VT Supporter Marka Ragnos Posted March 19, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted March 19, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meath_Villan Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dAVe80 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 (edited) 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 March 19, 2015 by dAVe80 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post coda Posted March 19, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted March 19, 2015 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VT Supporter Marka Ragnos Posted March 19, 2015 Author VT Supporter Share Posted March 19, 2015 (edited) 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 March 19, 2015 by Plastic Man 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VT Supporter Popular Post chappy Posted March 19, 2015 VT Supporter Popular Post Share Posted March 19, 2015 this Twitter page has a few corkers@SoVeryBritish: Overtaking someone on foot and having to keep up the uncomfortably fast pace until safely over the horizon 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coda Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I've never heard 'quite' used in that context over here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 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. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leemond2008 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 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 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VT Supporter Marka Ragnos Posted March 19, 2015 Author VT Supporter Share Posted March 19, 2015 (edited) 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 March 19, 2015 by Plastic Man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dAVe80 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 .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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VT Supporter Marka Ragnos Posted March 19, 2015 Author VT Supporter Share Posted March 19, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VT Supporter Marka Ragnos Posted March 19, 2015 Author VT Supporter Share Posted March 19, 2015 (edited) .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 March 19, 2015 by Plastic Man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dAVe80 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 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." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
useless Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 When something isn't quite the thing then that's sort of the opposite to something that is the very thing, I think. Perhaps it depends on the way you say it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Perhaps a mini poll (it could be something we've done elsewhere already)? VeryBritishProblems @SoVeryBritish · Mar 17 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.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dAVe80 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 .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." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 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 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VT Supporter Marka Ragnos Posted March 19, 2015 Author VT Supporter Share Posted March 19, 2015 (edited) 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 March 19, 2015 by Plastic Man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
useless Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 if you want to be extra complimentary put really before it to make it 'really quite good'. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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