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| Nelson Muntz: The archetypal bangster |
BANGSTER
Noun. Scot. L19.
[from BANG verb + -STER]
A bully, a ruffian; a victor in fights.
If you're going to accost a bully, you need to be verbally well-armed, and Lexicolatry brings you bangster, guaranteed to disarm (metaphorically speaking) the roughest of ruffians.
Despite hailing from Scotland, bangster works remarkably well in any accent, from the thickest Glaswegian of 'Ach! Yer wee bangster!' to the poshest of the Queen's own: 'Never had one descried such an assemblage of bangsters.' Try saying it in a French accent too - that's probably my favourite.
Are there any accents in which bangster doesn't work? Are you a bangster? Am I treating the global issue of bangstry with gratuitous levity? Do leave any comments below.
Hm, wouldn't work in Dutch. "Bang" here means "scared", so technically you'd be calling him/her "scaredster". That's not going to make them run off.
ReplyDeleteBut if I ever get assaulted in an English-speaking country, I'll try to remember!
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RYC: Rummaging through my old posts now? You must be bored out of your mind...
It's very interesting though, what you said. Maybe it IS a type of filtering system! I'm guessing it only starts developping once the person reaches a certain age, though. Because being shy only filtered me out of social groups when I was younger. Hence why I developped those different personalities I use when first meeting people.
I was thinking of accents rather than languages; I'm sure in some language, somewhere, bangster means "Mug me!" which would definitely be problematic : o )
DeleteHmmm, like that eh... Even then it would probably be very un-threatening in a Dutch accent. We generally don't sound too aggressive over here.
DeleteNow that I do it in my head, you're right ... it doesn't sound right in a Dutch accent, whether in English or not!
DeleteYou know what a Dutch accent sounds like? Please excuse me while I gather myself and climb back on my chair. o.O
DeleteOh well it's basically German with some French mixed through, not too hard to imagine.
RYC: You didn't have a box either? Aw man, how did you ever learn about birth control without a box?! I really liked your teacher's idea though, to let you guys ask questions anonymously. Takes away part of the awkwardness.
Yes *of course* I know what a Dutch accent sounds like! I am English, a fellow European! In fact, after French and German accents, I would suggest that Dutch is one of the most commonly imitated European accents here (not including Irish, Welsh and Scottish in that ill-thought out assertion). Plus, there are some very well known Dutch celebrities here, mainly sportspeople I think.
DeleteDutch-speaking Belgians? Because I'm one of those. I'm actually Flemish, but safe for World War references, no-one really cares about us or our language (it's probably as similar to Dutch as Irish is to BBC-English.)
Delete(... by which I do not mean the Dutch people from the Netherlands speak is "better" or "more proper". There are differences in sounds, some vocabulary... Ugh I'm not expressing myself properly. ><)
DeleteAn English comedian, Dom Joly, does a sketch in which he imitates an accent in Bruges; Dom Joly Tour Guide in Bruges
DeleteThis is akin to a crude and stereotypical Dutch accent to English ears : o )
It sounds more like Dutch from the Netherlands than Flemish, but he's doing pretty well :P
DeleteOh how I despise bangsters! So, I'll give them the Greek accent bangsteRRRRRRRR. Let me know if it works or not.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the Sunday!
Ha! That just reads like pirate talk, which works very well indeed: 'Avast, ye band of lily-livered bangstarrrrghs!'
DeleteHmm, I thought it was a peer-to-peer service for downloading beatings.
ReplyDeleteOr, you know, porn.
Well on both counts, Lexicolatry is happy to correct you Nick! : o D
DeleteThis is a word I will use in enthusiastic American accents. Very excited!
ReplyDeleteDoes it work in an American accent? Hmm. Yes, I think it does, but I had to think about it for a second.
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