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The overuse of the word "brilliant" by the Brits

Is irritating. Is it their version of the American "great!"?

by Anonymousreply 121March 30, 2018 8:59 PM

Yes. Colloquially, it just means "wonderful!" or "excellent!", etc: "This grilled cheese sandwich is brilliant!". It has nothing to do with either intelligence or bright light.

by Anonymousreply 1January 28, 2012 11:16 PM

Amazing!!

by Anonymousreply 2January 28, 2012 11:17 PM

Awesome!

by Anonymousreply 3January 28, 2012 11:20 PM

I like to hear Brits say that.

by Anonymousreply 4January 28, 2012 11:21 PM

"tons"

I have tons of shit to do this weekend.

by Anonymousreply 5January 28, 2012 11:22 PM

Bril.

by Anonymousreply 6January 29, 2012 12:53 AM

They also say "fake" in place of "phony".

Brits get fixated on words, and repeated them like a broken record. It's like they were just taught a new word off Blue Peter.

by Anonymousreply 7January 29, 2012 12:57 AM

Oh, and the word "massive". "It's gonna be massive."

by Anonymousreply 8January 29, 2012 12:57 AM

When did they stop saying "gear?"

by Anonymousreply 9January 29, 2012 1:05 AM

If you think that's bad, go someplace like France, where they insist on using words that aren't even English!

by Anonymousreply 10January 29, 2012 1:05 AM

[quote]Yes. Colloquially, it just means "wonderful!" or "excellent!", etc:

"Mmmm -- this grilled cheese sandwich is delicious."

by Anonymousreply 11January 29, 2012 1:06 AM

Here in Canada, the overused word is "perfect". It drives me nuts.

by Anonymousreply 12January 29, 2012 1:11 AM

Non-native English speakers who pick up British English tend to overuse it too. When I lived in Sweden it was very common for English-speaking Swedes to think that every third thing was "brilliant."

"I adore the TV programme 'Friends'. It's brilliant! Now let's eat some lutfisk."

by Anonymousreply 13January 29, 2012 1:18 AM

Oi, fit builder!

by Anonymousreply 14January 29, 2012 1:20 AM

I refer to it as "British brilliant."

by Anonymousreply 15January 29, 2012 1:25 AM

True that.

by Anonymousreply 16January 29, 2012 1:41 AM

They've been doing that forever. When I lived there 20 years ago everything was brilliant - including deciding to go to KFC to get fried chicken before closing time. "Brilliant!!!"

by Anonymousreply 17January 29, 2012 2:04 AM

"Legend" - Brits like that word too.

by Anonymousreply 18January 29, 2012 2:12 AM

At least I get "briliant." There are those weird Britims like "have done" that I can never get. When I think I understand the connotations and meanings, I find some use that completely confounds it.

Have done. Mad. Naft. Pull. I will never get it.

"Mum was so mad she said I should go to hospie when I was knackered. I have done, I said, but nurse said I was a stupid cunt"

Now some brit will tell me how wrong my use of everything was in that wee story.

by Anonymousreply 19January 29, 2012 2:20 AM

The Brits' bizarre need to call things "pudding" that clearly aren't pudding at all. Very annoying.

by Anonymousreply 20January 29, 2012 2:24 AM

brill

loads

ghastly

fucking hell

know what I mean

at the end of the day

by Anonymousreply 21January 29, 2012 2:30 AM

No one ever accuses us of overusing soap or toothpaste.

by Anonymousreply 22January 29, 2012 2:36 AM

They sound so uncool when they use the word cool. And so obnoxious when they give each other nicknames. But the ad agencies must love them cause their voices are all over the tele. They rhink it gives their products an air of sophistication without knowing what total slobs they are and how much they hate and are jealous of Americans.

by Anonymousreply 23January 29, 2012 2:42 AM

Madonna sounded like an idiot saying "tits up" on Graham Norton a couple of weeks ago. At last I got why people are so annoyed by her faux-Brit accent, which I could never perceive before.

by Anonymousreply 24January 29, 2012 2:45 AM

I think the Brits' use of the word "brilliant" is lovely.

by Anonymousreply 25January 29, 2012 2:57 AM

"Excellent" was overused by Americans for years.

by Anonymousreply 26January 29, 2012 3:30 AM

Why do so many British move to Spain? I understand they want sunshine, but why Spain as opposed to Italy, Portugal or southern France?

by Anonymousreply 27January 29, 2012 3:32 AM

The wine is probably cheaper there. Cause Brits are as cheap as they come. Talk a big game but won't spend an extra pound.

by Anonymousreply 28January 29, 2012 4:35 AM

The only place on earth where Hetero Men say something is "ever so lovely!"

by Anonymousreply 29January 29, 2012 4:39 AM

Latest trend: "massive"

by Anonymousreply 30January 29, 2012 4:40 AM

'Perfect!' is the new fad in the U.S.

