Slang / Language / Words, -Brit slang; translating dog barks; etc.

[Lady Chadwick]

What the heck does "Not Arf!" mean??

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I'm not British (obviously), but I'll bite - a quick "google" turned up this (from BBC News)-

Veteran DJ Alan "Fluff" Freeman has been given a lifetime achievement honour at the radio industry's biggest annual awards.

Freeman, 72, was handed the prize at the Sony Radio Awards in London by Dale Winton, the broadcaster who has taken over his long-running Pick Of The Pops show on BBC Radio 2.

He told guests that Freeman - catchphrase "Not arf!" - was "a man who has served, and is held in the highest affection by, quite literally, every sector of our industry".

The award to Australian-born Freeman, who continues to front Radio 2's Their Greatest Bits after 40 years of broadcasting, was one of the highlights of the ceremony.

Somehow, I don't think it's a reference to "Australian Recognition Framework (ARF)."

[Lady Chadwick]

I've heard of Freeman, he's on some of my old 60s music tapes. I had another 60s movie where a gal emcee comes out to introduce acts and says "I've got a lot for you to see" and some old guy yells "Not 'arf!"
Always wondered about it..

[Ironshadow]

boy, is this hard to explain. It means "not half!" and I dunno what you could do to approximate that except maybe "no way!".

[Lady Chadwick]

British English is so much fun. In the same film, a guy asks a girl to dance. This is in the 60s, but she has a pretty high beehive and looks like she's been around the block. He asks her and she says, "No ta, I'm feeling a bit sweaty." The guy just gets a weird look and walks off. I know "ta" is Liverpool slang for thanks, but the sweaty part...strange!
I loved the Cockey accents I heard when I was in London, but Liverpool speak was awesome. When they get talking fast you're lost.

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I don't usually watch Oprah, but I caught this thing today where she had this British lady (Priscilla Dunstan - not sure if that's how she spells her name) on who was translating baby sounds.

The Secret Language of Babies, Oprah.com

According to her, in babies zero to 3 months old -

Neh means "Hunger"
Owh = sleepy
Heh = discomfort
Eair = lower gas
Eh = burp

They showed flim clips for each sound of about 4 - 5 different babies, and each of them made the same sound for hunger (neh), feeling sleepy (owh) etc.

Years ago, I read about a Japanese company which invented a collar that is supposed to translate dog barks for their owners:

Gadget with more byte than bark

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How to Speak British Without Making an Arse of Yourself

I was chatting up this lass. (British slang for flirting with a chick.) She was telling me how different her country's slang is from our American slang. For instance, at work, she had to make a phone call to a man. She tells her boss, "I'm sorry, but he's engaged."

This lead to some confusion. "Engaged" just means that the man wasn't picking up the phone because he was on the other line. His phone line is engaged.

Weird!

Here are some other wacky British slang terms:

* “To knock you up” means to wake you up by knocking on the door.

* To "diddle" means to cheat someone.

* A "f*g" is a cigarette.

* When the British are surprised or shocked they exclaim, "Blow me!"

* "Slap and tickle" means having sex.

* And courage is "a lotta bottle." From drinking alcohol from a bottle.

* And to them a real jerk is called a "wanker."

[Lady Chadwick]

I was reading an interview with someone and he was talking about some snogfest (I know what that means), but what in the world does "lost my woggle" mean?

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Dallas Police Department dropping police code for plain English

Mar 23 09
By ERIC AASEN

Catch a cop show over the past several decades and these strings of numbers barked over police radios might sound familiar:

"1-Adam-12, a 4-15 fight." ..."We have a 9-11. Armed robbery in progress."

Or in the words of the bumbling Barney Fife: "Mayberry Unit No. 1 over and, uh, Roger. Roger. Out and under. 10-40. Bye."

But many real-life police departments are ditching the digits, replacing the lingo with plain English.

In Dallas, that means so long "7," hello "minor accident."

