Basic manners in the UK
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You are a foreigner with heavy accent living in the UK. If you want to be polite getting off public transport, you can say a number and a letter to the driver.
Which number and which letter?
wordplay trivia english language
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add a comment |
up vote
7
down vote
favorite
You are a foreigner with heavy accent living in the UK. If you want to be polite getting off public transport, you can say a number and a letter to the driver.
Which number and which letter?
wordplay trivia english language
New contributor
add a comment |
up vote
7
down vote
favorite
up vote
7
down vote
favorite
You are a foreigner with heavy accent living in the UK. If you want to be polite getting off public transport, you can say a number and a letter to the driver.
Which number and which letter?
wordplay trivia english language
New contributor
You are a foreigner with heavy accent living in the UK. If you want to be polite getting off public transport, you can say a number and a letter to the driver.
Which number and which letter?
wordplay trivia english language
wordplay trivia english language
New contributor
New contributor
New contributor
asked 18 hours ago
Grosi
362
362
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New contributor
add a comment |
add a comment |
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
up vote
10
down vote
"10 Q" = "ten cue" > "tenc ue" sounds like "thank you" for some accents.
add a comment |
up vote
7
down vote
In a very similar vein to WAF’s answer, you can also say
3Q, assuming you are not just any foreigner, but specifically a Chinese or Japanese foreigner.
This is in fact a very common way of writing ‘thank you’ in textspeak in both languages. The number three is 三 sān in Mandarin (and san in Japanese, which borrowed it from Chinese), and the name of the letter Q is borrowed from and pronounced as in English. Chinese and Japanese both lack interdental sounds, so /θ/ usually gets substituted for /s/, and syllables can only end in one consonant (a nasal). Put together, thank you ends up sounding like san kyu when pronounced by most Chinese or Japanese speakers.
New contributor
Ha. I was going to give the same answer... but saying a Japanese foreigner. +1
– tmgr
9 hours ago
1
@tmgr Do you know, I never thought about that before, but it’s just as likely in Japanese now that you mention it – more likely, in fact, since /kjuː/ is a valid syllable in Japanese, which it isn’t in Mandarin. So even as said by Chinese people, it’s not entirely phonotactically possible in Chinese as such, whereas it would be in Japanese. Answer edited!
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
9 hours ago
1
Mandarin's outside my bailiwick but I did think it looked a rather Japanesey transliteration. As you probably know, 3Q is also used in Japanese text speech.... and I think I've seen both 三九 and 三級. But now we're well off-topic!
– tmgr
9 hours ago
1
@tmgr Thanks for that – Japanese is far enough outside my bailiwick that I’m not familiar with its textspeak; good to have corroboration that it’s used there too!
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
9 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
If you really want to show your appreciation, you could always give the driver a
Ten A. A ten pound note is popularly called a "tenner", and in London and much of the South is pronounced "ten-ah".
2
Considering this is about the UK, which is mostly non-rhotic, R might even be a better option here.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
10 hours ago
That'd work too - good point. And of course the number 5 would work as well.
– Graham
10 hours ago
add a comment |
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
10
down vote
"10 Q" = "ten cue" > "tenc ue" sounds like "thank you" for some accents.
add a comment |
up vote
10
down vote
"10 Q" = "ten cue" > "tenc ue" sounds like "thank you" for some accents.
add a comment |
up vote
10
down vote
up vote
10
down vote
"10 Q" = "ten cue" > "tenc ue" sounds like "thank you" for some accents.
"10 Q" = "ten cue" > "tenc ue" sounds like "thank you" for some accents.
answered 17 hours ago
WAF
1,078215
1,078215
add a comment |
add a comment |
up vote
7
down vote
In a very similar vein to WAF’s answer, you can also say
3Q, assuming you are not just any foreigner, but specifically a Chinese or Japanese foreigner.
This is in fact a very common way of writing ‘thank you’ in textspeak in both languages. The number three is 三 sān in Mandarin (and san in Japanese, which borrowed it from Chinese), and the name of the letter Q is borrowed from and pronounced as in English. Chinese and Japanese both lack interdental sounds, so /θ/ usually gets substituted for /s/, and syllables can only end in one consonant (a nasal). Put together, thank you ends up sounding like san kyu when pronounced by most Chinese or Japanese speakers.
New contributor
Ha. I was going to give the same answer... but saying a Japanese foreigner. +1
– tmgr
9 hours ago
1
@tmgr Do you know, I never thought about that before, but it’s just as likely in Japanese now that you mention it – more likely, in fact, since /kjuː/ is a valid syllable in Japanese, which it isn’t in Mandarin. So even as said by Chinese people, it’s not entirely phonotactically possible in Chinese as such, whereas it would be in Japanese. Answer edited!
