Slang from Different parts of the world

[LoveLion]

I noticed while reading that depending on where you are from you tend to use a different dialect of slang. Its not surprising as I know that people speak different in different parts of the world. Anyways, the one slang word I notice the most is the word "poof". We dont have this word in north America, and Im not 100% sure on the meaning of it. Is it a derogatory word? Form the context people have used it in it seems like a intolerant slur for homosexuals. I guess it would be similar to the word "Faggot" in NA, which is usually used in a derogatory sense. Just want to get clear on the meaning.

[stroker]

I noticed while reading that depending on where you are from you tend to use a different dialect of slang. Its not surprising as I know that people speak different in different parts of the world. Anyways, the one slang word I notice the most is the word "poof". We dont have this word in north America, and Im not 100% sure on the meaning of it. Is it a derogatory word? Form the context people have used it in it seems like a intolerant slur for homosexuals. I guess it would be similar to the word "Faggot" in NA, which is usually used in a derogatory sense. Just want to get clear on the meaning.

yeah, poof is usually a derogatory term. as with all words though, it depends on the context in which it's used. strangely enough faggot is used in the uk as well, even though its a type of meatball over here!

[binaryman]

I have assumed that 'poof' refers to being seen as effeminate.

I have also understood that 'fag' in the UK is a slang term for 'cigarette' in addition to (or maybe originating from) being homosexual. Cigarettes themselves were once seen as effeminate; cigars were what "men" smoked.

[Daniel1395]

I have also understood that 'fag' in the UK is a slang term for 'cigarette'.

Yep thats also true

Okay i know this was a post on slang words but im just curious over there in America do you have different accents for the different states

over here in the UK we definately do, take for example a person from say Liverpool and a person from somewhere like London have very different accents.

[SLIMES]

'Poof' and 'poofter' are the equivalant of 'fag' and 'faggot'

There is no link between the slang term 'fag' for cigarette and its other meaning. Nor is there any link between 'fagot' (gay) and the bundles of straw used for burning witches and sodomites.

Anyway I'd like commentary on the following:

Queer
Queen
Nancy
(Just wondered where they all came from)

I also find older terms for gay ppl quite interesting such as:

Margerie
Invert
Uranian
Musical (adj.)

Infact I'd really recommend: http://www.amazon.com/Strangers-Homosexual-Love-Nineteenth-Century/dp/039302038X

It's much more readable than most books on the subject and seems to be aimed at a wider audience than the academic world.

[Ms. Ally Kat]

Yep thats also true

Okay i know this was a post on slang words but im just curious over there in America do you have different accents for the different states

over here in the UK we definately do, take for example a person from say Liverpool and a person from somewhere like London have very different accents.
Oh yeah, very wide variety of accents over here...sometimes it even varies in different parts of the same state. I'm from northern Mississippi and my husband is from southern Mississippi and he and I have very different accents, though they have gotten closer over the years. I went to school with someone from Boston and I couldn't even understand half of what she said for about a year.

[LoveLion]

Working at a Call center, I get calls from all around America. Iv noticed that there is a ton of different accents. The most predominant and different are the New York accents, the Southern accents (alot in Texas), and the Hawaiian accent. There are also some different accents in canada as well, depending on what province you are from. There is French Canadian accent (mostly from Quebec), and the Newffy accent (mainly people form Newfoundland and the other maritime provinces)

[darkeyes]

Wen me rites.. here or in chat me uses a form of txtspeak often, tho sometimes, should the subject require sufficient gravitas I write in proper English (British English of course) tho I could if ye wanted me ti scribble in Scots which micht really send ye a' roond the bend an' scunner the load ae ye!

Speechwise I dinnae hae an accent or dialect..uze lot micht, so its aboot time ye cam ower here an' learnt how ti speak the wie we wer a' meant ti!!!!

:tong: Kissies an huggles!

[Herbwoman39]

Along the same lines as "poof" I learned an interesting historical fact a few months ago that really ticked me off.

