Machine Nation

And of course we have presses, though not so much delft anymore. Did when we were kids.

When we were given out to, we might also have been told to "hold our whisht".

eoinmn wrote:Another endearing feature of Hiberno-English is our refusal to use Yes and No to answer questions.

Example:
Are you going to the shop?
I am!

We use the verb rather than Yes or No. Its a classic example of using Irish language constructs when speaking English.

There is a question of how much of this is 'natural' and how much is deliberately put on. Often there's little difference. Irish people take pride in their dialect, especially as a distinguishing mark from the English.

When I was a kid, 'amn't' was used often enough instead of 'am not' but I grew out of it. A few years ago I read Tarry Flynn, where I rediscovered this old phrase. I find myself using it again sometimes.

'Usen't to'

is used instead of

'didn't used to'. I wonder do English speakers elsewhere use 'usen't to'?

eoinmn wrote:Ending a sentence with a preposition is also something we do which the Americans find funny.
Such as - "When God made time, he made plenty of it".

'It' isn't a preposition.

Auditor #9 wrote:'Usen't to'

is used instead of

'didn't used to'. I wonder do English speakers elsewhere use 'usen't to'?

English people say "didn't use to". As, for example, "didn't like to".

- I liked to walk there.
- I didn't like to walk there.

- I used to walk there.
- I didn't use to walk there.

Whatever way you look at it, it's a very strange English expression.

soubresauts wrote:

Auditor #9 wrote:'Usen't to'

is used instead of

'didn't used to'. I wonder do English speakers elsewhere use 'usen't to'?

English people say "didn't use to". As, for example, "didn't like to".

- I liked to walk there.
- I didn't like to walk there.

- I used to walk there.
- I didn't use to walk there.

Whatever way you look at it, it's a very strange English expression.

I think the d at the end of 'used' is just merged into the t at the start of 'to', as opposed to it being omitted. The running together of words in that manner is apparently quite distinctive in Irish and British speakers of the language.

Next Saturday and this Saturday is different.

Around this way, people say "I do be" something, a nice old grammatic form.

Atticus wrote:

cactus flower wrote:English bold = courageous
Irish bold = naughty

An English child would pat a dog and an Irish child would rub him.

rub?!

In our part of the world, we'd "bonny" the dog.

There are EU laws against that sort of thing now.

cookiemonster wrote:

Atticus wrote:

cactus flower wrote:English bold = courageous
Irish bold = naughty

An English child would pat a dog and an Irish child would rub him.

rub?!

In our part of the world, we'd "bonny" the dog.

There are EU laws against that sort of thing now.

However, if you vote against Lisbon they'll go away. Remember - a No vote is a dog-bonnying vote!

cactus flower wrote:English bold = courageous
Irish bold = naughty

An English child would pat a dog and an Irish child would rub him.

Dána of course means both.

soubresauts wrote:

Auditor #9 wrote:'Usen't to'

is used instead of

'didn't used to'. I wonder do English speakers elsewhere use 'usen't to'?

English people say "didn't use to". As, for example, "didn't like to".

- I liked to walk there.
- I didn't like to walk there.

- I used to walk there.
- I didn't use to walk there.

Whatever way you look at it, it's a very strange English expression.

The idea that you can express the imperfect tense using the verb use is rather strange in itself. Almost as crazy as using 'will' as in to want, to express the future.

riadach wrote: The idea that you can express the imperfect tense using the verb use is rather strange in itself. Almost as crazy as using 'will' as in to want, to express the future.

English eh? - where noses run and feet smell.

One thing on pronunciation around the country between 'new' words is there an East/West Irish divide? - already this morning we have

Prius /pri:us/ ('pree-us')
or
/praius/?

and

Lidl ('liddle')
or
/laidl/ (rhymes with 'bible')

For me, pree-us and liddle

The Germans say leeeeee-dle. I asked one last week.
I usually say liddle (fiddle)

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:The Germans say leeeeee-dle. I asked one last week.
I usually say liddle (fiddle)

There's an annoying ad on in the north where the characters all pronounce it Leedle; even the one's who don't like Lidle pronounce it correctly for some reason. It sounds ridiculous.

cactus flower wrote:Next Saturday and this Saturday is different.

Is that like 'Saturday next' and 'Saturday Last'?

Well if you say this Saturday for the next one coming an English person would say next Saturday. I think. I know I have been caught a few times on that one.

'Next Saturday' and 'this Saturday' mean the same thing to me: the upcoming Saturday. But 'Satuday next' mean the Saturday of next week (and vice versa for Saturday last).

There's a bit of misunderstanding here about "next Saturday" and "this Saturday".

Americans are pretty unambiguous (to themselves) about it: "This Saturday" means Saturday this week, whereas "next Saturday" means Saturday of next week.

So the transatlantic conversations can be confusing.

Despite spending a lot of time in America, I can't remember if there's any similar difference in referring to past days. Do Americans mean the same as we do by "last Tuesday"?

905, I think you could cause confusion by your use of "Saturday next" and "Saturday last". Adding "week" is the way to go for eliminating ambiguity: "Saturday next week" and "Saturday last week".

soubresauts wrote:There's a bit of misunderstanding here about "next Saturday" and "this Saturday".

Americans are pretty unambiguous (to themselves) about it: "This Saturday" means Saturday this week, whereas "next Saturday" means Saturday of next week.

So the transatlantic conversations can be confusing.

Despite spending a lot of time in America, I can't remember if there's any similar difference in referring to past days. Do Americans mean the same as we do by "last Tuesday"?

I did not know that.

Feckin' Americans, they're after ruining the language!

'After' is another expression that I think is unique to these shores, as in 'I am after having a big fight about the Lisbon Treaty with some mentals'.

smiffy wrote:'After' is another expression that I think is unique to these shores, as in 'I am after having a big fight about the Lisbon Treaty with some mentals'.

That comes directly from 'tar eis' doesn't it? Pity there aren't more non-hiberno english speakers around to give us some feedback. Atticus I believe you are in england but you'd know these irish expressions so you mightn't be able to comment. youngdan you could give us some feedback from across the pond couldn't you.

Would you say stuff like the above such s 'I'm after stubbing my toe' meaning 'I just stubbed my toe' ? I think you would.

Want
'He'd want to be careful when he goes out there to America - they'd rob the eyes out of your spuds out there'

On/of
Used to express surprise/derision/mockery/contempt (?)
'The head on him' - 'Look at the head on him you'd swear he slept under the bed'
'The face of him' - 'You should have seen the face of him when I told him I'd bought a Merc too.
- used to express sulkiness - would you look at the face on that child.

Just to throw in a Welshism from my granny - they would say "Come over here by me" which I guess comes in some way from Welsh grammar.