Cheerio!
I’ve always liked to listen to people speak with a British accent (I know. There are several varieties, but I’m talking about the Tony Blair type accent.). That said, it has always struck me that one can be the dumbest bastard in the world and still sound intelligent simply by speaking with a British accent. “Of course, the earth is flat, old boy. Pass me a scone, please.” Go figure.
However, I don’t get some of the British thing. For example, our British friends refer to Buckingham Palace as, “BUCKING-um†Palace, while we colonists prefer to say it as it is spelled, “BUCKING-HAM†Palace.
If a Brit were to go to a deli for lunch would he order a “um and cheese†sandwich?
The foregoing shows what one night of forced internet abstinence will do. I fear that a portion of my brain has turned into Styrofoam.
Same thing a little further north with Edinburgh. I grew up a few towns over from a town called Edinburgh, and we pronounced it like it looks. However, across the pond, it’s pronounced like “Edinborough”.
Maybe they have a system where when one word gets truncated, like Buckingham, another word can have extra sounds in it that aren’t there.
Just guessing on that.
Comment by Evilwhiteguy — November 24, 2004 @ 9:50 pm
No, not styrofoam Jim. NERF. You’ll bounce back, and float.
Comment by RedNeck — November 24, 2004 @ 10:32 pm
I put on my best fake-British accident and said aloud various and sundry asinine phrases such as:
“Up yours, old chap!”
“My, aren’t you a dickweed?”
You’re right, said with the accent, it does sound much better.
Comment by jmflynny — November 24, 2004 @ 11:19 pm
You’re right. It’s fun.
“Quite right, sir. I am a dickweed, but being a dickweed is quite pleasant, isn’t it?”
I love how they often finish declarative sentences with those little questions to which they don’t expect an answer. “My, that’s quite a boil on your ass, isn’t it?”
Comment by Jim - Parkway Rest Stop — November 24, 2004 @ 11:36 pm
Sometimes it’s referred to as Buck House, too!
Comment by MommaBear — November 25, 2004 @ 6:55 am
Even British insults have a certain class. On the net, I saw a Brit tell someone “You, sir, are a boil on the buttocks of stupidity.”
I about fell out of my chair, laughing.
Comment by DMerriman — November 25, 2004 @ 8:03 pm