Those of you in the US are probably familiar with that old patriotic tune "Yankee Doodle Dandy". Well, there's the REAL story behind that song.

Back in the late 1700's in Boston before the war for independence, there was a tavern called the Yankee Doodle. Men who frequented the place generally dressed very well in fine silks and brocades. They also acted in a rather effeminant manner. The dress and the mannerisms are also known as being a 'dandy'.

So, to insult us, the British came up with a song "Yankee Doodle Dandy".

I've never sung that song since.

Robert Wuhl talked about this, and many other interesting yet little known historical facts in his HBO documentary "Assume The Position".

[izzfan]

yeah, the term 'fag/fags' in the uk is usually used to refer to cigarettes instead of people, there is a joke about this is series 3 of "family guy" (the episiode called 'if one by clam, then two by sea' I think). But yeah, 'poof/poofter' is kind of the 'traditional' homophobic insult in the UK. Usually said by chavs (another interesting UK slang term for u to look up lol) or traditionalist kind of people. I've only ever been called a 'poof' twice in my life, once was jokingly from one of my mates when I told him tht I liked to paint my nails, the other time was when one of my drunken straight friends started randomly touching me up and then he realised that I was actually enjoying it a lot. But no, unlike the term 'faggot' which seems to carry connotations of fire&brimstone [eg; it is used by that idiot evangelist and his 'god hates f*gs' hate group which are often disrespectful to people's funerals and are just generally ignorant, homophobic people ] the term 'poof/poofter' tends to have connotations of effeminacy/ being 'camp'.Personally, I always thoguht that it was marginally less homophobic than 'faggot', but people still take offence to it and quite rightfully so.

Izzfan :flag3:

[ambi53mm]

Speechwise I dinnae hae an accent or dialect..uze lot micht, so its aboot time ye cam ower here an' learnt how ti speak the wie we wer a' meant ti!!!!
:tong: Kissies an huggles!

LOL Fran...if you speak in the same manner that you often write...I'd still be confused.... Would be like Jim Kirk having a coversation with Scotty his chief engineer?

Kirk: Scotty I need warp 10 and I need it now!

Scotty: Captain. idtl take tdhree ars to get ier upnrunnin

Kirk: Scotty...we don't have three hours!

Scotty: Aye Captain &%&&%$#% git mi fiev secons $%^&&^%$@@!

Ambi :)

[Avocado]

Personally I think we need to lighten up. We'll be carrying placards which say "death to those who insult gays/bis etc" soon. I think same-sex marriage needs to be brought in and discrimination against us ended, not for us to contribute to a PC censorship state.

[Daniel1395]

I think same-sex marriage needs to be brought in.

Forgive me if i have an misunderstanding but we do have same sex marriage here in the UK

[SLIMES]

Civil partenerships but yeah...

Knowing the older terms and ideas, some of which I listed, can be useful. Especially if you read classics. Sherlock Holmes and quite a bit of Jane Austen use them.

[wanderingrichard]

Wen me rites.. here or in chat me uses a form of txtspeak often, tho sometimes, should the subject require sufficient gravitas I write in proper English (British English of course) tho I could if ye wanted me ti scribble in Scots which micht really send ye a' roond the bend an' scunner the load ae ye!

Speechwise I dinnae hae an accent or dialect..uze lot micht, so its aboot time ye cam ower here an' learnt how ti speak the wie we wer a' meant ti!!!!

:tong: Kissies an huggles!

laddy,
i doona tink 'ere's a problem wit the 'ay we speak 'ere..so, 'os ta say ye gots the right of it when it comes ta proper speech?? ( yes i'm joking just had to coment after his so bold statement)

[darkeyes]

laddy,
i doona tink 'ere's a problem wit the 'ay we speak 'ere..so, 'os ta say ye gots the right of it when it comes ta proper speech?? ( yes i'm joking just had to coment after his so bold statement)

Oops.. me has grown long pointie fingie ova nite an funny wee wrinkly bag!!!!
Wan me boobs bak...boo hooooooooo!!! eek jaggie stuff on me chin...

x 2 ya Rich

[Avocado]

Forgive me if i have an misunderstanding but we do have same sex marriage here in the UK
We have civil partnerships. There was a case in Coventry since they were brought in, where this female couple from Canada had this court case to have their marriage recognised here. They lost on the grounds that "marriage is universally recognised as being between a man and a woman".

