I’m just back from teaching my English conversation class, and as I looked through the newspaper I saw a review of a book by Kate Fox called ‘Watching the English’. Kate Knox is an anthropologist and she has been examining the language used in Britain every day, not just at the phrases and sayings we use, but at the whole hidden meaning within them.
‘Mustn’t grumble’ is such a typical phrase one might say, and it doesn’t just mean a mild reprimand not to complain about something, it actually means things are going along very well. On the other hand it could mean that things are pretty dreadful, but we’re going to be brave and not grumble about them.
‘Typical!’ is another thing you may hear all the time, as an exclamation, and maybe with a sort of sound before it… ‘Cyah’ sort of sound, from the throat, almost like ‘Cor’ almost like ‘yeah’… I’m no longer up to date with phonetics, but it maybe a uvular fricative… ‘Typical!’ is usually accompanied by a ‘tut’ or ‘tsk’ sound either before or after. Typical used like this does not mean whatever you are talking about is actually a typical occurrence; it has the hidden meaning of being bad luck – ‘My birthday, and it’s raining. Typical!’; ‘He’s late again, typical!’
I don’t suppose I’ve explained this very well; you will have to buy Kate Fox’s book to find out more. However, here are a couple more examples, ‘Never mind’, ‘There’s always something!’, ‘I could have told you!’, ‘As per usual’, ‘Oh, come off it!’ and then of course there’s sod’s law!
Lois Elsden 