Oddities and Isms

Nothing much has happened here since last week. I pretty much did nothing this past weekend (what? no castles?).  I wanted to give castles a break, and a couple of my friends were away or sick.

In light of this, I thought this week's post could be about a few funny things I have found since I've been here in Wales.

Isms: (phrases and things people say)

- "That's Pants"  :  similar to 'that sucks' or 'that's lame/dumb/annoying/etc'
             Your umbrella broke and it's raining? Aw that's pants.

- "You okay?"  :  used like 'how are you' or 'how's it going' as a greeting. Though this seems straightforward, let me tell you, at first it's confusing. Someone walks up to you and says "You okay?" your first response is "Yeah, I'm fine... why? Do I not look okay??" .... Don't panic. They're just saying hi.

- "Go on then" : means yes, sure. Baffling. Real life example: you ask someone a plain yes or no question like 'Do you want a real cup instead of the plastic one?' and the answer is 'Go on then'.... Is that a "Yes, go ahead and give me that one" or a "No, you silly, go on I'm fine" ??? Blank stares ensue til someone explains.

- "Half six"  : 'Half _____' is a term for time of day. Here's a test: does it mean 5:30 or 6:30? Answer: it means half past six. Really it sounds like it could go either way if you think about it. Is it half BEFORE 6 or half AFTER 6? Why are we dropping crucial prepositions??

Oddities: (funny things I've seen)

Apparently this is a food item. A popular one, at that...

Road sign, or lewd public commentary?

(The sign is supposed to read "Humps for 200 yards" meaning speed bumps or, as a cab driver called them, "sleeping policemen")

That's all for now, but I'm keeping a running list of entertaining and quirky things, so stay tuned for more!