Today, the Dallas Police Department moves to a new plain-language system that's supposed to make communications more universal and less complicated. No more of those distinctive radio codes or signals.

The department says it's following a nationwide trend, but some call it the end of an era.

Others say the switch is no big deal. Many Dallas police dispatches already include plain language because it's simple.

"It's a no-brainer," Dallas Police Senior Cpl. Herb Ebsen said. "It's just common sense. If we start speaking in codes, you have a real chance for a problem or misinterpretation."

The switch became more prevalent after Sept. 11, 2001. During the terrorist attacks, different agencies had problems communicating because they used different codes or their signals had varying meanings.

Federal officials require that plain language be used during major disasters and exercises that involve several agencies or jurisdictions, according to a 2006 government alert.

"There simply is little or no room for misunderstanding in an emergency situation," the alert stated.

Practice during Katrina

Dallas has used a signal system for several decades.

A minor disturbance is a 6, while a major disturbance is a 6X. A major accident is a 7X. An officer wanting to grab something to eat? That's a 50.

Got that? 10-4. (Understood.)

Dallas police acknowledge there could be a slight learning curve for some officers and dispatchers. But they don't anticipate issues, especially because the department already has practice using plain language.

When Dallas housed Hurricane Katrina evacuees, several agencies used the same radio system. So, the departments "had to take care to use terminology that we would understand," Dallas Police Lt. Chris Aulbaugh said.

In a crisis, the codes tend to go out the window, Ebsen said.

"Officers who have been there a while learn pretty quickly that if something big is going on, just talk plainly to say what's going on," he said.

Michael Calhoun, a Dallas police dispatcher, said there will be some other benefits to dropping the signals: Rookies probably won't have to memorize all those codes.

"It'll make their lives a whole lot easier," he said.

So, let's put Calhoun on the spot. What does 22 mean?

Animal incident, he said, without hesitating.

How about 34?

Suicide.

And 11?

Burglary.

'The way cops talk'

In the 1930s, so-called 10-codes were used to relay details quickly because police radios had only one channel, according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Through the years, departments developed their own unique codes or signals that were different from even neighboring agencies. So one department's 10-13 ("officer in trouble") was another department's "request wrecker."

Police officers also have different ways of saying things.

When East Coast officers say "collar," they mean arrest, but in Nevada, officers say "rip," said Tim Dees, a retired police officer and senior editor for lawofficer.com, a law enforcement Web site. With many agencies working together, "if you use the wrong word in the wrong context, people will look at you funny," he said.

As hard as agencies try to scrub out codes and signals, it will be difficult to extinguish something that's been ingrained for decades in police forces, Dees said.

"It becomes a matter of pride to use that and to know what those things mean," he said. "There's always going to be an element of jargon there. I expect you'll hear it occasionally creep back.

"That's the way that cops talk."

OLD POLICE SIGNALS

The Dallas Police Department is eliminating radio codes for a new plain-language system. A few signals currently used by police:

7 – Minor accident

7X – Major accident

11 – Burglary

12 – Burglar alarm

18 – Fire alarm

23 – Parking violation

26 – Missing person

27 – Dead person

28 – Sick person

34 – Suicide

50 – Eating

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Map Shows Thousands of Dead or Dying Languages

Apr 10, 2009

The latest UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger shows more than 200 languages are extinct; researchers work to reverse the trend.

The United States is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world, but it also has one of the largest numbers of endangered languages.

India, Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico are all countries with similar linguistic situations as the United States— lots of spoken tongues, but also many endangered or extinct languages.

Of the some 6000 languages spoken worldwide, it is thought that nearly half of them are endangered.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization releases an Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger of Disappearing every few years.

This year marks the first time that the atlas has been turned into an interactive online map of endangered languages, allowing for contributions from users.

In this edition, there are nearly 200 languages that have ten or fewer speakers and almost the same number have only 10 to 50 speakers.

