w3r1 - frosty, sunny, brilliant. FLIPPING HECK!

[rfawag]

Just done the above without any problems at all, despite my 'run' being uphill (for the first half anyway). Took a different route today as I didn't much enjoy my cow dodging on friday. Decided to go down the Waskerley Way. It was fabulous, frosty and sunny, and looking at the clouds/fog hanging over the valley below was just stunning. Lots of cyclists but only one other runner. I can't believe I am saying this, but it was great, I really enjoyed it. After a lifetime of avoiding running like the plague, I - the worst runner ever and I mean EVER really enjoyed it. Except the poo music, but what do you expect for nowt? My dayglo Aldi running top is fast becoming my favourite piece of attire. And I am starting to feel like one of those 'fit b******s' that my hubby scowls at through the car window (he does mean it nicely though!). And now I am back in the warm, enjoying a well earned cafetiere of some very good peaberry coffee. Flipping me, flipping running and flipping enjoying it. FLIPPING HECK!!

[oona Graduate]

Loved your blog, rfawag! You've well and truly been bitten by the bug! Best wishes for the rest of the programme!

[smhall Graduate]

FLIPPING BRILLIANT!! (Please note: I am from the USA and I am not 100% sure what "Flipping" means to you. I am guessing from the context that it is pretty darn good, though!! Please forgive me if I am wrong.)

You have given us a wonderful blog and a wonderful story of what we hope running becomes to all of us!! Enjoy your coffee, enjoy your day and enjoy your next run!!

Keep Running!!

Steve

[rfawag in reply to smhall]

Over here, 'flipping' is sort of a means of not swearing. Going by the first letters, Flippin' Heck is the non-swear version of err, well, I'm sure you can work it out! We also say Blooming Heck too. (pronounced in the north as blummin' 'eck). Come to think of it, we also say chuffin 'eck, although I'm not sure that has an actual sweary equivalent. I like to reserve proper swears for painful stubbed toes and the like. All the above are also used without the 'ecks', to indicate 'very', so flippin'/bloomin'/chuffin' great eg. We are a quirky lot in lil ole England, aren't we!

[smhall Graduate in reply to rfawag]

Got it!! I thought that it could be something like that. Here in America we don't deviate from the original swear as much. We use something much closer such as "Frickin."

"Bloomin'" I am aware of thanks to Eliza Doolittle and "My Fair Lady."

Now "Chuffin" has me a bit confused. Gayle and I had determined "Chuffed" to mean proud or pleased as in, I am quite "Chuffed" with myself. But now you say you also use it as "Chuffin Eck."

Oh my, we are getting quite an education in English slang and swearing!! By the way...explain "bloke" to me. Many weeks ago I refered to all of you on "the other side of the pond" as "blokes." Gayle informed me that she thought that bloke was a derogatory name for men. I thought it was just a term for people. In America, we would use the term dudes or folks. Did I offend anyone by calling them "blokes?"

Thank you in advance for the English lesson. If you ever need to swear in American English, please feel free to consult me!!

Steve

[rfawag in reply to smhall]

My Fair Lady - what excellent taste in fims you have! Although I have to say that Audrey's cockney accent leaves a little to be desired, lol.

Now chuffed does in indeed mean 'very pleased', so one can be chuffed to bits (as in thrilled to bits), or even be 'made up', as in "I'm made up" (means the same as chuffed). Chuffing however bears no resemblence to chuffed. So flipping/blooming/chuffing/blinking are all polite and slightly endearing ways of expressing your equivalent 'frickin'

Now a 'bloke' is simply a man, but would never be used to describe a 'toff' or a 'gentleman'. Your everyday Joe is a bloke, or geezer, or one of the lads. 'Chap' and 'fellow' are largely used by the 'posh' folk, (although 'fella' is a commoners version, so that does crop up). Interestingly though, if a person indulges in 'blokish' or 'laddish' behaviour, it means they are unseemly, and common and generally loutish (women can also be 'blokey' or 'laddish', especially those who try to drink like men)

'Guys' has become the norm over here to address a mixed gender group. That has filtered in from the U.S. I think that as we get so much American film/t.v over here, we are pretty au-fait with U.S slang/profanity. One that always amuses me is 'fanny', which I believe is a bum/bottom over there. In good old Blighty, however, a fanny is a ladies 'front bottom'. So if we ever hear a phease like 'kick in the fanny', it really makes us wince!! So here endeth the lesson on bloke/chuffed/chuffing. This is rather fun! I look forward to endowing you with more everyday english.

[OldNed Graduate in reply to rfawag]

Down here in Sheffield we tend to say Chuffinelle, which I probably don't need to translate. Way back in the 1980s there was a dance troupe called The Chuffinelles, based in Sheffield, although I don't think they've performed for some years now. And of course, to confuse our American friends even more, there were the two other dance troupes, the Cholmondleys and the Featherstonehaughs aka Chumleys and Fanshaws!! This running lark does take you down some byways!

[smhall Graduate in reply to rfawag]

Thank you since very much for the English lesson, rfawag!! I will be much more careful with my use of "fanny!!".

We have been pretty close on many of our interpretations, but not always exact! :-). I am sure that I will be needing additional lessons as we go along!

Thanks again!!

Steve

[AuntieAli Graduate]

fan bloody tastic!!! well done rfawag!!

i love the bit in your blog about youre being one of those b.....s who runs!! me and my partner are always looking out for them! the ones we see are always prim and look like they were born to jog!! you know the ones - women who dont sweat, go red as a beetroot and dont appear to need to breathe!!!

i hope my first run of week 3 goes as great as yours.

keep on running!!

[OldNed Graduate]

Ah, the Waskerley Way, I know it well (I was at school in Wolsingham) although the last time I went on it was on a bike, doing Coast to Coast. You seem to have got the running bug, well and truly. It does bite hard!! W5R3 isn't hard when you get to it; you'll surprise yourself, and after a [short] while running that distance will come to seem routine. And, for what it's worth, I'm also in the Aldi Day-Glo top!!