English language help

Team Banana Spokesman

Today I was watching some 'Carry on' films. Could not understand the humour. :?

one thing that was being said was 'not arf'. :?

people say this to me sometimes. does it mean 'no' or 'yes'?

not half means 'no' to me from a mathematics view. 'is it sunny there?' 'not arf' = no. not even half sunny (?????)

then I think it could mean yes because it could mean 'yes, 100% sunny, not 50%'

Bunneh

'not 'arf' does me 'yes', it's an more definite yes. So if it was slightly sunny then it'd just be yes, but if it's really sunny then 'oooo not 'arf!'.

Carry On is an acquired taste, I loved them as a kid.

ilm_zero7

as in "it aint arf 'ot Mum"

English - a great language........................ init?

deptfordmarmoset

Yes, not half is a way of emphasising ''wholly''

On the half empty,half full problem, I've got caught out by arranging a meeting in German.

Half-eleven meant 11:30 to me, but in German ''half-eleven'' (something like halb-Ölf' in German) means halfway to 11, i.e. 10:30. I kept them waiting an hour!

GiantMike

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

Half-eleven meant 11:30 to me, but in German ''half-eleven'' (something like halb-Ölf' in German) means halfway to 11, i.e. 10:30. I kept them waiting an hour!

Top work. Did you whistle the Dambusters theme as you walked in?

bails87

GiantMike wrote:

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

Half-eleven meant 11:30 to me, but in German ''half-eleven'' (something like halb-Ölf' in German) means halfway to 11, i.e. 10:30. I kept them waiting an hour!

Top work. Did you whistle the Dambusters theme as you walked in?

They could have replied
"For you, ze meeting is over"

schweiz

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

Yes, not half is a way of emphasising ''wholly''

On the half empty,half full problem, I've got caught out by arranging a meeting in German.

Half-eleven meant 11:30 to me, but in German ''half-eleven'' (something like halb-Ölf' in German) means halfway to 11, i.e. 10:30. I kept them waiting an hour!

Sometimes I get the opposite effect. They know I'm English so they say half eleven when they mean 11.30, I think they're Swiss/German so they mean half ten and end up in meeting rooms on my own or, even worse, walking in on the wrong meeting.

Now I say the time in full i.e. elf uhr dreizig (11.30) just to make sure!

rake

Team Banana Spokesman wrote:

Today I was watching some 'Carry on' films. Could not understand the humour. :?

'

why not try watching 'last of the summer wine' instead.

GavH

I have a similar recurring argument with the wife. She believes the saying 'a sight for sore eyes' pertains to some visual disaster that would give one sore eyesight if viewed too long. I maintain that a 'sight for sore eyes' would be something aesthetically pleasing which would in turn provide relief to said sore eyes. All I know is, I'm right and she's wrong but who's to say.

rake

GavH wrote:

I have a similar recurring argument with the wife. She believes the saying 'a sight for sore eyes' pertains to some visual disaster that would give one sore eyesight if viewed too long. I maintain that a 'sight for sore eyes' would be something aesthetically pleasing which would in turn provide relief to said sore eyes. All I know is, I'm right and she's wrong but who's to say.

im not aware of any true meaning but ive always taken it to mean fugly as well. maybe ive always missed the sarcasm when its been used in that manner.?

schweiz

GavH wrote:

I have a similar recurring argument with the wife. She believes the saying 'a sight for sore eyes' pertains to some visual disaster that would give one sore eyesight if viewed too long. I maintain that a 'sight for sore eyes' would be something aesthetically pleasing which would in turn provide relief to said sore eyes. All I know is, I'm right and she's wrong but who's to say.

you're right, she's wrong.

you can tell her though!!

deptfordmarmoset

schweiz wrote:

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

Yes, not half is a way of emphasising ''wholly''

On the half empty,half full problem, I've got caught out by arranging a meeting in German.

Half-eleven meant 11:30 to me, but in German ''half-eleven'' (something like halb-Ölf' in German) means halfway to 11, i.e. 10:30. I kept them waiting an hour!

Sometimes I get the opposite effect. They know I'm English so they say half eleven when they mean 11.30, I think they're Swiss/German so they mean half ten and end up in meeting rooms on my own or, even worse, walking in on the wrong meeting.

Now I say the time in full i.e. elf uhr dreizig (11.30) just to make sure!

''halbi elfi'' should do you in CH. Of course, pronounced more like haubi eufi

schweiz

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

schweiz wrote:

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

Yes, not half is a way of emphasising ''wholly''

On the half empty,half full problem, I've got caught out by arranging a meeting in German.

Half-eleven meant 11:30 to me, but in German ''half-eleven'' (something like halb-Ölf' in German) means halfway to 11, i.e. 10:30. I kept them waiting an hour!

Sometimes I get the opposite effect. They know I'm English so they say half eleven when they mean 11.30, I think they're Swiss/German so they mean half ten and end up in meeting rooms on my own or, even worse, walking in on the wrong meeting.

Now I say the time in full i.e. elf uhr dreizig (11.30) just to make sure!

''halbi elfi'' should do you in CH. Of course, pronounced more like haubi eufi

halbi elfi said just like that will do the trick round these parts.

aber miis düütsch isch e hässlige mischig vo schwiizerdüütsch u Hochdeutsch!!

Anonymous

Sight for sore eyes = good.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/a-si ... -eyes.html

rdt

Team Banana Spokesman wrote:

not half means 'no' to me from a mathematics view. 'is it sunny there?' 'not arf' = no. not even half sunny (?????)

then I think it could mean yes because it could mean 'yes, 100% sunny, not 50%'

I think you might appreciate Viz's "Mr Logic" character:-

http://www.viz.co.uk/strips.html (& use drop drown box)