the Top Gear British phrases explanation thread

[shellygrrl]

^ Yep. A 1981 Lancia Beta Coupe.

[hidea]

Can someone explain to me what James meant when he painted Oliver with the phrase "ALL ADDERS ARE PUFFS"?

Also: What's a Ponkerwaller?

Jeremy used that word to describe the yellow Tata Nano (after Hammond compared the car to a Pikachu). Then Jezza proceed with saying something about: if it (the Tata) was to go anymore "basic" than the deluxe version show on the screen, a mule would have to be placed in front of the car.

[PaperBiro]

Puff is a british slang term for someone with homosexual tendencies, or is generally quite effeminate. There's a species of African adder called the Puff Adder, hence the pun. Ponkerwaller was just a joke on Jeremy's behalf, highlighting his ignorance on anything to do with Pokemon. And for your third reference, what Jeremy was trying to say was that if the Tata Nano was any more basic, it would have to be a horse (or mule) and cart.

[hidea]

Originally Posted by Nereid

Puff is a british slang term for someone with homosexual tendencies, or is generally quite effeminate. There's a species of African adder called the Puff Adder, hence the pun. Ponkerwaller was just a joke on Jeremy's behalf, highlighting his ignorance on anything to do with Pokemon. And for your third reference, what Jeremy was trying to say was that if the Tata Nano was any more basic, it would have to be a horse (or mule) and cart.

Oh yea, I know the horse/mule thing. I was just trying to describe the scene.

Thanks Nereid!

[Correspondent75]

Originally Posted by the Interceptor

Different problem for "effrontery". Since I had no clue how to spell it, nothing was able to tell me what that means. I thought it had to do with 'to affront', but obviously, it doesn't. Neither google, nor my online dictionary (which is excellent otherwise) did suggest effrontery as an alternative..

Effronterie is a french word spelling effrontry in english.
It's qualify the reaction of someone who don't show enough respect to someone that should receive it : for exemple , responding with rudeness to superiors , hierarchy etc...

[alihaig]

Originally Posted by Nereid

Puff is a british slang term for someone with homosexual tendencies, or is generally quite effeminate. There's a species of African adder called the Puff Adder, hence the pun. Ponkerwaller was just a joke on Jeremy's behalf, highlighting his ignorance on anything to do with Pokemon. And for your third reference, what Jeremy was trying to say was that if the Tata Nano was any more basic, it would have to be a horse (or mule) and cart.

Poof is the slang, but it sounds similar so the pun still works.

[Heathrow]

Originally Posted by Nereid

*snip*
Ponkerwaller was just a joke on Jeremy's behalf, highlighting his ignorance on anything to do with Pokemon.
*snip*

Nope!

Originally Posted by hidea

*snip*

Also: What's a Ponkerwaller?

Jeremy used that word to describe the yellow Tata Nano (after Hammond compared the car to a Pikachu). Then Jezza proceed with saying something about: if it (the Tata) was to go anymore "basic" than the deluxe version show on the screen, a mule would have to be placed in front of the car.

Originally Posted by Oxford Concise Dictionary of English Etymology

Punkah – Portable Fan (17th century) - of Hindi origin. (India)
Wallah – man or fellow (19th century ) - word of native Indian language, adopted by European residents

So, a Punkah-Wallah was a house servant, during the British Raj in India of 19th century, whose job it was to manually operate the cooling fans in the house.

Note: Tata is a “family” owned Indian Corporation, hence Jezza’s various Indian references

[Cancun]

Hi,

while you're at it, someone might explain the humorous references to hammond doing openings, which I'm guessing he does rather often. References like in 404, the news segment, "The Sudbury Warp Gate" - 'If you do that, I'll open it for you.' Or that other ep when they watched some F1 race except for Hammond 'who preferred selling fish' or whatever it was.

And talking of Hammond - what's with the teeth whitening and tanning salon quips?

[shancmf]

Originally Posted by Cancun

Or that other ep when they watched some F1 race except for Hammond 'who preferred selling fish' or whatever it was.

