h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Wow this thread is convoluted.
We had a long discussion about where the phrase "dogs bollocks" came from and I think the concensus was that the phrase arose because in many breeds the testicles are extremely prominent...but you'll have to track back along this thread to verify this.

Cobble the Dogs? You are making that up, aren't you?

You Brits are *so* funny, it's no wonder the comedy here is so good. And part of that is the language. I mean, who can keep a straight face when they hear someone referring to their buttocks as their 'bum'?!

But you must remember an Ass is an animal, not someones arse.

and as for those little bags that strap conveniently round your waist and are referred to in the UK as 'bum-bags'...

Don't worry, I can usually tell the difference between a donkey and a rump steak!

(Have we lowered the tone again?)

I don't know what you mean. Lowering to tone, in this conversation, never!

I heard about a man who was walking along the pier and his thong fell into the water...and he didn't get arrested at all. What kind of place is this. Well if he meant his flip-flop why didn't he say so!

Further to previous posts, the "Dog's Bollocks" means what it does because...
dogs have very large testes compared to their tiny little penises (penii?)

So you may want the Dog's Bollocks [=good], but you'd never swap with a dog for anything else!

Peanut butter: Duncan - how did that fish recipe turn out in the end?

spin driers: Why can't you say spun dry? "I spun it dry" rather than "I spin dried it"

Just a few thoughts as I haven't looked in on this forum for a while.

It's raining cats and dogs' bollocks!

Has the word "bitch" been mentioned yet? Is that the same in English and American?

There is a thread somewhere else on the site about the dogs bollox. According to this thread it goes back to the days that clean little boys in knee high socks used to be given things to build, which came in cardboard boxes. Meccano, I guess.

These boxes came in a number of sizes, all with instructions. The one for the bog standard version said "box, standard" (say it out loud). Which I find kinda neat.

The one for the snazzier version said "box, delux" which became sponerised to dogs bollocks.

I really want to beleive that both of these are true!

Found it! It is in the entry and conversations relating to English Slang, under: Top / Everything / Languages & Linguistics / Colloquialisms, Slang & Humour

Box standard was an explanation for the charming English expression bog standard

Yeh, that Goodies sketch. They had an argument about pronounciation of scones whch they had dug up.

I feel there are a number of posts here I could say something inane about, but I have been away for a while and there are far too many of them. Incidently, I am reading Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island and he has many things to say on the subjects here discussed. I particularly like his description of the excitement engendered in an Englishman by a warm cup of tea.

That's why DNA used it to generate the improbability drive

Returning to something mentioned a little earlier, I always thought that the delightful expression "kiss my ass!" originated back home in the US, because I never hear Brits using it.

Imagine my surprise, then, to discover this very expression in the diary of Samuel Pepys, coming from the lips of 17th century children!

Because it induced Brownian Motion??
'G'

And what about the Scottish "Stone of Scone", pronounced differently again?

Pronounced SKOON.
On which ancient Scottish Kings were crowned.
Now resides in Edinburgh Castle (I think)
Still used at British Coronations
'G'