- I’d like to share with you the uk meaning of a straight dope — nowadays the word straight comes to mean ‘not gay’ and a dope is an ‘airhead’ --so does that make us on here ‘not gay airheads’ :smack:
Those words can mean the same things here.
Excuse me a sec, the fat bird in my boot is shouting again.
I thought dope was an illegal drug and straight meant it was a without another drug added.:smack:
then we have ‘yards’ as against gardens -and bumpers against -‘fenders’—there must be a host of others…?
When my dad saw me looking on here years ago he thought I was on a drugs website…
Heh. I saw an Americans’ guide to English vernacular a few years back. It took me quite a while to stop laughing at the mistakes. Note to any aspiring imitators: at least have a native-born Anglo look over the proofs for you. :smack:
Lemonade = 7-up
In the UK 7-up is a brand of lemonade, not a generic term. Or is it that what US people call lemonade is not a 7-up like substance?
“Lemonade” does indeed refer to different things in the U.S. and U.K. As usual, Wikipedia gives a good explanation of the different meanings of the term.
All four of those terms are in common usage in the US as well.
Similar advice could be proffered to anyone preparing to start a thread about the differences between British and American language.
7-Up, Sprite, Slice, and similar carbonated beverages are usually referred to by brand name, but can be referred to generically with terms such as “lemon-lime soda” or “lemon-lime carbonated drinks.”
“Lemonade,” to us, is not carbonated. No fizz. It’s traditionally made by squeezing a lemon into plain ice water and mixing with sugar. It also comes in pre-sweetened powdered form, which is just stirred into plain water. Similarly, “orangeade,” and other, less common terms, such as “grape-ade.”
Straight means “not criminal” as in “he went straight.” Dope means drug. So the “Straight Dope,” is a non-criminalized drug 
(From the George Burns and Gracie Allen Show)
Gracie) The papers said I was a hero
George) The word is heroine Gracie
Gracie) Really? I thought heroin was a dope
…And now back to your regularly scheduled threat
Dope could mean stupid so the forum might mean Really (Straight) Stupid?
That’s actually where we get the metaphor, more or less. Just make the drug “truth” and you got it. Cecil gives the unadulterated truth about the questions he’s asked.
WAGers in GQ, on the other hand… 