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> Have you run into this? Yes. I have two examples. One glaring, and one subtle. First the glaring one: the word "cunt." In the US it's quite offensive to cal

> Have you run into this? Yes. I have two examples. One glaring, and one subtle. First the glaring one: the word "cunt." In the US it's quite offensive to call someone a cunt, and even using the word in conversation is considered quite "low." Here it's also an offensive thing to call somebody, but it's not quite as ghastly as we'd make it out to be back home. You certainly wouldn't use the word in a professional setting, but were you in a pub you might not be too surprised to overhear someone using it. Also there are degrees to this word here. In the states someone either is a cunt or they are not. Here you might be "a bit of a cunt." For whatever reason I find that difference amusing. Second, the subtle one - the word "average." In the states it has no connotation. We typically use it in a very mathematical sense. If we call something "average" we mean it's close to the mean/median of our experience of that thing. Here it has a very negative connotation. It seems to mean "the absolute minimum necessary to be passable."

rangibaby 12y ago
> Second, the subtle one - the word "average." In the states it has no connotation. We typically use it in a very mathematical sense. If we call something "average" we mean it's close to the mean/median of our experience of that thing. Here it has a very negative connotation. It seems to mean "the absolute minimum necessary to be passable." Oh yeah, and saying something is "all right" is high praise.
tehwalrus 12y ago
something "average" being mediocre is also a British English thing. I refer you to the viral image that was going around on facebook etc entitled "what British people say, versus what they mean": http://www.buzzfeed.com/lukelewis/what-british-people-say-versus-what-they-mean http://www.buzzfeed.com/lukelewis/what-british-people-say-ve...
- icebraining 12y ago
  In the immortal words of Sir Humphrey: "Unfortunately, among the many extraordinary qualities politicians undoubtedly possess, reasonableness isn’t necessarily the first that springs to mind. Not when one contemplates the average Minister; and our Minister is very average."
  - tehwalrus 12y ago
    beams - There is even a humphreyism embedded in the viral picture actually; "That's very brave, minister..."

rangibaby 12y ago

> Second, the subtle one - the word "average." In the states it has no connotation. We typically use it in a very mathematical sense. If we call something "average" we mean it's close to the mean/median of our experience of that thing. Here it has a very negative connotation. It seems to mean "the absolute minimum necessary to be passable." Oh yeah, and saying something is "all right" is high praise.

tehwalrus 12y ago

something "average" being mediocre is also a British English thing. I refer you to the viral image that was going around on facebook etc entitled "what British people say, versus what they mean": http://www.buzzfeed.com/lukelewis/what-british-people-say-versus-what-they-mean http://www.buzzfeed.com/lukelewis/what-british-people-say-ve...

icebraining 12y ago
In the immortal words of Sir Humphrey: "Unfortunately, among the many extraordinary qualities politicians undoubtedly possess, reasonableness isn’t necessarily the first that springs to mind. Not when one contemplates the average Minister; and our Minister is very average."
- tehwalrus 12y ago
  beams - There is even a humphreyism embedded in the viral picture actually; "That's very brave, minister..."