Remi Garde - Departs Aston Villa

[Confusious says]

Dave Shelley is exactly right, same age group as Dave and from Aston area
Gladness was the name, also we played gutter on the way to school and back which was probably
Dangerouse

[TB]

TB I did not pick up on your feeling that I was being snide. I am really sorry that I gave that impression it was intended to amuse not offend. It was also a little in joke with my son who knows how hard I find it to chat to his mother in law.

Brian: thank you. Several posters on here have indeed suggested that I had misread your comment. I guess there's a particular level of British humour that I haven't been able to fathom. Bearing in mind that I've read far more books in English than Norwegian over the past 30 years - and even spent some time working in the UK - I fear that it might turn out to be beyond me. A depressing thought, as I have until now imagined that I had a fairly decent understanding of the English language.

[LeeB]

TB I did not pick up on your feeling that I was being snide. I am really sorry that I gave that impression it was intended to amuse not offend. It was also a little in joke with my son who knows how hard I find it to chat to his mother in law.

Brian: thank you. Several posters on here have indeed suggested that I had misread your comment. I guess there's a particular level of British humour that I haven't been able to fathom. Bearing in mind that I've read far more books in English than Norwegian over the past 30 years - and even spent some time working in the UK - I fear that it might turn out to be beyond me. A depressing thought, as I have until now imagined that I had a fairly decent understanding of the English language.

English isn't your first language? I had no idea!

[Bad English]

I have until now imagined that I had a fairly decent understanding of the English language.

Tell us what a "cob" is and we'll believe you. Also, if I offer you a "piece" what would you do with it? ;-)

[TB]

English isn't your first language? I had no idea!

Thank you :-) No, Norwegian born and bred. I picked up an Agatha Christie paperback at the age of 13 and decided that I wanted to read it - and I eventually did, consulting an English/Norwegian dictionary at a rate of approximately one word in three at the outset.

[Malandro]

English isn't your first language? I had no idea!

Thank you :-) No, Norwegian born and bred. I picked up an Agatha Christie paperback at the age of 13 and decided that I wanted to read it - and I eventually did, consulting an English/Norwegian dictionary at a rate of approximately one word in three at the outset.

Where abouts in Norway?

[TB]

I have until now imagined that I had a fairly decent understanding of the English language.

Tell us what a "cob" is and we'll believe you. Also, if I offer you a "piece" what would you do with it? ;-)

Now you're just being mean :-) I said that I believed I had a fairly decent understanding of the English language, not that I had mastered every nuance, dialect or any kind cockney rhyming slang...

The first thing that comes to my mind when someone says 'cob' to me is maize - corn cobs. It could be a building material, and also a short-legged horse.

A 'piece' is to me a gun, or a graffiti artwork. If you offered me a piece of chocolate, I'd accept it :-) or possibly a piece of land...

I'm absolutely certain I've missed out on several other meanings, but so be it.

[TB]

English isn't your first language? I had no idea!

Thank you :-) No, Norwegian born and bred. I picked up an Agatha Christie paperback at the age of 13 and decided that I wanted to read it - and I eventually did, consulting an English/Norwegian dictionary at a rate of approximately one word in three at the outset.

Where abouts in Norway?

Oslo for the past 30 years. (Edit: time does fly, doesn't it?)

[Bad English]

I have until now imagined that I had a fairly decent understanding of the English language.

Tell us what a "cob" is and we'll believe you. Also, if I offer you a "piece" what would you do with it? ;-)

Now you're just being mean :-)

You know it was in jest.

A cob is a crusty bread roll (people from up north call them Barm cakes) . A piece is what people from Birmingham call a sandwich. ;-)

[TB]

I have until now imagined that I had a fairly decent understanding of the English language.

Tell us what a "cob" is and we'll believe you. Also, if I offer you a "piece" what would you do with it? ;-)

Now you're just being mean :-)

You know it was in jest.

A cob is a crusty bread roll (people from up north call them Barm cakes) . A piece is what people from Birmingham call a sandwich. ;-)

Yes, I know, hence the smiley. The bread roll really was a Doh! moment - I know I have encountered that particular word before. The piece/sandwich was totally new to me. Thank you.

[peter w]

English isn't your first language? I had no idea!

Thank you :-) No, Norwegian born and bred. I picked up an Agatha Christie paperback at the age of 13 and decided that I wanted to read it - and I eventually did, consulting an English/Norwegian dictionary at a rate of approximately one word in three at the outset.

Went to see 'And Then There Were None' a couple of months ago. I cannot bloody stand Agatha Christie stuff. Okay storyline that has to have a ridiculous leap of fantasy to make the whodunnit twist believable. Rubbish shite.

[Bad English]

It's a good job she didn't sell many books then, eh Peter? :-D

[TB]

English isn't your first language? I had no idea!

Thank you :-) No, Norwegian born and bred. I picked up an Agatha Christie paperback at the age of 13 and decided that I wanted to read it - and I eventually did, consulting an English/Norwegian dictionary at a rate of approximately one word in three at the outset.

Went to see 'And Then There Were None' a couple of months ago. I cannot bloody stand Agatha Christie stuff. Okay storyline that has to have a ridiculous leap of fantasy to make the whodunnit twist believable. Rubbish shite.

Well, I was just describing how I started out reading English books. As luck would have it, I found an Agatha Christie paperback and decided that I'd give it a shot. It turned out to be quite a chore getting through it, but worthwhile in retrospect. (And I prefer John Dickson Carr and Dorothy L. Sayers if we're discussing whodunnit authors...)

[brian green]

Big relief to know that I have not upset you TB.  I thought you were a Brummie. Good job I did not launch into Volume 2 of Brummie Loyk It Wam which explores the sub patois of posh pronunciation wherein words are gentrified - kettle becomes kekkul, bottle becomes bokkul, album becomes albun (see Peaky Blinders) and mangle the word that started this prance around the mulberry bush was pronounced mandle by aspirational guttersnipes like those from whom I am descended.

[ROBBO]

I have until now imagined that I had a fairly decent understanding of the English language.

Tell us what a "cob" is and we'll believe you. Also, if I offer you a "piece" what would you do with it? ;-)

B E one of my first experiences in oz was in a shop asking for a cob and was told they didn't have any, when i pointed to them on the shelf a very indignant assistant said that is not a cob it's a round roll. Obviously some words didn't travel.