Words and phrases

I dont find thinking hard work. Never have done I dont think.

I am not an attention seeker.

Can you explain why you are pretending that you do not understand English?
See, that is what I dont think most people on this thread are understanding.
There are many many words that posters use, that I dont think are routinely understood by a lot of other posters.

soontobe What makes you think that other Gransnetters are having problems understanding "many words" that have appeared in posts? I can recall one or two occasions when people have asked for clarification or when there has been a misunderstanding because someone thought a word meant something different from its standard definition, but I have never previously heard anyone suggest, as you seem to be doing, that posts are generally obscure and riddled with unfamiliar words and phrases. I appreciate that you may be having difficulties, although you haven't been very specific about them, but I really don't think you can speak for others.

The thread which sparked this one, for starters.

www.gransnet.com/forums/politics/1215182-Now-that-ISNT-funny

I will find more links in the morning.
It may be later in the morning though, as I have other things going on.

soontobe The confusion on the thread Now that Isn't funny has absolutely nothing to do with the words used by Gransnetters in their posts and everything to do with the unclear motives of the person quoted as saying that Nigel Farage "calls a spade a spade" and then added that it was a joke.

Several people commented on the two possible interpretations of this man's description of NF – one a piece of racist slang generally regarded as offensive that I recall being used in the 1970s although it may well have been round longer than that, and the other a popular saying that has been around since the first century BC.

I have a limited vocabulary (and is becoming more so as I get older) and enjoy reading well written text. Generally one can understand a new or unfamiliar word by the context in which it is used. If not, we all have the the solution at our fingertips , an online dictionary.

Language is such a wonderful thing unique to humans, we should never dumb it down.

AND, how could I cope without the double entendre.

As Elgran points out that Cat = Pussy

Hence my philosophy that "happiness is a warm pussy" thank goodness this could not be miss understood.

pompa Who is Miss Understood? I hope you are not referring to any of our "lady members".

I left school at 16, got married at 21, had five children, have never been a teacher or even done a 'proper' job but I can cope with this site and understand nearly all of it!

and reserve my right not to be able to understand things.

I find that a somewhat disturbing phrase!

I didn't know that "Ladies" had "Members" , just cats !

phoenix I am puzzled too. Is it actually a right or just a state of mind? Discuss and write on only one side of the paper.

Ooh, pompa you are naughty! (but I like you!)
Is there such a thing as a " single entendre" anyway?? But being French I suppose I would have to a " simple entendre" (being careful to pronounce it right)

IMO, "A state of Mind". Some days I will investigate, others I just can't be arsed.

Absent, (*at a time* ) -the A4, I mean.

I think people are perhaps taking this the wrong way as they seem to be getting very upset by it!

I thought it was regional sayings.

E.g who knows what these mean or where they are from?

I can't be arrished.
He's got loads of choredy in his shed.
I'm going for a dook.
I cowed ower and bust my neb.
She's a lowper.

Answers anyone?

Soon on more than one occasion you've said that you think other Gransnetters would be unable to understand either words or whole threads. How have you come to that conclusion? On another thread you stated that 80% of people do not understand much of what is going on (with regard to politics). On what basis are you speaking for other people?

Please don't make any assumptions about those of us who do are not regular posters.

I don't garden, sew, knit and rarely bake - it would be very unfair of me to join in those threads and complain that I don't understand the technical terms or Latin names and then accuse the posters of being elitist.

Leticia, I don't see how the problem, if there is one, can be explained away by reference to albeit wonderfully impenetrable regional/dialect colloquialisms. They can enrich our language but tend not to feature as much in the written word and I certainly don't think I have ever been flummoxed (now there's a lovely word) by their usage on GN.
No, I fear this is more a kind of inverted pedantry and judging by the replies, the plaintiff is in a minority

Now, what do your wonderful examples mean??

Please may I reserve the right to put my fingers in my ears, shut my eyes and go "lah lah lah" ?

soon you say:
"Personally I dont come on gransnet to learn all the time."

Come on. What exactly do you come on Gransnet for?

phoenix

Men (other sexes available) in white coats coming for Pheonix.

If I put more links, is it going to make a difference?

Links to what? Make a difference to what?

Ok. I am clearly out of step with a number of you.
I dont understand the language of a number of you.
I will struggle on.