Hello dear Brit wordsmiths:
Last night I watched three episodes of a British comedy called "As Time Goes By." (It was a special presentation while the Maine PBS was raising money.)
In the second show, the phrase "chuntering" was used by main male character Lionel (Geoffrey Palmer). The female lead Jean (Judi Dench) said, in effect, that he was going on and on about something and he responded "I am not chuntering on..." I thought I caught the meaning by context but I wonder. The episode had to do with the day after Lionel proposed to Jean for those who know the show.
The OE says chunter means to "mutter, grumble, murmur querulousy" but that's not what he was doing exactly. Please enlighten me.
While I am chuntering on, in the third episode about a wedding anniversary, the words tent and marquee were used interchangeably. Americans use tent for the big, free-standing rooms put up outdoors to shelter an area for a party or a circus! (Sometimes the same thing, n'est ce pas?) What we call a marquee is the overhead awning extending from a doorway to the curb or driveway. A marquee can be canvas or any type of material that shelters. What's with that?
And ... what the h--- is/are cream (creme) tarts?
wow