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
9 hours ago
1
Mandarin's outside my bailiwick but I did think it looked a rather Japanesey transliteration. As you probably know, 3Q is also used in Japanese text speech.... and I think I've seen both 三九 and 三級. But now we're well off-topic!
– tmgr
9 hours ago
1
@tmgr Thanks for that – Japanese is far enough outside my bailiwick that I’m not familiar with its textspeak; good to have corroboration that it’s used there too!
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
9 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
7
down vote
In a very similar vein to WAF’s answer, you can also say
3Q, assuming you are not just any foreigner, but specifically a Chinese or Japanese foreigner.
This is in fact a very common way of writing ‘thank you’ in textspeak in both languages. The number three is 三 sān in Mandarin (and san in Japanese, which borrowed it from Chinese), and the name of the letter Q is borrowed from and pronounced as in English. Chinese and Japanese both lack interdental sounds, so /θ/ usually gets substituted for /s/, and syllables can only end in one consonant (a nasal). Put together, thank you ends up sounding like san kyu when pronounced by most Chinese or Japanese speakers.
New contributor
Ha. I was going to give the same answer... but saying a Japanese foreigner. +1
– tmgr
9 hours ago
1
@tmgr Do you know, I never thought about that before, but it’s just as likely in Japanese now that you mention it – more likely, in fact, since /kjuː/ is a valid syllable in Japanese, which it isn’t in Mandarin. So even as said by Chinese people, it’s not entirely phonotactically possible in Chinese as such, whereas it would be in Japanese. Answer edited!
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
9 hours ago
1
Mandarin's outside my bailiwick but I did think it looked a rather Japanesey transliteration. As you probably know, 3Q is also used in Japanese text speech.... and I think I've seen both 三九 and 三級. But now we're well off-topic!
– tmgr
9 hours ago
1
@tmgr Thanks for that – Japanese is far enough outside my bailiwick that I’m not familiar with its textspeak; good to have corroboration that it’s used there too!
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
9 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
7
down vote
up vote
7
down vote
In a very similar vein to WAF’s answer, you can also say
3Q, assuming you are not just any foreigner, but specifically a Chinese or Japanese foreigner.
This is in fact a very common way of writing ‘thank you’ in textspeak in both languages. The number three is 三 sān in Mandarin (and san in Japanese, which borrowed it from Chinese), and the name of the letter Q is borrowed from and pronounced as in English. Chinese and Japanese both lack interdental sounds, so /θ/ usually gets substituted for /s/, and syllables can only end in one consonant (a nasal). Put together, thank you ends up sounding like san kyu when pronounced by most Chinese or Japanese speakers.
New contributor
In a very similar vein to WAF’s answer, you can also say
3Q, assuming you are not just any foreigner, but specifically a Chinese or Japanese foreigner.
This is in fact a very common way of writing ‘thank you’ in textspeak in both languages. The number three is 三 sān in Mandarin (and san in Japanese, which borrowed it from Chinese), and the name of the letter Q is borrowed from and pronounced as in English. Chinese and Japanese both lack interdental sounds, so /θ/ usually gets substituted for /s/, and syllables can only end in one consonant (a nasal). Put together, thank you ends up sounding like san kyu when pronounced by most Chinese or Japanese speakers.
New contributor
edited 9 hours ago
New contributor
answered 12 hours ago
Janus Bahs Jacquet
1714
1714
New contributor
New contributor
Ha. I was going to give the same answer... but saying a Japanese foreigner. +1
– tmgr
9 hours ago
1
@tmgr Do you know, I never thought about that before, but it’s just as likely in Japanese now that you mention it – more likely, in fact, since /kjuː/ is a valid syllable in Japanese, which it isn’t in Mandarin. So even as said by Chinese people, it’s not entirely phonotactically possible in Chinese as such, whereas it would be in Japanese. Answer edited!
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
9 hours ago
1
Mandarin's outside my bailiwick but I did think it looked a rather Japanesey transliteration. As you probably know, 3Q is also used in Japanese text speech.... and I think I've seen both 三九 and 三級. But now we're well off-topic!
– tmgr
9 hours ago
1
@tmgr Thanks for that – Japanese is far enough outside my bailiwick that I’m not familiar with its textspeak; good to have corroboration that it’s used there too!
