Piss would have to be the best word ever. It’s so multi functional.
Piss off…Go away.
Stop taking the piss…Stop making fun of me.
I’m pissed…I’m drunk.
He’s a pisshead…he drinks to much.
I need a piss…I need a tinkle.
I am so pissed off…Gosh I’m angry.
To the person that asked if bloody was a strong word. No mate it’s as week as piss…not very bloody strong. Bloody would berely raise an eyebrow in most company.
The best word ever is bugger. Nothing shows anger, disapointment, frustration etc better then bugger. And it’s perfectly correct too. We have an ad for a car where the only spoken word is bugger. Pure genius.
you forgot “on the piss”-----I’m drinking—maybe that’s a bit of Oz though
Im English living in Oz and many of these are very valid. However some of the meanings are a bit wrong
A minger–An ugly Chick
A ginger-- Anyone who’s a redhead
Grass Up-- To dob in (tell the authorities)
and what the Smeg does Fair Dinkum mean??
I knew I would have forgotten at least one. I’m just surprised it was getting on the piss though.
And fair dinkum is just a secret code word to identify Aussies from the rest of the world. That is if the horrendous accent doesn’t give it away. Ok I’m joking! I know, I just opened up the whole sheep joke thing now.
minge actually generally refers to the same as muff so basically pubic hair (female) although thats just in my experience and swear words have different meanings everywhere
No, that article is about Mickey Finns, the noxious drinks. “Taking the mickey” is completely different.
My dictionary gives this for ponce: Derogatory slang, chiefly Brit. ~n. 1. a man given to ostentatious or effeminate display in manners, speech, dress etc. 2. another word for pimp. ~vb. 3. (intr.; often followed by around or about) to act like a ponce. [C19; from Polari*, from Spanish pu(n)to male prostitute or French pront prostitute].
Birk should be spelt berk and is rhyming slang. I hope I don’t have to explain rhyming slang in full, but the derivation is berk = short for Berkley Hunt (a certain group of fox hunters), which rhymes with another rude word used to mean either a part of the body only half of us have, or a contemptible or ridiculous person.
*Polari is a gay slang dating from the days when it was illegal to be gay
A personal favourite of mine; as in the expression “Koppites are gobshites”. Say it daily like a mantra ;).
Hm. I was under the impression that “ponce” was a verb, and meant “to behave in a homosexual manner”… as in “poncing about like a pooftah…”
It’s been my experience that most Americans can’t tell the difference between an Irish accent, a Scottish accent, a British accent, and an Australian accent… at least, not until you get an Irishman, a Scot, an Aussie, and John Cleese all in the same room together.
One of the funniest things I’ve ever heard was an Englishman trying to imitate the Texas drawl he’d been exposed to for months while over here.
And “bugger” IS a very useful, expressive term. Best of all, not many Americans realize it’s a rude one…
I read recently that, while preparing an Australian/Chinese dictionary (?) it was found that Dinkum comes from the Chinese for “real gold”, and was introduced into Australia by Chinese gold miners during the gold-rush there. Which seems highly plausible.
As to “taking the Mickey”, I’d always heard that it was our old friend rhyming slang again, being short for “Mickey Bliss”. Here’s a cite to back that up.
FWIW, this American can tell the difference between Irish, Scottish, Australian and English accents. Usually. The FBO where I rent (or rented, since I’m not current at the moment) helicopters was run by two Irishmen, but they sound English.
Speaking of accents, I asked the owner of the FBO if his shirt came in khaki. I pronounced it (of course) in the American way – “KACK-kee”. He was confused. I said, “You know, tan. Or muddy brown.” “Oh!” he said, “KAH-kee.” To which the other Irishman said, “KAH-kee? That’s what you start your car with, innit?”
Plenty of Americans use “bloody” just in general, not “trying to sound British” you know. It’s quite well established in its own right as an American curse word.
As for the OP… where are these subterranian rock-dwelling Americans who don’t know “wank” “snog” and “shag”? Also I didn’t even know “bonk” didn’t originate here. Do the Brits use “boink” as well?
The “fanny” one has always been my personal fave, btw. Just the confusion element for poor unsuspecting Americans who say it in front of Britfolk. Heh.
One thing that I found amusing… I found that a lot of folks from that side of the pond seemed vaguely grossed out by the idea of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich… and then I discovered that they use the word ‘jelly’ to mean what we use the word ‘jello’ for. Now that would be gross. Apparently they wouldn’t be grossed out by a peanut butter and jam/preserves/other-word-for-it sammich.
And I don’t mind being called a Yank. My mom was born in Brooklyn, raised in Larchmont. My dad was raised in Greenwich, CT. We’re Yanks, despite my having grown up in Arizona.
One thing I’ve never understood is rhyming slang. I guess you’d ‘have to be there’ because from this side it just seems kinda dumb.
I’ve never heard it being used by anyone here. Even “bonk” sounds peculiar to me – very 80s/tabloid.
I’m sure plenty of people realise what the proper ingredients are, but it still seems like an alien combination. I made my own once and won’t be doing it again. Having said that, it’s often been mentioned on the SDMB that our peanut butter doesn’t taste the same as yours, so maybe that’s the problem?
It’s also worth bearing in mind that it’s only very sparingly used, and not at all in most parts of the country. There was a thread all about the subject a while back and an American (Canadian?) doper feared that she wouldn’t be able to understand anything people said when she visited here.