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

True. This has absolutely nothing to do with the origional thread any more. Oh well.

Before Mistress K gets us back to the subject...

The protruding rebars on Greek houses are a by-product of their (until recently, lack of a) mortgage and finance system. The family has a plot of land - handed down the generations, included in dowries etc. - and they save before they build. They might build first three rooms, then add another three and so on, as they can afford it, leaving the rebars protruding so that a future floor can be added above. Later the son or daughter will build the next floor, as their apartment, and the brother/sister the next and so on. All is financed within the family, not by the bank. Of course things are changing now, but thats the traditional way.

I see, K, that a conversion from the Belgian variety is underway. I am, of course, extremely wealthy and would gladly send all and sundry piles of truffles. Unfortunately, there seems to be a little misunderstanding at the bank and they do not, purely a temporary aberration you understand, share my assessment of my worth. Regrettably, therefore, the truffles will have to be purely imaginary.

V&A (Makes me feel like I'm talking to a museum ) I think that this thread has stayed true to it's original intentions in discussing the vagaries of british english. Even if the first post was directly about dogs, over 1000 posts later and we're discussing fur and hair which dogs have

Imaginary truffles would be lovely, and since we are sending eachother imaginary food, I would like to send everyone the gorgeous delicacy called a McFlurry!! I know they aren't expencive, and are widely available, but they are really, REALLY yummy. Especially the crnchy flavour.

Imaginary truffles would be lovely, and since we are sending eachother imaginary food, I would like to send everyone the gorgeous delicacy called a McFlurry!! I know they aren't expencive, and are widely available, but they are really, REALLY yummy. Especially the crunchy flavour.

So good she did it twice!

wonky is a word I have been using a lot recently, as in V&A's entry went a bit wonky. I present it to you as a putative entry into the British (only) vocabulary.

(V&A. I appear to have made an assumption. If I have mis-sexed you, and if that in any way offends you, I offer a slight apology. (But Vodka & Apple is not a very manly drink, is it? he muttered to himself)(After all its hardly a great insult)(Mind you there are those who would purse a lip or two)(Ah, well, too late now anyway)

As in the masterful bit of a childrens TV program called "Wonky donkey"?

I'll add "skewiff" (sp?) which seems to be another way of saying askew .

This obviously needs a reply from Dr Wonky, but he doesn't seem to be around at present.
Synonyms in my part of Britain include "skew whiff", from skewed, I think.What about "iffy" or "dodgy" or do they have moral rather than physical connotations?

Simulpost from family members there. Is it in the genes?

May I offer pear-shaped, awry and duff for consideration?
I heard an American, on the Today programme this morning, pronounce inquiry (personally I prefer enquiry) 'inkwherry'. Why do they butcher our language in this way?

Guess that if it's skew wiff then it's not shipshape.

"Slapdash" and "slipshod" for shoddy.
Where did those words/phrases come from?

Excuse me, but I think you'll find that we pronounce 'inquiry' quite correctly. We like to get the stress in on the first syllable, whereas you Brits are a bit lazy, hanging around until the second syllable.

But before your outrage overtakes you, I must compliment Brits on chocolate choux buns. Mmmmm, just finished one. How do they get so much fresh cream in there? In all honesty, I just finished two, because one is never enough - although two is a little too much. I don't recall ever seeing these back in the US.

Maybe because it's their language too?

Webster's Encyclopedic (sic) Unabridged gives both pronunciations for "enquiry", the offending one second.
Slipshod, meaning careless, would seem to come from shod in slippers as opposed to proper shoes or boots.. Slapdash might be the seventeenth century version of "quick and dirty" as it seems to include connotations of both.
Kaeori - are you talking about eclairs?

Good English word that, éclairs.

It's true.
As English is the universal language, all other languages now are ipso facto subsets (and always have been as we've merrily borrowed words left, right & centre)

There are two types of chocolate choux buns. Both are stuffed with cream. Eclairs are about five inches long and an inch wide. Profiteroles are small and round, about 1.5 inches across. The chocolate sauce is usually more liquid than on eclairs.

Sentiment echoed re:enquiry. To the dog-house Percy.

Profiteroles contain a custard-like substance (creme Anglais), not cream. Eclairs don't (mightily impressed by that accent, how do you do that?). I have also seen, for want of the right name, round eclairs with a hat on.

Now then, have we done this already:

Bakewell Tart
Eccles Cakes
Chelsea Buns
Dundee Cake
Cornish Pasty