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Ed S
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 5:02 pm
Post subject: How many Americans know the word 'cheeky' as meaning impuden |
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What proportion of Americans understand the Brit word 'cheeky'
(meaning impudent)?
Each time I (a Briton) say that word to an American, I get the
impression they have not heard it before (well, not as meaning
impudent, anyway), which strikes me as strange, since it's about as
old as the hills in BritE usage.
Cheers,
Ed S
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Bob
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 5:02 pm
Post subject: Re: How many Americans know the word 'cheeky' as meaning imp |
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On Fri, 14 Oct 2005 11:02:13 +0000, Ed S wrote:
| Quote: | What proportion of Americans understand the Brit word 'cheeky' (meaning
impudent)?
Each time I (a Briton) say that word to an American, I get the impression
they have not heard it before (well, not as meaning impudent, anyway),
which strikes me as strange, since it's about as old as the hills in BritE
usage.
Cheers,
Ed S
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Not new to me (an American). |
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Tony Cooper
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 6:17 pm
Post subject: Re: How many Americans know the word 'cheeky' as meaning imp |
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On Fri, 14 Oct 2005 11:02:13 GMT, PillEd@blackhole7777.net (Ed S)
wrote:
| Quote: | What proportion of Americans understand the Brit word 'cheeky'
(meaning impudent)?
Each time I (a Briton) say that word to an American, I get the
impression they have not heard it before (well, not as meaning
impudent, anyway), which strikes me as strange, since it's about as
old as the hills in BritE usage.
|
I wouldn't attempt to put a figure on it, but any American that has
watched a few Britcoms would know the term. If they've watched
anything from Benny Hill to Monty Python they would have heard "cheeky
bastard". Also, Americans that have seen a movie like "A Fish Called
Wanda". The American that watches British comedy, or comedy-like,
presentations would be most like to know the phrase. Dramas don't
tend to have "Oooooo, cheeky!" as lines.
Not all Americans watch Britcoms, though.
--
Tony Cooper
Orlando, FL
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Bob G
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 6:25 pm
Post subject: Re: How many Americans know the word 'cheeky' as meaning imp |
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| Quote: | Well, that's a start. Only 279,999,999 Americans left to speak up.
Man, I'm so cheeky aren't I?
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Make it 279,999,998 |
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Ed S
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 6:27 pm
Post subject: Re: How many Americans know the word 'cheeky' as meaning imp |
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On Fri, 14 Oct 2005 10:57:12 GMT, Bob <bob@dont.spam.me> wrote:
| Quote: | On Fri, 14 Oct 2005 11:02:13 +0000, Ed S wrote:
What proportion of Americans understand the Brit word 'cheeky' (meaning
impudent)?
Each time I (a Briton) say that word to an American, I get the impression
they have not heard it before (well, not as meaning impudent, anyway),
which strikes me as strange, since it's about as old as the hills in BritE
usage.
Cheers,
Ed S
Not new to me (an American).
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Well, that's a start. Only 279,999,999 Americans left to speak up.
Man, I'm so cheeky aren't I?
Ed S |
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Spehro Pefhany
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 6:44 pm
Post subject: Re: How many Americans know the word 'cheeky' as meaning imp |
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On Fri, 14 Oct 2005 12:17:20 GMT, the renowned Tony Cooper
<tony_cooper213@earthlink.net> wrote:
| Quote: | On Fri, 14 Oct 2005 11:02:13 GMT, PillEd@blackhole7777.net (Ed S)
wrote:
What proportion of Americans understand the Brit word 'cheeky'
(meaning impudent)?
Each time I (a Briton) say that word to an American, I get the
impression they have not heard it before (well, not as meaning
impudent, anyway), which strikes me as strange, since it's about as
old as the hills in BritE usage.
I wouldn't attempt to put a figure on it, but any American that has
watched a few Britcoms would know the term. If they've watched
anything from Benny Hill to Monty Python they would have heard "cheeky
bastard". Also, Americans that have seen a movie like "A Fish Called
Wanda". The American that watches British comedy, or comedy-like,
presentations would be most like to know the phrase. Dramas don't
tend to have "Oooooo, cheeky!" as lines.
Not all Americans watch Britcoms, though.
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Some cheeky monkeys may have watched Mike Myers on Saturday Night
Live.
Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com |
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John Dean
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 7:44 pm
Post subject: Re: How many Americans know the word 'cheeky' as meaning imp |
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Bob G wrote:
| Quote: | Well, that's a start. Only 279,999,999 Americans left to speak up.
Man, I'm so cheeky aren't I?
Make it 279,999,998
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You've lost 15 million citizens since July?
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html
--
John Dean
Oxford |
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John Dean
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 7:45 pm
Post subject: Re: How many Americans know the word 'cheeky' as meaning imp |
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Ed S wrote:
| Quote: | What proportion of Americans understand the Brit word 'cheeky'
(meaning impudent)?
Each time I (a Briton) say that word to an American, I get the
impression they have not heard it before (well, not as meaning
impudent, anyway), which strikes me as strange, since it's about as
old as the hills in BritE usage.
