Chin Chin!

[teeteringhead]

You mean like the word "kids" used when meaning "children"....

... one hates to be thought a pedant (no, actually one rather likes it!) but the OED reference for "kid":

5. slang. a. A child, esp. a young child. (Originally low slang, but by the 19th c. frequent in familiar speech.)

notes a first useage in 1599 and cites a use in 1841 by none less than Lord Shaftesbury ... so one supposes it to be acceptable.....

.... and what better valedictory salutation than that composed by Lee & Weston:

"Bon soir old thing, Cheerio, chin-chin, Napoo, toodle-oo, goodbyee!"

[Mr C Hinecap]

I have consulted ‘The Man’s Book’ by Thomas Fink. Page 138-139 rates ‘sign offs’ on a Chav to Non Chav scale. The most Chav are:

Yours cordially (self-conscious & pretentious)
All the best
Luv
Take care

Least Chav are:

I remain, Sir, your obedient servant (for obvious reasons)
Fond regards
Yours ever
Adieu
All good wishes

This may not be definitive, but offers some guidance.

[Wader2]

adieu

My French Master, ex-Parachute Regiment always had a way to explain when to use one expression or another.

Bidding farewell to a French family who had looked after him he said "Au revoir"

"Non, non Phillipe, Adieu."

"Why?" because you are a paratrooper, we commend you to God and do not expect to see you again.

[Roadster280]

Rather than being (apparently, by the use of these new-fangled "smileys") nauseating, is it not the case that "thank you much" is a somewhat toned down version of "thank you very much"?

Simply because one has grown up with expressions does not mean that they are necessarily faithful to the original, nor even correct.

Castigating the US use of English is all well and good if one occupies the moral high ground in the first place, and had "protected" the language from evolution. I hardly feel this is the case.

If the word "chav" appears in the OED, in the same manner as "blog" or even "soap opera", then the "duty of care" of the mother tongue has hardly been discharged.

Pot. Kettle. Black. QED.

[brickhistory]

One would think that 'Allah Akbar' isn't particularly British either, but there you go........

[MightyGem]

I went to the same school as Bromhead

I once flew his great, great great(not sure on the number of greats) grandson in my gazelle when he was CO of the same regiment.

[Green Flash]

Back in the 80's the Germans appreciated the difference between various forms of language. In Gutersloh night classes were offered in English English and American English.

[Union Jack]

Lords used to have the right to the first night time nuptuals of couples marrying in their feifdoms.......havent heard an apology about that, yet!

What? Not even for the chaps?

Jack

[barnstormer1968]

I don't want to thread creep here, But the mention of the film "Zulu" Brought back a couple of memories. The first one is of an argument between two N.C.O.'s and an officer (all very much under the influence of alcohol). The officer was trying to explain how the Zulu's had invented the regimental system, and had vastly superior tactics, compared to the 24th Foot (the British). This argument had been going on for well over an hour, when in a last ditch effort to prove his point (while slurring) the officer came up with the memorable remark, "well the Zulu's would have won if they had planes!. At that moment, any attempt to continue became pointless.
As for the order to fire at Will?, having been the cause of the Zulu defeat at Rorke's Drift, There may be another less publicised version. You see part of the Zulu preparation for battle was to dance and sing together. But once in combat, every time the Zulu leader Prince Dabulamani Ka Mapande shouted "GET DOWN", they all "GOT UP AND BOOGIED"....... And got shot.

Barnstormer get's coat and prepares to leave
TOODLE PIP TO ONE AND ALL

But one last serious point about modern saying's before I go. One phrase that really annoys me, is when shop/bank staff say "no problem". After all, if I go into my bank, and ask to have a withdrawal in ten pound notes for example, why would there be a problem, it is a bank after all!

[Pontius Navigator]

Banrstomer, there you go then, missing you already, have a great day there you'all.

[sharmine]

Ther you go again

Every Texan knows its y'all, and that's singular if there's more than one then its - all y'alls

Now, seriously. Talking about use the language did all y'alls see the news item about 3 days back about kids (sorry children) using a new slang made up of what I would call american black ghetto speak, english slang and more. Well if that speads as they say it seems to be allied to texting short hand, I can only see the complete change in our language over as short a period as a generation. Already seeing it in youngsters writings even on these pages.

sharmine

[Pontius Navigator]

Thanks me duck for that. Must admit to not actually listening to George Dubya or John Prescott for that matter - mainly having been made mutt and jeff by Betty's finest - better reading what they mangle.

[sharmine]

Love it

'me duck' well don't you just love that. Being brought up in Leicester I was used to it but my wife hated being referred to as 'me duck'. No idea why, perfickly good phrase in my book, y'all.

Sharmine

[Zoom]

When I first arrived 'me duck' land, I was horrified when a big, tough market trader called me 'me duck'. I ran.

I was in a post office yesterday and there were 2 attendants: the female one was shouting 'HI-YA' from long range to bring forward the next customer and the male was hollering 'YOU ALL RIGHT?' for the same reason. It was diabolical.

[TheHogwartsBEngO]

"Oh, why can't the English learn to set
A good example to people whose
English is painful to your ears?
The Scotch and the Irish leave you close to tears.
There even are places where English completely
disappears. (In America, they haven't used it for years!)"


I love that show.


"The moment an englishman opens his mouth he makes another englishman despise him" Very true GBS, very true.

[brickhistory]

Every Texan knows its y'all, and that's singular if there's more than one then its - all y'alls

"Y'all" is properly used for the singular or for a single grouping.
"All y'all" is the plural and used for several groupings.
"All y'alls" is plural possesive. Even Texans (or Georgians) know that!

[An Teallach]

If the Scots are leaving ye close tae tears, it'll be because they speak Scots, nae Inglis. (The Scotch may leave ye close tae tears, but that'll be doon tae it no being guid malt, likely some grain shyte aged fer twa meenits!). Both are Western-Germanic leids wi' their ain particular development, ken! Scots isnae jist bastardized Inglis.

Apparently, the finest Standard English is spoken in Inverness.

Yours aye (Luv)
An Teallach

[bwfg3]

alright fella?

When I first married and moved onto the married patch, my wife was somewhat alarmed to hear men referring to each other as "fella", as in "you alright fella?" as in the part of the northwest that she hails from, referring to someone as a fella is likely to get you a punch in't gob as it implies that the person "bats for the other side"

[Wwyvern]

At least one of the expressions given as examples have definite Empire aura. I seem to remember from my limited time in the Sub-Continent, Urdu/Hindi word for "goodbye" was "guDbaaii".

[Wader2]

Where I went to school you could seriously damage your car if you bumped into a dyke. Where I am now you could drown. In London they wear comfortable shoes.