How would the British say this?

voodoo · Mar 28, 2010

One of my characters is an English man.

1) He's angry at the MC (female) and I need him
to tell her to "move her ass (arse)"...
do the English use that phrase or do they say it a different way?

2) He is addressing an elderly woman. From what I gather online,
the word "Mum" for "ma'am" is not used anymore
unless addressing the queen

. Don't know if this is true.
How would he address this elderly woman with respect?

scarletpeaches · Mar 28, 2010

First up: British in the thread title, English in the OP. The two terms are NOT interchangeable.

Secondly: he'd say "Move your arse." Never ass. That's too American. Maybe "Shift your arse."

As for the old woman, who is she? A relative? A friend? A stranger? It all depends on that. I imagine something like "Excuse me, Mrs...?" and wait for her to fill in the blank with her surname.

JulieHowe · Mar 28, 2010

The following phrases were taken directly from the NTC Dictionary of British Slang. This doesn't precisely answer your question, but I thought it was interesting and perhaps some real-life British folks will jump in with their own observations.

arse about face (Facing the wrong direction)

arse around or arse about (To behave in a foolish manner)

arse-end (The rear portion of some object)

arsehole

arse-licker

arse up (Screw something up)

firedrake · Mar 28, 2010

JulieHowe said:
The following phrases were taken directly from the NTC Dictionary of British Slang. This doesn't precisely answer your question, but I thought it was interesting and perhaps some real-life British folks will jump in with their own observations.

arse about face (Facing the wrong direction)

arse around or arse about (To behave in a foolish manner)

arse-end (The rear portion of some object)

arsehole

arse-licker

arse up (Screw something up)

Guilty of using all of the above.

But, yes, what SP said. Arse rather than 'ass'

Parametric · Mar 28, 2010

scarletpeaches said:
Secondly: he'd say "Move your arse." Never ass. That's too American. Maybe "Shift your arse."

Another option I hear a lot is "Shift yer carcass". :tongue

Wiskel · Mar 28, 2010

A bit more context would help, both of the scene and the place of origin and rough social status of your MC.

"Shift your arse." conjures up an image of telling someone to move up so he can sit down to me.

We do say arse, but the word hasn't really entered such common use as ass has in America. It would be more common to hear the word in the context of "move up" or someone commenting on a person's looks. It's a word used more in good humour between friends than in anger.

Someone of working class might be more prone to say "Get a fucking move on!" if they meant hurry up and were angry. Change "fucking" to "bloody" if you want your MC to be more middle class

Next there's a bit of a disconnect. I really can't imagine someone who would say "arse" in anger, or who commonly said "fuck" ever using ma'am unless they were really on their best behaviour. "Bloody" and "ma'am" seem to fit better together to my ear.

Mrs............ is about right for a formal address. In more day to day use it would be unusual for any form of address to be used, unless it was something like "love"

In my lifetime I've never heard anyone say "Mum" in place of "ma'am"

Craig

voodoo · Mar 28, 2010

Wiskel said:
A bit more context would help, both of the scene and the place of origin and rough social status of your MC.

"Shift your arse." conjures up an image of telling someone to move up so he can sit down to me.

We do say arse, but the word hasn't really entered such common use as ass has in America. It would be more common to hear the word in the context of "move up" or someone commenting on a person's looks. It's a word used more in good humour between friends than in anger.

Someone of working class might be more prone to say "Get a fucking move on!" if they meant hurry up and were angry. Change "fucking" to "bloody" if you want your MC to be more middle class

Next there's a bit of a disconnect. I really can't imagine someone who would say "arse" in anger, or who commonly said "fuck" ever using ma'am unless they were really on their best behaviour. "Bloody" and "ma'am" seem to fit better together to my ear.

Mrs............ is about right for a formal address. In more day to day use it would be unusual for any form of address to be used, unless it was something like "love"

In my lifetime I've never heard anyone say "Mum" in place of "ma'am"

Craig

Okay...it's not so much ass vs. arse I'm concerned with,
though I do wish to be accurate. It's the phrase I need.

The female MC is being very stubborn.
The Englishman wants her to leave with him.
He is being very insistent...he wants her to get her ass in the car.
"Shift your arse" doesn't feel right...doesn't feel strong enough.
Would he say "move your ass"?

He is middle class and will not be saying fuck.

zahra · Mar 28, 2010

voodoo said:
Okay...it's not so much ass vs. arse I'm concerned with,
though I do wish to be accurate. It's the phrase I need.

The female MC is being very stubborn.
The Englishman wants her to leave with him.
He is being very insistent...he wants her to get her ass in the car.
"Shift your arse" doesn't feel right...doesn't feel strong enough.
Would he say "move your ass"?

He is middle class and will not be saying fuck.

Middle class people use 'fuck' all the time, honestly. Middle-class Brits do not consider swearing a big deal, some of the poshest people I know use the foulest language. Couldn't he just say, 'Get in the fucking car, Miranda'?

scarletpeaches · Mar 28, 2010

An Englishman would not say 'ass'. He just wouldn't.

Smish · Mar 28, 2010

zahra said:
Couldn't he just say, 'Get in the fucking car, Miranda'?

I'm with zahra. That sounds far more realistic than "Move your ass/arse", regardless of where the man is from.

I can't recall a man ever telling me to move my ass, but I have been told to get in the fucking car a time or two.

firedrake · Mar 28, 2010

i agree, 'fuck' isn't just for the lower classes any more.

