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From: dac1@ukc.UUCP (D.Caldwell)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: The Queen's English
Message-ID: <5084@ukc.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 3-May-85 16:10:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: ukc.5084
Posted: Fri May  3 16:10:46 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 28-Apr-85 07:03:23 EDT
References: <395@tymix.UUCP>
Reply-To: dac1@ukc.UUCP ( David Caldwell )
Organization: Computing Laboratory, U of Kent at Canterbury, UK
Lines: 18


In reply to Herb Kanner, you mentioned equivalent UK and US phrases
like "A dime a dozen"/"Ten a penny". Why do you assume to use 'became'
as in the US phrase became the UK phrase? Unless you know for certain
that the one originated before the other, it would be better to just
say they are equivalent.

As Marcus Hand said, describing people as "wet" or "a prick" both
occur regularly here in Britain. Likewise "cunt"; and incidentally
I would think that few British people exposed to such language do not
know that "fanny" can be used to refer to the same part of human
anatomy.

I am sure that the relative strengths of sod/bugger/piss off depend
more on the person saying them and the way in which he does so, than
in anything inherent in the words.

- David Caldwell,  Canterbury, England.