They expect spin and deception. Invoking absolutely is someone's attempt to say, I'm not like the other guys, he says. It's also a way for pundits, bloggers and talk-show hosts to elevate themselves during the hours news cycle, says Robert Thompson, a professor of pop culture history at Syracuse University in New York City. In the rapid-fire exchanges between debaters on news shows, "absolutely" is the linguistic version of an exclamation point, Thompson says.
A wise man once said, "Let your yes be yes and your no be no; anything beyond this is evil. Share this on:. Story Highlights Excessive use of "absolutely" is spreading like a verbal virus The word, absolutely, is favorite of television pundits Habitual users of word explain why they are so sure in uncertain times Professor traces rise of word to unlikely source.
Next Article in Living ». Want to sound smart? Answer every question with: "Absolutely! E-mail to a friend. Mixx Facebook Twitter Digg del. From the Blogs: Controversy, commentary, and debate.
Excuse me, sorry, is anyone sitting here? You have three seconds to move your bag before I end you. Not to worry I will never forget this Right then, I suppose I really should start thinking about possibly making a move Bye A bit of a pickle A catastrophically bad situation with potentially fatal consequences I apologise 3.
No no, honestly, my fault It was exceedingly your fault and we both know it Just whenever you get a minute Now 46 No harm done You have caused complete and utter chaos Sorry, I think you might have dropped something You have definitely dropped that specific item Share this: Facebook Twitter Pinterest. Richard Ashcroft said:. Faye Elizabeth White said:. For the fan who already has everything Visit The Musical Brick here.
What the British Say. A "fag end" is also the ratty bits towards the ends of a reel of fabric, which are the worst and the cheapest bits of the reel. Historically, "fags" were the cheaper cigarettes made of lower grade tobacco, however, the slang has spread to encompass all cigarettes. However, there is no proof for this theory. After "The Full Monty" film was released in , there was some international confusion over the phrase in which it was taken as a euphemism for stripping.
However, "the full Monty" actually refers to pursuing something to the absolute limits. Going "the fully Monty" meant purchasing a full three-piece suit, a shirt, and all of the trimmings. If you're going to have a roast, have the full Monty! Although the origins of this phrase are largely unknown, a gaff in the 18th-century was a music hall or theatre, and so it's believed to derive from this.
To "gallivant" means to roam, or to set off on an expedition, with the sole intention of having some light-hearted fun. Historically, "gallant" described someone brave or valiant, so "gallivanting" is a carefree and confident act. A "geezer" is a man that could be described as "suave" or "dapper," and is often suited and booted.
Men from east London are also commonly referred to as "geezers. Sailors would blow down a pipe to their recipient, where a whistle at the end of the pipe would sound to spark attention. Not to be confused with literally being disembowelled, someone that says they're "gutted" is devastated or extremely upset. While Americans are more likely to say "seven thirty" or "five fifty," Brits will more often than not refer to times in "minutes past" the hour. Eg, "half past seven," and "ten to six.
It's unclear why Brits appear to favour analogue time-telling while Americans go for the digital format. Hank Marvin is a British musician from the s and s, and is a pretty obscure reference nowadays. Marvin played guitar in Cliff Richard's backing band in the s.
Something that takes a lot of effort and probably isn't going to be worth all of the effort, either, could be described as "long. Brits are known for favouring a drink or two, so much so that almost any noun can be used as a substitute for "drunk.
In his stand-up show, British comedian Michael MacIntyre said: "You can actually use any word in the English language and substitute it to mean drunk. It works. Derived from "mint condition," which refers to something pre-owned that retains its pristine condition, although something that's just "mint" doesn't have to be pre-owned. Derived from the Newcastle sociolect, "mortal" was made widely known across the country in by reality TV show "Geordie Shore.
The origins of the phrase are largely debated online, however, it's believed that "to nick" as in to steal influenced the slang term for prison, as being imprisoned is similar to being "stolen" away.
Someone that's "on the pull" has gone out, usually on a night out, with the intention of attracting a sexual partner. Although this sounds like an analogy about the chemistry of baking, or putting too many eggs in a cake batter, "egg" actually comes from the Anglo Saxon "eggian," meaning to "excite. In "over-egging the pudding" analogy, someone is over-exciting, or over-mixing, the batter too much before it bakes -- resulting in a tough or dense cake.
A "par" breaches social and common courtesy, eg, a disrespectful comment could be seen as a "par. This slang term could be a British abbreviation of the French "faux pas," meaning an embarrassing or tactless remark in a social situation. A situation which has quickly evolved into an accident waiting to happen might be described as "gone pear-shaped. The phrase is reportedly old slang from the Royal Air Force and was used to described awry expeditions and flights.
The idiom was first used to describe the thick, choking smogs that settled over London, caused by lots of people burning fossil fuels in a close vicinity, as early as The smogs were compared to pea soup due to their colour and density. No returns of any kind" is a school playground rhyme often exchanged between friends on the first day of a new calendar month, accompanied by a pinch and a punch to the recipient.
If the joker forgets to say "no returns of any kind," the recipient can say "a slap and a kick for being so quick," accompanied by a slap and a kick. According to the Metro, the playground ritual originates from the medieval times, when a "pinch" of salt was believing to make witches weak, and the "punch" resembled banishing the witches entirely.
As a result, "pinch punch, first of the month" was a way of warding off witches and bad luck for the near future. However, in the UK, someone that's "pissed" is most probably drunk.
This cheery phrase is widely believed to originate from Northern factory workers around the time of the industrial revolution.
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