ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area US English vs. UK English vs. NZ English

What is the meaning of the following bolded phrases and words?

Thanks

AB looked a bit naff
AB threaded plumbing items clearly labelled in BSP/ANP.
MT krikey
AB if you are getting the parts from a breaker
AB How we envy you lucky Brits at home in Blighty!!

DJK BBC's lashing vast resources into endless administration and projects that could be done commercially.
AB I use old expired credit cards for the fiddly bits round boxes,
AB larruped-up with a spackle blade as flush as possible.
AB, Kenbo, kiwi
Tony Wedgewood Benn
John Prescott [ 2 Rollers! ]
Dianne Abbott
Harry Enfield
David Beckham
Lulu
The Krankies
David Mellor
John Major
Sooty
AB I might pop over to visit His Nibs
AB for a spot of night barbel fishing on the Thames
Tx Ranger informed of any Ossi jokes

Just hold it up to a mirror and it will make perfect sense!

Ecnopedia.

Stap me is short for "Stap me vitals" or stab me in the guts. 18C mild expletive.
BSP/ANP = pipe threads; British Standard and American National.
Breaker is an auto scrapyard.
Blighty is England, my England.
Larruped-up means to spread lots of mortar, or to larrup is disrespectful talk or cheek. My dad said it all the time- "Less a your larrup me lad, or you'll 'ave the back of my 'and!"
His Nibs = the boss or someone you respect/love.
barbel is a species of river fish.
Naff = horrid, common, cheap, nasty. "Naff off!" is polite way to say "get lost!".
Supposed to have been coined by HRH Princess Anne in the 1970's.

List of names? Just third list celebs cluttering up the place and making it untidy!

Alan

Tony Wedgewood Benn. AKA Anthony, Lord Stansgate, an Oxford toff who likes to pretend he is one of the workers. A politician of the 1960s, a socialist and as mad as a hatter, he gained ministerial office and threw vast sums of public money at failed businesses, notably Triumph motorcycles.
John Prescott, Tony Bliar’s no2 at Westminster. Noted for upping motoring taxes, fuel duty etc., while driving round in powerful cars, Jaguars actually. Good left hook; he once felled a guy who threw an egg at him, on camera- and he kept his job.
Dianne Abbott. Left Wing MP, a left-winger and Tony-critic.
Harry Enfield. Comedian.
David Beckham. Footballer and fashion idle,[sic]. Coming to the US soon for 2.5 million bucks to play soccer and advertise hair lacquer.
Lulu Sixties pop star. Sounds like a bag of gravel. Very nice lady.
The Krankies. How do you describe The Krankies to an American!? A scottish Vaudeville duo, economical on talent? The lady, vertically challenged, dresses up as a schoolboy, the guy is the straight man, which is good because he’s not funny. They have one script as far as I know and it has one word on it. “Fandabbydozeeee!”
David Mellor, politician, Thatcher era. Sucks feet as a fetish, according to the tabloids.
John Major. Thatcher’s replacement as PM. The only man in 2000 years of British History to run away from the circus to join an accountancy firm.
Sooty. 1950s childrens’ puppet, a little bear. Still very popular, probably because he don’t talk!

Ossi = german slang expression for east german

Ost = east

Ossi = easterner (as in Eastern Germany)

West Germans make jokes at the easterner's expense in a vein similar to that of "polack" jokes so common in the USA..

NZ Auckland area

krikey %#%*


Raymond

Some more, just discussed with the guys at Whangaparoa depot.

Blighty mother England
braker circuit braker
ossi Australian
Lulu English singer ( Age of 37)
naff suspect or ruined
fiddly bits bits and pieces

Jeff Foxworthy has pretty much summed up American as spoken in the south.
Things like
Mayonaise and witchdija

"Mayonaise a lot of people at the dog track today"


Y'all didn't bring your kids witchadijha?"

America is a wide and far thrown country, so much so that one coast can have a problem understanding the other. I grew up around Boston MA, which has a few different accents that to one in the know could be used to identify which neighborhood someone came from. Several years ago I lost for the most part) my accent, and demeaner which sounded like James Cagney on way too much coffee. When my sister or mother come to visit I have to translate... In much the same way I did when I was in the service between other northerners, (Yankees) and people from New Orleans or other urban southern locals. (Because they sound like James Cagney drunk...)

And spent entirely too much time with a cockney girl who not only sounded like James Cagney an octave higher, but looked like him too.

And although I worked with Irish immigrant crews for several years. (And often had to translate for them too, as they sound like James Cagney with a chest cold.) I am often accussed of being Irish, due to what little is left of my Boston (Somerville/Charlestown) accent, and use of foul, yet colorful language and slang...

Now for some Irish shop talk:
"Macaroon dunta shop, anget a full rounda haufinch fittins, andanue tean thirty seconds tarp."

"Make a run to the the supply house, and get a box each of 1/2" connectors, couplings, and straps, and a new 10/32 tap."

I have also worked with a bunch of Mexican guys who don't sound like James Cagney at all...

Does "Ossi"= Aussie? Meaning an Australian?

BTW e57, I think I dated that girl. She looked like a CUTE James Cagney after a few "pints".