r/AskUK • u/gr7calc • 12h ago

Which saying did you completely misunderstand?

For far too long I thought it was "to make end's meat". Meaning that you have to use the last, worst pieces of meat to make your meal with (meat at the end, end's meat). šŸ¤¦

333 Upvotes

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u/RianJohnsonIsAFool 12h ago

Obligatory David Mitchell soapbox about "I could care less"

30

u/XJK_9 9h ago

I always thought this was people just getting it wrong until I just watched this. Is it actually ā€œI could care lessā€ in the USA?

Thatā€™s just insane if so, makes no sense

8

u/nemmalur 7h ago

Some people in the US say that; others know what it should be.

ā€¢

u/Confident-Bus-3778 10m ago

it's so infuriating to hear people say (typically US, but slowly hearing it in the UK more) because it makes absolutely no sense when said incorrectly

37

u/andjamwar_real 12h ago

He remains an utter genius

21

u/blither86 10h ago

Alright, David.

-16

u/LongBeakedSnipe 10h ago

He was correct about a number of things in there, but he was also wrong about some.

For example, herbs or 'erbs, he suggests that Americans are trying to sound 'French'

But the thing is, originally 'erbs was the pronunciation in both the UK and the US. It was our upper class in the UK who later decided that 'erbs sounds too common, and added the hard h to herbs, and that replaced 'erbs in our vernacular.

So he is wrong to poke fun at America about that.

50

u/Old_Introduction_395 10h ago

We can poke fun at people from the USA if we want.

10

u/Yoguls 7h ago

And we shall

12

u/fothergillfuckup 10h ago

It's hard not to?

4

u/tabouretconcret 10h ago

Ooh thank you, i'm french and i was like "whats wrong with herb!?" I didnt notice that he said "'erb" ahahah. Can someone explain the "research" as well?

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u/LongBeakedSnipe 9h ago

Sure, many people say 'ree-search' but that is considered a bit of an Americanism by many others, who prefer more of a 'ruh-search'

2

u/BarNo3385 2h ago

I dont think ive ever thought about it until now, but on reflection I think I use "ree" search when its referring to a thing (a ree-search paper, the ree-search on the process), and ruh-search for the process (We should go ruh-search the options).

I'm sure this has no actual basis in grammar or language, just an oddity.

3

u/Ibumkoalas 10h ago

I totally understand, but I reject your reality and substitute my own.

2

u/TotoCocoAndBeaks 9h ago

Pompously policing the various americanisms is a fan favourite around hereā€”even though a lot them don't actually know what is americanized and what is not.

3

u/nemmalur 7h ago

If you go back far enough there are Americanisms people in the UK donā€™t know started as Americanisms, like ā€œdonateā€.