tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post7007863561613976364..comments2024-03-16T00:21:43.240+00:00Comments on Separated by a Common Language: Words of the Year 2008lynneguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-27163006719571191722020-04-26T19:56:51.412+01:002020-04-26T19:56:51.412+01:0060 years ago, when Maryland cookies first came to ...60 years ago, when Maryland cookies first came to the UK, we knew them as "Aunt Diana's biscuits" as it was the eponymous aunt who had introduced them to us! My mother also had a recipe for something called "Maryland fried chicken", but I don't think it was really any different to ordinary fried chicken....Mrs Redboots (Annabel Smyth)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11270027663691257254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-38944098887997029062020-04-26T18:32:44.198+01:002020-04-26T18:32:44.198+01:00I dispise the word vet. Unless you are checking a ...I dispise the word vet. Unless you are checking a horse the activities, behaviors and actions required to vet someone and then have confirmation as to whether someone is vetted or not are subjective and arbitrary.<br /><br />If a process is in place to check a person's bonifides they are cleared, certified, licenced or authorized. If one who is cleared recommends or confirms another person's bonifides they are vouched. <br /><br />Vet is a word for people who are unable to construct a definitive process for establishing bonifides or authorities too lazy or corrupt to follow established processess to ensure authorized persons are involved. Mafia goons are vetted, officers are cleared.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-40645076027570134302015-01-05T19:16:09.750+00:002015-01-05T19:16:09.750+00:00Robbie said...
I thought "meh" was a loa...Robbie said...<br />I thought "meh" was a loan-word from Yiddish. (Can't find my copy of Leo Rosten's wonderful <i>The Joys of Yiddish</i> to check.)<br /><br />Possibly, though you may actually be thinking of Yiddish <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/feh" rel="nofollow">"feh".</a><br /><br />And what's the deal with Maryland cookies? If FTW has made it to the UK, what about WTF? How on earth could a state known mainly for soft-shelled crabs (it borders the Atlantic, you see) be renowned in the UK for ... cookies? Bizarre.Dick Hartzellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07065924271517452841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-59050786941916066292015-01-03T08:26:34.041+00:002015-01-03T08:26:34.041+00:00I learned vet, in this sense, from West Wing. They...I learned vet, in this sense, from West Wing. They used it a lot. Jennahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03685928885573020986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-12072580644348709482015-01-02T17:20:14.719+00:002015-01-02T17:20:14.719+00:00As a showbiz-besotted preteen (before such creatur...As a showbiz-besotted preteen (before such creatures were 'tweens') in the 1970s, I used to wonder why a veterinary surgeon would be so desirable to a red-hot mama, even if he were 'custom-tailored'. I mean, the lyric even has the 'vet begin to pet!' But in 1949 America, it surely referred to a veteran of WWII...<br /><br />[Kiss Me Kate, "Always True to You" http://www.allmusicals.com/lyrics/kissmekate/alwaystruetoyouinmyfashion.htm ]CatzEyeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12670322849155662083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-38759362774642596142009-02-23T04:47:00.000+00:002009-02-23T04:47:00.000+00:00Historically, at least, there was also a distincti...Historically, at least, there was also a distinction in the word "veteran" itself: in BrE it meant an old soldier, retired or not (the meaning of Latin <I>veteranus</I>); in AmE it meant and means any former member of the military, old or not.<BR/><BR/>OED2 lists both meanings, but gives only AmE citations for the second.John Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452247999156925669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-51151158625207719142009-01-08T20:19:00.000+00:002009-01-08T20:19:00.000+00:00I wish the word "vet" would come back as described...I wish the word "vet" would come back as described. I used to make weak jokes about Vetting party guest lists to see if I wanted to go somewhere (not that I really did that), which were met with blank looks from Americans.