To ask about the weird things you only learned from MN?

[Blanchedupetitpois]

It seems like in MN world there are all kinds of rules that I swear I’ve never seen expressed or followed in real life. What have you been most surprised by? I’ll start:

1. Adults don’t celebrate birthdays, and if you expect any recognition of yours, you’re being childish.

1. Halloween is exclusively an American import with no history in this country, and celebrating it is therefore tacky and meaningless.

1. Trick or treating is glorified begging.

1. Absolutely nobody other than you or your DP is remotely interested in your pregnancy, and even telling another person that you’re pregnant is akin to riding a donkey down the high street while calling for palm fronds to be laid at your feet in recognition of the impending miracle of your unborn child.

I find it very cheering that UK English retains its character, it's nice to know that however much other English speaking countries bastardise it, here we continue to use words and phrases that have been part of the language for decades.

I can categorically say that cross is a word used almost daily in our house I get cross all the time due to Sen provision for my son making me cross
Fag is also used daily because I smoke 6 a day and I have no intention of not using it because someone from another country finds it offensive, it's a word that has more than one meaning.
Twee is used fairly often here too and horrid I use sometimes as does the rest of my family.

We do understand that there is a world outside of the uk you know

I didn't know that 'horrible' is bastardising the 'English language'. But I guess some on here would prefer to live in the Shakespearean era. I always got the impression from tv shows that England/UK is very backward and old-fashioned. I thought I may have been wrong, but this thread proves me right.

So Whirly the word angry doesn't exist?

Of course the word angry exists, it doesn't mean the same as cross though. You have heard of nuance, Salem? And where did anyone say using horrible was bastardising the language?

Bluelady, yes, it does mean the same. I just checked in the dictionary and thesaurus. Also your post suggested that you think those who use more mainstream words ie angry, horrible, that it is 'bastardising' the language. Despite the fact that language has always evolved over time Though you wouldn't know it on here.

The language is interesting. I've noticed it before because I live abroad.

For me I've been told so many times over the past 8 years that I should be staying home with the DC. Well I've continued working and I'm in a good job now where I work regular hours on a FT basis. Oh and yes regular hours is 45 hours of work a week. Add in commute time and I'm out of the home for 50-55 hours, 60 if I have more than 1 evening function to attend, a week.

The wages discussions are always interesting. I've come to realize that everyone should get a statement each year with what they earned, what they received in terms of benefits, how much tax was paid and how much that equates to as a pretax, post tax and monthly disposable income.

Salem cross and angry are not the same. I get cross fairly regularly with the Sen provision letting my son down. I rarely get angry about it though. Two comp,Evelyn different meanings and one requires much greater effort and emotion than the other.

Completely, I hate the way a keyboard works on the iPad now, makes me look like I'm a bit dim

You can check as many dictionaries as you like, in the UK - that place where cross is in everyday usage - cross doesn't mean the same as angry. Angry is much more extreme than cross. That was what I meant by nuance. And my reference to bastardisation of the language was to the objection to the word fag which appears to have a completely different meaning in the colonies.

SalemBlackCat4, yes British Teens. Up North we say lads and lasses. I'm in Liverpool, we've dropped lass, but still say lad (but it can be changed to lid for a piss take). Yorkshire say lass, still.

In my book if Maggie Smith will use a word, then so will I. I use the much milined 'Gotten'.

As for old fashioned. I think our laws around Women's reproductive rights, Domestic Abuse, warning the Burka and I could go on, say otherwise.

As for 'other English speaking nations', respect the fact that we spawned the language, we can use it as we wish.

Being cross means you will tut and complain to others. It's mild irritation.

@Bluelady, unless the UK has been cut off from the rest of the English-speaking world, they well know that 'fag' is an insult, after all, they know that the N word (which is a slur in America) is offensive. To call cigarettes 'fags' is the perfect example of bastardisation of the language. Cigarettes are cigarettes. Or ciggies. Or smokes. They are not 'fags'. Not to the rest of the English speaking world.
You know, this has in my mind so many correlations to www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3412966-MNHQ-please-address-the-anti-Irish-sentiment-present-on-Mumsnet-and-in-your-talk-guidelines?messages=100&pg=1 I will post a few examples, and just in your mind, substitute 'beyond the pale'/racism for 'fag'.

