One of the greatest strengths of the English language is any noun can be an insult if delivered in the right tone.

RE: https://mstdn.social/@sodslawyer/116056688380387248

One of the greatest strengths of the English language is any noun can be an insult if delivered in the right tone.

@afewbugs Indeed, as long as you preface it with 'You absolute...".

Underlines how "bad words" is a silly concept, it's the tone and the delivery and not the words themselves.

@CarstenBoll @afewbugs similarly anything can be smut if you emphasise it right. He'll bake *her* beans, innit.

RE: https://mstdn.social/@sodslawyer/116056688380387248

One of the greatest strengths of the English language is any noun can be an insult if delivered in the right tone.

@CarstenBoll @afewbugs similarly anything can be smut if you emphasise it right. He'll bake *her* beans, innit.

@CarstenBoll @afewbugs similarly anything can be smut if you emphasise it right. He'll bake *her* beans, innit.

@Flisty @CarstenBoll @afewbugs And if verbed can be used to indicate being drunk "He's completely beansed!" or failure "He beansed that one right up!"

@DamonHD @Flisty @afewbugs

I still remember the first time a UK friend asked me if I wanted to get trolleyed, had no idea what he meant.

@DamonHD @Flisty @afewbugs

I still remember the first time a UK friend asked me if I wanted to get trolleyed, had no idea what he meant.

RE: https://mstdn.social/@sodslawyer/116056688380387248

One of the greatest strengths of the English language is any noun can be an insult if delivered in the right tone.

@CarstenBoll @DamonHD @Flisty "Would you like to steal some wheeled metal carts from outside the supermarket and race them?"

@CarstenBoll @DamonHD @Flisty "Would you like to steal some wheeled metal carts from outside the supermarket and race them?"

@afewbugs New grammar module:
British english insultative vocative: “You (insert random creatively applicable noun).
Emphatic insultative vocative: “you absolute …”
This one is of course related and regularly combined with the common exclamatory vocative: "Oy!", e.g., "oy, you absolute disco light!"

@CarstenBoll @DamonHD @afewbugs trolleyed hammered smashed wankered pissed are the universal ones (pissed *off* is angry - gets confusing translating between US and UK sometimes). But you can verb any noun to do the same...

@Flisty @CarstenBoll @DamonHD @afewbugs ah! Trolleyed (or troll-eyed even for that matter) could have some logic behind it for drunk. “Want to rely on public transit to get home because we won’t be fit to walk any real distance let alone bike or drive?”

RE: https://mstdn.social/@sodslawyer/116056688380387248

One of the greatest strengths of the English language is any noun can be an insult if delivered in the right tone.

@afewbugs hahaha our kids used to do this as a way of ending a conversation they were bored with.

"You're a <last noun used in the preceding sentence>."

It made no sense whatsoever and eventually I called them out on it when I could stop laughing.

@Flisty @afewbugs

I am now imagining someone sensuously feeding a lover baked beans. Thanks a lot.

@c0dec0dec0de @Flisty @DamonHD @afewbugs I figured it's because you'll end up moving about like one of those shopping trolleys with a wonky wheel.

@CarstenBoll @Flisty @afewbugs

Steady on old thing, you don't feed them to the object of your affection, you persuade them to bathe in beans. In public.
Or so I'm told ...