# Leave it with me (a common british phrase) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 28, 2023, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811 "2023-11-28T14:17:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/21 "2023-11-28T18:13:57Z")
I did a search on my emails, and surprisingly besides only a few times did an employment agent actually write it down - and I had spoken to them before. So it’s not always a ‘thanks for contacting us - we’ll be sure to get back to you’ kind of thing. I’ll grant that it’s usually said earnestly and not as a blow-off kind of thing. Like anything, there are people who say things you can rely on and some, well less so. Another example is the apartment building we moved into. The wi-fi router was placed in perhaps the furthest place from any other flat and I suggested if we moved it I had enough nice flat-white Cat-7 cable to wire up the place with ethernet. The foreman said “leave it with me” and last Friday he’s nicely wiring Cat 6-a (about the same as 7) for all the flats on the floor. An improvement of 20Mbps to 75 (British Telecom cannot do any better and Virgin isn’t here). Nice. Two weeks ago his assistant had been shown how the shower curtain collapses when you breathe upon it and it was “leave it with me”. I reckon he just forgot. I reckon I’m being too literal in my criticism of the phrase. I’m not the boss of anyone and it’s not like they owe me any money and need to be reminded. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/22 "2023-11-28T18:17:26Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > I think it’s more common to just ask _Alright?_ Yeah I’ll use this to mean “hi”. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/23 "2023-11-28T18:30:29Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > You all right?” I’m sure this british phrase has been covered on the Dope outside of the Pit of course. I’d lived in Ireland a couple years before moving to the UK and here Alright?/You all right?/ is just a quick “how are you” and if you yourself haven’t already said the same thing to the other person there is no more to be said. It is exactly “how you doin’” and no more. If you both stop is is customary to talk about the weather, ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/24 "2023-11-28T18:30:54Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > These phrases are called phatic communication: harmless social lubricants. I think every language has them. For example, from working in France for a while I learned that it is polite to say “Bonjour” to a shop owner and any customers when entering. And “Merci, au revoir” when leaving. It’s a way of showing that one is respectful and at least somewhat familiar with the local culture. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/25 "2023-11-28T18:35:50Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > I’d lived in Ireland a couple years before moving to the UK and here Alright?/You all right?/ is just a quick “how are you” and if you yourself haven’t already said the same thing to the other person there is no more to be said. It is exactly “how you doin’” and no more. Exactly. It isn’t really a question. If one responds at all, there are several standard forms: - Not too bad, thanks. - Can’t complain, really. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/26 "2023-11-28T18:47:43Z")
Or “Yeah. You ?” Leave it with me means exactly what it says on the tin. No more no less. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/27 "2023-11-28T19:09:57Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Interesting rant. Leave it with me and I’ll get back to you. I give you my word. OK, I’m back. Let’s circle back to this soon. I don’t want to put a spoke in your wheel, so for now, let’s put a pin in it. I promise we’ll revisit at the next meeting. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/28 "2023-11-28T19:12:30Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > Leave it with me means exactly what it says on the tin. No more no less. I have gladly placed a check (cheque?) in the mail (post?) covering the costs of the hamburger you recently provided me. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/29 "2023-11-28T20:41:29Z")
Still more good Britishisms than bad ones. I like “could do.” I once saw this during an academic interview. “Do you think this evidence suggests that long-haired pleonasaurs lived in roving packs?” “It could do, yes.” Perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/30 "2023-11-28T21:18:36Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Still more good Britishisms than bad ones. > > I like “could do.” I once saw this during an academic interview. > > “Do you think this evidence suggests that long-haired pleonasaurs lived in roving packs?” > “It could do, yes.” > > Perfect I came across this phrase in a William Gibson novel set in London\*: “Fancy a cup of tea?” “Could do, yeah.” Seemed like a perfectly cromulent and useful phrase to me. \* _Zero History_, if you’re wondering. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/31 "2023-11-28T21:33:26Z")
