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"Might Could" in English | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages |  | |
 meramarina Diglot Moderator United States Joined 5967 days ago 1341 posts - 2303 votes  Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: German, Italian, French Personal Language Map | Message 9 of 24 25 March 2010 at 4:54pm | IP Logged | ||
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Report from the American South:
Yes, "might could" is used in colloquial conversation, although it is a different register of speech. It's probably not something you'd say at work, or to someone you don't know, and it would not be considered correct if written. I also hear extra prepositions, such as to leave = to get on out, (actually, more likely "y'all git on out now'! - no, that's not satiric or exaggerated, people really say this), or "Hurry on up now! = hurry up. As I was typing this, I realized that Southerners also often end sentences with the word "now"! I'm not an expert on Southern slang - these are really just personal observations from spending a lot of time in South Carolina, and I come from a Southern family and I am living with them now. You can see more regional expressions here: Southern USA regional expressions
Here's some fun stuff regarding American vs. British English Cross-Atlantic English Quiz I only got half of these words correct, although I did recognize them when I saw the answers 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Teango Triglot Winner TAC 2010 & 2012 Senior Member United States teango.wordpress.comRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5556 days ago 2210 posts - 3734 votes Speaks: English*, German, Russian Studies: Hawaiian, French, Toki Pona | Message 10 of 24 25 March 2010 at 9:28pm | IP Logged | ||
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Wahey...I scored 15/15! :)
Just think of words in British English like "anorak" (origin: Greenland Eskimo) and "scone" (origin: Scots and Middle Dutch). They reveal the rich variety of words in the English language absorbed from all over the world and down the centuries. I was particularly fascinated, for example, to learn about scones today: "Thin, flat cake," 1513, Scottish, probably from Du. schoon "bread," in schoon brood "fine bread," from M.Du. schoonbroot, from schoon, scone "bright, beautiful" (see sheen) + broot (see bread)." [source: Online Etymology Dictionary] 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| meramarina Diglot Moderator United States Joined 5967 days ago 1341 posts - 2303 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: German, Italian, French Personal Language Map | Message 11 of 24 25 March 2010 at 11:02pm | IP Logged | ||
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Well, of course you know your British expressions! ;) I love etymology and history, too.
I have to disagree with this quiz about "anorak" though, because we do use that word here in America. I got the scone question correct, but using "biscuit" still feels wrong to me to describe cookies. I visited Great Britain twice and loved it there -- but I have to say that I absolutely hate, hate, HATE the word "Weetabix!" But, of course, Southern-style "grits" sounds very ugly, too . . . a very popular food here, but I hate them! Edited by meramarina on 25 March 2010 at 11:03pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Teango Triglot Winner TAC 2010 & 2012 Senior Member United States teango.wordpress.comRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5556 days ago 2210 posts - 3734 votes Speaks: English*, German, Russian Studies: Hawaiian, French, Toki Pona | Message 12 of 24 25 March 2010 at 11:30pm | IP Logged | ||
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Credit where credit's due, after decades of film and tv, I also know my American English expressions too ;)
So you hate Weetabix eh...how come?...so I guess you're not going to like this freaky Weetabix advert too much then (lol). 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| meramarina Diglot Moderator United States Joined 5967 days ago 1341 posts - 2303 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: German, Italian, French Personal Language Map | Message 13 of 24 25 March 2010 at 11:57pm | IP Logged | ||
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DON'T say that word!
I never tried the actual food. I won't. I can't. This word is just soul-destroying -- WEET isn't a grain! And what is a BIX? I don't know why the name annoys me so much, it's silly, irrational and juvenile, but we all have our eccentricities. Maybe I have a cereal problem: I posted some time ago about how much I disliked the German "Big Corny!" To my distress, I've found that we have The Cereal With The Intolerable Brand Name here in the USA, too, but it is not very popular. No national insult intended -- I grew up hearing the Southern word "grits" (and refusing to eat them, too) and it still sounds like dirt to me! 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Teango Triglot Winner TAC 2010 & 2012 Senior Member United States teango.wordpress.comRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5556 days ago 2210 posts - 3734 votes Speaks: English*, German, Russian Studies: Hawaiian, French, Toki Pona | Message 14 of 24 26 March 2010 at 12:23am | IP Logged | ||
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Those "Corny Big" chocolate bars are certainly bizarre (I see them all the time in my local shop here), but if I may be so bold, have you ever perchance happened upon a box of Super Dickmann's in your culinary travels? (just check out that fountain ;) ) Edited by Teango on 26 March 2010 at 12:25am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| meramarina Diglot Moderator United States Joined 5967 days ago 1341 posts - 2303 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: German, Italian, French Personal Language Map | Message 15 of 24 26 March 2010 at 12:40am | IP Logged | ||
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eh, no, I might could just lose my last shred of sanity over that one (is it necessary to have a KINO!?!) There is a very peculiar hotdog-in-a-can product here in the South called "Beenie Weenie!"
1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| peregrina Newbie Scotland Joined 5358 days ago 4 posts - 4 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Latin, Russian | Message 16 of 24 26 March 2010 at 1:35am | IP Logged | ||
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If I mentioned the pudding known as 'spotted dick', would anyone from beyond these shores know what I am talking about? Is it restricted to English English, as I suspect, or is it more widely known?
1 person has voted this message useful |
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