Where the heck is Slough?

[LesliePHX]

OK, I really know, but I like using "heck" in subject headers ... it's in England, about 40 miles west of London, right? I looked it up on the Internet.

I've been watching DVDs of the HILARIOUS comedy "The Office," which is set in Slough -- It first aired on BBC2 and then over here on BBC America, but I never got to see it till now. It's one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I LOVE IT! Have you guys seen it?

Anyway, it made me curious about some things, and I'm hoping our Brit friends will help me out, like they did with "porridge."

(1) In the series, Slough seems like a dreary, dead-end kind of town. Just the name of it (rhymes with "cow") sounds dreary. Do Britons think of it that way?

(2) The famous seven dirty words, which can't air on U.S. networks (only on cable), get used quite a bit on "The Office," and there's some other risque stuff that I'm sure could never get past the censors on U.S. networks. But this originally aired on BBC (or BBC2, I guess), which I thought was a the government-run channel? They allow all that cussin' and such? Well, they must, because it's there, but I was curious about how it works. Is BBC2 a cable channel, with customer subscribers, or is it regular network?

Thanks!
Leslie

[noflyingfan]

I know nothing about the BBC or Slough, but I have to add, I also love the BBC show "Coupling." Very very funny. It runs on PBS here, and on BBC America, but I don't get that.

I do have a funny story about those seven words, though. When I was in college, I was in an improv comedy group, and our shows ran on the college station, so we were told many times what those words were and not to use them. But we had one special show (a contest) that wasn't televised, so they told us go ahead and swear. So my teammate and I made our team name exactly seven words long. Guess which words. Heh.

[mindymoo 2]

Hi Guys,
Slough is in a place called Berkshire - and thats about all i know about it! its supposed to be a boring kinda place i think, i have watched the office a few times and it is very funny ricky gervais is great. Not sure about coupling though as i havent seen it. i can't believe there are 7 words that you arent allowed to use on tv over there !! what r they ( or can't you say because they are too bad?) it makes me laugh when you say fanny - that doesnt mean the same over here !! lol. my favourite brit show at the moment is little britain - its brilliant so if you get a chance then watch it. out of american programmes we get over here ( on cable ) i love all the trauma - life and death in the er ones.They are great and a lot more bloodthirsty than anything we get.
~ Mandy ~

[mindymoo 2]

Also, i think they are allowed to show all that swearing and risque stuff because it was on after 9 which is the "watershed" for that kinda thing ( kids should be in bed by then !)
~ Mandy ~:ukflag

[noflyingfan]

Here they are!

Mandy, what does "fanny" mean there?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_dirty_words (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_dirty_words)

[LesliePHX]

Why, it means "minge," of course.

I learned "minge" on The Office, when the accountant explained the word "fannypack" to the receptionist, who was planning a trip to the States:

"Over there your fanny is your arse ... not your minge"

Leslie
(wondering how long Mark's gonna let us keep talking dirty in British :lol )

[mindymoo 2]

OMG they are all my favourites as well !!!:lol and yes fanny in british means - a womans parts!! ( the front ones! )
i can't believe we are discussing this...
~ Mandy ~:ukflag

[noflyingfan]

Okay, thanks for explaining that. I didn't know "minge" either, so thanks for explaining it.

You guys have the best words over there!

[LesliePHX]

Erika, oh, they DO! Let me add one more I learned from The Office ...

"knob-rot"

<:rolling ... I can say it cuz it's British>

Leslie

[spiffytoo]

I have actually stayed in Slough on two occasions. This was because a travel book recommended a hotel there which is not far from Heathrow. (The Upton Park Guest House, in case any locals are tuned in. I definitely recommend it.) My British friends all made faces when I told them I had been to Slough, but I couldn't figure out why. It seemed a decent enough place.

Unfortunately, though, I didn't know how the place was pronounced, and a cab driver and I had a long moment trying to figure out where I was trying to go. I pronounced Slough as if it rhymed with "enough" rather than "cow".

