| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5 6 7] > | Off topic: "Meaningless" phrases in English people use every day Thread poster: RominaZ
|
|---|
Ty Kendall 
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:09
Hebrew to English
| Perhaps this is what is meant...... | Jan 22, 2012 |
Giles Watson wrote:
George Hopkins wrote:
I have been wondering for a long time, who is Uno?
Uno who or Uno what?
G.
Uno = "YOU KNOW".
Which can be a really annoying tag when attached to every other sentence, you know?
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:09
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Ty Kendall wrote:
Uno = "YOU KNOW".
Which can be a really annoying tag when attached to every other sentence, you know?
Ah - I get it - the poster was confusing textspeak with correct English.
[Edited at 2012-01-22 12:52 GMT]
| | | | | Interesting question | Jan 22, 2012 |
When someone says, "That's an interesting question", you know there will be no interesting answer.
| | | |
This unknown Uno bloke is frequently referred to several times in a single sentence of spoken English, you know.
| | |
|
|
|
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:09
Member (2008)
Italian to English
George Hopkins wrote:
When someone says, "That's an interesting question", you know there will be no interesting answer.
You know, that's quite an interesting sort of, like, you know, thing to kind of say, you know?
Do you like understand what I'm saying?
Get me, bro ?
[Edited at 2012-01-22 17:35 GMT]
| | | |
It's the shit.
Learnt recently that "It's shit" is quite different from "It's the shit". Although "It's crap" is more or less the same as "It's the crap".
English is tough stuff.
| | | |
Are what I get at supermarket checkouts in the UK when, in reply to the question "Do you have a xxxx card at all? ", I say "No, not even a little bit".
I too get annoyed by obviously , but then I find myself using it, and have to slap myself over the wrist. This happens with a number of phrases.
And when interviewing prospective employees, a flag tends to go up when they respond to questions with "To be honest...." . Do they mean that up until that point ... See more Are what I get at supermarket checkouts in the UK when, in reply to the question "Do you have a xxxx card at all? ", I say "No, not even a little bit".
I too get annoyed by obviously , but then I find myself using it, and have to slap myself over the wrist. This happens with a number of phrases.
And when interviewing prospective employees, a flag tends to go up when they respond to questions with "To be honest...." . Do they mean that up until that point they have been lying? The comment often combines with "...I've never really thought about that" - I suspect that a truer answer would be "I can't think of how to reply to that question".
Keep them coming!
Cheers
Noni ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:09
Member (2008)
Italian to English
At supermarket checkouts in the UK ...."Do you have a xxxx card ?
I once saw a man at a supermarket checkout wearing a T-shirt that said in large letters
"NO, I HAVEN'T GOT A ****ING LOYALTY CARD"
| | |
|
|
|
Wasn't there a UK Prime Minister once upon a time in the later 1900s who loved the term "To be frank".
Just about as meaningless, or suspicious, as 'to be honest'.
| | | | | Sales clerks "courtesy" | Jan 23, 2012 |
The supermarket thing reminded me...
In the US and Canada there are standard, rubber-stamped greeting and farewell phrases that are probably ignored by locals after decades of overexposure to them. While I may be taken for a local, deep inside I'm still a foreign visitor, so either of these expressions will make an imaginary LED blink once within me.
Customer service personnel have been stubbornly trained to, upon facing a client, make eye contact, smile, and say exactl... See more The supermarket thing reminded me...
In the US and Canada there are standard, rubber-stamped greeting and farewell phrases that are probably ignored by locals after decades of overexposure to them. While I may be taken for a local, deep inside I'm still a foreign visitor, so either of these expressions will make an imaginary LED blink once within me.
Customer service personnel have been stubbornly trained to, upon facing a client, make eye contact, smile, and say exactly, "Good morning, Sir/Madam. How are you doing today?. It beats me why the emphasis on "today". Does it mean that they don't want to know about the kielbasa I had yesterday, which spent all night trying to communicate with me, and maybe with some close bystanders too? Do they really wanna know about the careless lady who trampled her shopping cart over my foot? I mean, who cares? If they don't want to hear about it, why ask?
When our business transaction is over, and I am ready to leave, they have been thoroughly trained to make eye contact, smile again, and say, "Have a nice day!" Do they really care? I wouldn't believe it, even if they told me they do. I "translate" that into "If you intend to drop dead, please do it outside our store. Otherwise we'll have police, paramedics, and CSI teams swarming in here, which will be highly detrimental to our business."
So these two trite expressions, though meaningful, are completely pointless. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:09
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Have a nice day | Jan 23, 2012 |
José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote:
... they have been thoroughly trained to make eye contact, smile again, and say, "Have a nice day!"
The standard reply to that is "Thank you, but I have other plans."
[Edited at 2012-01-23 12:30 GMT]
| | | |
Tom in London wrote:
George Hopkins wrote:
When someone says, "That's an interesting question", you know there will be no interesting answer.
You know, that's quite an interesting sort of, like, you know, thing to kind of say, you know?
Do you like understand what I'm saying?
Get me, bro ? [Edited at 2012-01-22 17:35 GMT]
I hear where you're coming from, man.
Jenny
| | |
|
|
|
XXXphxxx (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:09
Portuguese to English
+ ...
| 'As of now' and reflexive pronouns | Jan 23, 2012 |
e.g. 'As of now the side door will be closed', runs along the lines of 'going forward'.
and
'Is there something I can do for yourself?'
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:09
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Advanced tickets | Jan 23, 2012 |
instead of "advance" tickets. Horrible !
| | | | Ty Kendall
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:09
Hebrew to English
More a crime of our American cousins.....
As in "Get off of me", "Micky jumped off of the ladder" and "I can't take my eyes off of you"
The "of" is totally superfluous at best, meaningless at worst.
"Get off me / Micky jumped off the ladder / I can't take my eyes off you".
Either just use "off" on its own, or substitute with "from" on the occasions where that would make more sense.
[Edited at 2012-01-23 13:49 GMT]
| | | | | Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5 6 7] > | There is no moderator assigned specifically to this forum. To report site rules violations or get help, please contact site staff » "Meaningless" phrases in English people use every day | Trados Studio 2022 Freelance |
|---|
The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.
Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop
and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
More info » |
| | Anycount & Translation Office 3000 |
|---|
Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
