English is a weird language...

[werner]

Very interesting discussion...

English is my third language [after French and German], but I more or less have a "native" command of English because I had tutorials in English as a child in Switzerland and graduated from an American high school and American universities.

Nevertheless, English slang occasionally baffles me. When I first heard, "voting with their feet", I could not understand the term until someone told me what it meant, to leave and go somewhere else. In fact, I perhaps heard this term for the first time in Bangkok, when some one told me, "If you do not like the drink prices at Dream Boys, you can vote with your feet"--i.e., patronize another bar.

The way young Americans use the term "chill" continues to confuse me...I understand, "chill out" after a long-day's work, but what does it mean if some one is described as "chill"????

Someone in this forum gave an interesting example of English: "Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana". Yes, I can understand that....

[cdnmatt]

The word "chill" would be used by black people more than white people. Well, that can wiggers (white people who wish they were black).

"Don't worry, he's chill" means he's cool, he's ok, he's my friend. Kind of, "I know him, so you don't have to be suspect of him".

It's kind of like vnouching for someone. When you introduce someone to another friend, you can say "he's chill", meaning I know this guy, and you don't have to worry about him.

[cdnmatt]

Another one -- "load me up", in reference to him doing to the market and asking what I'd like. We're running low on food, so I just said, "I don't know, load me up", wwhich left him quite confused.

[Dalewood]

Very interesting discussion...

English is my third language [after French and German], but I more or less have a "native" command of English because I had tutorials in English as a child in Switzerland and graduated from an American high school and American universities.

Nevertheless, English slang occasionally baffles me. When I first heard, "voting with their feet", I could not understand the term until someone told me what it meant, to leave and go somewhere else. In fact, I perhaps heard this term for the first time in Bangkok, when some one told me, "If you do not like the drink prices at Dream Boys, you can vote with your feet"--i.e., patronize another bar.

The way young Americans use the term "chill" continues to confuse me...I understand, "chill out" after a long-day's work, but what does it mean if some one is described as "chill"????

Someone in this forum gave an interesting example of English: "Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana". Yes, I can understand that....

After reading the back-and-forth between some of the posters on this forum, I wish they would take a chill pill before they respond.

[RonanTheBarbarian]

One formulation that can be very confusing in "Thaiglish" is saying "My friend you" instad of "your friend"

"My friend you said to my friend that he go to disco with my friend you" ....Meaning "one of my friends was invited to the disco by one of your friends"

Also saying "boring" when they mean "bored"...when your guy turns to you in the disco and announces "I am boring!", they are not looking for a reply along the lines of "Dont say that about yourself teerak, you are anything but boring, I think you are fascinating..."

[Yraen]

Another one -- "load me up", in reference to him doing to the market and asking what I'd like. We're running low on food, so I just said, "I don't know, load me up", wwhich left him quite confused.

Matt, with all your slang-isms, I sometimes feel you grew up south of the USian border where bad English grammar and spelling is an art form. Not a criticism, just an observation.

[cdnmatt]

Oh, that's just because I grew up in some small, shithole, redneck oil patch town in north western Canada. Wouldn't recommend it, especially if you're gay. Oh well, shit happens, life goes on.

Besides, if you think my language is crude, go hang out in a town like that for a while, and you'll experience crude language far worse.

[frequent]

One formulation that can be very confusing in "Thaiglish" is saying "My friend you" instead of "your friend"

"we country" is one of my favourites - should be "our country"

[FarangRuMak]

"we country" is one of my favourites - should be "our country"

Or "country we" .
The Scots and N Irish say "WE Country" and "WE Lassie" etc all the time.

[Nirish guy]

Or "country we" .
The Scots and N Irish say "WE Country" and "WE Lassie" etc all the time.

Actually it's wee (as in small) but it doesn't "actually" relate to the size of anything in fact and is more just a warm / nice / friendly / relaxed way of talking about something.

For instance it took my Flipino BF a long time to get used to the idea that when I said I was going down to my local bar for a wee pint that a) I would certainly be drinking a lot more than "a pint" and nor should be expect me back home in anything under two hours or more as that "wee" pint could actually result in copius amounts of alchol over a long period of time depending on the bad ( good) company I feel in with. But that was ok as if I came home drunk he could always make me a wee cup of tea to try and sober me up I guess, along with maybe a wee sandwhich or two and then maybe a wee sleep until the beer wore off. :-)