[Daniel1395]

They lost on the grounds that "marriage is universally recognised as being between a man and a woman".
So are there any other differences then between a civil partnership and an actual marriage apart from the title.

[jenny2006]

So are there any other differences then between a civil partnership and an actual marriage apart from the title.

There is no difference at all between a civil partnership and a marriage at all. They're exactly the same thing appart from the title. It's only called a civil partnership instead of a marriage to keep the religious folks happy anyway, and it really baffles me that you do get people that are bothered that it's not called a marriage. :rolleyes: Language is a funny thing.

[Daniel1395]

Okay thanks jenny

[Avocado]

They are NOT the same thing. If a man and a woman got married in Canada and came to Britain, they would be recognised as a married couple. They would have the same rights as married couples. If a man and a woman had a civil partnership in Canada or wherever and came to Britain, this too would probably be recognised. In the case of the couple mentioned, their marriage was not recognised AND there was no civil partnership to recognise either since they hadn't had one. Try telling them there's no difference.

[wanderingrichard]

There is no difference at all between a civil partnership and a marriage at all. They're exactly the same thing appart from the title. It's only called a civil partnership instead of a marriage to keep the religious folks happy anyway, and it really baffles me that you do get people that are bothered that it's not called a marriage. :rolleyes: Language is a funny thing.

what ever it's called, in the way it's worded, it's still discrimination based on fools demand of religious grounds.

[sammie19]

laddy,
i doona tink 'ere's a problem wit the 'ay we speak 'ere..so, 'os ta say ye gots the right of it when it comes ta proper speech?? ( yes i'm joking just had to coment after his so bold statement)

Believe me Richard, when it comes to having the right of it when it comes to proper speech if Frances is an example we are all in trouble!

[darkeyes]

Believe me Richard, when it comes to having the right of it when it comes to proper speech if Frances is an example we are all in trouble!Cheeky tart!

[sammie19]

:tong: :bigrin:
Cheeky tart!

[fishfry29]

As I understand it (and im usually wrong) the term "faggot" comes from the bundles of wood used to burn homosexuals in England, I guess fag for 'cigarette 'is also from that. The term "Yankee" comes from the Dutch buffoon, Jan Key.(Im probably missspelling it)When the Brits in New Ambsterdam/New York took over, It was used as a derogatry term for the ppl born here, During and before our revolution, we made it a point of pride..we buffoons were defying the Crown. Yankee Doodle was a buffoon, but a proud one.Hope Im right bout all this, but thats how I remember it.

[suegeorge]

They are NOT the same thing. If a man and a woman got married in Canada and came to Britain, they would be recognised as a married couple. They would have the same rights as married couples. If a man and a woman had a civil partnership in Canada or wherever and came to Britain, this too would probably be recognised. In the case of the couple mentioned, their marriage was not recognised AND there was no civil partnership to recognise either since they hadn't had one. Try telling them there's no difference.

It seems to me that civil partnerships are about giving people equal rights and not about love relationships. So in the UK many people (I think) don't believe it's fair that same-sex couples can be together for many years and have no rights in terms of inheritance tax, pensions, next-of-kin arrangements etc. That's why it was comparatively easy to get this "marriage-lite" arrangement.

Where there is a lot more homophobia is in terms of actual sex. To enter into a civil partnership, you don't have to be having a romantic relationship with the other person and whether you have sex is immaterial. To be married, you have to have sex and if you don't the marriage can be annulled. You can get divorced if your husband/wife commits adultery but not have your civil partnership dissolved. (For that, it would have to be "unreasonable behaviour".)

