ladygen

Oh wow, this has been a fun read. A looooong read, but I've been cracking up! Wish I had been on the board the when this was first started...

I've been keeping notes on things I'd remember so I could post 'em all at the end.

A pet peeve of mine is 'anyways'. I'd never heard it used until I was in Jr. High, then it was from almost every kid I knew - but never the teachers. Now I hear teaches say it too. Drives me crazy.

Yous Guys has always been, to me, a term of endearment, and always said tongue-in-cheek. Goes along with 'them is good stuffs' and other uses of 'them is'.

I live in a town in Western Washington called Poulsbo - and nick-names Little Norway, so we hear a LOT of 'Yah, sure, ya betcha' and Uffdas. Uffda, as I've heard it, expresses lots of effort, like lifting a really heavy bag.

The Commodores Brick House was not acytuall sung with any words between brick and house - the song was written based on the phrase, but the phrase was modified in writing the song.

Another one that drives me crazy is "Where are you AT?" Why add an 'at' to the end? Isn't "Where are you?" enough?

DH makes fun of me because I use 'eh' and 'aboot' and such, and says I'm South Canadian (as we're only one state away).

I do tend to say no problem instead of you're welcome, but only when whatever I'm being thanked for was really truly of no consequence to me, positive of negative, and I've never thought it rude; in Spanish they reply 'de nada' which translates to 'of nothing'.

I also tend to say 'you know' if I'm explaining something, because I really do want to know if you're following what I'm saying. I'm one of those that tell you how to build a clock if you ask me the time (or don't... as is this case... have you noticed yet that you know what I mean? ;) ), and I want to know if I need to continue to elaborate, or leave well enough alone, you get it already, don't keep beating the dead horse with the stick.

Rhonda

[quote=quiltncrazy]Where did the expression Pardon my French get started? Why is it French and not German or Spanish or whatever?

Margie

I havent read the entire thread. It is so funny. Did you ever hear people say, having prostrate surgery? Well, most surgery you have you have to be in a prostrate position...However they mean prostate surgery.

Margie

Rhonda

The English language as spoken by us in the USA is one of the hardest languages to learn as we have so many exceptions to the rules. And then you add in the differant colloquilalisms and then add in the way we butcher the language and just imagine coming in and not knowing how to speak English! Can you imagine trying to make sense of all the things you would hear?

nativetexan

How about the word "nother"? there is no such word. "That's a whole nother story" yea, really?? not!!
and bring being used when the word should be take. that one drives me crazy!!!

Debra Mc

I never understood the term"order in". We say in Texas we are gonna get Take Out.

Lisanne

Take-out food is food that you go and get, and bring back home to eat. Ordering in is calling up and having them deliver the food to you. (At least, that's the way i've always used those terms.)

Debra Mc

Only kind of deliverly around here is pizza. Everything else is you pick it up.

MadQuilter

I think French is considered the more sophisticated language. Not something I would attribute to German. Besides, German is generally very direct as is, and Spanish is romantic/emotional.

Marjpf

My daughters always chide me when i use a "mid-west" expression. Well, gag me with a spoon, I've picked up quite a bit of California-isms, too!

My phrase that puzzles me is "Shall we do lunch sometime?" How do you DO lunch? Or do we only say that in Los Angeles?