[mindymoo 2]

HEHEHEHE...
Sorry but that was really funny - sluff?? its a bit like how you guys would pronounce Worcestershire - wuss cester shire. We wud say wustershire as in the sauce. What else do we say different? zed for zee, ass for arse...anymore ??
:usflag ~ Mandy ~ :ukflag

[LesliePHX]

Lessee ... we say "garage" differently. You guys put the emphasis on the first syllable, and we put it on the second, plus the letters are all pronounced differently.

No telling how the Bostonians pronounce it, but I think it's different still.

[xiknal]

I think you Zulus say 'Nicaragua' and 'Antigua' differently than we do...

I would say an-tee-gwah. What about you?

And I know y'all say 'aluminium' properly (al-yu-MIN-ee-yum) whereas we say, erf, ah-LOO-mi-num due to somebody's typo (Les, what does Snopes say about that?) :shocked

and then, what about potato and tomato, as in that song?

[xiknal]

we have two pronunciations for 'slough'.

One is /sluf/--this refers to layers sloughing (peeling) off.

The other is /sloo/--this is a literal backwater, as in an ancient bend of a river, now bypassed by a newly-cut channel, that fills when the river floods.

I don't think we have a version that rhymes with 'cow' but it sounds like the 'backwater' meaning may apply to the town.

[LesliePHX]

I must have way too much time on my hands, but here is the history of Slough's name:

"In 1086 William the Conqueror's Domesday Book lists some of the landowners in 'Upton', but the first recorded mention of Slough was in 1196, when it was spelled 'Slo'. Most historians think that the name came from the slough or muddy land between Upton-cum-Chalvey and Eton." So Barb, looks like you are right.

(I think it's funny that when I first read that, my American brain thought, "Oh, that can't be the same Slough, that's too long ago." Then I snapped to and realized, "It's ENGLAND, ya dope, of course it can be!")

Anyway, the info comes from Slough's official web page at www.slough.gov.uk (http://www.slough.gov.uk)

The Slough history page is at www.slough.gov.uk/communi...istory.asp (http://www.slough.gov.uk/communitylife/sloughs_history.asp)

Barb, I can't find anything about the pronunciation of aluminum on Snopes.

[mindymoo 2]

Nicaragua - nicker ragg u wuh.
Antigua - an tee ger
Tomato - tom ar toe
Potatoe - po tate oh
Aluminum - ally min i yum
I think there may be slight variations dependin on whereabouts in the UK you are from.:ukflag
~ Mandy ~

[LesliePHX]

Here's something else I learned about on The Office: "Scotch Egg."

That is something they eat over there. It's a hard-boiled egg coated in a mixture of more egg and sausage, and then deep-fried! Could ANYTHING be worse for you?

Sounds like it might be good though. Or really, really bad.

[noflyingfan]

They made those when I worked at the Renaissance Faire! Except for the egg, they sounded great.

[mindymoo 2]

Now guys - don't diss the humble scotch egg, they do taste good even though they are probably really bad for you but not as bad as deep fried mars bars...
What i want to know is what is a 'LOOSE MEAT" sandwich? is it just some cooked minced beef in some bread? because that sounds a really odd thing to eat.
I myself love toad in the hole although how it got its name i don't know? ( sausages cooked in the oven with Yorkshire pudding batter around them ), my grandad use to eat yorkshire pudding with jam after he had yorkshire pudding with some kind of meat for his main course. Strange.
:ukflag ~ Mandy ~

[noflyingfan]

Yorkshire pudding for dessert after yorkshire pudding for dinner doesn't sound all that weird to me. After all, England is a country which eats potatoes with a side of potatoes.

For the record, I think that's a brilliant thing to do, actually.

[LesliePHX]

Mindy, you know, I don't really know what a loose meat sandwich is. I've never seen one, even on a menu. The first time I ever heard of it was on the "Roseanne" show.

