WBF's English to English Dictionary

[amirm]

New one on me.
What does it mean?

It generally means incompetent fool. If you are playing football (your kind not ours ), and someone kicks the ball into their own net, then you can call him putz.

 

[Barry2013]

Really? It is the same as the nickname for someone named Richard. Like tricky D....

Thanks Joe.
Yes really. It is not in general use here in the Uk but may have made in the finance industry.

 

[Barry2013]

It generally means incompetent fool. If you are playing football (your kind not ours ), and someone kicks the ball into their own net, then you can call him putz.

Thanks Amirm.
Now I am confused by the conflicting translations from you and Joe unless both are correct.

 

[puroagave]

Joe is right there is such a thing as a pukka pie which has been around for a very long time in the Derbyshire area but pretty well nowhere else.I was born in Yorkshire which is to north of Derbyshire and I had never heard of them until I was in my forties living in London. I learnt of them from a primary school headteacher.
I am not sure of the origin of the term pukka but it has certainly been around for at least 20 years and is used to describe something as genuine or very good

now I recall where I heard "pukka" from one of the UK's celebrity chefs, Jamie Oliver: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7g5PyhB9XE

 

[puroagave]

Thanks for the suggestions and explanations guys.

How about some yiddish words? No, I am not Jewish but have adopted these words nevertheless :

Schmuck. I use it in the context of people making stupid decisions. "Look at the schmucks in congress...."

Anti-schmuck insurance. This is a term used in Hollywood in contract negotiations. Usually at the end of negotiating they may ask for this "anti-schmuck insurance." It goes like this: "this deal sounds good but what if I find out someone else would get a much better deal and I would be called a Schmuck? I want a clause that says no one else can get a better deal." The proper contract term for it is Most Favorite Nation (MFN) clause.

Yiddish is great...I have have my faves I use almost daily - use the word that fits, I always say. I grew up in a household that spoke 3 languages fluently (my dad spoke 4) our English was interlaced with non-English words because certain words have no equivalent in English. my wife speaks fluent Japanese, talk about a high context language where a single word can have multiple meanings depending how you say it. I've got a few choice Japanese slang words I've now added to my vocabulary :b

 

[amirm]

Thanks Amirm.
Now I am confused by the conflicting translations from you and Joe unless both are correct.

They are the same: you just need to decode Joe's version .

 

[Joe Whip]

Just trying to be polite!

 

[amirm]

Just trying to be polite!

I figured that . Had to think for a while how to provide an explanation that didn't go there .