Of the hundreds of languages that are already extinct, some of the most recent include Manx, Aasax from Tanzania, Ubykh from Turkey, and in 2008 a native language of Alaska, Eyak, was lost with the death of its last speaker.

The first edition of the atlas was released in 1996.

According to UNESCO, the atlas is “intended to raise awareness about language endangerment and the need to safeguard the world’s linguistic diversity among policy-makers, speaker communities and the general public.”

UNESCO also says the atlas can be used to “monitor the status of endangered languages and the trends in linguistic diversity at the global level.”

The atlas ranks languages by five degrees of endangerment; from unsafe (children may speak it, but usually only at home), to definitely endangered (the language is not taught to children as a first language in the home), to severely endangered (grandparents speak it, parents understand it, children do not), to critically endangered (only grandparents speak and understand it), to extinct (no living speakers).

Background: Living Tongues Institute and the battle to save dying languages

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The one thing I hate about this site and those like it is that they pepper their "comedy" with swipes at George W Bush (including the thing linked to below), as well as insults about other conservatives - but nary an insult tossed at liberals.

The 10 Coolest Foreign Words The English Language Needs

Have you ever blurted out, "Wow, that guy is just so...so..." and then were left floundering with nothing to say?

Well, it's not always your fault.

English doesn't have words for every situation, or even the ones that happen every damned day.

Fortunately, other languages usually do.

And since we already borrow words from them (just recently we've taken "schadenfreude," the German word for pleasure in someone else's misfortune) here's a few that we need to pick up right away:

#10.Bakku-shan (Japanese)

A beautiful girl... as long as she's being viewed from behind.

....Congratulations, you have just been a victim of bakku-shan: a girl that looks attractive from behind, but not from the front. It's a more sophisticated variant of the American frat boy's butter-face (as in everything about her is hot, "but her face") that makes room for attractive women with weird neck tattoos, while at the same time allowing the speaker to avoid giving everyone within ear-shot douche-chills.

Truly the Japanese have a talent for coming up with words to describe common social situations so succinctly. Like they did with "bukkake."

#9.Espirit d'escalier (French)

Means:

When you think of the perfect verbal comeback... much too late.

#8. Mamihlapinatapai (Yaghan)

Means:

It's a "look shared by two people with each wishing that the other will initiate something that both desire but which neither one wants to start."

#7. Backpfeifengesicht (German)

Means:

A face badly in need of a fist.

Some people, we just suspect deep down that the only way to get through to them is by violence. Or perhaps the violence is the only thing that will make us feel better.

#6.Nunchi (Korean)

Means:

The art of not becoming a Backpfeifengesicht.

....The Koreans would say they lack nunchi, the innate ability that lets you sense what would be the wrong thing to say in a situation (and presumably the ability to then not say it).

The boss character from The Office (both versions) is simply a guy who completely lacks nunchi. It goes beyond tact, or simple manners. It's the ability to read your audience and instinctively know, as soon as you see them, "here are people who will not enjoy my dildo anecdote."

#5. Shlimazl (Yiddish)

Means:

Somebody who has nothing but bad luck.

#4.
Tatemae and Honne (Japanese)

Means:

What you pretend to believe and what you actually believe, respectively.

A whole lot of the angst in the world is due to the difference between what we actually believe, and what we're allowed to admit we believe. We talk about "political correctness" but it goes beyond that.

Even if you consider yourself the most politically incorrect, edgy guy around, when grandma asks if you like the sweater, you'll still say "yes" and ensure you get another one next Christmas.

When your aspiring artist friend shows you the horrible picture he's spent a year painting, you'll tell him it's good.

The Japanese have just accepted this huge difference between what we mean and what we say, calling them "honne" and "tatemae." The first is reality as you understand it, the second is reality as filtered through what society expects.

The difference is the Japanese don't seem to regard this as something to get pissed off about (they don't recognize one as being more true or honest than the other, but as simply two sides of reality). They have have figured out that it's just the way the world works. Society is built on lukewarm lies, get over it.