Must be a midwestern thing.

[mindymoo 2]

Yeah thats where i heard it as well ..Roseanne.
Potatoes with a side order of potatoes...do u mean mashed potatoes and roast potatoes with a sunday dinner??
~ Mandy ~

[noflyingfan]

I don't know what loose meat is either. Maybe because I don't watch Roseanne.

Mandy, the potato thing...my sister told me she went to a restaurant in England that had a baked potato on the menu as an entree and fries as a side dish.

[mindymoo 2]

That sounds odd... unlike a menu i have ever seen :shocked

[spiffyone]

...are perhaps meats that behaved promiscuously back when they were cows?

Just a thought

:hamster

[LesliePHX]

Yeeks, I always knew British food was scary, but this Yorkshire Pudding recipe I found on the web takes the cake (so to speak). But it might explain the Yorkshire pudding as dinner/side:

British Food

Yorkshire Pudding
¼ cup of bacon dripping
½ cup milk
1 egg, well-beaten
½ cup sifted all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt

Temp: 450º F Time: 10 - 15 min. I use a glass pie plate so if you also do, turn the heat down to 425°F.

Tip
One tasty and cooking trick - save in a mug in the fridge drained off bacon drippings to use in this recipe - also for that super taste in English Roast Potatoes!

Now combine well-beaten egg and milk; beat till light. Gradually beat in sifted flour and salt; beat with dover beater till smooth. Let stand 30 minutes. (I personally don't bother with this letting stand 30 minutes step.)

Put about 2 tablespoons bacon dripping into pan or divided up between 6 large muffin tins or into an 8"x8" pan. Heat in oven, make sure you watch pan as it will start to smoke! Pour batter into hot pan; bake in hot over till done. Serves 4.

The trick is the hot fat and the hot oven. Don't keep opening the oven to check. Serve immediately as it will deflate as it gets cold. Pour nice beef gravy over top. Or you can use "Yorkies" with chicken.

In England, as a kid due to food shortage, we were given the choice of having our slice of 'Yorkie' on our dinner plate or served as our 'sweet' with jam on it. Of course we always choose our Yorkie as a 'sweet' else we didn't get any dessert!

O dear Brit friends, we love you so much, but you guys eat really scary food ...

[Passenger Mark]

How did I miss this thread?!?!?!?

[mindymoo 2]

I remember bread and dripping was another of my grandparents favourites. You would just literally take the fat or dripping from the meat dish and spread it on your bread, not sure if they had it cold and hot...my mum had a spate of giving us margarine and sugar sandwiches?? i think she had heard that they were good for us!!! ( my poor teeth! ) also not forgetting spam fritters....:cry
~ Mandy ~

[noflyingfan]

Why is fate so cruel to not let me have been born in England?

The cuisine sounds fabulous.

[LesliePHX]

How did I miss this thread?!?!?!?
Uh oh, management's here! Keep shtum!

[mindymoo 2]

Oh did i forget to mention Haggis? and not forgetting Faggots.
~ Mandy ~

[mindymoo 2]

Oh and your "pissed" and our "pissed" mean two very different things..:ukflag

[LesliePHX]

Whee! From the musical "The Mystery of Edwin Drood," based on the Charles ****ens novel:

"Sir I don't much like your tone, that supercilious sneer you wear!
Clear, you wear a finer cut than mine,
Ah but a waistcoat worn can soon be torn,
And faggots, too, 'til maggots feed on you!"

I always knew "fags" were cigarettes in Britspeak, but based on that lyric, I figured "faggot" was some kind of, I don't know, button or something?

(It's a good musical, and written by an American who seems to have a good ear for Britspeak.)

Although "pissed" isn't much used for "drunk" in the US (more often for "angry" or for past tense of bad word), we do get the Brit meaning. There's even a popular song with a refrain "Pissing the night away," which I think means drinking the night away.