British Greetings

So when i'm talking to people straight out of the UK, I never know quite qhat to say to them. I like to say "How are you?" or "Howsitgoin?" when I greet someone, but you guys say something like "Y'all right lad?" and then i'm supposed to say "fine" or something. MY mother told me never to respond with "not bad" because then people worry and think that you were "bad" at some point.

You people confuse me, enlighten me on your etiquette.

 

Yeah around here it's usually like
"sup nigga"
"sup"

or like
"what up blud"
"pimpin it clart"

 

Typical British conversation:
http://eamelje.net/index.php?p=1877

 

Ha! I loved that clip.

and yeah, i always say "sup nigga" especially to the old granny working the till at Tesco.

 

As strange as it seems to tell such a large group of people, me and some friends do occasionally greet each other with a 'sup nigga'.

I can't really clarify any typical British greetings, as I'm from the north-east and use a fair bit of geordie which seems to be a language all of it's own a lot of the time!

As far as "Not Bad" goes, I have a bit to add...My old man works at a call centre and they have a bunch of directives about what they can and cannot say to the general public. For instance, most negative words, such as 'not' 'no' and 'never' aren't meant to be used at all.

Say if someone calls and you were to say, "Oh, that's no problem I'll take care of it" then that's not on as the caller obviously does deem it a problem.

Wey...Aye, I'm just ramblin' on now like how.

 

ok so i dont' really tell the old woman at the till at Tesco's "sup nigga" but I have said it as a greeting before to friends.

usually though it's just a "hiya" or "hi" or meek sheepish friendly grin

 

Haha, aww, I was so amused picturing you casually dropping 'sup nigga' to the old lady as well!

I also try to rejuvinate tired words I'm still fond of. 'Cool' for instance, now when I say it it's usually, "Cool and the gang" or "Cool Moe D's Jazz Shack".

 

I've heard that before, that you can't use negative words because of some idea that it works as neurolinguistic programming and introduces the idea of "problem" where there wasn't that idea before.

But, I think that's total bollocks! People generally understand their own language, they understand that things are sometimes defined by their negatives and that a statement like "no problem" means, in fact, that there is no problem. It's based on a really stupid notion of how language works, it limits your range and subtlety of expression and vocabulary and it's one of those American self-help-guru kind of ideas.

"No problem" is just a way of making a positive statement in a nuanced (perhaps humble?) way. In fact it's what we English do all the time in our language, we don't go for the totally upbeat positive all the time, we are defined by downplaying our words, being subtle and self-effacing. I sometimes push it even further by saying things like "Oh, not so bad", "Not too bad", "Mustn't grumble!"

I think that's a part of Englishness.

 

I usually address people with "Aight Mate" or "YOU ****!"

 

Lol

 

British people are stupid I can't believe i am one.

 

quit riding americans like we're show ponies at a tulsa, oklahoma rodeo. we all think it's utter bullshit, too. though we'll say "i can't complain, but sometimes i still do."

 

I can't understand a word of that british jargon.

 

What does 'sup nigga' mean? I've never heard it before, and never heard it used in my company. Though I suppose a good olde Derek and Clive greeting would be a treat beheld on anyone's ears.

'Awrihiet cant!'

'Cant!'

 

Or am I being a little off the track? I think the penny has just dropped, umph! Are we being "Street" in downtown L.A.?

 

It's a derogotory greeting using the racial slur, '******'. It's used by people who think that it's alright to use the term, because 'it's used in a different context'. In my opinion that's utter bollocks. I never use the term, whether it's '******', or 'nigga'; it just trivialises a term that's racist either way. You don't hear people walking around saying 'sup my gook?', or 'sup my towelhead?'...It's utter bollocks...I hate it, and instantly lose some respect for people who use it.

Anyway, I usually greet people by saying

" 'ello Sunshine!"

or

" 'ello Droog!"

in a London-Cockney accent.

 

well i'm going to disagree with Matthews that anyone that uses the term "nigga" is a rascist, as it is a term that is embraced by the black community.

and well, i'm not a rascist but i might say it to a friend, etc. i wouldn't go into Compton and say it, unless I knew the person and they were cool with it.

anywho though, here's a link to the definition of the word, as per the urban dictionary.

 

I didn't say everyone who uses the term 'nigga' is a racist, I said it was a racial slur.

The fact you wouldn't use the term in Compton shows that people still find it offensive and racist. So, why is it used so much by whites? Because we still don't get it. We think 'oh, it's okay. Black people use it all the time, so why can't we?' we shouldn't be allowed to use it because we have no right to. We don't understand what black people have gone through throughout the years, and we never will, so to use this racial slur in such a blasé manner is ludicrous. Whites have never been as discriminated against than black people and we will never understand what it's like to be called a racist term to the extent of the word '******/nigga'.

 

Hows it goin/how are you/hey sound just fine to me. Theyre things i say. And i dont usually say "not bad", but not for any particular reason. I prefer "im good thanks" or something of that genre

Where i was raised for a few years of my childhood people said "ayooop!" and "y'alreet?"...LOL

Then straight after i was raised with "salut"s but nowadays no-one greets me. Theyre miserable here

 

Nigga is one of those words which has had so much history and has been so often used, abused, appropriated and reclaimed, that's it's incredibly problematic to pin it down to just one limited conception of its meaning like you're trying to there. Often its use in some contexts is creative, funny, even important. I'm with Lenny Bruce on this matter. Words can only harm you if you let them, if you give them the force of taboo. Language evolves, meanings change, and I'm glad I'm taking part in pushing it forward rather than trying to hold it back.

(Incidentally I'm sure I've seen you arguing for the use of "gay" in its jokily derogatory sense distinct from homophobia on these forums? Same thing.)