"for fuck's sake, just get your arse in the car, Miranda"

scarletpeaches · Mar 28, 2010

Now I have an image of him coming over all Fiddy and saying, "Bitch, get in my car."

aadams73 · Mar 28, 2010

I'd go with "Shove off, luv," or "Shift it, luv."

scarletpeaches · Mar 28, 2010

And add "Corr blimey, luv a duck," for added authenticity.

kuwisdelu · Mar 28, 2010

firedrake said:
i agree, 'fuck' isn't just for the lower classes any more.

When has it ever been?

I know in the past, at least, the royalty had quite filthy mouths....

Wiskel · Mar 28, 2010

voodoo said:
Okay...it's not so much ass vs. arse I'm concerned with,
though I do wish to be accurate. It's the phrase I need.

The female MC is being very stubborn.
The Englishman wants her to leave with him.
He is being very insistent...he wants her to get her ass in the car.
"Shift your arse" doesn't feel right...doesn't feel strong enough.
Would he say "move your ass"?

He is middle class and will not be saying fuck.

I'd go with a variation of "For God's sake, get in the bloody car." then.

If you're determined to throw the word arse in, then "Stop being such an arse and get in the bloody car." or "Stop arsing around and get in the bloody car."

"Move your arse" is fusing an english word with an american phrase and really doesn't sound right to me unless it means "move up"

Craig

waylander · Mar 29, 2010

zahra said:
Middle class people use 'fuck' all the time, honestly. Middle-class Brits do not consider swearing a big deal, some of the poshest people I know use the foulest language. Couldn't he just say, 'Get in the fucking car, Miranda'?

Seconded
I'm middle-class and talk posh (according to IdiotsRus) and that's what I would say if I was annoyed with Miranda

RobinGBrown · Mar 29, 2010

scarletpeaches said:
An Englishman would not say 'ass'. He just wouldn't.

Actually if Miranda was American he might say it in an attempt at sarcastic humour and/or quoting a line from an American movie.

e.g.
'Move yo ass, bitch'
'Get your 'ass' in the car Miranda'

Although traditionally americans don't get British sarcasm.

I'd go with what the other Brits have said, some variation of 'Get in the bloody car'.

Which British _accent_ does your Englishman have? Thats the strongest indication of what he'll say: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_English

dpaterso · Mar 29, 2010

But yeah, if he's angry with her and you don't want to use "fuck" then,

"Get your arse in the car."

is fine.

If he's angry but not wanting to offend her into walking off in a huff because he's ordering her around, then this can be embroidered with,

"Would you kindly get your arse in the car?"

or similar, which can still be delivered angrily.

-Derek

Wiskel · Mar 29, 2010

I've cracked it.

"Cor blimey, Miranda. For God's sake, move yo' bloody ass, bitch. Kindly stop arsing around and get in the fucking car, luv."

Perfect.

shaldna · Mar 29, 2010

voodoo said:
One of my characters is an English man.

From where abouts in england? Dialogue changes from one side of a city to another here.

1) He's angry at the MC (female) and I need him
to tell her to "move her ass (arse)"...
do the English use that phrase or do they say it a different way?

'Shift her arse', or 'shift her f**king arse' 'get f**cking moving' 'pull her finger out'

There are lots of answers to that.

2) He is addressing an elderly woman. From what I gather online,
the word "Mum" for "ma'am" is not used anymore
unless addressing the queen. Don't know if this is true.
How would he address this elderly woman with respect?

It depends again where he is from. Here only your parents or the queen are known as Mum. Although alot of people refer to their mothers as 'mam' or 'mammy' (my brothers and I call my mam 'noah')

If he's from a rougher area then he'll probably call her 'Missus' or 'Missus Last name' if he's from a more upperclass area then he'll probably still call her 'Mrs Last name' he may, in a formal setting, call her madam, or ma'am. But it's unlikely.

hannah_92 · Mar 29, 2010

arse, not ass

shaldna · Mar 29, 2010

kuwisdelu said:
When has it ever been?

I know in the past, at least, the royalty had quite filthy mouths....

Yep. it makes me smile.

Although my favourite royal moment was when Spike Milligan called prince charles a grovelling little b**tard at the british comedy awards.

scarletpeaches · Mar 29, 2010

Wiskel said:
I've cracked it.

"Cor blimey, Miranda. For God's sake, move yo' bloody ass, bitch. Kindly stop arsing around and get in the fucking car, luv."

Perfect.

I think I love you.

Paul · Mar 29, 2010

Wiskel said:
I'd go with a variation of "For God's sake, get in the bloody car." then.

If you're determined to throw the word arse in, then "Stop being such an arse and get in the bloody car." or "Stop arsing around and get in the bloody car."

"Move your arse" is fusing an english word with an american phrase and really doesn't sound right to me unless it means "move up"

Craig

As above.

I hope your intended mkt is strictly America, because there are many, many aspects to English (British includes Scottish and Welsh and a few other 'bits' also) expression, even within each 'class'. As I'm sure is true with America. Craig's post gives a glimpse into the possible variations but they are more complex than they look - eg the use of the word 'bloody' has many cultural connotations depending on circumstance, 'class', emotion etc. In this case it also qualifies the level of emotion used in the entire phrase - hugely important.
In short, make sure your use of an English character is absolutely essential - otherwise I would advice that you drop it.

How would the British say this?

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