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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Page 1 of 2 1 2 "... them as pinched it done her in," revisited, courtesy of Michael Holden #180778 12/09/08 10:03 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,819 Spam Factory A Alex Williams OP Pooh-Bah OP Alex Williams Pooh-Bah A Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,819 Spam Factory I got a smile out this. --A.W. Michael Holden's All Ears The Guardian, Saturday August 25 2007 I was having the by-now-obligatory "all this no smoking will be the death of us" chat outside a pub in the rain when the conversation turned to the misfortunes of others. Man 1 "It's been a bad week all round." Man 2 "What do you mean?" Man 1 "Well, you know Susie got burgled?" Man 2 "No, what happened?" Man 1 "Well, you know, she got burgled. But that's less interesting than what happened after." Man 2 "What was that?" Man 1 "Well, she goes to see her neighbour when she realises what's happened and she's in tears. And the bloke goes, 'Well, I didn't hear anything and I've been in all day.' So she goes to him, 'Look mate, my head's in bits, I'm gonna have to go up the shop for some fags and that. Will you watch the gaff for us?' And the bloke goes, 'Oh, you off up the shops? Can you get me a couple of cans of Grolsch?' Man 2 (Amazed) "Cheeky bastard!" Man 1 "Aye, just gives her a couple of quid an' expects her to get some tins in right after she been burgled!" Man 2 "Did she do it?" Man 1 "'Course she did, she had no choice, did she, if she wanted the fags?" Man 2 (As though realising something of great importance) "Does the bloke drink a lot?" Man 1 "Yeah, he's an alcoholic." Man 2 "Well, that's fair enough, then. He needs booze all the time... her getting burgled's more of a one-off thing." Man 1 "So that makes it alright?" Man 2 "Sort of, yeah. Unless it was him who robbed her." Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: "... them as pinched it done her in," revisited, courtesy of Michael Holden Alex Williams #180829 12/11/08 02:50 PM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Jackie Carpal Tunnel Jackie Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: "... them as pinched it done her in," revisited, courtesy of Michael Holden Alex Williams #180832 12/11/08 03:33 PM Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 876 western NY twosleepy old hand twosleepy old hand Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 876 western NY Okay, I'm completely lost on only one UKism in there: "watch the gaff" Does gaff mean a kid? the house/apartment? a pet? Help!!!! :0) Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: "... them as pinched it done her in," revisited, courtesy of Michael Holden twosleepy #180834 12/11/08 04:09 PM Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,916 Likes: 2 Land of the Flat Water LukeJavan8 Carpal Tunnel LukeJavan8 Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,916 Likes: 2 Land of the Flat Water I think I am pretty much lost on most of it. UK-isms and all aside, can someone translate it into "English"? ----please, draw me a sheep---- Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: "... them as pinched it done her in," revisited, courtesy of Michael Holden twosleepy #180845 12/11/08 05:18 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass Originally Posted By: twosleepy Okay, I'm completely lost on only one UKism in there: "watch the gaff" Does gaff mean a kid? the house/apartment? a pet? Help!!!! :0) gaff Noun. 1. Place of residence or work. E.g."My gaff is just around the corner." [1930s] 2. Place. E.g."It was all over the gaff but at least I had a week to clean it up." [UK dictionary of slang, via OneLook] Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: "... them as pinched it done her in," revisited, courtesy of Michael Holden tsuwm #180855 12/11/08 07:46 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,819 Spam Factory A Alex Williams OP Pooh-Bah OP Alex Williams Pooh-Bah A Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,819 Spam Factory I guess it was a gaffe to post this without a glossary. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: "... them as pinched it done her in," revisited, courtesy of Michael Holden Alex Williams #180856 12/11/08 08:16 PM Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 956 Auckland, New Zealand olly old hand olly old hand Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 956 Auckland, New Zealand Some of the terms I pulled that I thought were very common burgled = robbed bloke = guy/man mate = friend head's in bits = distressed fags and that = smokes n stuff watch the gaff for us = watch the house (context) Grolsch = brand of beer (mmm beer) couple of quid = couple of bucks/pounds fair enough = sweet as/seems reasonable All in all, trying to not sound conceited, I'd of thought it was quite clear what was going on. Or, am I missing the point? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: "... them as pinched it done her in," revisited, courtesy of Michael Holden olly #180883 12/12/08 03:38 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,819 Spam Factory A Alex Williams OP Pooh-Bah OP Alex Williams Pooh-Bah A Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,819 Spam Factory Originally Posted By: olly Some of the terms I pulled that I thought were very common burgled = robbed bloke = guy/man mate = friend head's in bits = distressed fags and that = smokes n stuff watch the gaff for us = watch the house (context) Grolsch = brand of beer (mmm beer) couple of quid = couple of bucks/pounds fair enough = sweet as/seems reasonable All in all, trying to not sound conceited, I'd of thought it was quite clear what was going on. Or, am I missing the point? I think most of us got all that except some of us had never encountered "gaff" before. We even have Grolsch beer on this side of the pond. "Fags" on the other hand, means something entirely different in the U.S. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: "... them as pinched it done her in," revisited, courtesy of Michael Holden Alex Williams #180884 12/12/08 03:59 PM Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 876 western NY twosleepy old hand twosleepy old hand Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 876 western NY I did know all of them except "gaff". I've been to England and Scotland, several times, and have English relatives who come to visit every year. But even with all that experience, I've never heard (or read) it. I'm quite sure there are many others I don't know, so I'll pick them up as they show up! :0) Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: "... them as pinched it done her in," revisited, courtesy of Michael Holden twosleepy #180901 12/13/08 02:39 AM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,819 Spam Factory A Alex Williams OP Pooh-Bah OP Alex Williams Pooh-Bah A Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,819 Spam Factory Pertinent to our thread is this article on slang in general. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Page 1 of 2 1 2 Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. 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