Not 100% sure on this as I can't remember the ep all that well, but I think it was something to do with Hammonds advert for Morrisons (brit supermarket) because a lot of the advert was him stood by the fish counter, feel free to correct me if i'm wrong though!

And talking of Hammond - what's with the teeth whitening and tanning salon quips

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

[Cancun]

Still re-watching 404 and someone should explain the 'Dennis Waterman Appreciation Society' and what has become of Martin Brundle nowadays (Cool Wall section).

[alihaig]

Originally Posted by Cancun

Hi,

while you're at it, someone might explain the humorous references to hammond doing openings, which I'm guessing he does rather often. References like in 404, the news segment, "The Sudbury Warp Gate" - 'If you do that, I'll open it for you.' Or that other ep when they watched some F1 race except for Hammond 'who preferred selling fish' or whatever it was.

And talking of Hammond - what's with the teeth whitening and tanning salon quips?

The humorous references to hammond doing opening are just that - he quite frequently (or frequently enough for the other 2) does official openings of shopping centres or whatever.

Originally Posted by shancmf

Not 100% sure on this as I can't remember the ep all that well, but I think it was something to do with Hammonds advert for Morrisons (brit supermarket) because a lot of the advert was him stood by the fish counter, feel free to correct me if i'm wrong though!



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

Yep - referring to the Morrisons ads. For the guy with the question, Morrisons is a reasonably big chain of supermarkets in the UK, and Hammond has appeared in quite a few TV adverts - commercials - for them, including 1 which showed him working on the fresh fish counter

[alihaig]

Originally Posted by Cancun

Still re-watching 404 and someone should explain the 'Dennis Waterman Appreciation Society' and what has become of Martin Brundle nowadays (Cool Wall section).

Dennis Waterman is a British actor - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Waterman I can't remember that episode so not quite sure how he fits in that context, but I'm sure if you read that it might make sense.

Matin Brundle - I think - is a commentator on the Formula 1 coverage here in the UK, for ITV - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Brundle. Again, i'm not sure how that fits with the episode.

[Cancun]

[Hammond]

Originally Posted by alihaig

for them, including 1 which showed him working on the fresh fish counter

Too bad that one doesn't seem to be on youtube, I only found the X-mas and Meat adverts

[Cancun]

NEXT!

706 - GTI vs BMW 130 - WTF is Dorothy Perkins?

[alihaig]

Dorothy Perkins is a Chain of womens clothes stores http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Perkins

No offence, but most of these you could have found yourself with a little bit of google/wikipedia.

[Cancun]

Originally Posted by alihaig

No offence, but most of these you could have found yourself with a little bit of google/wikipedia.

Most of what's ended up in the first posting is found there. Interjections like "Oh, cock!" , or who Keira Knightley is, I find also pretty much self-explanatory.

And in my view, that's not even the point .

The point is the cultural significance, which is not something you necessarily grasp by reading the first paragraph, or even all, of a wikipedia article.

[Stigfan]

Originally Posted by Cancun

And talking of Hammond - what's with the teeth whitening and tanning salon quips?

Mostly it's just his metrosexual appearance, but the teeth whitening thing was because Hammond at the time had quit smoking and claimed his teeth had become whiter as a result. So of course Jeremy and James had to take the piss.

[Topgearfanatic]

This thread has become the "who's this British person" thread! what are you guys gonna ask next, who Monty Python is? Just Google it!

[shellygrrl]

Originally Posted by Cancun

And talking of Hammond - what's with the teeth whitening and tanning salon quips?

Originally Posted by Stigfan

Mostly it's just his metrosexual appearance, but the teeth whitening thing was because Hammond at the time had quit smoking and claimed his teeth had become whiter as a result. So of course Jeremy and James had to take the piss.

"Just like your (Jeremy's) teeth have become greener!" ~ the usual response, from Hammond, after Jeremy would ask if his teeth becoming whiter was a natural occurence.

[Shannador]

How about 10x02, Jeremy in the Audi R8 test discussing how he has so much headroom:

How can there be so much space in a car that's so low? I can only presume, and this is a revolting though, I know, that my buttocks are actually kissing the cat's eyes.