I’ve been noticing that use of “do” in British speech for quite awhile. There’s a scene in Jon Pertwee’s first _Doctor Who_ episode, from 1970, in which Brigadier Lethbridge Stuart meets the new Doctor for the first time. Liz: Do you recognize him? Brigadier: No. I thought I **might do** , but this man’s a complete stranger to me. Doctor: Lethbridge Stuart? My dear fellow, how nice to see you again. Liz: He seems to know you. Brigadier: But he **can’t do**! An American would have said “I thought I might,” and “But he can’t,” without the “do.” ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/32 "2023-11-28T21:41:48Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Still more good Britishisms than bad ones. The intriguing thing for me about this thread is that in most cases I had no idea (naturally) that they were Britishisms. j ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/33 "2023-11-28T21:47:34Z")
I’ve heard Rachel Riley use that phrase (leave it with me) on the UK program 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, often when she didn’t immediately have a solution to a numbers round question. And then a few minutes later she will have a solution. Her math skills are awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/34 "2023-11-28T22:10:40Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > I’ve been noticing that use of “do” in British speech for quite awhile. It reminds me of the quaint phrase which in fiction is usually given as dialog to snobby pretentious aristocrats, “This is not done!” Merriam-Webster has that usage as the last definition of “done”: > **[Definition of DONE](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/done)** > > —also used in several varieties of English (such as African American English) typically before a past tense verb form to communicate that something (such as an action) has ended… See the full definition I’m wondering if it’s being used in a similar way, as in, “Yes, this is acceptable to me.” ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/35 "2023-11-28T22:16:39Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > > [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > > > The host/shop manager, however, greets clients with, “You all right?” constantly, which grates on my nerves. How common is _that_ phrase? > > I think it’s more common to just ask _Alright?_ as a greeting, or even more likely by name as in _Alright, Fiona?_ or _Alright, Nigel?_ Apropos to this, last night I saw [this clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzJLVWnzLqA) of Emily Blunt on _Graham Norton_ talking about telling her husband, John Krasinski, that wearing a baseball cap made him look “too American”. So he bought a tweed flat cap, and as he was walking back to their home a man on the street nodded at him and said, “Awright, mate?” > [@iamatractorboy](#): > > Yes, like ‘how’s it going?’ or ‘how y’all doing?’ (I assume these are genuinely common in the US and I’ve not been (shock) _fooled by TV and/or films_ Nope, those are pretty common in real life, along with “What’s up?” or “Howya doin’?” Saying “how y’all doing” to only one person, however, will mark you as a non-Southerner. (It’s plural.) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/36 "2023-11-28T22:23:01Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > I’ve been watching this Brit show called **The Repair Shop** and they say, “Leave it with me,” frequently. Are you watching that show in the US? Because I remember the first series was available a few years ago (Netflix, I think) but haven’t been able to find any more episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/37 "2023-11-28T22:34:59Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > Perhaps it doesn’t rise to the American level of me giving you **my word** … How about the way Brits say tiss-you instead of fucking tissue? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/38 "2023-11-28T22:41:11Z")
I’m mostly bothered by the pronunciation of “jaguar”. The original pronunciation in Spanish is “hah-gwar”. In American English, the “J” is pronounced the way it normally it is in English, but otherwise it’s pronounced the same as the original. The British just mangle it, and then make a point to correct people on how to pronounce it, particularly with the Jaguar car company. (Now, to be fair, the company decides how it wants to be pronounced, they could insist that it be pronounced “kumquat” if they wanted to, but still, it comes off as being arrogantly wrong.) ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/39 "2023-11-28T22:55:41Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > The British just mangle it, and then make a point to correct people on how to pronounce it, particularly with the Jaguar car company. (Now, to be fair, the company decides how it wants to be pronounced, they could insist that it be pronounced “kumquat” if they wanted to, but still, it comes off as being arrogantly wrong.) No, no: it’s PRONOUNCED as ‘throat-wobbler mangrove’. Surely you knew that? ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811/40 "2023-11-28T22:57:38Z")
If someone said “leave it with me” here at work, I’d expect that they were saying that it belonged in their to-do pile rather than mine. And that, whether they finished it or not, it was no longer my problem. I’d make an entry in my desk notes: “transferred to X” and get on with the rest of my pile. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-it-with-me-a-common-british-phrase/993811.md?page=3)