The "What would you say for X?" Thread

[linguoboy]

I read those words in an American accent in my head and it sounded funny . I have on occasion heard "wanker" on American TV programmes, but it's usually on daytime TV, which is kind of shocking to me because that word has a much stronger meaning here. I don't think you guys quite picked up how strong the meaning is. Like if Dora the Explorer called someone an 'asshole'!

IME, that's quite normal when obscenities are borrowed between dialects or between languages. Bugger is also mild in the US compared to the UK, and the general public uses shmuck in contexts where Yiddish-speakers or their descendents never would. Also, isn't shite considered stronger than shit in the UK? Here it's the opposite, with people basically employing it as a euphemism.

[Ciarán12]

I read those words in an American accent in my head and it sounded funny . I have on occasion heard "wanker" on American TV programmes, but it's usually on daytime TV, which is kind of shocking to me because that word has a much stronger meaning here. I don't think you guys quite picked up how strong the meaning is. Like if Dora the Explorer called someone an 'asshole'!

IME, that's quite normal when obscenities are borrowed between dialects or between languages. Bugger is also mild in the US compared to the UK, and the general public uses shmuck in contexts where Yiddish-speakers or their descendents never would. Also, isn't shite considered stronger than shit in the UK? Here it's the opposite, with people basically employing it as a euphemism.

I'm not really sure about the UK, but here it's about the same, but more colloquial to use 'shite'. I would say that 'shite' gets used more, which means that when 'shit' is used it might have a slightly more shocking tone, but to be honest I think 'shit' may not really be in some peoples vocabulary at all (thus they never use it).

[linguoboy]

I'm not really sure about the UK, but here it's about the same, but more colloquial to use 'shite'. I would say that 'shite' gets used more, which means that when 'shit' is used it might have a slightly more shocking tone, but to be honest I think 'shit' may not really be in some peoples vocabulary at all (thus they never use it).

My impression was that they were originally mutually exclusive: some dialects hat shit and others shite, just as some have c[ʌ]nt and others have c[ʊ]nt. Since shite is characteristic of less prestigious varieties (e.g. Northern English, Irish, etc.), I assumed it would be considered a little cruder, but apparently that's not actually the case.

[Ciarán12]

I'm not really sure about the UK, but here it's about the same, but more colloquial to use 'shite'. I would say that 'shite' gets used more, which means that when 'shit' is used it might have a slightly more shocking tone, but to be honest I think 'shit' may not really be in some peoples vocabulary at all (thus they never use it).

My impression was that they were originally mutually exclusive: some dialects hat shit and others shite, just as some have c[ʌ]nt and others have c[ʊ]nt. Since shite is characteristic of less prestigious varieties (e.g. Northern English, Irish, etc.), I assumed it would be considered a little cruder, but apparently that's not actually the case.

I think it's because while c[ʌ]nt and c[ʊ]nt are both considered variant pronunciations of 'cunt', [ʃɑit] and [ʃɪt] are considered separate lexical items, each with their own dialectal pronunciations. I'm sure you're right about how they started out, but now they have both come to be used by some people (while others still just use 'shite').

[Kenny]

When talking about "topping up" your credit on a prepaid phone, what's the verb/expression you'd most likely use? How about when you run out of minutes?

[JackFrost]

When talking about "topping up" your credit on a prepaid phone

Add credit.

How about when you run out of minutes?

Run out of credit.

[linguoboy]

When talking about "topping up" your credit on a prepaid phone, what's the verb/expression you'd most likely use? How about when you run out of minutes?

"refill"

[hashi]

When talking about "topping up" your credit on a prepaid phone, what's the verb/expression you'd most likely use? How about when you run out of minutes?

I would just call it topping up.

I had run out of credit, so I couldn't reply, but I have just topped up.

[ffrench]

When talking about "topping up" your credit on a prepaid phone, what's the verb/expression you'd most likely use? How about when you run out of minutes?

I would just call it topping up.

I had run out of credit, so I couldn't reply, but I have just topped up.

Same here in response to both.

[Ciarán12]

When talking about "topping up" your credit on a prepaid phone, what's the verb/expression you'd most likely use? How about when you run out of minutes?

I would just call it topping up.

I had run out of credit, so I couldn't reply, but I have just topped up.

Same here in response to both.

+1

[モモンガ]

'I have cashed up my phone'

[Ciarán12]

What would you normally say for "to berate"? I would say "to give out" - "My mam gave out shit to me" - "My mother berated me thoroughly". "to give out about" can be used to mean "to complain about" though: "He was giving out about taxes" - "He was complaining about taxes". I've heard "to tell s.b. off" on British T.V. a lot, but I would never use it (nor would anyone I know), and that doesn't seem like something an American would say, but I can't remember what expressions are used in America for that.

[linguoboy]

"let have it", "give hell", "chew out", read the riot act"

"Give a dressing down" and "call out on the carpet" are two older idioms that I don't hear much nowadays.

ETA: Common vulgar variations on "chew out" are "chew/tear (s.o.) a new asshole", bowdlerised to "chew/tear (s.o.) a new one".

[Ciarán12]

Hmm, I would have thought to "tear someone an new asshole" would mean "to beat someone up" (or at least, that's how it is used here on the rare occasions I've heard it used here at all).

[linguoboy]

Hmm, I would have thought to "tear someone an new asshole" would mean "to beat someone up" (or at least, that's how it is used here on the rare occasions I've heard it used here at all).

I've never heard it for a literal beating, only for a tongue-lashing. But then actual beatings are extremely rare in my milieu.

[Ciarán12]

Hmm, I would have thought to "tear someone an new asshole" would mean "to beat someone up" (or at least, that's how it is used here on the rare occasions I've heard it used here at all).

I've never heard it for a literal beating, only for a tongue-lashing. But then actual beatings are extremely rare in my milieu.

Perhaps not, but people frequently like to toss threats like that around when they're angry. I know the phrase "to beat the living shit out of someone", but I've never done any such thing, nor have I been the victim of such a beating.

[Llawygath]

I'd say either "in socks/with (only) socks on" or "in stocking feet"; "(shopping) cart"; and probably either "tell off" or "yell at" (though you'll also hear me say really confused things like "fooble at" or "dress up"). As far as I know, "yell at" is just a Llawygathism.

[YngNghymru]

As far as I know, "yell at" is just a Llawygathism.

stop being a special snowflake

yell at is entirely normal

[Vertigo]

My impression was that they were originally mutually exclusive: some dialects hat shit and others shite, just as some have c[ʌ]nt and others have c[ʊ]nt. Since shite is characteristic of less prestigious varieties (e.g. Northern English, Irish, etc.), I assumed it would be considered a little cruder, but apparently that's not actually the case.

Just thought I'd add to this (primarily because I enjoy the word shite)...

The words are interchangeable, but to me shite actually sounds less blunt than shit, and for some reason has playful, or ironic connotations. Also, a swear I use pretty frequently is gobshite, which basically means loudmouth, as in your sister is a little gobshite. There is, however, no gobshit.

[JackFrost]

As far as I know, "yell at" is just a Llawygathism.

Erm, "yell at" is native English to me. Even I can imagine myself saying that.