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Thread ID: 79743 2007-05-30 15:24:00 Pongy? PONGY? SurferJoe46 (51) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
554587 2007-05-31 08:47:00 Surfer Joe
What you need to get hold of is a small book... A Personal Kiwi-Yankee Dictionary by Louis S Leland Jnr. Pub 1980 By John McIndoe in Dunedin.
It is a delight with explanations for both sides.... eg why do Americans call their boys "Randy" and what NZers think a "rubber"is!
No, my copy is not for sale!
leonidas5 (2306)
554588 2007-05-31 09:06:00 Surfer Joe
The dictionary is available on Amazon along with one or two other related titles.
leonidas5 (2306)
554589 2007-05-31 11:08:00 I guess their is colloquial or slang language, which can be colourful, and their is outright bastardisation of English as in corporate speak, which our American cousins seem to to, and even worse, their corporate speak is taken over by Kiwis, Aussies and even British, all of whom should know better.
Have any of you stopped to consider the use of "offshore" when what is really meant is either foreign or overseas. Offshore actually means - quoting the dictionary-away from or some distance from the shore or sited or conducted at sea - does that location have banks, call centres etc etc - I think not - Nautically speaking when referring to certificates of competence - it covers the coastal area between the 12mile limit and exteme limits - ie 200 mile limit - not too many banks etc in that area unless they are on ships -
Wec have people claiming they "are not in the business of " - rather than they don't do what ever it is.
"At this moment in time" instead of now The bastardisation of the English language by corporate and government speak - is a totally different ball game to more colourful language through colloquialisms or slang
KenESmith (6287)
554590 2007-05-31 11:41:00 When hearing "The hooley's off, me cobber's sheila's crook" quite a few foreigners are confused, but Kiwis and Australians seem to understand it easily enough when full grown.
Also , the phrase "It is not uncommon to see the Bishop heading for the outback in his shorts" has rather a different interpretation in Aus. to the US of A. :o
R2x1 (4628)
554591 2007-05-31 11:50:00 When hearing "The hooley's off, me cobber's sheila's crook" quite a few foreigners are confused, but Kiwis and Australians seem to understand it easily enough when full grown.
Also , the phrase "It is not uncommon to see the Bishop heading for the outback in his shorts" has rather a different interpretation in Aus. to the US of A. :o

I can't even understand that. Well, Sheila's crook is all I know
bob_doe_nz (92)
554592 2007-05-31 15:59:00 Well...we have some new infusion of terms too from the ghettos...black, Mexican, Korean, Laotian..etc....and then there's just "surfer" talk, "Valley speak", like....ya know?

Some of the funniest Mexican-type lines are in the movie "Happy Feet" with the shorter penguins really zinging one-liners from the background all the time. I am doing an in depth psycho-sociological study on the movie at this time....yeah!.

"It's crackers with the dropsy to snip a rozzer in snide"..from Mad magazine....

...all these things are fun to hear, especially with an accent!

So, hey dude, gonna kipe a few pearlies and hang the set over at TinCan and I'll scuzz ya later if I don't frazzle my nog or scarf on my peeps. <common English-speak there>
SurferJoe46 (51)
554593 2007-06-04 11:47:00 1. Kiwi journalism sucks; journalists can't even use the vernacular properly.

You should try some Zimbabwean journalism. Some pearlers involve the use of the word late, as in

"Comrade Sibanda, who is now late, left a grieving widow......"

and

"
The young man who was green behind the ears....."
joemac (9739)
554594 2007-06-04 22:07:00 The first one is funny, but very also sad, given the circumstances over there at the moment. I did like the second one! John H (8)
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