NationStates Jolt Archive

Hi everybody!

I'm kinda new and I have a question/suggestion. I have noticed in Issues, a tendancy to use what I think is UK specific terms. For example: a reference to something called "watershed". From the context I think it's something to do with television censorship.

For a variety of reasons I suspect that things are being written by people who assume everybody has a working knowledge of the language, culture and issues of the Mother Country. Have any of you noticed this?

If so, I humbly request that people remember that english is spoken (sorta) in places other than England and should take that into account when writing for the whole community.

...or if I'm the only American here, let me know and I'll buy a translation book.

Sincerely,
BigNotCat#2
The Empire Of The Furry Masters

Cuppa? Care to crash in my flat, and maybe we'll get pissed? Bloody pissed! Oh, I gotta use the loo. That's all the British slang I know.

are you sure its not aussie slang?

in any case, its fun to try to figure out just what is being suggested sometimes. and its fun to not have it always be US centered.

give it time, youll get to love it too.

Strewth.

Personally I find it refreshing to have a site that isn't US-centric in its slang... but it could be just me

I'm Australian, and I thought that "watershed" was an American term. Where does it come from then???

I'm Australian, and I thought that "watershed" was an American term. Where does it come from then???
Britain

The man who designed the game and wrote the original issues is, indeed, Australian. www.maxbarry.com

I know most of that slang!

Australian???? I thought something smelled kangarooish!

PS What's the HTML tag for 'rotate screen 180 degrees'? :p

Anyway, thanks for the info everybody. I agree that it is more interesting having things from another country/perspective. Now that I know there is a down under twist to the site, I can do a google search for any aussie term I'm not quite sure of.

I'm American and I thought it was American. :)

Australian???? I thought something smelled kangarooish!

PS What's the HTML tag for 'rotate screen 180 degrees'? :p
Whoa...there's HTML now? Waaaahhh!!! >_<;; more evil scripting... *ahem* and...a think to make the screen rotate...whaaaa~??

Watershed is basicly the time after which the more raunchy and vilont programs are shown because before that there is the possibility that children may be watching. Even after the watershed (which is 9:00 pm in the UK) a program still has to say something like "This program contains strong language/nudidity" etc at the begining.

Is it really that big of a deal? I figured out what it meant just fine, and I'm American.

At this point in the arguement I would just like add a drop of British nationalism and say that Americans should be far more grateful to the British and recognise the amazing contributions made by the UK to the world.
Should any Americans be willing to debate this issue with me, I would be
more than happy to oblige, as I am in fact rather anti-america myself.

Well that shut them up!

Personally I find it refreshing to have a site that isn't US-centric in its slang... but it could be just me
It's not just you. I agree.

Well that shut them up!

I will take this oppertunity to remind you that the British discovered gravity,
built the first jet fighter, and the first fighter plane, the jet engine was British,
we invented the concept of a standing navy, the tank was British, we invented the internet, the theory of evolution was one of ours, we built
the first electronic computer, we invented radar, the nobel prize, and the
planet Uranus was discovered by an English man.

Thankyou.

And as a british person i will take the time to remind you... that no-one discovered gravity beacuse thats stupid... and this is neither the time or the place to be attacking our dear American cousins (ive changed my sotry i know but shh).

Oo, and mank, mank is a great word that should be used more often in all its forms... mank manky mankness mankful mankisity its uses are endless

PS. evolution probably wasnt ours either, the theory was around some time before darwin (charles and erasmus),

as I am in fact rather anti-america myself.


I have to admitt, so am I.

Hey, if you ever want to know what some of our slang means, just ask, or use a search engine to find a whole list of slang and terms used in British talk. If you don't know, I am British and I find very little problem with finding out any American words or terms I don't know. I have been on various American forums, and have picked up all of the terms I think, like twinkies, teeter-totters, ways of pronouncing things etc.

And to Russiva, who gives a flying fuck? Really, who gives a damn about nationalism anymore? British people should not feel threatened because America is far larger and has a far greater economy. America is bigger and has more people, and will often will do more stuff as a result. I am hardly saying the Britian is less rich in achievements, but I think it is bloody stupid to say "Nah nah, Britian discovered that! We are better than silly Americans!".

Please, it is childish.

And also, you don't damn well DISCOVER gravity. You make up the theory of gravity, and gravity is a pretty poor theory indeed. You ask a scientist what gravity is, they cannot answer. Sure, they can say what gravity does but not what it is. It is like me explaining lighting by describing what a lightining bolt does to the ground and people and what it looks like instead of describing what it actually is. Not saying it was not influencal or meaningful, just that it is hardly something to brag about. Nothing is really worth bragging about when other countries will most likely have something equally meaningful to offer.

Anyways, put simply, stop the god damn rivalry which I see everywhere between American and British people. Why is there a need to flaunt your own nations achievements and make yourself get a massive chubby by trying to convince all foriegners that your country is better. Like an American can ever convince me that America is better than Britian overall. Who defines better anywhere? Certain parts might be (road tax) and others might not be to my taste (health care).

Give it a rest.

I have to admitt, so am I.
Then get off your damn high horse. Sure, dislike the American methods of goverment and those in power in America or whatever you want to rationally pick a fight with, but America has a lot of great things.

