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Separated by a Common Language

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 14 2006 10:00 AM

Submitted by Dr_Frank. Edited By Dr_Frank.

The Rolling Stones are to play a free show at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, and they expect two million people to show up.

According to the city's "health secretary," it will be "the biggest live show that has ever occurred in the world." But did you know that Rod Stewart drew 3.5 million people at the same beach in 1994? I didn't. I guess Rod's the man to beat here. Somebody notify the Guinness records people.

As an aside, here's another one of those little linguistic tics that fascinate pedantic rock and rollers like me (there are a few of us, I think.) The BBC article linked above refers to the Rolling Stones show as a "gig." I've noticed this before. In the UK, "gig" has a slightly different meaning, from how I use it anyway. In my linguistic world, a "gig" is a job, meaning a show you're playing at. If I'm playing a show, I might call it a "gig" (though I'd maybe feel a little corny about saying it.) But if I paid $200 to see Bruce Springsteen, I would call it a "show," from my perspective. It's his "gig." His profit. My loss. But in the UK, any old show is a "gig." Two peoples separated by a common language and all that. (The word "quite" is another strange one - it means "quite" in American English, but in British English it can also mean "not quite." That can cause confusion - never tell a British girl she is "quite beautiful." She'll hit you with rock. Or at least, this one British girl I know will...)

28 Comments

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Fry

United Kingdom

December 2003

FEB 14, 2006 12:01 PM

The word quite means quite in American English? I don't understand.

The English English meaning is fairly ie that film was quite good butI've seen better. Not quite means you just failed to meet an objective. of course this is my southern interpretation. I expect your average Yorkshireman has completely diffeant meaning for the word.

If you said you were going to see a show over here people would probably assume you were going to a West End (or Broadway in the States) show. Its a more theatrical term really.

Of course this being Britain all of these words can be used in a whole host of other ways. We do that to confuse foreigners.

Does this belong in a music column?

PointBlank

New York, NY

November 2004

FEB 14, 2006 12:15 PM

Fry said:
The word quite means quite in American English? I don't understand.

Quite=Very

As in, "that movie was quite good"="that movie was very good"

semyaza

Wildomar, CA

December 2004

FEB 14, 2006 12:16 PM

Hmmm....free concerts and the Rolling Stones are a historically bad combo. Altamont, anyone?

mat8drb

United Kingdom

October 2004

FEB 14, 2006 12:26 PM

Sometimes people in the UK will call a big "gig" a concert: if it were in an Arena, where most of the tickets were seated, I'd call it a concert, not a gig.

Charley

SUICIDEGIRL

United Kingdom

FEB 14, 2006 12:32 PM

PointBlank said:

Fry said:
The word quite means quite in American English? I don't understand.

Quite=Very

As in, "that movie was quite good"="that movie was very good"

In the UK 'quite' generally means so-so/ok but not great but if you place a lot of emphasis on the 'quite' it can mean the opposite as in 'you really are quite beautiful'.

Cherry

SUICIDEGIRL

British Columbia, Canada

FEB 14, 2006 12:35 PM

Maybe she hit you with a rock because "quite beautiful" really isn't that flattering, because lets face it... if I were told "you're alright, you're quite beautiful" it's very understated (especially coming from an American (-; ) and not complimentary at all. Edit - unless you put extra emphasis before the word "quite" (like Charley said) then it can be flattering because it's an emphasis and not a descriptive.

Quite in the UK means Quite. It never means not quite (unless you put the word not there, of course).

Anyway, I don't know why you're so upset that we say a band plays a "Gig". It's just a word, and I don't see why it should irk you if you understand it. And to be fair, a big show like Bruce Springsteen or Rod Stuart or the Rolling Stones us common folk would rarely refer to something that big as a "gig" it would likely be called a concert or show. The word "gig" are generally reserved for fairly small venues and bands.

[Edited on Feb 14, 2006 by Cherry]

PointBlank

New York, NY

November 2004

FEB 14, 2006 12:38 PM

Charley said:

PointBlank said:

Fry said:
The word quite means quite in American English? I don't understand.