The origins of marriage were all to do with men owning women, property rights and the paternity of children. Legally and religiously, a man married a woman and they became a unit, with him as the principal partner. Civil partnerships don't have this symbolism and thank God for that.

Bisexuality and beyond (http://suegeorgewrites.blogspot.com)

[Daniel1395]

It seems to me that civil partnerships are about giving people equal rights and not about love relationships. So in the UK many people (I think) don't believe it's fair that same-sex couples can be together for many years and have no rights in terms of inheritance tax, pensions, next-of-kin arrangements etc. That's why it was comparatively easy to get this "marriage-lite" arrangement.

To enter into a civil partnership, you don't have to be having a romantic relationship with the other person and whether you have sex is immaterial.


I think that sums it up really well thank you suegeorge. Althought i would guess that most people who register for a civil partnership are actually in a loving relationship.

I have been doing reasearch on civil partnerships and i found some really good information on

http://www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk

so from what you said and the info i found on that website it all makes sense to me now so thanks again

[meteast chick]

So, to insult us, the British came up with a song "Yankee Doodle Dandy".

Robert Wuhl talked about this, and many other interesting yet little known historical facts in his HBO documentary "Assume The Position".

I saw this as well, and it was hilarious, but I took it a different way than you did! Sure, we Yanks may have thought it was a wonderous little ditty, but even after we learned about it what did we do? We reveled in it, we adopted it as our own and said "Pluck you!"

My own speech has been affected by where in Illinois I've lived. Growing up in Northern IL (not Chicago), I had just a touch of a North accent, pronouncing Chicago Chi-KA-go, saying pop and mostaccioli. I moved to the Illinois side of St Louis and I now say Shi-kah-go and soda. I still will not bring myself to say muskacholi, which is how they pronounce it here.

I've been told I have the accent that every journalist and actor in the world wants, and basically everyone in America doesn't really think most Midwesterners have accents at all, but I'm aware that we do.

As far as gay marriages vs. civil unions are concerned, can we fight our battles one at a time? If they sat us down and said, hey, we'll give it to you but the religious right is having a cow and wants it called civil unions, otherwise you're out of luck, I'm willing to take it! We can fight the terminology another time!

luv and kisses,
xoxoxoxoxoxox
meteast

[wanderingrichard]

Cheeky tart!

dearie,
my apologies here.. to read your posts sometimes i've mistaken your assertiveness and stance on things for that of a man and have teased you accordingly without thinking.. it's only after reading sammie's post that i actually got out of lazy ass mode and went back and looked at your profile.. stupid me..hopefully i can make amends

[darkeyes]

dearie,
my apologies here.. to read your posts sometimes i've mistaken your assertiveness and stance on things for that of a man and have teased you accordingly without thinking.. it's only after reading sammie's post that i actually got out of lazy ass mode and went back and looked at your profile.. stupid me..hopefully i can make amends

Your forgiven Rich! But isnt it amazing that because I have strong opinions and am politically aware and assertive that I have to be a man? Are women really considered so weak even in this community? Sam herself is also no bimbo even if she is a cheeky cow and in this site there are so many bright aware and assertive women. Like so many men you fell into the trap of considering us less than we are. I'm not offended by it but maybe now you will realise that we 2 are human beings who have values and opinions and are worthy of merit. As a woman I can appear flippant silly and childlike at times especially in chat for instance, and often in forums, but not when the chips are down. I have principles opinions beliefs and am no fool even if at times I may appear one. I do have an acute sense of fun, and a bit of a crazy sense of humour. Women every bit as strongly as men, often more so, have values and beliefs for which they will die, and are at least as equally eloquent and passionate in their expression of those beliefs as men. Here and elsewhere in my life I do what I can in this respect.

And you can tease me as much as you like hun, for while I may be a woman of strong opinions, and sometimes can get stroppy with those who I feel are deserving of a good hectoring, those like you who at least think and are prepared to learn may catch the sharp end of my tongue I know will understand is not from malice or intolerance but merely from having those values and opinions which I think have to be expressed to the best of my ability.

And make amends you already have. :) :tongue: