61 British Sentences That Will Confuse The bejesus Out Of Everyone Else

I had to alter the title of this for T&c's but thought I had to share this.

The full link is below but a few to give you the general idea and anyone wishing to add more is welcome.

3. “Oh yes, he’s a lot of fun.” – He’s an absolute nightmare.


6. “Fancy a drink?” – Fancy staying out until 3am and waking up with your face glued to a kebab?


11. “It got a bit lively.” – The police were called.


18. “Yes, it’s great, I love it.” – I am very dismayed by this haircut.

21. “I might pop along.” – I’m probably not coming.
22. “I’ll see how I feel.” – I’m definitely not coming.



You get the idea....

l ink

a reply to: nonspecific

sounds like sarcasm- I don't see the problem...


also, link is busted.

originally posted by: nonspecific
I had to alter the title of this for T&c's but thought I had to share this.

The full link is below but a few to give you the general idea and anyone wishing to add more is welcome.

3. “Oh yes, he’s a lot of fun.” – He’s an absolute nightmare.

local script here would be, " He's a bundle of joy" or, "A right barrel of laughs"
Home page to link,
www.buzzfeed.com...

a reply to: nonspecific

agree with another poster.

It does sound like basic sarcasm and/or understatement, although with a lovely British accent. I'm a Yank, so yeah, there's just something about the accent...

Love British sarcasm and understatements. I personally like, "he's in a spot of bother", and that could be someone who just got his head blown off.

a reply to: nonspecific
Your link doesn't work any more, or was inaccurate.
You quote examples of understatement and irony, and samples of those habits could be multipled almost indefinitely.

If you're explaining something, and the other person remarks "Interesting...", that means "I've had enough of that topic, let's move on to something else".
"Suitably impressed" = "Passionately enthusiastic"
"Not impressed" = "Violently angry".
And if you go to England to work for English customers, you will need to be aware that "Quick as you like" is not giving you permission to work at your own speed.

Another variety of confusing sentence would involve rhyming slang;
"Let's have a butcher's at that..."
"... a pair of thruppenies..." (Do people still say "thruppennies"? Given that nobody who isn't a professional coin collector has seen a threepenny bit since 1971?)

a reply to: kaylaluv
Apparently there was an incident in the Korean war, when a British unit commander wasn't getting rapid support from his American superior, because his appeal for help had been made in just those terms.

Just tried to make a link to the article but it wont link? Maybe because there is an f-word in the title, or ATS doesnt like Buzzfeed.

a reply to: nonspecific

It's not on your list but I was reading something and the one person used a phrase to describe another person and said, 'It upset his constitution.'


The other person was dead.

a reply to: nonspecific

Now if you could just help me understand through the accent!

"Can I bum a fag" - Can I borrow a cigarette

a reply to: nonspecific

As a Brit I don't think all these sentences actually mean what they claim. Sometimes at least from my own experience we tend to use a lot of those sentences for a couple different reasons and ways that can only be understood either by the people around you at the time or those who know you best and almost always we use probably one of the greatest skills a Brit has, other than standing in lines because we're gold star champions at that lol, we use sarcasm almost all the time. It's like our Iron Man armour.

Example:
Just the other day a work "friend" said to me: "You're looking a bit tired lately" to which I replied "Ahhh nice of you to notice"

now while that might seem nice and polite we both laughed because my reply was drowning in sarcasm although I know realise you can't read the sarcasm lol.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

'It upset his constitution.

Like as in a "fatal indigestion" hahahaha...thats terrific

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus
This reminds me of an anecdote from childhood, when a distant family member was reported as saying "She was in a lovely condition when she died".

The link has profanity. If anyone wants to see it, click quote, copy it and paste into a browser.

otherwise, the site censor is picking it up.

I think the word you are all looking for is "irony". I've had to say before on some of my replies (I'm sorry again Yanks) Americans cannot get irony. They think you are insulting them.
Ain't English a lovely language, I think all foreigners aught to be made to speak English.
Do you get that one Yanks, that's called an ironic joke.