Sure, Shakespeare was British, but modern-day Brits are decidedly less wordy. Not sure how to pronounce it yourself? Then listen to the master: Karl Pilkington. Nothing could be more British than running for the bus while holding multiple bags of shopping in your hands.
Brits are famous for their sense of humour, and we like to take life a little less seriously than other nations do. In the past, Britain bequeathed onto the world the steam train, the telephone and, most importantly, the chocolate bar. Most Brits are therefore mortified by the thought of hiring an expensive expert to mend an item in need of repair, and we take pride in giving the repair job a go ourselves.
Even that is creeping in over here. I would have thought it would have been better if the pool was warm! Things that are mildly interesting, perhaps, but definitely not awe-inspiring.
When did Brits start saying "brilliant" all the time? I thought it supplanted triffic as the word of choice. You might think you know the meaning of some of these British sayings, but the different situations where you can use them and their double meanings might just surprise you! Cheeky is a word used by English people to describe somebody who says something insolent or irrelevant in an amusing way.
Do you feel extremely tired or exhausted? Apart from its literal meaning e. Smash it! You do realise that in 20 years time this thread will be the Chinese bemoaning the way Americans don't speak correctly? No one speaks 'correctly'. Just because America has a monopoly on everything else in the world it doesn't mean you can ditate the use of English.
Americans also over-use stupid, inane words which have now all but lost meaning. However because you are so used to it you don't recognise it. And I hope that Lorraine Kelly and all of her 'brilliance' will be quickly sent back to Scotland once they achieve that freedom that they so desperately desire. In one of Stephen Fry's novels, there's a character named "Ashley," who, upon arriving at university, thinks the posh crowd is constantly talking about him.
He quickly realizes that they're just using "actually" in every sentence. End of story. Brits think all Americans say "amazing" because they hear American celebrities say it a lot on their TV screens on chat shows and the like.
Celebrities are not representative of the population at large. However Brits all say "brilliant" no matter who they are and that's a fact. R67, I am a former NYer living in flyover land, and I hear Americans who are not celebrities overuse amazing and awesome everywhere I go: here in redneckland, and in NY when I'm visiting friends and family, and in other parts of the country, when I'm just traveling.
It's simply incorrect to say an enormous number of Americans don't use those words to describe a things that are neither amazing nor awesome. You've got to wonder what people who describe shoes or potato chips as "awesome!
Brilliant is overused in the States also. Except in a way that is more tedious. Everybody who has had some mild success, especially in music or movies, at some point it seems has been described as brilliant. Give me a break. There are maybe a handful of truly brilliant people produced by every generation. Einstein was brilliant. Augustine was brilliant. Mozart was brilliant. I think I made my point. Madonna is NOT brilliant. Enough already. It's okay to simply say that someone is very talented or accomplished, and leave it at that.
That was the first time I'd heard used in the context we hear it so much now. My Brooklyn Jewish sister in law went to live in ZA and came home using lots of Britishisms from her friends.
The most hilarious thing is hearing someone say "cock up" in a thick Brooklyn accent. I also like to hear the british say that, as well as "bloody". I love the british accent, it's bloody brilliant!
I have an American friend who lived over there for a number of years. He will occasionally refer to something as "brilliant. What is so intelligent about it? I thought "Oh, it's arrived here now! Then you started hearing it all the time.
The English sometimes say "Terrific! You know people have beat a word into the earth when they are reduced to adopting a nickname for that word.
Every time I see her she will mockingly overuse the word. When they end every sentence with " And half the time, amazing is used sarcastically, Brits. Your slang sucks.
Except for slapper. That's a good one. So is bloody. I have to admit I find it hilarious when people respond, "Bloody is. Overall, however, American colloquialisms are better. I heard my old boss use the word "scintillating" once which would have been an interesting departure from the normal slurry of overused adjectives except he pronounced it "skintillating" and had no idea that it wasn't said that way. Agreed R We should return to handsome, fine, or fit IMHO.
Dreamy and beguiling would even be better! Only if we talk about American men's overuse of "awesome" and American women's overuse of "Amazing!
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