A question for the Americans......

27 December 2009, 15:57

Guys,

If an American read the expression 'such and such is small beer to something else' would they understand what the expression 'small beer' means?

I know it sounds like a dumbass question but I do have my reasons for asking!

Thanks in advance!

27 December 2009, 18:11

Gatogordo

I would use it to mean that such and such is unimportant or insignificant or less significant compared to the other. It is not an expression that is in common use these days. I can't think of a good way I'd use it but something like this illustrates it, "The wear on the tires (on a used vehicle) is small beer compared to the quality of the engine." "The trophy cost of one more animal is small beer compared to the cost of the hunt."

27 December 2009, 18:22

shakari

Thanks buddy, you've answered my question perfectly!

27 December 2009, 19:05

Strut10

It is a way more common expression.....at least in my corner of the U.S.........to say "small potatoes" and mean exactly the same as your "small beer".

27 December 2009, 19:45

ddrhook

Shakari, since when does SMALL beer enter your doman. I was of the belief you liked your beer in Largecontainers and served cold and often

with a good single malt next to it

27 December 2009, 20:02

shakari

quote:
Originally posted by ddrhook:
Shakari, since when does SMALL beer enter your doman. I was of the belief you liked your beer in Largecontainers and served cold and often with a good single malt next to it

Funny you should mention that my friend!..... Santa bought me a rather nice malt that I'll be sampling tonight..... don't want to spoil it by having a beer chaser though!

As you won't be able to join me in person, I'll make a point of drinking to absent friends at 2100 hrs my time!

The reason I asked is I'm writing a piece for what I suspect will be a largely American audience..... I obviously need them to understand what the hell I'm talking about but also want the reader to retain the thought that he's reading the words of an Englishman. I'd thought about small potatoes but felt it might be a bit too American.

Having read Gatorgordo's reply, I reckon they'll understand but maybe think it's a slightly foreign expression..... which I guess is the tone I'm trying to achieve. - so I'll stick with it.

Thanks guys!

27 December 2009, 20:26

jeffeosso

most americans would have no clue, and certainly not understand that its a weak beer ... but as measured by gravity of the brew (in modern terms)

small potatoes or hill of beans .. or, next to nil, work better .

28 December 2009, 00:46

gbanger

Steve, I think you will get the effect you are looking for but, I agree that most Americans don't realise that the vast majority of beer consumed in this country is properly termed "small beer".

28 December 2009, 02:01

Czech_Made

Since I am an American for about 8 month now, I feel I need to reply

Perfectly understandable for me - small beer in my native language means also man of small power or short or any other way handicapped.

Because beer in my country of origin is 1/2 liter and small beer is 1/3 of a liter and small beer is typically consumed by women or abstinents and other queer folk. The men drink beer, typically 3 to 8 liters an evening.

28 December 2009, 03:51

jb

quote:
Originally posted by Czech_Made:
The men drink beer, typically 3 to 8 liters an evening.

Thats it?may as well stay home and watch tv with the mother in law,as only have a few.Get drunk and be somebody.Man up and sound off ,like you got a pair.

28 December 2009, 07:56

impingement

it would mean "not worth trifiling with" to me

28 December 2009, 10:08

shakari

Guys,

Thanks again for the input.... AR really is a great place huh!

28 December 2009, 15:48

Czech_Made

quote:
Originally posted by jb:
quote:
Originally posted by Czech_Made:
The men drink beer, typically 3 to 8 liters an evening.
Thats it?may as well stay home and watch tv with the mother in law,as only have a few.Get drunk and be somebody.Man up and sound off ,like you got a pair.

Well, no Minnesotans showed us better yet

28 December 2009, 17:27

ddrhook

brits and americans= one group seperated by a common

lanuage

I love hearing a brut mutilate the king english. here we speak broken english. we say you broke it!!!!!! what say you

.

28 December 2009, 17:50

shakari

quote:
Originally posted by ddrhook:
brits and americans= one group seperated by a common lanuage I love hearing a brut mutilate the king english. here we speak broken english. we say you broke it!!!!!! what say you .

Actually old chap, I'd say it's the Queen's English at the moment!

It must be admitted that the differences can make for a few laughs, such as when a Brit offers an American a cigarette and asks him if he'd like a fag!

BTW, does anyone know why Americans are known as Yanks? - Cos I've got no bloody idea!

