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Ask the Brit a stupid question


Marka Ragnos

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I have all kinds of ridiculous questions I want to ask British people about Britain, Britishnessness, Anglophobia, Anglophilia, and various and sundry UK-related awesome things and pathologies.

 

I thought perhaps there might be others like me who come along and want to ask their own stupid questions. 

 

Can I go ahead?

 

Here's my first:

 

Do you agree with this article from the BBC?

 

In keeping with community guidelines, here's an excerpt from "10 Things That Americans Don’t Realize are Offensive to Brits": 

 

Therapy Talk

There are probably no more than five or six Brits alive today who are willing to admit to having been “in treatment.” Americans, on the other hand, think nothing of starting a sentence, “So, my therapist says…” Talk like this in British company and we’ll scarper like antelope at a convention for big cats with appetite control issues.

Describing something as “quite” good
Using “quite” to mean “very” is an English language anachronism that’s thriving in the U.S. A British friend recently told me about the time his American partner joined him for a family Christmas back home. Thinking she was offering up high praise, she managed to upset her U.K. hosts by describing dinner as “quite good.” To their ears, “quite” in this context detracted from the “good”: the meal was passable but could have been better.

 

 

 

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That's a pretty light hearted list, but most of it is true of some of us. I'd not make sweeping generalisations, that all British people would get annoyed by the things on that list though. Oh and it's "realise", not "realize"!  ;)

Edited by dAVe80
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That's a pretty light hearted list, but most of it is true of some of us. I'd not make sweeping generalisations, that all British people would get annoyed by the things on that list though. Oh and it's "realise", not "realize"!  ;)

 

 

It's from BBC America, so they "sub-edit" (we say copyedit here) for US audiences ...

 

What's the deal with "quite" being archaic? Is it something toffs say? How do you use quite then? What's a toff anyway? 

Edited by Plastic Man
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Perhaps you have to first find out how many people here feel 'British' .

 

I dunno, I have a hunch there will be a significant minority that wouldn't automatically by reflex describe themselves as British. Which makes it all the more cruel that we now insist anybody that looks a bit like a suicide bomber needs to overtly profess their Britishness.

 

I could be very wrong....I don't think so.

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I would never have ever thought of 'quite' as being offensive at all, although thinking about it I don't think I ever use the word myself...I'm quite surprised by that actually

It seems like it's used more as "completely" or "totally" in the UK, whereas the article addresses its use as "very." 

 

It's funny, because when I hear someone say, "That's quite good," to my ears it sounds kind of English in an archaic way-- and that makes sense since so often we Americans like to imagine British people mostly being from the year 1915 or so.

Edited by Plastic Man
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.What's the deal with "quite" being archaic? Is it something toffs say? How do you use quite then? What's a toff anyway? 

 

 

In the context sighted, I've probably described something as "quite brilliant", meaning very, but the vast majority of the time, using "quite" will be used to describe something that is passable. 

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Perhaps you have to first find out how many people here feel 'British' .

 

I dunno, I have a hunch there will be a significant minority that wouldn't automatically by reflex describe themselves as British. Which makes it all the more cruel that we now insist anybody that looks a bit like a suicide bomber needs to overtly profess their Britishness.

 

I could be very wrong....I don't think so.

Great point!!!!! That's something I hadn't considered. 

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.What's the deal with "quite" being archaic? Is it something toffs say? How do you use quite then? What's a toff anyway? 

 

 

In the context sighted, I've probably described something as "quite brilliant", meaning very, but the vast majority of the time, using "quite" will be used to describe something that is passable. 

 

As in, "My therapist is quite good"?

Edited by Plastic Man
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I would never have ever thought of 'quite' as being offensive at all, although thinking about it I don't think I ever use the word myself...I'm quite surprised by that actually

 

Actually seeing this makes me think, it can also be used to emphasise surprise.  

 

"How did Bacuna play today?"

 

Yeah, he was quite good, actually."

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Perhaps a mini poll (it could be something we've done elsewhere already)?

 

 

Wanting to help when someone falls over but not wanting to touch a stranger, so just crouching a bit and saying "oh gosh"

 

agree with chappy, VBP is a funny read when you've got 10 minutes....

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.What's the deal with "quite" being archaic? Is it something toffs say? How do you use quite then? What's a toff anyway? 

 

 

In the context sighted, I've probably described something as "quite brilliant", meaning very, but the vast majority of the time, using "quite" will be used to describe something that is passable. 

 

As in, "My therapist is quite good"?

 

 

Yeah. That's right. 

 

"How good was that?"

 

"Yeah, it was quite good, I suppose."

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I would never have ever thought of 'quite' as being offensive at all, although thinking about it I don't think I ever use the word myself...I'm quite surprised by that actually

It seems like it's used more as "completely" or "totally" in the UK, whereas the article addresses its use as "very." 

 

It's funny, because when I hear someone say, "That's quite good," to my ears it sounds kind of English in an archaic way-- and that makes sense since so often we Americans like to imagine British people mostly being from the year 1915 or so.

 

Imagine what, I took this photo last year in London

 

dbfab5dd64ecd69fd15e6209bd9560ed.jpg

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Here's another question:

 

You guys have so many amazing churches and interesting British saints, and so many cool Britain-centred Christian myths and hagiographies.

 

So how come you heathens don't go to church more often? Don't you know you're all going to burn?

Edited by Plastic Man
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