Being British XIII

[Northumbrian]

Ach, should have been more clear. I meant "come on" both as in "hurry up" and as in "I don't believe that". So the latter was the sense the tennis player used it in?

I have a feeling that "come along" would be used for hurry up. and that come on as "I don't believe it" is more modern. If you are writing in the thirties, read a few books written at the time. Early Agatha Christie or (my preference) Dorothy L Sayers.

Neil

[tatjanablack]

Umm... This is just something I am wondering about after I saw the king's speech .

How is the royal family in England viewed at today? Is Elizabeth II popular or would people rather to get rid of the monarchy and has it changed over time, the view? I know that Princess Diana was quite popular

[Equinox Chick]

How is the royal family in England viewed at today? Is Elizabeth II popular or would people rather to get rid of the monarchy and has it changed over time, the view? I know that Princess Diana was quite popular

Today they are reasonably popular, probably because the alternative (a President) is enough to make us all become staunch monarchists. It's difficult, though. The Queen is popular and respected because she is basically hard working and although aloof, you can see she cares very much about the country. Her husband is um ... popular but in a way that we're always waiting for his next slip. Prince Charles (son and heir) swings from being very popular (he cares about the environment) and hugely unpopular because of Diana.
William is very popular - partly because of his mother.
With Diana, I would hazard a guess that she became suddenly more popular in the aftermath of her death. Certainly the press reports shortly before she died, when she was cavorting all over the world on rich men's yachts, were not flattering.
At the time of her death the royal family did face a huge backlash because they weren't seen as 'caring'. But they kind of uphold the whole British stiff upper lip attitude and I think a lot of people respect that.

Certainly there isn't a huge hankering for a republic in UK. The UK parliaments are becoming more devolved, but I don't think they want to divorce themselves from the Queen - just the English. However I'm really not sure about the Scottish Nationalists opinion on this is.

There is a feeling that the current Royal family is too big and needs pruning and one of the Queen's sons is certainly not popular at the moment due to his incredibly poor judgement in choosing his friends.

~Carole~

[fizzingwizzbee]

Yeah, generally the royal family is held in high regard, specifically in the military. You will hear british soldiers talk very proudly about the Queen whom they serve.

Prince Charles is not well respected but mostly because people loved his first wife (Diana) and not his second wife Camilla.

William and Harry the two younger princes are much more popular than their father, Charles. William's is well respcted and about to become married, generally people look forward to him taking the crown. Harry was always the more wild child and also a proud serving soldier. He has made a few slips in his younger years but is still generally held high

[OliveOil_Med]

I have a question about expressions. Do British people use the terms 'bald-faced lie', or 'bold-faced lie'? Or is this just an American expression?

[welshdevondragon]

I've heard "bare-faced lie" but not the ones you mentioned. They don't seem to make much sense to me

[Northumbrian]

Bare-faced lie, that's the one I know, too. It means an obvious lie, one that the person hearing it knows is a lie.

Example: when your five-year old son (who has blue paint all over his hands) is asked 'who put the blue hand prints on the wall?' he points to his little brother and says - 'Him.'

-N.

[Padfoot Patronus]

Thirty something years ago, if someone were to sneer at another saying 'so you got her pregnant' (because the couple in question is not married or because their romance is not approved), how would he say it without actually saying it in those words?

'Knocked up' according to language forums is American and certainly wouldn't be used in the Marauder time. What would be the British equivalent?

Thanks,

-Akay-

[Northumbrian]

Here are a few (off the top of my head).

She is up the stick
She has a bun in the oven
She's in the pudding club
She's up the duff
She's in the family way
She's in the club

Neil

[Sapphire at Dawn]

Okay, I know I'm British, but I have a question. If someone was unfashionable in Marauder Era, what would they be wearing? The girl in question has a date and has tried to dress up for it, but looks sort of frumpy. What sort of thing would she wear? What about her hair? Would a severe centre parting brushed behind the ears look 'uncool'?

Sarah x