Don't hate America, or everyone in it. If you want to be prejudiced, sod off and get a clue. Judge people individually, not by where they belong.

i wholey endorse a less angry version of that sentiment :D

Anti-American is a bit of a generalisation - isn't it better to say you're opposed to America's current government, or at least to some or all of it's policies?

Oh, and on the Gravity note - Isaac Newton was British, and while he neither invented Gravity nor was the first operson to notice that objects fell when they were dropped, he was the one who's credited with working out the mathematical and physical processes behind it (the inverse square law, for instance, and the fact that Gravity pulled things towards the earth's centre of mass, rather than just towards the nearest piece of "ground".

we invented the concept of a standing navy, the tank was British, we invented the internet, the theory of evolution was one of ours, we built
the first electronic computer, we invented radar, the nobel prize, and the
planet Uranus was discovered by an English man.

Thankyou.

The Nobel Prize? Alfred Nobel was Swedish.

Anti-American is a bit of a generalisation - isn't it better to say you're opposed to America's current government, or at least to some or all of it's policies?

Oh, and on the Gravity note - Isaac Newton was British, and while he neither invented Gravity nor was the first operson to notice that objects fell when they were dropped, he was the one who's credited with working out the mathematical and physical processes behind it (the inverse square law, for instance, and the fact that Gravity pulled things towards the earth's centre of mass, rather than just towards the nearest piece of "ground".

Precisely.

One other thing - most English-speaking forums are very US-oriented when it comes to slang and spelling, and in those cases the British users have to adapt. Is it that much to ask for the US users of Nationstates to adapt, if not to using English slang, then at least to accepting it's use by others...

The Nobel Prize? Alfred Nobel was Swedish.
Stop, stop now, do not feed the trolls or this will become another "37 Reasons Why America is Cool" thread. Only for brits. And, to be honest, some of us are bigger pricks than the most annoying American *cough* BNP voters *cough*

Is it that much to ask for the US users of Nationstates to adapt, if not to using English slang, then at least to accepting it's use by others...

The term 'watershed' hardly qualifies as slang, though does it? A perfectly fine metaphorical use of a geographical term to denote the dividing line between two different sets of standards. If people were complaining about the use of terms like 'whistle and flute' or 'rozzers' or 'spides' fair enough, but 'watershed' isn't a slang term.

Stop, stop now, do not feed the trolls or this will become another "37 Reasons Why America is Cool" thread. Only for brits. And, to be honest, some of us are bigger pricks than the most annoying American *cough* BNP voters *cough*

Seconded

The term 'watershed' hardly qualifies as slang, though does it? A perfectly fine metaphorical use of a geographical term to denote the dividing line between two different sets of standards. If people were complaining about the use of terms like 'whistle and flute' or 'rozzers' or 'spides' fair enough, but 'watershed' isn't a slang term.

Another thing - "UK slang" is hardy standardised - I don't know what any of those mean :p What part of the country are you from, london? I'm guessing "whistle and flute" is rhyming slang...

Stop, stop now, do not feed the trolls or this will become another "37 Reasons Why America is Cool" thread. Only for brits. And, to be honest, some of us are bigger pricks than the most annoying American *cough* BNP voters *cough*

Yeah, but you have to admit that the "37 reasons why America is Cool" thread was surreally entertaining.

UK slang... bring back polari :D

As an Australian, I would much prefer British Slang to American slang as I can handle it on a far better scale. I am very pro-Britain, and have the Australian and Union Jack flag fly in my Room. I have a couple pictures of the Queen and one of Prince Philip up in various rooms around the House and would support having God Save the Queen as our National Anthem (But still would prefer to keep Advance Australia Fair as our main one...

Another thing - "UK slang" is hardy standardised - I don't know what any of those mean :p What part of the country are you from, london? I'm guessing "whistle and flute" is rhyming slang...

Rozzers - police (dates back to the nineteenth century)

Whistle and flute - Cockney rhyming slang for 'suit'

Spides - Northern Ireland term for 'chavs'.


Personally, I'm from Belfast by the way, me old china.

Yeah, but you have to admit that the "37 reasons why America is Cool" thread was surreally entertaining.
Nah, the Corrupt a wish...Game thread was surrealy entertaining. 37 Reasons why America is Cool was a chance to bitch about idiot Americans, even though it got to the point where there was "evidence" (and I use the term loosely in extremis) for both sides on just about every point.

As the person who started this thread, I would like everybody to stop and take a deep slow breath.

Now, isn't that better?

I asked the initial question simply because I want to understand the origin of a few terms that confused me and somehow it has turned into an argument about which country is "better".

A few thoughts,
I do understand that much of the world has to accomodate things American and that it must be a little annoying at times. It is no imposition for this American to adapt to an Australian centered site. I just needed to know that that's what it was.

By no means was my question intended as a criticism of England. I and most Americans like the British and I suspect subconciously want our Mother Country to be proud of us. Just like any adult child who has become a sucess wants their parents to be proud of them.

If anyone has some interesting, funny differences or questions about other countries that we can have a good natured laugh over, bring it on. Anyone who wants to get angry or mean spirited, please start your own thread. This site is supposed to be a fun game after all.

BigNotCat#2
The Empire Of The Furry Masters

It confused me, but it didn't bother me. It was actually kind of funny. I saw the title and figured it was about erosion from logging or something and was like "WTF, my environment's top-notch." Then I looked at it and I'm like, ok, no clue why it talks about a watershed but I can still decide on the issue.