Instead of 'okay' or 'yes', non-thinkers constantly now say 'perfect!'.

I really dislike the use of 'perfect!'

And I dislike how the brits say 'brilliant!' for the most mundane, run of the mill, non-brilliant things.

by Anonymousreply 31January 29, 2012 4:51 AM

Spot on.

by Anonymousreply 32January 29, 2012 5:04 AM

R24, I've said tits up for years, and never had any idea it was a Brit thing.

I live in a red-state hell around a lot of rubes and rednecks, and I say it to mean someone is dead or passed out supine, and also in reference to myself to mean I need to cheer up or stop dragging my ass or waking up and get some energy.

A friend and I even use the symbol ^.^ to mean tits up, though I also use it instead of a :) to indicate humor or kindness in a text or on FB.

And now you tell me it's an affectation of a Britishism? That's a pain in the ass.

by Anonymousreply 33January 29, 2012 5:05 AM

Americans don't say "amazing" as much as the Brits say we do. But they say "brilliant" far more often than we think they do. For such an articulate people they have a limited vocabulary and take a word and beat it into the ground.

by Anonymousreply 34January 29, 2012 5:13 AM

R34, you must be kidding - many people in the U.S. say 'amazing!' constantly and many say 'awesome!' constantly.

I do think it shows a limited vocabulary and a great conformity.

Also, they constantly use amazing and awesome to describe things that are NOT amazing or awesome at all. They say the most mundane, ordinary things are.

by Anonymousreply 35January 29, 2012 5:18 AM

No they don't, R35.

by Anonymousreply 36January 29, 2012 5:23 AM

I hate it, like, when English people, like, don't talk the way, like, real people talk.

And, of course, like, every sentence needs to, like, go up at the end?

Why can't the English, like, learn to speak?

by Anonymousreply 37January 29, 2012 7:14 AM

R37, on the scale of amusing, from 1 to 100 you are at .002.

by Anonymousreply 38January 29, 2012 7:19 AM

Lorraine Kelly is the UK's Brilliance Tsar.

by Anonymousreply 39January 29, 2012 7:24 AM

brilliant should be used for something spectacular or outstanding, not for the mundane

by Anonymousreply 40January 29, 2012 7:29 AM

r38 --

r37 here. Sorry I bored you. Maybe the satire was a bit heavy handed but don't you find the ignorant arrogance displayed by the Americans on this thread as breathtaking as it is astonishing?

I mean Americans telling the English how the language should be spoken?

It's like straight men deciding how a musical should be done.

by Anonymousreply 41January 29, 2012 8:00 AM

Well lovelies if you don't like to hear it then there is a very simple answer. Don't listen. Noone forces anyone to watch TV from other countries etc. If this is all there is in life to annoy you then think yourselves incredibly fortunate.

Excuse me while I go away to give myself a good slap for opening another anglophobic thread.

by Anonymousreply 42January 29, 2012 8:51 AM

R37 is right. Like totally like right.

by Anonymousreply 43January 29, 2012 9:13 AM

I don't think I've ever used the word "brilliant" in my life.

by Anonymousreply 44January 29, 2012 9:21 AM

I've virtually never heard it used by a fellow Brit except for a shade of paint and I'm ancient.

by Anonymousreply 45January 29, 2012 9:44 AM

[quote]Why do so many British move to Spain? I understand they want sunshine, but why Spain as opposed to Italy, Portugal or southern France?

Back in the days of the Franco dictatorship Spain was dirt cheap and the government allowed massive development of the coast and the islands. Coupled with cheap no-frills flights between Spain and the UK and suddenly working class Brits could afford sunny vacations.

by Anonymousreply 46January 29, 2012 9:47 AM

Is this thread taking the piss??

by Anonymousreply 47January 29, 2012 9:48 AM

Epic.

by Anonymousreply 48January 29, 2012 10:24 AM

Major!

by Anonymousreply 49January 29, 2012 10:42 AM

This thread is going all wonky!

by Anonymousreply 50January 29, 2012 10:43 AM

...and pear-shaped, no doubt.

by Anonymousreply 51January 29, 2012 11:07 AM

Everyone in the NY theater community is obsessed with the term "spot on" these days to describe something they love.