<BR/>Even today, "vet" is more likely to mean an ex-military person than an animal doctor as it is in the UK. I'll never get it right.Expat mumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17798190669591053390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-78352065014076627072009-01-01T22:44:00.000+00:002009-01-01T22:44:00.000+00:00In Canada I'm quite familiar with the prepurchase ...In Canada I'm quite familiar with the prepurchase meaning of vet, but I still think of it as a metaphor. If I get a used car vetted, I smile inside at the image of the mechanic checking the ridges on its teeth and watching its gait. I'd use it more for machinery than people.<BR/><BR/>I understand vet meaning veteran, and I'm sure some Canadians use it, but I don't. It seems disrespectful. I'm actually more likely to say "war veteran" or "veteran of the war in Afghanistan" because veteran itself is used so commonly for people with long experience in other things, ranging from hockey to political office.Aviatrixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13634111275860140084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-16630329711078838022008-12-29T21:15:00.000+00:002008-12-29T21:15:00.000+00:00Ah but Neil, have they heard it used to describe p...Ah but Neil, have they heard it used to describe pop/soda as we do here in Scotland (or Glasgow at least)? "A bottle of ginger" isn't as common as it once was, I think, but still a usage I'm fond of.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-24545283510166468032008-12-26T21:53:00.000+00:002008-12-26T21:53:00.000+00:00I know you already laid out your WOTYs (WsOTY?), b...I know you already laid out your WOTYs (WsOTY?), but I wondered how many AmE speakers have heard "ginger" being used to describe red hair. I had assumed this was strictly BrE, but my daughter claims she has heard a number of her high school classmates use it thus.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-51258914308568846222008-12-26T04:07:00.000+00:002008-12-26T04:07:00.000+00:00In the veterinary world (at least in the UK) the v...In the veterinary world (at least in the UK) the verb 'to vet' has quite a specific meaning, referring to a pre-purchase examination of a horse. I have no idea whether the current use of the word stems from this or vice-versa.<BR/>Whichever it was I can tell you that a full five-stage vetting of a horse is an incredibly dull event and the word itself is much more interesting!Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14269875279682097383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-53075203163156820342008-12-20T21:44:00.000+00:002008-12-20T21:44:00.000+00:00@Stephen P:Interjections often have sounds not occ...@Stephen P:<BR/>Interjections often have sounds not occurring in other word classes, and often represented by unusual spellings: tsk-tsk, ugh, pshaw, phew, etc. For me, the vowel of "yeah" doesn't occur in any other word. But it's also true that the conventionalised spellings can in turn engender spelling pronunciations of the relevant word -- sometime jocose, sometimes not.<BR/><BR/>Some (anglicized) Irish placenames have the so-called "checked" vowels in syllable-final position, where the following syllable begins with a H-sound: Drogheda and Aghada have the LOT and TRAP vowels, though if you can't manage that you can use the THOUGHT and PALM vowels and drop the following H. Similarly I've heard Irish people say "vehement" and "vehicle" with the DRESS vowel + H rather than the FLEECE vowel. And pronouncing the emphatic form of "the" to rhyme with "meh" rather than as "thee".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-86749521287630010892008-12-20T20:20:00.000+00:002008-12-20T20:20:00.000+00:00I've always been surprised that the pronunciation ...I've always been surprised that the pronunciation of 'meh' involves a final short 'e' sound, which I remember being described as not occurring in any English words. Can anyone think of any other counterexamples? (Sorry if this has been discussed when 'meh' has come up previously.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-73622388288920821222008-12-19T11:37:00.000+00:002008-12-19T11:37:00.000+00:00I thought "meh" was a loan-word from Yiddish. (Can...I thought "meh" was a loan-word from Yiddish. (Can't find my copy of Leo Rosten's wonderful <I>The Joys of Yiddish</I> to check.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-62034524052665154342008-12-18T22:59:00.000+00:002008-12-18T22:59:00.000+00:00The point is that in the UK, one hears 'veteran' f...The point is that in the UK, one hears 'veteran' for old soldier nowadays - but NOT 'vet' in this context. As a noun it only refers to the animal doctor in the UK.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-65171547774655067402008-12-18T16:30:00.000+00:002008-12-18T16:30:00.000+00:00Another Canadian checking in. I'd never heard of ...Another Canadian checking in. I'd never heard of 'meh' either (that's eether, not eyether!) as I was born in the US!