoyable rather than a source of discomfit or annoyance.

Sometimes when I'm emailed a joke from a Brit friend I met on a cruise, I need to call up another Brit to figure out the punch line. (I learned a lot about cricket from one joke the bloke sent over.)

My mum was born in county Durham, Stockton-on-Tees area. When I was just out of college I traveled throughout GB and mostly hitchhiked. I remember getting a ride just north of Durham from a sweet man who talked nonstop the entire hour or so. I smiled and nodded the entire time, but for the life of me had no idea of what he was saying..it was like a foreign language. Then, the next day, I woke up and realized he had been telling me about the carrier pidgeons he was transporting in the boot of his car!

Now I have an all wheel drive sedan Jaguar. I love calling the 800 number (toll free) just to hear the Brit accent asking if I am allright and pulled far enough off the road to be out of danger. When I saw a red light go on near the engine light, I nearly panicked! Underneath the red light came a message: BOOT OPEN. took me a mo to realize it was my trunk that was ajar.

Last story: First summer of college I travelled across the US to work in California. I found a job in a bar in Santa Monica called THe Oar House.
I called my mum to tell her and received a very long silent treatment after I stopped talking. Then she said. The (wh)ore (h) ouse ? I fell on the floor laughing, but I don't think my mum got over it for weeks!

Well, nice chatting you up and hope we can share more funny stories of fags and fannies and other 'opposites' that either keep us apart or keep us laughing.

 

[jen_uk]

Bonzo, I LOVED your post! Thanks for writing.

Last story: First summer of college I travelled across the US to work in California. I found a job in a bar in Santa Monica called THe Oar House.
I called my mum to tell her and received a very long silent treatment after I stopped talking. Then she said. The (wh)ore (h) ouse ? I fell on the floor laughing, but I don't think my mum got over it for weeks!
.

 

[mark&sue]

love this thread. Whenever I post over on the US boards I always use the word vaction instead of holidays as I think holidays mean Christmas in US. It is the little things like that make you realise how you have to be careful.

I also find I always ask for the toilet when in the theme parks but I know I should say the restroom but just can't remember until it is too late.


Susan

 

[ColoradoBelle1]

Hi Susan,
I was just thinking of you!!!
There is another place where I think you will feel quite at home vis a vis the DIS-enfranchisement of the DVC community board. It is over on the tagrel site ...www.tagrel.com . I'm not very good at linking, but if you go over there and register and then check the discussion board for Horses' Corner, I think you will be warmly welcomed and find some old friends drinking Yeungling's and having a laugh over NOTHING.

Hope to see you there! In addition to here....I think this is a fun thread too, and it all started with a mig....no, I mean it all started with my inadvertent misspelling of wankLed.

 

[diberry]

This was a brilliant thread so at least the loss of your board has had one good consequence!! I adore American English but I can never bring myself to say "Good" when an American politely asks how I am so I say "Fine, thanks" in a very English way!! And I must learn to say "You're welcome" instead of just smiling silently as we do normally when someone says "Thank you" to us. A fascinating thread, thank you.

 

[ColoradoBelle1]

Hi Diberry!!! Reiana (sadly not the pretty one on the left or the handsome one in the middle!!!!!)
No, you are the beautiful one on the right!!!!!!!

 

[diberry]

Wow, ColoradoBelle, what good taste you have!!! What a nice thing to read first thing in the morning!!! You can join this board any time you like!!! I'm sure you live up to your name of Belle too!!! I'm going to keep bumping this thread up until everyone in the world has read it!!!!!

 

[carolfoy]

OK Di I read it (in agreement with coloradobelle)