Is that a Britishism or did it derive from Ben Brantley using it and thinking it was a Britishism?

by Anonymousreply 52January 29, 2012 11:40 AM

I worked in Montreal about 15 years ago and all the locals there under me said "perfect" whenever they meant "yes, I agree with you and will do your bidding."

by Anonymousreply 53January 29, 2012 11:43 AM

Considering we Americans tend to use "awesome" as a tacit response to everything from someone stating their hometown to someone stating where they put the groceries... I don't feel we have room to judge.

by Anonymousreply 54January 29, 2012 12:38 PM

The Brits don't overuse the word 'brilliant'. The Americans do overuse the word 'awesome', however.

by Anonymousreply 55January 29, 2012 12:47 PM

I worked as a copy editor on a Middle East expat-run newspaper; the senior management was British, the reporters mostly Canadian and American. We were supposed to enforce 'British' English. Nothing upset our senior Brit managers more than the use of the word 'awesome'. Drove them crazy whenever a reporter used it, even in speach. We also had to substitute daft Britishisms like 'lorry' for 'truck'.

by Anonymousreply 56January 29, 2012 1:22 PM

I used to work with a lot of Brits and whenever I did something they approved of, they would say "You're a star". It would drive me up the wall. God smacked is another repulsive expression.

by Anonymousreply 57January 29, 2012 2:23 PM

R57, the term is gobsmacked.

by Anonymousreply 58January 29, 2012 2:29 PM

You do realise that in 20 years time this thread will be the Chinese bemoaning the way Americans don't speak correctly?

No one speaks 'correctly'. Just because America has a monopoly on everything else in the world it doesn't mean you can ditate the use of English.

Americans also over-use stupid, inane words which have now all but lost meaning. However because you are so used to it you don't recognise it.

(And I hope that Lorraine Kelly and all of her 'brilliance' will be quickly sent back to Scotland once they achieve that freedom that they so desperately desire)

by Anonymousreply 59January 29, 2012 3:01 PM

Most overused word by gay men: "fabulous"

Funny how straight guys never seem to use it.

by Anonymousreply 60January 29, 2012 4:34 PM

"Funny how straight guys never seem to use it."

"Fabulous" was W's favorite word when he was in the White House.

by Anonymousreply 61January 29, 2012 4:39 PM

My peeve is the Brit overuse of "actually."

In one of Stephen Fry's novels, there's a character named "Ashley," who, upon arriving at university, thinks the posh crowd is constantly talking about him. He quickly realizes that they're just using "actually" in every sentence.

by Anonymousreply 62January 29, 2012 4:41 PM

[quote] Everyone in the NY theater community is obsessed with the term "spot on" these days

It's an affectation that sounds ridiculous coming from American mouths, as does, "Good on you."

by Anonymousreply 63January 29, 2012 4:42 PM

"At the end of the day, I'm not bovered."

by Anonymousreply 64January 29, 2012 4:47 PM

And the Americans overuse of AWESOME is any better? You know what's AWESOME the Grand Canyon. End of story.

by Anonymousreply 65January 29, 2012 5:24 PM

R61 = James Dale "Jeff Gannon" Guckert

by Anonymousreply 66January 29, 2012 6:13 PM

Brits think all Americans say "amazing" because they hear American celebrities say it a lot on their TV screens on chat shows and the like. Celebrities are not representative of the population at large. However Brits all say "brilliant" no matter who they are and that's a fact.

by Anonymousreply 67January 29, 2012 6:29 PM

R67, I am a former NYer living in flyover land, and I hear Americans who are not celebrities overuse amazing and awesome everywhere I go: here in redneckland, and in NY when I'm visiting friends and family, and in other parts of the country, when I'm just traveling.