#3. Sgiomlaireachd (Scottish Gaelic)

Means:

When people interrupt you at meal time.

Hey, don't you just love it when you've just gotten your tacos arranged neatly in front of you when you get a knock at the door? And it's a couple of Mormons? Or maybe a local politician, or some hippie trying to get you to sign a petition?

#2. Tingo (Pascuense)


Means:

To borrow from a friend until he has nothing left.

#1. Desenrascanco (Portuguese)

Means:

To pull a MacGyver.

This is the art of slapping together a solution to a problem at the last minute, with no advanced planning, and no resources. It's the coat hanger you use to fish your car keys out of the toilet, the emergency mustache you hastily construct out of pubic hair.

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Canuck-speak like learning a new language

As we head towards Canada Day, and because you're a Canuck just like any other hoser in a tuque with a toonie you can nab a double-double and chill out, or kick back with a brewski and buffalo wings for some R'n'R, eh?

It's one thing to become Canadian, it's another thing to speak Canadian. That's what new immigrants to Canada discover after trying to navigate their new country's unusual colloquialisms.

So to help new Canadians adjust to local idioms, Canadian Immigrant magazine publishes a unique column called CanSpeak that defines the bizarre cultural meanings of our favourite phrases.

"It came out of hearing stories from immigrants," Canadian Immigrant founder and publisher Nick Noorani explained.

"There was this new Korean family who heard someone talk about their skeletons in the closet and they were a little bit concerned. Think about it, if you didn't know and someone told you the equivalent of that in Chinese or Russian, what would you think? So I thought, let's take these phrases and help people understand."

The column deciphers odd nicknames like Canuck (a term first recorded about 1835 as an Americanism, originally referring specifically to a French-Canadian that now refers to any Canadian and, of course, the Vancouver NHL hockey team) and Mounties (the informal name for RCMP.)

For new Canadians, Noorani says, mastering colloquial language, is a huge part of the settlement process.

"It's not just getting a job. I keep saying that getting a job is the first part of the issue (of acclimatization to Canada), but if you've got a job, how are you going to mingle with your co-workers if you don't understand the concept of 'CanSpeak?'"

To help out, the column unpacks office acronyms like FYI, ASAP, and ROI; financial jargon like "in the hole," "sock it away" and "maxed out;" movie phrases like "make my day" and "show me the money;" and slang including "bling," "boob tube" and "harsh my mellow."

Other articles explain old adages, such as "raining cats and dogs" and "when the cat's away the mice will play."

Crucially, during the spring, the column has covered hockey rules and terms like face-off, zamboni and hat-trick (where one player scores three or more goals in a game, natch.)

The column isn't only educational, it's often amusing.

"Canadians," the magazine explains, "are known worldwide for tacking on the word 'eh' to sentences, turning them into a bit of a question — for example, 'That was a good hockey game last night, eh?'"

"People love it," Noorani says of the funny, off-beat interpretations.

"It tells you about settling in, in a non-threatening manner."

Check your own grasp of Canadian idioms at www.canadianimmigrant.ca/justforfun/canspeak.

How to talk like a Canuck

KD: A Canadian standard for kids and university students, KD, otherwise known as "Kraft Dinner" or "mac and cheese," is an instant macaroni and cheese product that sells for about $1 a box.

Double-double: Only at your local Timmy's (Tim Hortons), a coffee with double cream, double sugar is nicknamed a double-double.

Hoser: Calling someone a hoser is really just calling them a loser, a term made famous by those classic Canadian television brothers Bob and Doug McKenzie (check out the movie Strange Brew). In the old days, the term referred to the team that lost the hockey game and would have to hose down the rink.

Brewski: As if Canadians needed to further clarify how much they love their beer, they gave it an affectionate little nickname: a brewski.

Click: Unlike in the U.S., where distance is measured in miles, Canadians go metric and use kilometres, which they casually call clicks.

Schlepping: To schlep is to move slowly or carry something clumsily; for example, "I schlepped my hair-dryer over from India to Canada only to discover there are different-sized electrical outlets here."

