the Top Gear British phrases explanation thread

Hi,

I'm making italian subtitles for 14x03. iPlayer's eng subs are terrible as usual, so I'd need help with a couple of things:

At 0:12:24, when the police helicopter arrives:

Norfolk police helicopter * nine-nine to golf-tango *

At 0:12:35
* nine nine, not really aware of etc.

At 0:44:52
You need to go to Venice *

Any help would be appreciated ;)
 
Hi,

I'm making italian subtitles for 14x03. iPlayer's eng subs are terrible as usual, so I'd need help with a couple of things:

At 0:12:24, when the police helicopter arrives:

Norfolk police helicopter * nine-nine to golf-tango *

At 0:12:35
* nine nine, not really aware of etc.

At 0:44:52
You need to go to Venice *

Any help would be appreciated ;)

The "callsigns" on ATC radio for the Police helicopters in England are generally "India?Niner-Niner" or I-99 and not the aircraft's registration. (Sometimes Oscar-99)

EDIT2: This one was actully India-Oscar-NineR-NineR (I checked the my DVDR)

India is the standard NATO ?designation? for the letter I for use over the air.
EDIT2:
Oscar is the standard NATO ?designation? for the letter O for use over the air.
NineR is correct ATC pronunciation for the number 9.

The "PAPA GOLF" callsign is the last two characters of the balloon's registration, it is a sorthand. The full registration is in the form.(Edit2)

G-TOPG (Edit2: Yes, I hadn't noticed but the TG team played a funny on us, the registration was TOP G)

.. someone will fill in the gaps later, I can?t remember it at present. (Done!)


Will get back to you on VENICE quote, will check the time code.
:)

EDIT:
Sorry, I must have a slightly different timing to you and can?t find any reference to VENICE.
Can you add the previous line and the following line, as well as who are saying the lines.
 
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Mh.. it's not really a British phrases question.. more a British celebrity question...

In the last episode Jeremy has Ross Kemp in the boot. I'm not sure... but i think i remember Jeremy using that "metaphor" some episode before...

So can sb tell my why that is a special joke?

Maybe it was another person than Ross Kemp which Jeremy was referring to before... but i thought it would be somebody really fat... mh
 
I think it was Jeremy who said Quentin Willson has a monocoque "body"/chassi... might have been Hammond though.
 
I'm pretty sure it was Jezza who said that.
 
I've always likened their usage of "cock" as a noun with our usage of "douchebag".

"BMW's, Porsches and Audis are driven by douchebags." , etc..

I agree. A douchebag has a bluetooth glued to his ear, a popped collar, and never takes off his sunglasses.

I think that's just general pisstaking really! Not sure if there's anything behind it :)

What is piss-taking?

Also, what is the Chelsea-est of the Chelsea tractors?
 
Taking the piss (and thus piss-taking) means making fun of / teasing / taunting / goading someone.
And I think a Chelsea tractor is a SUV or big 4WD car used by the rich in the middle of a city.
 
I am aware that this isn't a British usage, per se, but it's something I don't understand so I'm going to ask about it anyway.

Often when they're driving through English cities, I see zig-zag white lines on the road. We see those here if the line-painting trucks screw up, but the ones in England appear to be deliberate. What is the message those zig-zag lines are trying to impart?
 
By traffice lights (Pedestrian) or by any sort of pedestrian crossing actually (e.g. ZEBRA) - no parking. It is there to permit vision for both pedestrians and drivers, (NB same in the Irish Republic - where I got the picture):


pedestrians_safe-crossing-places_00.jpg


Quote:

The zig zag lines, which are in use all over the country(UK), are found on the approach to any form of pedestrian crossing. They denote an area where vehicles should not be parked because it causes a vision obstruction to do so, and where you should not pass the leading moving vehicle...this is for pedestrian safety. These lines are also outside of school entrances though they are coloured yellow.
 
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They mark areas where you aren't allowed to stop, usually in the vicinity of pedestrain crossings.
More info.
 
Forgive me if this is already in here, and for digging up an old topic, but something I've wondered for a while is the whole seat heater joke. It first appeared that I noticed in the Porsche Panamera vs Royal Mail race, and then later in Jame's interview with Margaret Calvert.

But what is so funny about putting on someone's seat heater?
 
Not sayings, but Ive wondered why they always run into James and where it came from?

Why do they call Hammond a Pikey, I would suppose because he is one?
 
You know when someone's really calm and reserved in a group of fiends they always try to make a bit fun of that person, trying to get him to trip over and stuff like that. just to get on the nerves. It seems to be the same in TG and May is definitely the one to have that doom.

I guess the whole Pikey thing is not meant literally, but more in a way that is characteristic about Hamster's taste i.e. cowboy boots, muscle cars, generally shiny things...
 
You know when someone's really calm and reserved in a group of fiends they always try to make a bit fun of that person, trying to get him to trip over and stuff like that. just to get on the nerves. It seems to be the same in TG and May is definitely the one to have that doom.
.

Yeah but I figure it had to come from somewhere. I really wonder the first time they did it was.


Ive heard them say something goes to 11 a couple times, I'm supposing in reference to the movie This is Spinal Tap. James uses it in reference to the Insignia VXR saying "the Insignia however has another one that goes up to 11" in reference to the VXR button. Hammond used it in reference to the VXR8 Bathurst by saying "what this car does is go to 11" Im not sure if its been used other times I haven't seen enough episodes.
 
I'm not sure of the origin of the phrase (whether it is from that movie or not, haven't seen it), but it is in relation to the volume knob on a stereo, which traditionally goes up to 10. Therefore, going to 11 means going one more than maximum, more than what is technically possible.
 
Not exactly a phrase...but:

Is 'shortening' Jeremy into Jezza a British thing? The same with a Ferrari being called a Fezza?


I don't get that.
 
If you don't do it in America, then presumably, yes. It's done all the time in Australia, its usually done by taking the first letters then adding "zza" or a variation of that. Like the name "Barry" would become "Bazza". Yes, technically it is no shorter to say, but it shows affection, I guess.
 
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