It's simply incorrect to say an enormous number of Americans don't use those words to describe a things that are neither amazing nor awesome.

by Anonymousreply 68January 29, 2012 6:38 PM

Brits also love calling things "iconic," a bit of hyperbole I find to be quite irritating.

by Anonymousreply 69January 29, 2012 6:44 PM

"Iconic" is also overused in the fashion world regardless of country: "the iconic Birkin Bag," "Meisel's iconic 1991 photoshoot," "Yves Saint Laurent's iconic Opium perfume," etc.

by Anonymousreply 70January 29, 2012 6:55 PM

Diabolical!

by Anonymousreply 71January 29, 2012 9:14 PM

You've got to wonder what people who describe shoes or potato chips as "awesome!" would say if the Second Coming were to occur in their presence.

by Anonymousreply 72January 29, 2012 9:25 PM

Brilliant is overused in the States also. Except in a way that is more tedious. Everybody who has had some mild success, especially in music or movies, at some point it seems has been described as brilliant. Give me a break. There are maybe a handful of truly brilliant people produced by every generation. Einstein was brilliant. St. Augustine was brilliant. Mozart was brilliant. I think I made my point. Madonna is NOT brilliant. Enough already. It's okay to simply say that someone is very talented or accomplished, and leave it at that.

by Anonymousreply 73March 4, 2012 10:16 PM

what a load of pricks, since when could an American string a complete sentence together ?

by Anonymousreply 74June 21, 2013 8:43 PM

Didn't "awesome" start out with Bill & Ted and Garth and Wayne. That was the first time I'd heard used in the context we hear it so much now.

by Anonymousreply 75June 22, 2013 7:39 PM

Amaaaaaazing

by Anonymousreply 76June 22, 2013 8:06 PM

In the 1960s, Brits overused "super." In the 1970s, middle aged Americans overused "super."

by Anonymousreply 77June 22, 2013 8:09 PM

[quote] I worked in Montreal about 15 years ago and all the locals there under me said "perfect"

I hear a lot of young women saying "perfect."

It makes me say, "Molodyets."

by Anonymousreply 78June 22, 2013 8:14 PM

My Brooklyn Jewish sister in law went to live in ZA and came home using lots of Britishisms from her friends. The most hilarious thing is hearing someone say "cock up" in a thick Brooklyn accent. "The whole thing was a caaaak op!"

by Anonymousreply 79June 22, 2013 8:22 PM

This thread is truly EPIC!

by Anonymousreply 80June 22, 2013 8:35 PM

I also like to hear the british say that, as well as "bloody". I love the british accent, it's bloody brilliant!

by Anonymousreply 81September 10, 2014 5:52 PM

It is much less annoying than "awesome."

by Anonymousreply 82September 10, 2014 9:43 PM

I have an American friend who lived over there for a number of years. He will occasionally refer to something as "brilliant." I generally respond by saying "Brilliant? What is so intelligent about it?" I've done it enough he knows I'm taking a piss on him.

by Anonymousreply 83September 10, 2014 9:46 PM

Scathingly brilliant idea!

by Anonymousreply 84September 10, 2014 9:55 PM

The shits...innit! Up the cunty Limeys, too.

by Anonymousreply 85September 10, 2014 10:06 PM

Hayley.

Humph.

by Anonymousreply 86September 11, 2014 12:59 AM

I remember the first time I heard a London lad say "Whatever!..." in Sainsbury's in Camden Town.

I thought "Oh, it's arrived here now!" That was in '88. Then you started hearing it all the time.

"Go for it!'...early '80s.

"Networking" mid-'80s.

"Wicked!' came from America too, I think. Very annoying.

An English-ism from the '80s & '90s that made my skin crawl was "Hiya!'...sort of, I'm cool and relaxed "Hiya!'

The English sometimes say "Terrific!', but it way too optimistic sounding and they act like they've taken a risk using it.

by Anonymousreply 87September 11, 2014 1:19 AM

agreed with OP. They really do say it too much

by Anonymousreply 88September 11, 2014 2:26 AM

AWESOME. This is an AMAZING new sandwich from Arby's. It's UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

It must have been CRAFTED by a sandwich ARTIST!

by Anonymousreply 89September 11, 2014 2:43 AM

[quote]Scathingly brilliant idea!

Now THIS is a catch phrase ready for a revival.

by Anonymousreply 90September 11, 2014 2:44 AM

This thread is diabolical.

by Anonymousreply 91September 11, 2014 3:06 AM

You know people have beat a word into the earth when they are reduced to adopting a nickname for that word.

"Brill."

