Poll of the Day > Ive heard british people can be very frank sometimes.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Like, they speak their mind without caring if they offend anybody. today I saw it happen in glorious fashion.

These two people were checking out at the store i work at, a husband and wife. the husband was from somewhere in scotland, and the wife was from london. A regular who comes in was asking them about their accents. Somehow the topic changed to the word yinz, which is a term used in southwestern PA and the surrounding areas, derived from the scots-irish phrase "you ones" which basically means "you guys." Older people around here say it but I feel like its a dying phrase mainly propped up out of a sense of irony. I mean, I never say it in regular parlance, but if I want to talk like a yinzer as a joke it'll come out, but never because its a word I legitimately use.

Yinz.

So the woman asked what the singular form of yinz is. She was told that it could be used as a singular or plural, and she replied very curt and said

"oh, how horrible that is"

that made me crack up. Without even thinking about it, she just said how she felt about it, didnt mince her words, and it just sounded natural.

I guess this might be more of a you had to be there moment and perhaps not all that interesting of a story, but hey!

though im kinda blanking on yinz being used in a singular way. I've only really heard it to describe a group of people.

Sometimes they can be very Charlie
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It's more accurate to say normal British conversation has a lot of profanity in it. It's just the norm there.
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Can I still be Garth?
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Depends on person, British behaviour can vary wildly based on class, age, and geographical location. Round here (Hertfordshire) most people don't speak their minds if they feel it will offend people, or worse, display undue emotion, especially if they're considered to be middle or upper class, although I act like that and I consider myself to be working / lower class (well, poor and from a poor family anywho). Imagine telling someone you actually like them and consider them as a friend(!)

When I was in college most classmates would speak their mind, even if they knew if would offend people, although I'm not sure if that was an age or class thing however.

BTB posted...

Can I still be Garth?

Nope, as long as you're in this topic you have to be Frank I'm afraid, that's just the rules tbf.

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argonautweakend posted...

Like, they speak their mind without caring if they offend anybody.

Some are down to earth folk like myself others however BS like there is no tomorrow. Cockney folk normally talk a lot of shit where as the posh end of London is too PC. The Scottish folk are great as they are normally as honest as they come. I'd rather be around someone who says what they think and is honest than someone who lies even if "meh feels!" are hurt.
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