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Only those hills which were created in 1859, if OED is to be believed.
The noun and verb are said to be from 1840.
--
John Dean
Oxford |
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John Dean
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 7:51 pm
Post subject: Re: How many Americans know the word 'cheeky' as meaning imp |
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Tony Cooper wrote:
| Quote: | On Fri, 14 Oct 2005 11:02:13 GMT, PillEd@blackhole7777.net (Ed S)
wrote:
What proportion of Americans understand the Brit word 'cheeky'
(meaning impudent)?
Each time I (a Briton) say that word to an American, I get the
impression they have not heard it before (well, not as meaning
impudent, anyway), which strikes me as strange, since it's about as
old as the hills in BritE usage.
I wouldn't attempt to put a figure on it, but any American that has
watched a few Britcoms would know the term. If they've watched
anything from Benny Hill to Monty Python they would have heard "cheeky
bastard". Also, Americans that have seen a movie like "A Fish Called
Wanda". The American that watches British comedy, or comedy-like,
presentations would be most like to know the phrase. Dramas don't
tend to have "Oooooo, cheeky!" as lines.
Not all Americans watch Britcoms, though.
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Mark Twain prolly ditten.
But in Huckleberry Finn he has:
"You better a blame' sight give yourself a good cussing, for you're the
one that's entitled to it most. You hain't done a thing from the start
that had any sense in it, except coming out so cool and cheeky with that
imaginary blue-arrow mark. That was bright - it was right down bully;
and it was the thing that saved us. For if it hadn't been for that
they'd a jailed us till them Englishmen's baggage come - and then - the
penitentiary, you bet! But that trick took 'em to the graveyard, and the
gold done us a still bigger kindness; for if the excited fools hadn't
let go all holts and made that rush to get a look we'd a slept in our
cravats to-night - cravats warranted to wear, too - longer than we'D
need 'em."
--
John Dean
Oxford |
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nancy13g
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 7:53 pm
Post subject: Re: How many Americans know the word 'cheeky' as meaning imp |
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Bob G wrote:
| Quote: | Well, that's a start. Only 279,999,999
Americans left to speak up.
Make it 279,999,998
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279,999,997.
Although just because I recognize the word doesn't mean I'd be likely
to use it in everyday speech, or expect to hear it very often. It's not
very common in the US (at least not here in the Northeast). |
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Harvey Van Sickle
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 7:57 pm
Post subject: Re: How many Americans know the word 'cheeky' as meaning imp |
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On 14 Oct 2005, Spehro Pefhany wrote
| Quote: | On Fri, 14 Oct 2005 14:44:43 +0100, the renowned "John Dean"
john-dean@frag.lineone.net> wrote:
Bob G wrote:
Well, that's a start. Only 279,999,999 Americans left to speak up.
Man, I'm so cheeky aren't I?
Make it 279,999,998
You've lost 15 million citizens since July?
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html
Apparently, they've stopped actively seeking employment, so they are
no longer counted.
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Cheeky buggers.
--
Cheers, Harvey
Canadian (30 years) and British (23 years)
For e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van |
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Spehro Pefhany
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 7:58 pm
Post subject: Re: How many Americans know the word 'cheeky' as meaning imp |
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On Fri, 14 Oct 2005 14:44:43 +0100, the renowned "John Dean"
<john-dean@frag.lineone.net> wrote:
Apparently, they've stopped actively seeking employment, so they are
no longer counted.
Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com |
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Bob G
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 10:30 pm
Post subject: Re: How many Americans know the word 'cheeky' as meaning imp |
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John Dean wrote:
| Quote: | Bob G wrote:
Well, that's a start. Only 279,999,999 Americans left to speak up.
Man, I'm so cheeky aren't I?
Make it 279,999,998
You've lost 15 million citizens since July?
John Dean
Oxford
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That I wrote 279,999,998 doesn't mean I accepted 280,000,000 as the
current US population. Not at all. It just so happens that I personally
know fifteen million other Americans who use "cheeky" regularly. |
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Martin Ambuhl
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 10:58 pm
Post subject: Re: How many Americans know the word 'cheeky' as meaning imp |
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Ed S wrote:
| Quote: | What proportion of Americans understand the Brit word 'cheeky'
(meaning impudent)?
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I would guess close to 100% of Americans understand the American word
'cheeky' (meaning impudent). They also understand the American noun
'cheek' used in 'You have some cheek calling this a Brit word.' |
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Salvatore Volatile
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 11:51 pm
Post subject: Re: How many Americans know the word 'cheeky' as meaning imp |
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R H Draney wrote:
| Quote: | retrosorter filted:
Comedian Mike Myers popularized the term "cheeky" some years ago in a
skit in Saturday Night Live where he would emulated a British boy in a
bath and he said "cheeky monkey." Myers, however, is Canadian and i
think his father was a Brit.
He says his mother is....
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And Linda "Cawfee Tawk" Richman is based on his
Queens-raised mother-in-law, IIRC. |
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