(vomit)

by Anonymousreply 92September 11, 2014 3:19 AM

I hear "right!" used in the beginning to almost every phrase.

by Anonymousreply 93September 11, 2014 5:03 AM

I agree, I'ld rather hear brilliant than AWESOME!!!

by Anonymousreply 94September 11, 2014 5:24 AM

I remember 40-odd years ago, instead of "briliant" they would say "super".

by Anonymousreply 95November 8, 2014 6:21 PM

Did they ever say "groovy"?

by Anonymousreply 96November 8, 2014 6:41 PM

It's either "brilliant" or "vile"

by Anonymousreply 97November 8, 2014 6:56 PM

I hope they don't continue to say "LMFAO" like the Americans still do. It is embarrassing.

by Anonymousreply 98November 8, 2014 7:40 PM

This thread is mega !

by Anonymousreply 99November 8, 2014 7:49 PM

Total bloody nightmare, mate.

by Anonymousreply 100November 8, 2014 9:18 PM

Unless you’ve got Hollyoaks on the telly I don’t think you’d hear ‘“brilliant” much these days. Moreso you hear “amazing” (Welsh origin) or “fantastic” (French).

I have a Dutch aunt who finds it amusing that the British use “rubbish” as a pejorative adjective. Every time I see her she will mockingly overuse the word.

by Anonymousreply 101March 30, 2018 12:57 PM

Thaaat'sss amaaaaziiiiinnngg.

by Anonymousreply 102March 30, 2018 1:19 PM

Mate, you OK?

by Anonymousreply 103March 30, 2018 1:22 PM

it's overused.

Also, "rubbish".

by Anonymousreply 104March 30, 2018 1:43 PM

Americans are so special. We should all do our utmost to strive to be just like them.

by Anonymousreply 105March 30, 2018 1:45 PM

When they end every sentence with "...yeh?" As in, "it's going to be a problem, yeh?" It makes me bananas.

And half the time, amazing is used sarcastically, Brits. Your slang sucks. Except for slapper. That's a good one. So is bloody. I have to admit I find it hilarious when people respond, "Bloody is." in an argument. Overall, however, American colloquialisms are better.

by Anonymousreply 106March 30, 2018 2:05 PM

That's because AMERICANS are better R106, yeah? Right.

by Anonymousreply 107March 30, 2018 2:09 PM

Bloody right, R107.

by Anonymousreply 108March 30, 2018 2:13 PM

I say super

by Anonymousreply 109March 30, 2018 2:23 PM

I heard my old boss use the word "scintillating" once which would have been an interesting departure from the normal slurry of overused adjectives except he pronounced it "skintillating" and had no idea that it wasn't said that way.

by Anonymousreply 110March 30, 2018 2:35 PM

[quote]Did they ever say "groovy"?

yes. In the 60s

by Anonymousreply 111March 30, 2018 3:07 PM

I'll tell you what American DLers overuse:

"Hot".

OMG! Check out this guy!! - he's so hot!

Yeah, he's hot.

He's so hot - thanks, OP!

Can't you find another fucking word?

by Anonymousreply 112March 30, 2018 3:11 PM

Agreed R112. We should return to handsome, fine, or fit IMHO. Dreamy and beguiling would even be better!

by Anonymousreply 113March 30, 2018 5:19 PM

It’s difficult to take Americans criticising how those from other countries speak when you have a President who can barely string a sentence together and when he does, unless he is reading something written for him, he has the vocabulary of a 9 year old.

by Anonymousreply 114March 30, 2018 6:11 PM

Only if we talk about American men's overuse of "awesome" and American women's overuse of "Amazing!"

I mean, REALLY?!

RIII-YGHT?

by Anonymousreply 115March 30, 2018 6:52 PM

I’ve got the most scathingly brilliant idea!

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 116March 30, 2018 7:01 PM

I think it's "great" but also a little sarcastic. Like when people say, "FAAAN-tastic".

by Anonymousreply 117March 30, 2018 7:14 PM

I vote to bring back MARVELOUS! I've always been fond of this word. One must use it sparingly though, or it shall end up as the rest here.

by Anonymousreply 118March 30, 2018 7:54 PM

I’m astounded that anyone is horrified to hear expletives in everyday conservations of the post-‘South Park’ world. “Fuck” is now a filler-word over the dinnertable. For better or worse this is the world we’re in.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 119March 30, 2018 8:51 PM

^^wrong thread, sorry.

by Anonymousreply 120March 30, 2018 8:52 PM

Awesome sauce! (Is that better?)

by Anonymousreply 121March 30, 2018 8:59 PM
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