28 December 2009, 17:53

ddrhook

be glad your not in san fransico when you offer cig. or speak of the queen

28 December 2009, 17:53

ddrhook

28 December 2009, 18:01

ddrhook

yaa and who you call'un old!!!!! just because I do math problems in roman numural

28 December 2009, 18:04

shakari

Tell me about it..... about 35 years ago years ago I went on holiday/vacation to SF with 5 buddies..... we checked into the hotel and the receptionist assumed we all batted for the other side and tried to give us 3 double bedded rooms between us!

Damn it was embarrassing trying to explain that wasn't the case at all!

I couldn't believe it when I saw so many blokes walking down the street hand in hand and kissing in public etc. Far too shocking for this lad at that time!

We spent about 3 days there and then hired a couple of cars and got the hell out of that city as fast we could.

28 December 2009, 18:08

Gatogordo

quote:
BTW, does anyone know why Americans are known as Yanks? - Cos I've got no bloody idea!

This is a copy of the commonly accepted origination of the term. Probably will have to do, since none of the original users are available to testify. Since I've been taken to task in another thread for my occasional use of the common term for coitus

, I thought I'd throw "bloody" in for further edification.

quote:
Why are Americans called Yanks or Yankees?

The origin of Yankee has been the subject of much debate, but the most likely source is the Dutch name Janke, meaning “little Jan” or “little John,” a nickname that dates back to the 1680s. Perhaps because it was used as the name of pirates, the name Yankee came to be used as a term of contempt. It was used this way in the 1750s by General James Wolfe, the British general who secured British domination of North America by defeating the French at Quebec. The name may have been applied to New Britainers as an extension of an original use referring to Dutch settlers living along the Hudson River. Whatever the reason, Yankee is first recorded in 1765 as a name for an inhabitant of New Britain. The first recorded use of the term by the British to refer to Americans in general appears in the 1780s, in a letter by Lord Horatio Nelson, no less. Around the same time it began to be abbreviated to Yank. During the American Revolution, American soldiers adopted this term of derision as a term of national pride. The derisive use nonetheless remained alive and even intensified in the South during the Civil War, when it referred not to all Americans but to those loyal to the Union. Now the term carries less emotion—except of course for baseball fans.

Where does that word "Bloody" come from the English are so fond of using?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary: "In foul language, a vague epithet expressing anger, resentment, but often a mere intensive, especially with a negative -- as, not a bloody one." They cite an 1840s usage. On the other hand, the use as adverb dates back to 1650s: as an intensive, meaning, "very" or "and no mistake". In the 1880s, it was considered a "horrid word" by respectable people, on par with obscene or profane language, and was printed in newspapers, etc., as "b----y."
The OED says the origin is uncertain, but possibly refers to "bloods" (aristocratic rowdies) of the late 17th-early 18th centuries ... "bloody drunk" arising from '"drunk as a blood" ... and the association with bloody battle, bloody butcher, etc., "appealed to the imagination of the rough classes."

Another version is that the derivation of "bloody" is as a corruption of the medieval phrase "by Our Lady", which, being an oath sworn on the person of the mother of Jesus Christ, was considered blasphemous.

28 December 2009, 18:11

ddrhook

ya I was a country boy when I was there made me sick could not get outa town fast enough.
shakari= Know any where a man my age could kind a place to go fishin?????? croc fishin???????

28 December 2009, 18:12

ddrhook

spelli (FIND) could find a place

28 December 2009, 18:33

shakari

Thanks Guys,

Lots of good info there, including the expression 'New Britain' which I'll make a point of using when I want to pull my American friend's legs!

As for the fishing, get yourself to Botswana my friend and I'll be delighted to get you hooked into a few flatdogs!

28 December 2009, 18:45

Gatogordo

Were I more of a curmudgeon, instead of the widely loved character that I am..........I might suggest a couple of AR members that you could take along to use as bait........trolling on water skis would make it more interesting, the religious types could see if walking on water was an acquirable skill.........

28 December 2009, 19:02

shakari

28 December 2009, 19:31

ddrhook

yeeep topwater bait works well. OLD times used it here in the swamps. not politicaly correct to do it now

29 December 2009, 09:58

gbanger

I've noticed that Brits, Aussies, and Africans of British decent are all fond of the term "yank" when referring to an American. I must say as a Texan, that the word grates on us as many young Texans near adulthood before they learn "damn yankee" is not one word.