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Study: Using big words needlessly makes you seem stupider

Everyone knows how college students will try to make themselves sound smarter by reaching for the thesaurus and using big, ponderous words they barely understand. But now a new study shows that readers can see through this. Daniel Oppenheimer, a psychologist at Princeton, took a handful of writing samples and used a thesaurus to replace the simple words with needlessly flowery ones.

As the Bad Language blog notes:

He created a “highly complex” version of each original text by replacing each noun, verb and adjective in it with the longest synomym. This is the kind of writing by thesaurus that many business people and techies employ when they want to sound knowledgeable and important or because they think writing like they speak will make them sound lightweight.

Then Oppenheimer gave all the writing samples — the original, simple ones and the modified, flowery ones — to 71 students to evaluate. The result? As the grandiosity and complexity of the language increased, the judges’ estimation of the intelligence of the authors decreased.

Oppenheimer wrote up his results in a paper with the gorgeously ironic title “Consequences of Erudite Vernacular Utilized Irrespective of Necessity: Problems with Using Long Words Needlessly.”

His findings make perfect sense when you think about the nature of language. Every sentence and paragraph of writing is an organic whole; a writer’s style is, too.

Taking a sentence and swapping in synonyms plucked from a thesaurus is bound to warp the meaning and clarity of a sentence, because synonyms are not mathematical equals:
They all have slightly different shadings. Describe someone as “angry” and it means one thing; describe them as “choleric” or “furious” or “splenetic” — all synonyms offered up by Thesaurus.com — and you’re saying something slightly different.

When an essay is filled with these sort of swapped-in synonyms, it winds up having Frankensteinian seams: You can feel its cognitive artificiality, its constipated straining to convey a higher meaning. No wonder the judges thought these essays seemed dumber.

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The Speech Accent Archive

The speech accent archive uniformly presents a large set of speech samples from a variety of language backgrounds.

Native and non-native speakers of English read the same paragraph and are carefully transcribed.

The archive is used by people who wish to compare and analyze the accents of different English speakers.

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'Whatever' is, you know, annoying, but 'it is what it is'

If you’re like, whatever, don't be surprised if, you know, someone gives you a dirty look, or whatever.

That's because, according to a recent Marist Poll, Americans find "whatever" to be the most annoying word -- by far. In fact, 47% think so.

"You know" is second, at 25%, and 11% can't tolerate "it is what it is."

The poll says 7% would like to ban "anyway" from all conversation and 2% are fed up with "at the end of the day."

While "whatever" is clearly scorned nationally, Marist did detect some differences in tolerance-level by region.

In the Midwest, 55% are, like, totally against "whatever," while only 19% disapprove of "you know."

But in the Northeast, only 35% find "whatever" most annoying while 32% are fed up with "you know."

Click here for a breakdown by region, education, age, income, and race, or whatever.

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I previously mentioned in the "trends and fads" thread that the use of the phrase "it is what it is" is a new trend that I find annoying.

I sometimes use that phrase myself, but I still find it annoying.

That phrase is mentioned on this list:

The Most Annoying, Overused Words in the Workplace

Survey Highlights Problem Shortcuts: 'It Is What It Is'

"Could you interface with that team on its ad campaign that's gone viral, and then circle back with me? If we can leverage similar assets, we'll have a game changer."

Ever heard talk like that in your workplace? If it sounds familiar, it could be the buzzwords. "Leverage," "interface," and "circle back" are among the most annoying and overused terms in work settings today, according to a new survey of executives.

