and do any English people really say this?
Just wondering.
Jolly good wot?
Only if they are trying to be pretentious…
Grim
In an *episode of the old-timey TV show “McHale’s Navy,” Tim Conway is impersonating a **British general, while some other visiting British officers are around. He does the whole “Pip, Pip, Cheerio” shtick.
Later, as the other British officers are leaving, they confide to him, “We knew you weren’t the real [General whose name I don’t recall] because the only place you hear Brits talking like that is in Gilbert & Sullivan.”
*“The Big Impersonation” or “The Great Impersonation”
**Someone had previously noticed the resemblance that Ensign Parker (Conway) had to the general. Don’t remember why he was impersonating him.
When I drove Shuttle vans on Maui, British passengers would hand me my tip and say “Cheers!” then look to me as if I should respond.
???
It’s about as common as
<Mr Burns> Hoi Hoi!</Mr Burns>
I say, old chap! Nip down to the chemists for me, would you, and pick me up a packet of crisps, as I’m feeling a mite peckish!
They are saying thank you and expecting you to say “Hey my pleasure” or something similar.
“Cheerio” means goodbye, or see you later, or have a nice day. That kind of well-wishing as you leave. Still used by some today, though it’s sort of antiquated.
I’ve never heard anyone say “pip pip” though.
“Aloha.” Duh.
Or confuse them: “Auf Wiedersehen!”