Americans and others! Your favorite British English phrases?

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I wish to add that Henry smells ver bad too. Lovely fella, but a little whiffy.

Alex, talking of Wodehouse (as everyone should - one of the English language's finest writers) - I too feel modern parlance is lacking in people referring to each other as "old egg", saying "Pip pip/Toodle-Oo!" on parting ways, and calling the foolish "chump", "clod" or "dunce". Maybe you and I should start an underground resistance single issue pressure group, the sole aim of which is to counteract the rot that has set in to modern slang by talking constantly like dandies from the late 20s. Deal?

Also, have you ever read this?. I predict you will like it.

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Rick Reuben wrote:
daniel robert chapman wrote:I think he's gone to bed, Rick.
He went to bed about a decade ago, or whenever he sold his soul to the bankers and the elites.


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Americans and others! Your favorite British English phrases?

226
Rotten Tanx wrote:
glueman wrote:I don't know about you guys, but I can't get enough of hearing "at the end of the day..." at the begining of every sentence!


Sometimes alternated with "To be fair..."


Oh, I had forgotten, that for a while I picked up a bad habit of saying "fair enough" from hanging out with my UK friends.....I like that one.

Also, I really like "I can't be bothered to...." or "I can't be asked to..."
I still say these way too much and it always confuses Americans as I was confused the first time a British friend said it.....
Give me a place to live in NYC and I will play in your band

Yay! I have a Myspace page!

Americans and others! Your favorite British English phrases?

230
This is from Nigel Slater's column in the Observer. I thought I was up on my British English, but "Swede" as a vegetable? and "Faggots"? Translation would be greatly appreciated.

Nigel Slater wrote:Baked swede

This is just the job with faggots in gravy or a beef casserole. Serves 4 as a side dish.

a large swede (about 650g peeled weight)

40g butter

2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced

a large sprig of rosemary

chicken or vegetable stock to cover

Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Cut the swede into slices about as thick as a pound coin. It is easier and safer to do this by first cutting a slice from one side and using this to steady the swede as you cut.

Generously butter a baking dish or roasting tin. Lay the slices of swede and onion in the dish, seasoning them with salt and black pepper, and strewing over the rosemary leaves as you go. Ladle over the stock so that it just about covers the vegetables - a matter of five or so ladlefuls - then dot on the rest of the butter.

Bake in the preheated oven for an hour or so, turning the swede in the stock from time to time, until the vegetables are tender enough to crush between your fingers. Serve as a side dish, with some of the juices spooned over.

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