Did I miss the memo specifying that the Britishism whinge would be supplanting the more familiar whine this year? I feel like I’m suddenly seeing this once-obscure variant everywhere. Is that extra “g” adding some special nuance?
British Invasion
June 21st, 2007 · 4 Comments
Tags: Language and Literature
4 responses so far ↓
1 Ricky // Jun 21, 2007 at 1:36 pm
There’s a pretty good discussion over here on the subject.
2 Anthony C // Jun 21, 2007 at 3:46 pm
We Brits have absorbed plenty of your words. Stop whingeing about it working both ways!
Doesn’t libertarian philosophy have something to say on the issue?
Funnily enough, a couple of weeks ago I was having an email discussion with one of my American friends regarding the sudden prominence of the word “wanker” in American discourse – at least on the internet. A wholly positive development, in my view.
3 Timon // Jun 21, 2007 at 5:04 pm
Might this be attributable to the British version of The Office? Ricky Gervais uses it repeatedly and I think the DVD’s included an item on it in their glossaries. I know I use it occasionally ever since watching that show, although at 3 or 4 separate viewings of each episode I may be a fringe case.
4 Eric the .5b // Jun 25, 2007 at 7:11 pm
Because “whinge” sounds even…whinier.