Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: A little story

Here's a little something for those of you interested in American 
English. Youse ( 8-0 ) who are not interested can ignore it; I won't be 
insulted. 8'-(
(Okay, I'm joking with the use of "youse" [no, they're not pronounced the 
same: in this context "use" is a noun and has an unvoiced S; "youse" has 
a voiced S, which is how "use" is pronounced when it's a verb. {Yike!}]), 
anyway, "youse" is,  you probably know, very regional (I think it's only 
parts of New York City) and not sanctioned. Just FYI.)
There are some expressions here that shouldn't be taken literally 
[they're enclosed in square brackets] and I apologize to those of you 
whose English is probably better than mine! I just feel like babbling. 
And this is a true story. I swear.
**
So, there I was, walking down Lafayette towards the Bowery when I was 
approached by a young woman who looked like she'd spent [the better part] 
of last week hiding in an alley or something. She wasn't wild or 
anything: she looked normal otherwise, just a little [under the weather.]
"'Scuse me, sir, could ya help me out with a little change? I'm tryin' to 
get back home to New Jersey and I'm short on the train fare. I was 
stayin' with my sister but we had a fight and she threw me out a coupl'a 
days ago."
I was more than a little skeptical; I've heard *all kinds* of sob stories 
on the streets. "Your sister threw you out?" I asked, trying to prolong 
the conversation a little, so as to figure out [where she was coming 
from.]
"Yeah, she musta got mad at somethin' I said, 'cause all of a sudden she 
started [tearing the place up] an' hollerin' at me. I got outta there 
quick."
"Well," I said, "[As a rule of thumb] I don't give money to people on the 
street, but you look like you've seen better days, and I'm [a little 
flush] this week. Here's a couple of bucks."
"Hey, thanks, man."
"Y' welcome. Good luck with your sister"
"Yeah, right. Thanks."
I went my way feeling that nice kind of warm chest that happens when I've 
done something good for someone, especially when I don't expect -- or 
want -- anything in return. [It made my day.]
But only my day. I pretty much forgot about it until I was wandering 
again downtown, near Lafayette and the Bowery. There she was again, and 
she was walking toward me. I thought she was going to tell me the happy 
ending to her [sad-sister-sob-story.]
Instead, she [came out with] "'Scuse me, sir, could ya help me out with a 
little change? I'm tryin' to get back home to New Jersey and I'm short on 
the train fare. I was stayin' with my sister but we had a fight and she 
threw me out a coupl'a days ago."
"Whaaat!??" I said.
My response kind of [took her aback a little] and her face showed her 
surprise, but she managed to go on. "Yeah, she musta got mad at somethin' 
I said, 'cause all of a sudden she started [tearing the place up] an' 
hollerin' at me. I got outta there quick."
"I don't believe it!" I said (meaning, of course, "I don't believe I was 
such a sucker to believe you before, and I don't believe _you're telling 
me the same story, WORD FOR WORD_!")
She, of course, inferred something else, because what she said was, "Oh 
ya! She's a real angry ******!" (A word that described a certain type of 
woman) meaning her alleged sister.
"No," I answered. "I don't believe I was stupid enough to [fall for] your 
story a couple of weeks ago. I was about to tell you you were a fool to 
go back to your sister and fight again, but I guess *I'm* the one who's a 
fool for believing you."
"Oh." (Just "Oh" from her.) Then [a beat.]
Then, "So can ya help me out, ah what?"
-- 
Un-not my address if you wanna reply.

 rest of the English-speaking world?)
P'raps. They are, after all, only words (but such a versatile one is the 
"F" word. In *so many* contexts it means nothing like its original 
connotation.) I am one who can pepper my speech with it vigorously (WHEN 
APPROPRIATE!) but I also know when to hold my tongue. A time and a place 
for everything. I just wouldn't feel comfortable, say, at the dinner 
table on Easter Sunday with the family, throwing out "F*cking AwRight! 
Nice Dinner, Mam!" :-)
I do like the sound of "shite", though. Seems ever-so-much classier than 
the American "sh*t". :-)
I'm trying real hard to divest myself of my "Puritanism" (I'm from New 
England, you know) especially since I'm half Calabrese and half Sicilian. 
I may be mistaken, but do the Sicilians *not* know how to "make a point", 
linguistically speaking? :-)