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
9 hours ago
add a comment |
Ha. I was going to give the same answer... but saying a Japanese foreigner. +1
– tmgr
9 hours ago
1
@tmgr Do you know, I never thought about that before, but it’s just as likely in Japanese now that you mention it – more likely, in fact, since /kjuː/ is a valid syllable in Japanese, which it isn’t in Mandarin. So even as said by Chinese people, it’s not entirely phonotactically possible in Chinese as such, whereas it would be in Japanese. Answer edited!
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
9 hours ago
1
Mandarin's outside my bailiwick but I did think it looked a rather Japanesey transliteration. As you probably know, 3Q is also used in Japanese text speech.... and I think I've seen both 三九 and 三級. But now we're well off-topic!
– tmgr
9 hours ago
1
@tmgr Thanks for that – Japanese is far enough outside my bailiwick that I’m not familiar with its textspeak; good to have corroboration that it’s used there too!
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
9 hours ago
Ha. I was going to give the same answer... but saying a Japanese foreigner. +1
– tmgr
9 hours ago
Ha. I was going to give the same answer... but saying a Japanese foreigner. +1
– tmgr
9 hours ago
1
1
@tmgr Do you know, I never thought about that before, but it’s just as likely in Japanese now that you mention it – more likely, in fact, since /kjuː/ is a valid syllable in Japanese, which it isn’t in Mandarin. So even as said by Chinese people, it’s not entirely phonotactically possible in Chinese as such, whereas it would be in Japanese. Answer edited!
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
9 hours ago
@tmgr Do you know, I never thought about that before, but it’s just as likely in Japanese now that you mention it – more likely, in fact, since /kjuː/ is a valid syllable in Japanese, which it isn’t in Mandarin. So even as said by Chinese people, it’s not entirely phonotactically possible in Chinese as such, whereas it would be in Japanese. Answer edited!
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
9 hours ago
1
1
Mandarin's outside my bailiwick but I did think it looked a rather Japanesey transliteration. As you probably know, 3Q is also used in Japanese text speech.... and I think I've seen both 三九 and 三級. But now we're well off-topic!
– tmgr
9 hours ago
Mandarin's outside my bailiwick but I did think it looked a rather Japanesey transliteration. As you probably know, 3Q is also used in Japanese text speech.... and I think I've seen both 三九 and 三級. But now we're well off-topic!
– tmgr
9 hours ago
1
1
@tmgr Thanks for that – Japanese is far enough outside my bailiwick that I’m not familiar with its textspeak; good to have corroboration that it’s used there too!
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
9 hours ago
@tmgr Thanks for that – Japanese is far enough outside my bailiwick that I’m not familiar with its textspeak; good to have corroboration that it’s used there too!
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
9 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
If you really want to show your appreciation, you could always give the driver a
Ten A. A ten pound note is popularly called a "tenner", and in London and much of the South is pronounced "ten-ah".
2
Considering this is about the UK, which is mostly non-rhotic, R might even be a better option here.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
10 hours ago
That'd work too - good point. And of course the number 5 would work as well.
– Graham
10 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
If you really want to show your appreciation, you could always give the driver a
Ten A. A ten pound note is popularly called a "tenner", and in London and much of the South is pronounced "ten-ah".
2
Considering this is about the UK, which is mostly non-rhotic, R might even be a better option here.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
10 hours ago
That'd work too - good point. And of course the number 5 would work as well.
– Graham
10 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
If you really want to show your appreciation, you could always give the driver a
Ten A. A ten pound note is popularly called a "tenner", and in London and much of the South is pronounced "ten-ah".
If you really want to show your appreciation, you could always give the driver a
Ten A. A ten pound note is popularly called a "tenner", and in London and much of the South is pronounced "ten-ah".
answered 11 hours ago
Graham
35814
35814
2
Considering this is about the UK, which is mostly non-rhotic, R might even be a better option here.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
10 hours ago
That'd work too - good point. And of course the number 5 would work as well.
– Graham
10 hours ago
add a comment |
2
Considering this is about the UK, which is mostly non-rhotic, R might even be a better option here.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
10 hours ago
That'd work too - good point. And of course the number 5 would work as well.
– Graham
10 hours ago
2
2
Considering this is about the UK, which is mostly non-rhotic, R might even be a better option here.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
10 hours ago
Considering this is about the UK, which is mostly non-rhotic, R might even be a better option here.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
10 hours ago
That'd work too - good point. And of course the number 5 would work as well.
– Graham
10 hours ago
That'd work too - good point. And of course the number 5 would work as well.
– Graham
10 hours ago
add a comment |
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