29 December 2009, 10:08

shakari

quote:
Originally posted by gbanger:
I've noticed that Brits, Aussies, and Africans of British decent are all fond of the term "yank" when referring to an American. I must say as a Texan, that the word grates on us as many young Texans near adulthood before they learn "damn yankee" is not one word.

From the perspective of a Brit, we certainly don't mean the expression to be derogatory in any way.

29 December 2009, 11:50

ikesdad

quote:
Originally posted by gbanger:
I've noticed that Brits, Aussies, and Africans of British decent are all fond of the term "yank" when referring to an American. I must say as a Texan, that the word grates on us as many young Texans near adulthood before they learn "damn yankee" is not one word.

People from somewheres else dont know the regional difference. I'm from Alabama and ya gotta just understand their intent is not a slam in any way. Wear it in the way it was meant. They can call me a Yank all they want.

29 December 2009, 15:51

Kensco

gbanger

If you become an older, more travelled Texan, Yank won't bother you, nor will redneck, oilfield trash, gringo, extranjero, or any of a number of other names. They are just names.

In the WWs we were Yanks, they were Brits, Frogs, Japs, Krauts, Gooks, Chinks, Aussies, Russkis, etc. Some of those names I consider insulting, some aren't.

If they call me a Yank down-under, I take it as a compliment. If some trailer-trash Texan tries to imply that I'm a Yankee, he's insulted me; although I like the Yankees.

People that weren't born in Texas aren't Texans. I don't care how many years you've lived there. My son and daughter are Texans.

I was born in New Mexico. You would be amazed the number of times people have asked me, when did I move to the U.S.

29 December 2009, 18:56

dogcat

My sons are in Boston and the "Yank" is not well like there. Better to be a "Chowda Head".

29 December 2009, 19:32

jeffeosso

quote:
Originally posted by Kensco:
People that weren't born in Texas aren't Texans. I don't care how many years you've lived there.

Not everyone in Texas agree with that opinion, btw.

29 December 2009, 19:54

CamoManJ

I disagree...A True Texan is BORN in Texas!

Just like a True American is BORN in the USA, but that changed in Nov 2008...

29 December 2009, 23:09

ikesdad

quote:
Originally posted by CamoManJ:
I disagree...A True Texan is BORN in Texas!

Just like a True American is BORN in the USA, but that changed in Nov 2008...

I understand your reference to O, but I must disagree with the rest. I have known some from other countries, especially Afrikaners from SA, that are more American than me.

30 December 2009, 03:02

ddrhook

i dont know about more american but there dam sure a lot more fun thn most politicaly correct americans are now. I know a few myself.

30 December 2009, 04:33

gbanger

Crocket, Travis, Bowie, Austin, Houston, and many others weren't born Texans. They earned it and not even "trailer trash" would deny them that.

30 December 2009, 05:04

Larry Matherne

I don't like the term yank much, those fellows did a bunch of damage in these parts a while back, damn yankees.

31 December 2009, 08:52

Craftsman

Steve

I will answer to practically anything as long as you are smiling when you say it.

By the way are you coming to the Dallas Safari Club this year?

31 December 2009, 11:48

shakari

quote:
Originally posted by Craftsman:
Steve

By the way are you coming to the Dallas Safari Club this year?

'Fraid not buddy. I really enjoy the conventions but we hardly ever have enough of our season unsold to make it a viable proposition to attend. It's also a very busy time of year for us here...... in fact, since we started the shakariconnection.com site every time of year is a busy one for us.

I'm also trying to find time to do some writing and could do with a 48 hour day or a microwave bed that'll give me 6 hours sleep in 10 minutes!

Ideally, we'd be able to hire some staff to take some of the load off but all the work requires so much knowledge, it's impossible to train anyone...... and if you did, they'd probably bugger off and set up as competition as soon as they were trained!

01 January 2010, 08:19

Craftsman

Steve

I am a friend of Ernest Terry, the fellow you met at DSC show a few years back. He was the big guy wearing a square and compass on his cap.

Some day we hope to save up enough coins to go hunting with you. And especially look forward to attending lodge in Africa. Later maybe we can hoist a few Castle's.

I have done bit of gunsmithing for Ernest over the years, his latest project being a .416 Taylor.
By the square
Freddy Johle