 American mouth. 
Agreed. I always think when someone says "arse" it's because they can't 
bring themselves to say the real word: it's "ass,"  dammit! :)


 bring themselves to say the real word: it's "ass,"  dammit! :)
The ass is a quadruped. The real word is arse. :-ş ~~
 . Since my (american) dictionary forbears to even mention these
words I cannot quote merrily.
-- 
Cheers, ;-)
Loki               [ Brevity is the soul of wit.  W.Shakespeare ]

 
Yes, an ass is a quadruped. (That means it has two ears, right?) Well, 
perhaps the problem lies in the fact that when an American calls someone 
an "ass" they simply mean they are stubborn or not too bright. Whereas, 
when one calls one an "arse" one is being much more vile.
(Hows that for a spin?)
:-p~~~~~~~~~~ back at ya
(BTW, don't tell anyone, but I secretly love the sound of "arse." It's so 
clarssey.)


Then, "So can ya help me out, ah what?"
LOL!
Sebastiano
-- 
No wonder people say "gesundheit" when you say "Tchaikovsky".

saying or what kind of speech that was?
The li'l turtle, Squirt says those words:
Squirt: "Good afternoon! We'll have a great jump today! Ok, crank a
hard cutback as you hit the wall. There's a screaming bottom turn, so
watch out! Remember... rip it, roll it and punch it."
Marlin (to Dory): "He's trying to speak to me, I know it. (to Squirt)
You know, you're really cute, but I don't know what you're saying. Say
the first thing again.
Hope this helps.


But he was very adorable.  :)
That's true. :)


 Thanks if you (or anyone) can answer.
Sorry, I haven't seen it. I'll get 'a round tuit' one of these
days....
-- 
              O      __
      ___   /\     / / O  
     /__ \   | \   /  |
    O  /  \ /   \./   |       Loki
        |________ |
 


www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/7478/plr-yall.htm
Nice.
"all y'all" 
Doesn't sound bad to me.
"Y'all" isn't just Southern, by the way.  It's also used in AAVE
(African-American Vernacular English), also called Black (American)
(Vernacular) English.  Of course, that usage almost certainly derives
from the Southern one.  (You can hear "y'all" in a lot of rap/hip hop
songs.)
P.S. Oklahoma is part of the South.  Texas is too, but some people
like to debate that now.  Florida, however, isn't considered
(culturally) Southern (though it was a Confederate State).
 

To my ears, aussie. 
Hehe, yes, but I imagine Australia has more than one accent and/or
dialect.
In general, I find Austalian (and NZ) accents easier to understand
(and more aurally pleasant) than a number of UK ones.  Except for that
one that doesn't sound like English at all (I forgot what it's
called).


 (culturally) Southern (though it was a Confederate State).
South?? Y'all  dunno the meanin' of South! 
Here at 40°S
heheheh


 Scottish.  Groundskeeper Willie would be proud.  :)
She was probably putting on an accent. :-) But I can't remember it.
Did she sound the same in Xmen?


Did she sound the same in Xmen?
No, in X-men she sounds like your standard Canadian/American.
('Cause she's Canadian . . . or Canadian-Kiwi.)

 bit of the ol' me in my new me. ;)
Excuse my nosiness but for some reason I remembered your nick and so I did a
small look-up with google... I see you were studying materials science in
Milan up to a few years ago, and then you quit.
As I'm studying the same thing (final year, old order - perhaps we even met
at one time!) I'd like to know (in private, if you like) why you decided to
give up...
Lorenzo
---
email:lodiViaQ...@tiscali.it

called).
IIRC, Squirt.
I find Australian accents easier than *lots* of UK ones, that's for
sure. :)


give up...
I'm sure we've met, at least once. I have to say that your name
doesn't ring any bell (I know a guy with your surname in "Scienze dei
Materiali" but it's not you), but I have many friends there. Anyway, I
gave up because I hated it. It took me long to realize it, though. :(
Well, I've just arrived from Milan, I went to Munich for the weekend
with some friends of mine, two of them are studends of Materials
science in Milan, just like you.
