Page 1 of English...very strange language !!!

General Forum

English...very strange language !!!

sultan (Competent) posted this on Wednesday, 30th July 2003, 11:54

Okay guys (girls), I thought I had mastered this English language soemtime ago but
I`ve just come across some phrases that`s doing my head in. Care to explain them.

1st Refusal
I used to live in a small bedsit and when I found out that my landlady`s self contained
flat was up for rent then I approached her as quick as possible to let her know that I
was interested. "Thanks for letting me know" she said "I`ll make sure that you get 1st refusal". I was dumbstuck. 1st refusal???, I thought. What was the point of me approaching her if I was going to be the 1st one to be refused. Strange....

Anal
The company I work for asked me to prepare some paperwork for a very difficult customer of ours. The customer wanted every detail to be written. After spending a few long hours my boss said that I should write any old rubbish because "if the company is going to be anal about it then they deserve it". I still haven`t figured out what he meant by that. Strange...

Dogs Bollucks
Exactly what do people mean when they say "this is a `dogs bollucks` of a TV or HI-FI unit". What association (if any) has a dogs testicles to a fine TV or HI-FI unit.


Any other stange phrases any of you guys have come across

RE: English...very strange language !!!

The original 42pcenter MD (Elite) posted this on Wednesday, 30th July 2003, 12:21

State of the art Why does that mean it is technoligically advanced?

All the best,

The 42%er.

RE: English...very strange language !!!

Jim Morrison (Elite) posted this on Wednesday, 30th July 2003, 12:22

Blow Job

Who blows?

RE: English...very strange language !!!

The original 42pcenter MD (Elite) posted this on Wednesday, 30th July 2003, 12:28

1st Refusal She is offering you the chance to turn her down first not the other way round.

Dogs Bollocks Something thats on show that you could be proud of.

I don`t know about Anal.

All the best,

The 42%er.

RE: English...very strange language !!!

Fitz (Elite) posted this on Wednesday, 30th July 2003, 12:32

1st refusal - Means you would be the first person (in the queue) to have the option of refusing/decling an offer made to you.

Anal - New one on me, but I think it could mean that the said company are a bunch of a***holes.

Dogs B*****ks. Don`t know where this is from but seems to me to be of London/Essex origin and means the same as "The bee`s knees" or "Numero Uno"

Agree it`s all a bit strange to somehow who`s first language isn`t English. All part of life`s rich pattern I suppose. If you`re looking for strange phrases, look no further than Cockney rhyming slang, for instance - "Going for a Ruby (Murray) = curry" or He`s wearing a right dodgy "Syrup" = "Syrup of figs" = wig, to mention just two examples.


JohnF

RE: English...very strange language !!!

the eggman (Elite) posted this on Wednesday, 30th July 2003, 12:35

And if A building falls down they say its been raised to the ground why do they say raised when its actually fallen down



Those pesky Maori`s have nicked my sandwiches again

RE: English...very strange language !!!

redtom (Competent) posted this on Wednesday, 30th July 2003, 12:46

to be anal about that last one, buildings are razed to the ground - different word...

RE: English...very strange language !!!

Fitz (Elite) posted this on Wednesday, 30th July 2003, 12:47

Actually I think you`ll find the word is "razed" (destroyed completely). Still sounds strange though.

JohnF

RE: English...very strange language !!!

Jon_C (Elite) posted this on Wednesday, 30th July 2003, 12:53

Homophone corner:

razed to the ground (demolished), not `raised`

Also, `anal` is a shortened form of the phrase `anally retentive`, meaning excessively particular or fussy.

I myself have always wondered about the following:

(a) surely `if it ain`t broke, don`t break it` makes more sense than `if it ain`t broke, don`t fix it` ;-)
(ii) if money talks and talk is cheap, does that mean money is cheap?

RE: English...very strange language !!!

RJS (undefined) posted this on Wednesday, 30th July 2003, 12:56

Quote:
If it ain`t broke, don`t fix it


This isn`t so silly as it sounds, since sometimes people trying to make something better end up making it far worse. :)

Editor
DVD REVIEWER

Go back to General Forum threads, or All Forum threads