Play-play Only

Recently I was in that playland called Facebook, where I had located long lost playmate-at-work, YatieB. When both of us started our careers at a particularly dinghy government department by the jungle back in '79, YatieB and I often reminisced about our student days on an island way out west which was part of the British Isles.

There we were, sharing an office and a B-line telephone, each with her own over-sized government-issue desk, and chair (with arm-rests, because we were Officers, mind you) and which we purposely dragged on the bare cement floor everytime we got up. That had the effect of one of us jolting the other out of day-dreaming of her boy-friend, and getting back to the work at hand.

Waiting for 4.15 pm, the end-of-office time, we'd talk about British jokes, British comedy, British punctuality, British queues - we were absolute anglophiles back then, bordering on "meluat"ly so. But not anymore off course, it took a couple of months before we lost that lingering yearning for the place that had been our home away from home for 4 years or so.

Anyway, I was on FB where 99 percent of my "friends" are myriad nephews and nieces, including my own children. And so I took this Michael jackson quiz..... and surprisingly that had Kaklong going "kiiiikiiiikiiii" and Rez with a "LMAO" (Laughing My A-S Out - jaga kau Rez!!!)

Here's what the quiz says about what MJ's song I am.

You're an all around good person! You look for the good in people and get along with everyone! People feel comfortable with you.


And the kids laughed??? Their As--s Out??? Do they know something else about me that the quiz did not? For sure I know I did not manipulate the answers, I swear!!!


Well YatieB came on and commented:

Ye lah.... Quite accurate ... "quite in the English context"

Aaah, I was wrong, she's still an incorrigible anglophile.

Quite ...... and ....... accurate

YatieB dear, something is ACCURATE ....... or NOT ACCURATE, is black..... or white, no grey-grey lah, no QUITE BLACK or QUITE WHITE.

But I'm no expert in Brrrritish English or even American slang for that matter. Our ever delightful Manglish however, takes "quite accurate" to mean "not that accurate but boleh lah" , reflecting the accomodating Malaysian psyche.

So I took the liberty to google for an explanation. Everyone, a lesson in Brrritish English follows:

In British English, quite has two different meanings. It does mean completely or entirely, but it also means fairly or rather. quite = completely When it is used for emphasis with adjectives that cannot be graded, quite means completely. The colour adjective black, for example cannot be graded. Things can't be more black or less black. They are just black. So, if we put this into context and look at some more examples of quite with ungradable adjectives, we may find: There's no trace of red in her hair - it's quite black. I see no hope - the future looks quite black to me. It's quite impossible to learn twenty new items of vocabulary each day. His performance on stage was quite amazing - we were just spellbound for three hours! Are you quite sure? I think you're quite wrong about this. not quite = not completely When not is used with quite, it always means not exactly or not completely. Study the following: Shall we go? ~ I'm not quite ready. Do you like this one? ~ It's not quite the colour I wanted. Have you finished that book on Che Guevara yet? ~ Not quite.

quite = exactly / I agree Quite can be used in an emphatic way as a one-word response, meaning exactly or I completely agree: I always knew their marriage would never last. ~ Quite! / Exactly! / So did I! If you stay quite still, those animals won't harm you. ~ Quite! / That's absolutely right.

quite = fairly / rather If we are using quite with an adjective that is gradable, it means fairly or rather. The adjective easy, for example, is gradable. Things can be easier or harder. Thus, quite, when used with easy, means fairly or rather. Study these examples: How did you find the maths test? ~ Oh, it was quite easy, really. / It was quite difficult. What did you think of the cabaret? ~ Oh, it was quite entertaining. I'm quite tired but I'll try and finish this book review before I go to bed. quite with verbs When quite is used to modify verbs, the meaning depends on whether the verb is regarded as gradable or not. Compare the following: I wouldn't want to be on holiday with him, but I quite like him. How did you get on at Barry's party? ~ Oh, it was quite nice. I quite enjoyed myself. I haven't quite finished decorating Jim's bedroom yet, but I will have by Saturday. I quite agree with you. Young children must never be left at home on their own.

quite with a / an + (adjective) noun When quite is used to modify nouns or adjectives with nouns, it normally has the meaning of rather. Compare the following: I know they left in a hurry. How did they leave the house? ~ Oh, it was in quite a mess. How was the house contents auction? ~ Oh, it was quite a success. Nearly everything went. Let's take a picnic with us. I think it's going to be quite a nice day. Did you get to see Hamlet at the Barbican? ~ Yes, it was quite an interesting production. If you would like more practice more please visit our Message Board in the You, Me and Us part of our website.

Voila! And so YatieB meant "COMPLETELY ACCURATE" - that I am indeed an all around good person! I look for the good in people and get along with everyone! People feel comfortable with me.

Thank you, thank you YatieB. You still remember me from that long ago.


KIIIKIIIKIII!!! LMAO!!