# English Dopers that use the word Whilst can BITE ME **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 25, 2001, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605 "2001-10-25T18:41:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2001, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/1 "2001-10-25T18:41:16Z")
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=94914](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=94914) Were you raised by Elizebthan peasants? Whilst is not even a real word anymore. Please tell me you don’t go around in real life talking like a copy of the King James Bible. Thou needest to get with the times bucko. Why are you destroying the beauty of our language. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2001, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/2 "2001-10-25T18:48:13Z")
Huh? Whilst is still standard English. So are hither, thence, and yon. You might not use them, but who are you to pronounce them dead? ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2001, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/3 "2001-10-25T18:48:48Z")
Oh, please. Didn’t you have anything worthwhile ranting about? I really don’t care about who uses particular words in the US or the UK. It really isn’t that important. For the record, though, **whilst** is a perfectly valid word. You could at least _try_ to sound more reasonable than the idiot that started that thread. ---
**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2001, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/4 "2001-10-25T18:53:01Z")
My favorite word, which ain’t used often enough, is **wont**. Sua ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2001, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/5 "2001-10-25T19:41:18Z")
I’ll just post to make Sua happy, as is not ordinarily my wont. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2001, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/6 "2001-10-25T19:55:13Z")
Will’s wont was wanting wonton whilst I won a ton of wonton too. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2001, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/7 "2001-10-25T20:01:19Z")
Whilst it is my wont to truly drive the OP crazy, I think I am going to to the sensible (ha) thing here: cite? Whilst is a word that, while not terribly usual in America, apparently is in other countries such as England. And I submit to you that while this board is based in America, that’s no reason to require those who grew up with an English vocabulary to change it significantly if people understand what they’re saying. ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2001, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/8 "2001-10-25T20:17:29Z")
Reminds me of Lorenz Hart’s song “Zip!”, sung by a pretentious, pseudo-intellectual strip-tease artist, Gypsie Rose Lee, describing her thoughts whilst giving a performance. Zip! English people don’t say “clerk,” they say “clark.” Zip! Anybody who says “clark” is a “jark.” More lyrics here: [http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/4109/zip.htm](http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/4109/zip.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2001, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/9 "2001-10-25T20:22:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crusoe \* > Didn’t you have anything worthwhile ranting about? Shouldn’t that be “worthwhilst?” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2001, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/10 "2001-10-25T21:47:59Z")
**andros** , **Enderw24** , **'punha** , I feel all tingly. Sua ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2001, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/11 "2001-10-25T21:57:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Crusoe \* > > Didn’t you have anything worthwhile ranting about? > > Shouldn’t that be “worthwhilst?” > > 🙂 \*\* Well said, my good man, well said. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2001, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/12 "2001-10-25T22:02:30Z")
I think whilst is a fun card game, and trying to remove it from our language is just cruel. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2001, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/13 "2001-10-25T22:10:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shagnasty \* > \*\*Why are you destroying the beauty of our language. \*\* Can you imagine an American saying this to an Englishman? I personally think it is so ridiculous as to be funny. However, it may have _pissed off_ the Brit. **"I say, the nerve of that Yank."** ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2001, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/14 "2001-10-25T23:06:40Z")
I am not English. I say “whilst” all the time. I also use “bloke”, “yonder”, and “anon” on a regular basis. I also use “fuck off”, which sounds best when spoken with a British accent (it comes out sounding like “fu’koff”). So, Mr. Shagnasty, please do so. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/15 "2001-10-26T00:13:01Z")
Also interesting that the Brits and Aussies use the word “autumn”, whilst Americans cling to the archaic “fall”. 😃 Thankfully, unlike **Shagnasty** , most American Dopers probably don’t give a rat’s arse about this. One of the best things about this board is that I can use words like _bloke, aeroplane, petrol_, and _mum_ without being corrected or asked what the fuck I’m talking about. This is in stark contrast to the net at large, where I’m forced to adopt a bland international style of English. Mum? Mom? Fuck it, I’ll keep the peace and say “mother”. Petrol? Gasoline? D’uh ok, I’ll stick to “fuel” and everyone’s happy. So why don’t we use international English on the Dope? Because, **Shagnasty** old chap, it’s boring and unnecessary. If we aren’t capable of getting our brains around the tiny percentage of words which are regional rather than universal, we shouldn’t be on these boards. I enjoy the differences. To borrow a phrase from those pesky Americans: it’s all good. There are more important things to worry about, mate. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/16 "2001-10-26T00:26:54Z")
I’m with **SPOOFE**. Other Anglicanisms that I use despite my American birth: Piss off Bloody wanker Sod off Arsehole Miserable little bugger You getting my drift here, **Shagnasty** ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/17 "2001-10-26T00:28:30Z")
Forgot to put a “?” on the end of that last post. Bollocks. ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/18 "2001-10-26T00:42:58Z")
> [@](#): > > English Dopers that use the word Whilst can BITE ME. I am sure all our English and other proper speaking Dopers are lining up to bite you. :rolleyes: What a dumbass rant. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/19 "2001-10-26T00:47:28Z")
Bloody wanker! Bollocks! Bugger! How could I forget gems such as these? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605/20 "2001-10-26T00:59:42Z")
TheLoadedDog: You left out “arse” in your list of examples. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-dopers-that-use-the-word-whilst-can-bite-me/89605.md?page=2)