AIBU to ask English people not to say poorly?! (lighthearted)

[SliAnCroix]

It sounds a bit moany and weak. Can't get to grips with grown women saying their husband was poorly. It would be like saying my husband took a week off work because he had a bubu. I know we all have our own slang and some Irish slang probably sounds strange outside of Ireland in the next village

I am not speaking on behalf of everybody outside of England, I do realise this.

And full disclaimer, the word dodi makes me wince. I have done my best to eradicate that word. Service to my country.

Are and ah same here too

I still don’t think I’ve heard someone pronounce ‘scarf’ with a pure ‘ah’ sound, no hint of a ‘r’.

So even a very posh ‘gir ahffe’ wouldnt be an exact rhyme.

If I try to do it myself, I can only manage it by channelling Brian Sewel.

I can’t see how ji-rahf would rhyme with scarf

I can't see if you're misquoting me or quoting someone else here.

Well all I can say is for me they are an exact rhyme. And surely for large parts of southern England too??

Well all I can say is for me they are an exact rhyme. And surely for large parts of southern England too??

Yes, I'd imagine so.

I’ve lived in southern England and no, I still don’t get the lack of ‘r’ sound in scarf.

Perhaps a close enough rhyme, but definitely not exact to my ears.

If you're talking to me, gin you may have misread my post- I said I can see how they would rhyme. You've quoted me (or someone else, it's not clear) as saying the opposite.

Wow- the cynic in me says that quiz used the location on my phone- it was correct down to the closest large town!

@BrooHaHa oops sorry, misquoting you. That’s a relief. I was starting to think there must be something weird about the way I talk...

What the f is a bubu?

To my ears, it sounds like they're putting an r in to words like bath, path and giraffe, Laurie. I suppose it might technically be 'ah', but to me 'ah' as in, 'Ahh, bisto' sounds enough like 'ar' as in car for sc-arf to rhyme with ji-rahf. Does that help at all?

I wish people would still saying "sick" when they mean "ill". When you're sick you're throwing up.

And when I say "still saying" I mean "STOP saying" !

To my ears, it sounds like they're putting an r in to words like bath, path and giraffe

In theory, sure, I just don’t think I’ve actually heard it, outside of Brian Sewel or similar.

Like I say, I may just not know enough posh types or we may be conditioned to hear sounds differently depending on what we’ve grown up with. I don’t know.

Is poorly a baby word?! I never thought it was! It's miles away from words like 'dodi' and 'booboo'

See to me the ah in “Ahh, bisto” and the ar in car are identical. I find accents fascinating.

@Abbccc unless you are in Australia in which case “sick” and “ill” are interchangeable.

I wish people would still saying "sick" when they mean "ill". When you're sick you're throwing up.

Why do we get sick pay then?

I love the word poorly, but for exactly the reasons you give! "Aww, are you poorly?" Then a good eyeroll. It's helpful to have a word to describe a fake or pathetic kind of illness. It does annoy me when used to mean a real illness though.

*44Gobbolinothewitchscat

That's interesting maddie. Would always say tummy and find belly a really horrible word*

Me too, makes me think of belly draft of pork...

Can we please wipe out “boc boc” for bottle too?

@Thehop Isn't it bot bot? Or is boc boc a variation inspired by the babytalk 'bockle'?

I don’t think scarf and giraffe rhyme in any accent, even the most overdone RP

If you, or anyone else, is still in any doubt that they can, listen to the sound files on the Collins online dictionary.

www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/giraffe

www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/scarf

I’m guessing you’re right and it’s a stupid variant of bockle. I’m in Yorkshire and hear it so much and hate it! Baby talk is the pits!

Or is boc boc a variation inspired by the babytalk 'bockle'?

Bockle is acceptable grown up speak in parts of the North.