True English

Hi Muriel,

Thanks a lot for the survey!

MurielB a écrit:... "You're welcome, no problem, its all right, my pleasure"... "It's oK this time but don't ask me again"... "cheers, don't mention it"... " It's OK don't mention it, don't worry, that's fine, it's not a problem"...

You're right, I'd forgotten the usual Australian response: "no worries!"

If you had another opportunity to interview the British members of the café in Calais, please could you ask them if the Brits feel uncomfortable with several "thanks" (Americans are not)? What do they think about the "It's my job" used by my colleague?
Tx

Hi Gerard
There is something else an English friend told me. You say nothing but you just smile (It's true for any language )
I will also ask if the Brits feel uncomfortable with several "thanks" and What they think about the "It's my job" used by your colleague.

Hi Gérard, Guilaine, Irène !
"subjectivism" is used in French while the English language is more practical. The traduction of certain sentences French into English shows that difference and it is very interesting to note that.
Le paysage disparaissait derrière la brume=The landscape was veiled in mist
Le froid sévit dans plusieurs régions=cold weather is reported in several regions
Une des fenêtres s'ouvrait au-dessus du magasin=One of the windows above the shop
That aspect which shows how pragmatic the English are.
I have found all this in "Stylistique comparée du Français et de l'Anglais". If you happen to have that book we can run through that very interesting book together.

Hi everyone,

I don't remember whether I pointed out possible misunderstanding regarding "evening, night / soir, nuit".

Everyone beginning to learn English knows "morning, afternoon, evening, night" are respectively "matin, après-midi, soir, nuit", right?

Not that simple!!

Usual "night" begins around 6 pm in English language, in fact after tea time (so I think) whereas the French use the words "soir & soirée" till last, say 10 pm.
So, if a British friend tells you "come with me tonight", you French guy, don't dream you might have gotten a simple visit to the pub!!

NB: We French must not laugh at this British language which doesn't leave much room to "evening"... there's a rather very weird use of "matinée" which can mean "afternoon" in the domain of movie theater, got it?

Hi Gérard, everyone
It's the same for the spanish language. soirée= noche

Hi Muriel, hi everyone,

There's the English word "evening", is there a specific word in Spanish too?

Hi everyone,

gerardM a écrit:... NB: We French must not laugh at this British language which doesn't leave much room to "evening"... there's a rather very weird use of "matinée" which can mean "afternoon" in the domain of movie theater, got it?

I forgot to say that the English word corresponding to "matinée" in the case of a film is... "matinée" .

In spanish "the evening"is "la tarde"
Sorry Gerard I can't write much I am not completely connected to the network

Hi Muriel,

Thanks for your words.

When is "la tarde" used?
Surprising as, as far as I know, Spanish people stay late. They begin their "noche" around 10 pm, no? Surprising that there's not a shift of the vocabulary to name "tarde" the first part of their night and "noche" for the 2nd half.

Anyway!

Hi Gerard !
In spanish "la tarde" is "the afternoon" and "la noche" is "the evening" or "the night"

OK Thank you Muriel!

Hi everyone,

A weird exression I find on Facebook today!

> Good luck bestest.
There're 2 superlatives in this word "bestest" and the Queen might not speek this way

That makes me think of something Krystyna says at times: "betterer!"
Krystyna, get ready for a grammar session I need to understand why? Who? when?...

Can't believe it!

I know English speaking people don't bother much about grammar but they seem to have forgotten "best" is a superlative (the superlative of "good" & "well") and bestest don't horrify them

I'm still investigating around urban lingoes but I found something worse: this poem

Bestest Best Friend Forever And Always
Gosh! If the French dislike and avoid répétitions and pleonasms, this poet doesn't hesitate to insist! LOL

NB: I understand this looks like an expression as it's not restricted to this poem and BBFFAA even is a known acronym.

Hi,

This doesn't look weird to EMTs. OK then!

bestest:
the best of the best
Better than best

A word that is better than best. Exemplifies that someone/something means a lot to you and are better than the best. They are the BESTEST.
Chase is my bestest friend.

1. Someone or something who exceeds the level of 'best.'
2. An exaggeration of the word 'best.'
Raniet is by far the bestest. That's a proven fact.

Another way to say something that is more best to you

to have or show exceptional qualities strong enough to be a described by a word that isnt technically a part of the english language

There's a grammar family I didn't know: super-superlatives:

The super-superlative form of the word good.
singular: good
comparative: better
superlative: best
super-superlative: bestest

You're my bestest friend

Bestest is simply the super-superlative of good.

Similarly: lovely best wonderful great nice; greatest better worst worstest; best; bester bitter better[/b]

Gosh! Still lots to learn!

However this was found on http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bestest and many people voted "no" to the explanations and examples.

Hi,

Some words from Oxford:
bestest Pronunciation: /ˈbɛstɪst/

Definition of bestest
adjective
informal
(in children’s use) the very best:you’re the bestest friend I’ve ever had
( http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/bestest )
...
Informal... in children’s use phew!

Hi,

Last series on the subject of "bestest":

( http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081116185539AAnCyOb )

Everyone agrees to say bestest is not a word.

t isn't an officially accepted word of the English language. It's more like slang, although technically I think it would be called an invented word. It's not going to show up in dictionaries, ever, since there is no need for it and "best," the real word from which it is derived, is shorter than it.

Bestest =
Very best
English childspeak slang
Only to people 8 years and Under

Krystyna responded to me:
Of course "betterer", "bestest" are incorrect but it's funny, that's all.

Oh my God!

Another grammar rule that falls!

An educated American friend of mine just wrote "There's too many headline grabbers..."
If she wrote this, it means it is commonly said!
So:
- "that" with persons
- "who"/"whose" with objects
- "there's" with the plural
- etc.

Oh yes! We can say "bestest", it's not worserer (plus pire)!!!

No comments except go see onto Grammarly

Okay!
I'd admit that I'd have made the mistake
It's true that "few" has to be used when it's coutable:
- "Do you speak English?" -"Oh, just a little"
- "How many millions a year do you make?" - "Oh just a few"

Hi Gérard ! everyone !
As i wanted to know more about the rule I discovered that
A few is a positive idea. Fortunately, our financial situation is good: we still have a few good customers.
Few is a negative idea. Sadly, we have few friends
Interesting to know !

Indeed! Thanks Muriel!

So "In our client portfolio, we have a few whingers." is also a positive idea.

Hi everyone,

The United States and Great Britain are two countries separated by a common language.

-- George Bernard Shaw

do you want more ?
https://www.google.fr/search?q=british+and+american+english&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=JhChUbSTFKW10QWh9YEI&sqi=2&ved=0CFwQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=869

Thanks Muriel,

There are far more differences.
Years ago I had printed a discussion on a forum that needed more than 100 pages and lasted many years.

Ok Gérard, I do know that there are many more differences and thank you to gradually let us know about them ! Anyway, our aim as "a café polyglotte sur le not" is to help people take interest in languages. English is very important one in today's world. Having in mind those différences can help go further. Don't you think ?