Quite=Very

As in, "that movie was quite good"="that movie was very good"

In the UK 'quite' generally means so-so/ok but not great but if you place a lot of emphasis on the 'quite' it can mean the opposite as in 'you really are quite beautiful'.

Yes, I'm talking about "American English"
If I were to say "you are quite beautiful" it would mean "you are very beautiful"

bean

STAFF

Los Angeles, CA

FEB 14, 2006 12:45 PM

Cherry said:
Maybe she hit you with a rock because "quite beautiful" really isn't that flattering, because lets face it... if I were told "you're alright, you're quite beautiful" it's very understated (especially coming from an American (-; ) and not complimentary at all. Edit - unless you put extra emphasis before the word "quite" (like Charley said) then it can be flattering because it's an emphasis and not a descriptive.

Quite in the UK means Quite. It never means not quite (unless you put the word not there, of course).

Anyway, I don't know why you're so upset that we say a band plays a "Gig". It's just a word, and I don't see why it should irk you if you understand it. And to be fair, a big show like Bruce Springsteen or Rod Stuart or the Rolling Stones us common folk would rarely refer to something that big as a "gig" it would likely be called a concert or show. The word "gig" are generally reserved for fairly small venues and bands.

[Edited on Feb 14, 2006 by Cherry]

I think you pretty clearly just illustrated his point. In America, "quite," regardless of emphasis, means "very." Here, "You're quite beautiful" is most certainly a compliment.

ivy_libertine

Brazil

December 2005

FEB 14, 2006 12:47 PM

And I'm brazilian! Yay! I know it has basically nothing to do with the subject, but since they Rolling Stones are playing here...
I'm not going, it will be a fucking genocide, people will kill each other because of the lack of space and I kind of like the integrity of my body.

Charley

SUICIDEGIRL

United Kingdom

FEB 14, 2006 12:53 PM

PointBlank said:

Charley said:

PointBlank said:

Fry said:
The word quite means quite in American English? I don't understand.

Quite=Very

As in, "that movie was quite good"="that movie was very good"

In the UK 'quite' generally means so-so/ok but not great but if you place a lot of emphasis on the 'quite' it can mean the opposite as in 'you really are quite beautiful'.

Yes, I'm talking about "American English"
If I were to say "you are quite beautiful" it would mean "you are very beautiful"

Yeah I knew what you meant, I was just pointing out that it can mean the same over here but usually only if you are very posh 'quite spiffing my dear'...I am only debating this because I am rather posh and use 'quite' to mean good regularly

Cherry

SUICIDEGIRL

British Columbia, Canada

FEB 14, 2006 12:58 PM

bean said:

I think you pretty clearly just illustrated his point. In America, "quite," regardless of emphasis, means "very." Here, "You're quite beautiful" is most certainly a compliment.

Ahh, well there we go (-:

I guess you guys still hold some of the olden posh language within you afterall! haha

adjunct

Philadelphia, PA

July 2002

FEB 14, 2006 01:04 PM

Cherry said:

bean said:

I think you pretty clearly just illustrated his point. In America, "quite," regardless of emphasis, means "very." Here, "You're quite beautiful" is most certainly a compliment.

Ahh, well there we go (-:

I guess you guys still hold some of the olden posh language within you afterall! haha

That, and we don't do sarcasm unless it's absolutely dripping. Subtle irony is lost here.

Cherry

SUICIDEGIRL

British Columbia, Canada

FEB 14, 2006 01:05 PM

Well, I'm not surprised seeing as Irony and Sarcasm are not the same thing, despite popular opinion (-;

[Edited on Feb 14, 2006 by Cherry]

Dr_Frank

Oakland, CA

May 2005

FEB 14, 2006 01:07 PM

I guess you guys still hold some of the olden posh language within you afterall! haha

Quite.

unravled

Portland, OR

August 2003

FEB 14, 2006 01:08 PM

Cherry said:
Well, I'm not surprised seeing as Irony and Sarcasm are not the same thing, despite popular opinion (-;

[Edited on Feb 14, 2006 by Cherry]

Oh, the irony.

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