"It's not as if that is the sole phrase that can be used to express what they want to say. They've been told that many Irish posters find it offensive and yet they use etymology as an excuse not to change it."

"I do totally agree with you but I think this thread will descend into people justifying their use of the phrase and will go off topic."

"just because you haven’t heard of it and don’t agree with it, doesn’t make it any less offensive. Innocence and ignorance are not an acceptable defences for racism."

"I just don't understand why when many people say we are offended by it people insist on continuing to use it. Why?"

@Birdsgottafly "As for old fashioned. I think our laws around Women's reproductive rights, Domestic Abuse, warning the Burka and I could go on, say otherwise." There are more things that demonstrate old-fashioned than those above. Just because a country might have a good record on those, doesn't mean they aren't old-fashioned and backward.

Annoyed is used a lot by all English-speaking countries. It is a perfectly valid word which could be used.

medium.com/th-ink/a-history-of-fags-and-faggots-295726f549df

Please stop being offended by the word fag.

And annoyed does not mean the same as cross either, annoyed means it's irritated me a little but not enough to be pissed off.

None of those words are in common usage outside the UK.

Well that’s ok because most of us are in the UK.
This is like complaining that a Norwegian forum is mainly in Norwegian which isn’t used much outside Norway.

Here’s a thought. If you think the UK is so old fashioned and backwards then why not go on the equivalent website to Mumsnet in Australia where your cousin won’t have to come to your house and see the word ‘fag’ in common usage.

Oh, and I use horrid, cross, lads and lasses. I’m in my 40s. What i find so funny is that you are guffing on about us lot not knowing what is happening in the rest of the English speaking world when you clearly have bugger all idea about the words that are in common usage in England.

Annoyed is used a lot by all English-speaking countries. It is a perfectly valid word which could be used.

So why can’t we use cross? Has it offending your half sister’s cat?

Lovely fags.
From the sitcom Father Ted. From Ireland. Another part of the English speaking world that doesn’t find the word fags offensive.

Annoyed is used a lot by all English-speaking countries. It is a perfectly valid word which could be used.

Of course it could be used. That doesn’t mean it’s obligatory. You could order a pudding in a restaurant - that doesn’t mean the word dessert is incorrect.

If someone tells you a word is offensive outside of the UK, the usual thing is for people to stop using that word once they've been told it's offensive. That is the respectful, kind and proper thing to do. Why would you willingly continue to use a word that is offensive? Simply because centuries ago cigarettes were known as that word? People have no problems adjusting to using alternative words to the n word, what is the difference here? If you learn a word is offensive, you stop using it. Well, at least that's what I thought.

@Bluelady, unless the UK has been cut off from the rest of the English-speaking world, they well know that 'fag' is an insult, after all, they know that the N word (which is a slur in America) is offensive. To call cigarettes 'fags' is the perfect example of bastardisation of the language. Cigarettes are cigarettes. Or ciggies. Or smokes. They are not 'fags'. Not to the rest of the English speaking world.

But they ARE here. Names used in the rest of the English-speaking world aren’t relevant. ‘Smokes’ for cigarettes is very much an Australasian term; you’d be unlikely hear a Brit using it. That doesn’t make it wrong.

As on the other thread, you’re completely ignoring context. There is no non-offensive meaning to n**ger. Fag is indeed an insult when addressed to someone (although not one commonly used in the UK), but not when used to describe a cigarette.

Would I call a gay person a fag? Of course not. Would I expected them to be offended by someone smoking one? No. I also wouldn’t call a lesbian a dyke - but I’m sure as hell not going to tell the Dutch that they’ve got to change the name of their sea walls.

Simply because centuries ago cigarettes were known as that word?

No. They are known as fags right now. Today, by everyone, even gay people.