Being British: Act IX

[apollo13]

Skinny dipping is fine, I don't know what a turf accountant is, but that may just be my ignorance.

~Evie

[CakeorDeath]

A turf accountant is an other word for a bookie Wiki link.


Real Estate Agents are just called Estate Agents

[padfoot_returns]

I was wondering if they say OMG!! as much as Americans do. And if not, what do they say instead?

xxRiham

[James Jameson]

I'm not quite sure... but somewhere in my ignorant Canadian mind, I can remember someone saying that women in Europe do not shave their underarms or legs. Is this true *at all* or in Britain?

Thanks!

[Equinox Chick]

I was wondering if they say OMG!! as much as Americans do. And if not, what do they say instead?.

These days we do say "Oh My God" but it's more drawn out than you would say plus we emphasise every word. It's not as drawn out as Janice from Friends though! If you're writing about an earlier era (Marauder 70's or Weasley 80's) then perhaps "For God's sake" or a 'Jesus!" (although the latter was considered quite blasphemous, the former,oddly, is considered fine.) There was also a phrase 'Gordon Bennet' I have no idea where that came from - perhaps someone else can enlighten me but it's the sort of thing Lily would have heard her parents use.


I'm not quite sure... but somewhere in my ignorant Canadian mind, I can remember someone saying that women in Europe do not shave their underarms or legs. Is this true *at all* or in Britain?

It's true in Mediterranean Europe (Spain, France, Italy, Greece etc) but in Britain we are very much hair free-unless you want donkey taunts shouted at you *snorts to self*. I don't know about Scandinavian/Northern Europe though.

Mind-you that might have changed, meaning that the Mediterranean European girls might be much less hairy these days, British girls still wax or shave EVERYWHERE- but we're less obsessed (sorry if this is a generalisation) than the Californian babe or Bergdorf Blonde.

Hope that helps!

[emmaholloway]

I was wondering if they say OMG!! as much as Americans do. And if not, what do they say instead?

xxRiham

Like Equinox Chick said but you could also use 'Oh my gosh' and 'Oh my goodness', which could also be shortened down to just the end words like 'gosh' or 'goodness'.

[Shev]

These days we do say "Oh My God" but it's more drawn out than you would say plus we emphasise every word. It's not as drawn out as Janice from Friends though! If you're writing about an earlier era (Marauder 70's or Weasley 80's) then perhaps "For God's sake" or a 'Jesus!" (although the latter was considered quite blasphemous, the former,oddly, is considered fine.) There was also a phrase 'Gordon Bennet' I have no idea where that came from - perhaps someone else can enlighten me but it's the sort of thing Lily would have heard her parents use.

'Gordon Bennett' would definitely have been a usable Marauder Era phrase. I primarily remember it from various TV shows - Red Dwarf, Steptoe and Son and Only Fools and Horses - all British sitcoms from 1960-1990. My Dad also tended to use it fairly regularly when I was growing up, so definitely something Muggle's would have heard.

Apparently Bill Bryson unearthed a likely history of the phrase:

James Gordon Bennett, a newspaper baron, liked to announce his arrival in a restaurant by yanking the tablecloths from all the tables he passed. He would then hand the manager a wad of cash with which to compensate his victims for their lost meals and spattered attire. Though long forgotten in his native land, Bennett and his exploits were once world famous, and indeed his name lives on in England in the cry, 'Gordon Bennett!'.

[Mistletoe]

Just going to go ahead and ask if Brits use the term dining room for where you eat? I always feel so silly whenever I post questions in here >.<

--Kat

EDIT>> Eurgh thanks, Shev. I feel even more silly nowwww.

[Shev]

Just going to go ahead and ask if Brits use the term dining room for where you eat? I always feel so silly whenever I post questions in here >.<

--Kat

Yep, we do.

Now, if only I had an interesting story about a dining table to pad this out to 50 characters....

[quibblequill]

Hello, I was wondering if Brits use the term patsy for someone who is easily duped/deceived. You know, "They swindled him out of every Knut he had. He's such a patsy!"

'Patsy'? I've never heard the term. Is that regional?

Anyway, I was wondering what my OC's mum would call him and his little brother as pet names. I'm thinking of doing a flashback when they're really, really small, say, three-and-four-ish.