A quick question on Britspeak

[ffutures]

Prompted by yet another story in which a British character refers to the USA as "The Colonies" without appearing to intend it as sarcasm or an insult.

[Poll #1468439]

Comments

[smallship1.livejournal.com]

I'm with them. I'm British and I have occasionally done it, but not as sarcasm or insult. Rather I do it as a gentle send-up of that whimsical eccentricity for which we Brits are so loved by one and all...aren't we?

I feel it's important to make this distinction clear, just as when I say, for instance, "What ho," I don't mean to imply that the lady of the night in question doesn't exist, or that I do not see her. That would be rude.

[sharikkamur.livejournal.com]

That's precisely it. It's not a sarcastic or insulting term, merely a recognition of of a shared history. It's a term you can use amongst friends, not a term you would expect to see politicians use.

[w00hoo.livejournal.com]

Pretty much this. I'll use it as a friendly 'dig' occasionally when chatting to American friends (usually while also in America and with pretty serious anglophiles) but only where we all know it's just a bit of gentle fun.

It's been used around the table playing BtVS rpg sometimes, but generally again to highlight the fact that we don't actually know how to pretend to be Californian school kids in the late 90's, or to show a level of anachronism in general.

[alexmc.livejournal.com]

"What ho"


LOL

[sharikkamur.livejournal.com]

I use "right-ho" quite regularly. But then I also start IM conversations with "wotcha!" :)

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

"What ho," I don't mean to imply that the lady of the night in question doesn't exist...
*orange juice all over keyboard*
Thanks for that.