<BR/><BR/>We are hybrids and used to confused usage, but 'vet' has been around for so very long that it seems the Brits should come up with something better to send across!<BR/><BR/>Vet as short for veteran has caused confusion with a British net pal of mine. I'm relieved to see that it's being refreshingly used 'over there'... 'across the pond' as we are want to say!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-53755267632574933312008-12-17T17:46:00.000+00:002008-12-17T17:46:00.000+00:00As a noun, "vet" is used as a short form for not o...As a noun, "vet" is used as a short form for not only "veteran" but also "veterinarian" -- this was exploited by Ali G (Sacha Baron Cohen) to great advantage <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkdQN8Pp7_w" REL="nofollow">here</A>, for example.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-26877909927947809932008-12-17T10:49:00.000+00:002008-12-17T10:49:00.000+00:00@Cameron: As millymooly has said, "Happy Holidays"...@Cameron: As millymooly has said, "Happy Holidays" has been extensively covered already; I hadn't realised it was in such widespread use, and tend to equate it with "Seasons' Greetings" (in cards) and "Compliments of the Season" (spoken) - which latter I would wish to a Jewish or Muslim friend; someone who is of no particular religion is probably going to celebrate Christmas anyway!Mrs Redboots (Annabel Smyth)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11270027663691257254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-67185979071997099132008-12-17T09:37:00.000+00:002008-12-17T09:37:00.000+00:00happy holidays has been covered already.<A HREF="http://separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.com/2006/12/happy-holidays.html" REL="nofollow">happy holidays has been covered already.</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-8530110009221392642008-12-16T23:09:00.000+00:002008-12-16T23:09:00.000+00:00Mrs. Redboots, the BrE for "happy holidays" is "Me...Mrs. Redboots, the BrE for "happy holidays" is "Merry Christmas" isn't it??<BR/><BR/>I've always found it slightly odd that in a higly religious society like the US a euphemism (not quite the right word, but you understand what I mean) is preferred (not universally but very widely, even in the bible belt) while in the secularised UK we happily go about merrychristmassing all over the place; even a rampant Atheist like me. I suppose it's because we have less religious sensibility about it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-66592856750607627082008-12-16T18:06:00.000+00:002008-12-16T18:06:00.000+00:00canadian:on how to say "Meh"Shrug your shoulders a...canadian:<BR/>on how to say "Meh"<BR/><BR/>Shrug your shoulders as if you ar indicating you don't care either way about something, and grunt something starting with an "M"<BR/>That is how to pronounce it...seriously.<BR/><BR/>But on a more formal note...say Memory and leave off the "mory"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-25864690597274719832008-12-16T14:36:00.000+00:002008-12-16T14:36:00.000+00:00I have never heard anyone say "meh", though I have...I have never heard anyone say "meh", though I have seen it online often. How is it pronounced? (No, I never watched the Simpsons...)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-15983242829198961602008-12-15T22:00:00.000+00:002008-12-15T22:00:00.000+00:00A veterinary surgeon friend of mine likes to ask: ...A veterinary surgeon friend of mine likes to ask: what would you rather be, vetted or doctored?Terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01703548364118364764noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-6584472908572091192008-12-15T20:27:00.000+00:002008-12-15T20:27:00.000+00:00Well, I'm not a British grandmother yet, although ...Well, I'm not a British grandmother yet, although I live in hope that it will happen soon, but I do both like and use the word "meh", it is incredibly expressive!<BR/><BR/>The compliments of the season (BrE for "Happy Holidays") to you, too!Mrs Redboots (Annabel Smyth)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11270027663691257254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-18141865914758246542008-12-15T18:35:00.000+00:002008-12-15T18:35:00.000+00:00I know it's a bit early, but I hope to be able to ...I know it's a bit early, but I hope to be able to nominate "Ponzi scheme" for 2009 US-to-UK WotY. In most UK news organs, the current Bernard Madoff megascam is still being called a "pyramid scheme", which of course means a different thing entirely. Only idiots fall for pyramid schemes, whereas regular fools can fall for Ponzi schemes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com