The Buzzword Lineup

In research conducted by finance staffing firm Accountemps, 150 senior executives from the nation's largest companies cited these 10 problem words and phrases (in no particular order):

* Leverage: "We should leverage our investment in IT infrastructure across multiple business units to drive profits."
* Reach out: "Jim decided to reach out to this underutilized demographic."
* It is what it is: "The server is down, and clients are irate. It is what it is."
* Viral: "Our training video has gone viral."
* Game changer: "The switch from LAN to WiFi was a game changer for our productivity."
* Disconnect: "There is a disconnect between our customers' wants and their page views."
* Value-add: "Where's the value-add in this increase in spending?"
* Circle back: "I have to go, but I will circle back with the client later."
* Interface: "My job requires me to interface with all levels of the firm."
* Cutting edge: "Our cutting-edge technology gives us a competitive advantage."

The buzzwords don't always annoy listeners in a work setting. Executive coach Liz Bywater, president of Bywater Consulting Group, believes they can serve as a "linguistic shorthand" when used properly and in context.

"But using too many buzzwords can lessen an individual's credibility as an independent, intelligent, creative thinker," she says. "At worst, it can make him look like a wishy-washy wannabe."

Three Guidelines for Usage

Use buzzwords properly and judiciously. "If the terms don't add clarity or fail to capture the complexity of a situation, don't use them," says Bywater. "Your goal should be to make communication crisp, clear, and meaningful."

Consider your audience. Jacqueline Whitmore, a business etiquette expert, says: "Just ask yourself, 'If I were speaking to an audience of non-native English speakers, would they understand these words?' This will help you eliminate such phrases from your vocabulary."

Check your own understanding. Ask for clarification or research words you don't understand, counsels Pat Mayfield, an executive coach and president of Pat Mayfield Consulting. "Some words or phrases have different meanings and implications, so make sure everyone has the same understanding." She adds: "Avoid 'tasting shoe leather' -- only use buzzwords that you understand."

During a Job Interview

Some experts recommend even more caution about using buzzwords in a job interview. (For tips on avoiding buzzwords on your resume, see "10 Boilerplate Phrases That Kill Resumes.")

"Every word counts in the interview," says Andy Denka, executive director of Accountemps. "While buzzwords or jargon can in some instances indicate familiarity with the industry, they also can come across as too cliche and lacking meaning. Unless it's the absolutely perfect phrase, applicants are better off avoiding buzzwords and instead explaining themselves in more meaningful terms."

Whitmore, however, suggests the buzzwords could be a "value-add."

"It seems HR professionals use these phrases all the time," she says, "and by using them you could be establishing a connection with the person interviewing you."

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I don't like vulgar language and try not to use it myself, but I thought some of you might find this blog's concept amusing.

Blog contains strong language:
The F*cking Word of the Day

"it's easier to learn with sex, drugs, and f*cking swearing."

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The Word Detective

Online Etymology Dictionary

Dave Wilton's Etymology Page

Etymology (Word Origins)

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Facebook Doesn't Care Whether You 'Defriend' or 'Unfriend'

'Unfriend' goes into the books

Yesterday, the Oxford University Press announced its 2009 Word of the Year: "unfriend."

'Unfriend' is 2009's Word of the Year: Geek Lexicon Goes Pop

Word of The Year: Should It Be Unfriend Or Defriend?

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"Where Are Your Keys?": The Language Fluency Game

Learn WAYK Now!

In the “Where Are Your Keys?” language fluency game, the players slowly build on the complexity of the simplest possible conversation in their target language, by physically interacting with clearly recognizable handheld objects, and passing questions and answers back and forth about them.

Using a simple “fluency roadmap” the participants play from zero proficiency, to fluent adult speech, all the way learning how to bring other players along on the ride.

The game transforms learning a new language from a lonely, difficult endeavor, into an easy, collaborative, and fun journey, where (with the help of a fluent speaker) the players successfully speak their target language every step of the way. The game creates both new speakers, and new teachers, as the players learn the rules that will bring other players with them to fluency.

Sign Language Acts as a Bridge

You can learn the WAYK game by using technique “Copycat“, copying along with the videos. Your first goal, beside your particular eventual spoken target language, involves simply learning the sign language portion of the game. Sign language acts as a bridge language, using gestures as a memory trigger to learning the new spoken language.