Young Writers Society

So over in SD&D we started having a discussion about the different types of English and I thought it would be fun to have a thread where we discussed words used in your region that aren't used anywhere else!

For instance, in Ireland:

-to "give out" to someone is to tell them off or shout at them. I only realised that this was an Irish phrase a couple of years ago.
-"bold" is a word to describe a naughty child.
-"banjaxed" is another word for "broken"
-"shift" - is a word that essentially means to kiss or make out. But it's used in many different ways because young Irish people are obsessed with "getting the shift", or, you might say, they're "mad for the shift."
-"feck" is a word similar to "crap" that isn't really a swear word, but functions as a swear word in situations where you shouldn't be swearing.

Similarly, if your mother tongue isn't English, are there some funny phrases/slang in your language that you wish translated well?

-Stella x

I'm a Hoosier (born and raised in the state of Indiana) and while larger cities across the United States' Midwest (Indianapolis, Chicago, Nashville, etc.) have more uniform dialects, you'll really notice a difference in speech in the smaller towns in Indiana's countryside.

Firstly, we tend to nasalize our a's. For example, "that" sounds like "theeaat."

Common words/phrases I know to be very common in Indiana:

-"half-tempted" as opposed to fully tempted, meaning a person is not fully compelled to do something, but is close (for example, "I'm half-tempted to throw this book out the window")
-"where are you at?" to mean "where are you?"
-"will you go with me?" means "will you date me?"
-"all I can say grace for" means "all I have time for"
-"breeding a scab" means to be making trouble for yourself
-"ugly as sin" or "ugly as a mud fence"
-"long for this world if he dies tomorrow" to describe a tall person
-a "marble orchard" is a cemetery
-"between death and the devil" to describe someone being in a difficult situation
-"Aunt Jane's room" is an outhouse
-"hasn't found it" to describe someone who can't get over the death of a loved one (this actually originated from an old Hoosier legend when a farmer's daughter was killed by falling in front of a wagon and the wheel decapitated her; supposedly, the farmer spent the rest of his life trying to find her head, which was never found)
-"eating razor soup" to describe someone who's cynical, witty, or a "smartass"
-"ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies"
-"about two to the hill" to answer "how are you doing?" or "how are you coming?"
-"warsh" means "wash"
-"devilment/devilry" for mischief or stupidity
-"scarce as hen's teeth"
-"dark as the inside of a cow"
-"proud as a dog with two tails"

So, Indian English is heavily influenced by the regional languages; and mine is probably "Tanglish" (Tamil + English)
We mix in a lot of words while speaking; and here are some common things off the top of my head.

Drumstick

"Any issues?" to a couple - are you pregnant?

"Whose face did you see this morning?" - to imply that the first face sort of decides the mood for the day.

"Put scene" - show off'

Vessels to imply kitchen utensils/pots and pans

"Prepone" - bring something forward in time, such as a meeting.

As Lava said, Indian English are usually influenced by the regional language. And I speak two languages, Telugu and Tamil.

Some words that I can remember for now are, "Light(a) tea" We have the habit of including "ah" sound with adjectives. "Heighta" etc.

I know my country (New Zealand) had many, but unfortunately I'm not in enough with popular culture to know or recall them.

I remember a Randomosity topic like this! I remember I horrified @horrendous by the fact that here in Aus we call Speedos 'budgie smugglers'.

Suffice to say, I think there are too many Aussie colloquialisms to list without being here forever, but I'll list some of the common ones.

Alrighty...

I feel like I have to start with 'g'day', cos it's kinda the famous one, and even though (possibly contrary to popular oversea belief) it isn't someone everyone says, it's definitely a common enough greeting.

One of my favourites is 'doona', which is our word for 'duvet', and I think it might have been a brand which became a generic name. Anyway, I once absolutely confused a lady at the hotel I was staying at overseas by talking about a 'doona'.

Aha... instead of saying 'flip flops', we say thongs. I bet that I'm going to mortify myself overseas one day with that one.

We call McDonalds 'Maccas', and I think for Australia Day one year the changed some of the signs to say 'Maccas' for a while.

My English friend actually pointed this one out, that if you buy lunch or something for someone, then you're 'shouting', or it's 'your shout'.

This is more accent than colloqualism exactly, but I remember a few months ago when a friend of mine who's originally from Ireland pointed out that we don't pronounce the 'er' on the end of words, it's more like an 'ah' sound. It's kind of funny cos it's something I'd never noticed.

Tip of the ice berg and all that, but I don't have the time or energy to list everything