March 10, 2004

How do you pronounce that?

Simon uses it, so does Helen (I think). I've seen it on other non-US blogs too.

Whinging

Is that whinging, as in "wing-ing"?

Or is that whinging, as in "win-jing"?

Posted by Ted at March 10, 2004 07:14 AM
Category: Munuvian Daily Tattler
Comments

Whin-jing

because it sounds wimpier.

Try saying, out loud, "what a whinging bastard!" and see which sounds more condemnatory.

Posted by: Ted K at March 10, 2004 09:02 AM

Main Entry: whinge
Pronunciation: 'hwinj, 'winj
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Form(s): whinged; whing·ing or whinge·ing
Etymology: from (assumed) Middle English, from Old English hwinsian; akin to Old High German winsOn to moan
British : to complain fretfully : WHINE

Posted by: bigdocmcd at March 10, 2004 11:13 AM

Certainly win-jing.

Posted by: Nicholas Liu at March 10, 2004 12:49 PM

If it's got the g it's got the j.

Elsewise, all ya got is whining, which hides from the g (an j) altogether.

Posted by: Bravo Romeo Delta at March 10, 2004 02:01 PM

Yup. Definitely "win-jing" - goes with whining (wine-ning) and moaning. Someone who does this is therefore a whinger (win-ger).

Posted by: Ozguru at March 10, 2004 05:25 PM

It has many uses. For example the term "Whinging Pom" (win-jing pom, short o) is a term Australians use to describe Englishmen. As Ozguru points out, calling someone a "whinger" (win-jer) is an insult; telling one's kids to stop "whinging" (win-jing) is a common partenal refrain.

"Wing-ing" is making it up as you go along. Which nicely describes most blogs. And lives, come to think of it.

Posted by: Simon at March 10, 2004 08:42 PM

The gf and I run into this regularly at one of our rat forums. Lots of Americans on the forum, but there are an awful lot of Brits, a couple of Aussies, a Kiwi or two, and some Scots. The occasional common Brit phrase/uncommon American one makes for high hilarity every now and then. The most recent one involved the British words for potted plants. In Britain, apparently, the "-ted" isn't required and she posted POT PLANTS, which isn't exactly something you want to see when the administrator's ten-year old daughter is a frequent reader of the forum.

Posted by: Victor at March 11, 2004 06:19 AM

"Ted isn't required"? You cad. Oh wait, you meant when pot plants are present. Correct. Never mind.

Posted by: Ted at March 12, 2004 07:56 AM

Why not first g hard, second g soft?

Posted by: triticale at March 28, 2004 10:14 AM
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