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Robin
Service for non native British English readers:
I had to ask AI for support, since my dictionaries didn’t knew the expression “wot”.Question:
As a non native English speaker I fail to get the meaning of the following header line: “Wot no Alpine?” What does that say for native English readers? In particular I don’t know any word reading “wot” in English language, and my dictionary doesn’t know it either.Answer: (AI generated)
Understanding the Idiomatic Expression “Wot no Alpine?”
The phrase “Wot no Alpine?” is a classic example of British English idiomatic humor, specifically rooted in a cultural phenomenon known as “Wot, no…?” It is not a standard grammatical construction, but rather a playful, informal, and often ironic way of pointing out the absence of something that might be expected, desired, or considered essential. The word “wot” is a non-standard, phonetic spelling of the word “what,” historically used to mimic specific regional dialects or to convey a sense of informal, working-class speech patterns common in early 20th-century British popular culture.[1]
The origin of this construction is famously linked to the “Wot, no…?” cartoons that became a staple of British life during and after the Second World War. These cartoons typically featured a bald, big-nosed character named “Chad,” who would be peering over a wall or fence, asking, “Wot, no [item]?” The item in question was usually something that was in short supply due to wartime rationing or post-war shortages, such as sugar, coal, or petrol.[2] By using this phrasing, the speaker is employing a well-known cultural shorthand to express mock surprise or disappointment at the lack of a specific item—in your example, an “Alpine” (which could refer to a specific car model, a brand of chocolate, or a type of scenery, depending on the context). To a native speaker, the phrase is immediately recognizable as a humorous, slightly nostalgic, and informal way of highlighting a missing object, often used in headlines or captions to grab attention through its quirky, colloquial tone.[3]
== References ==
[1] Partridge, Eric. A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English. (Print)
[2] Oxford University Press. The Oxford English Dictionary. (Reference Publication)
[3] https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rutgers-lib/44747/TXT/3/Windows is like a submarine. Open a window and serious problems will start.
m4r35n357
Thanks for posting the slop spam rather than just let people look it up if they don’t know. Can we expect more spam whenever,say, an americanism pops up?
Nobody “has to” consult a slop machine, the internet exists, and so do search engines.
- This reply was modified 5 months ago by m4r35n357.
Can we expect more spam whenever,say, an americanism pops up?
Only if it takes me more than half an hour without any success in my printed dictionaries and online to look up a specific wording. I guess, then others will run into the same trouble. Sorry if you consider this spam. For non native English readers, not familiar with the specific way of wording and its history, it is not. And yes, I’d treat an Americanism the same if nothing in a posting seems to fit nor explain what a header could mean.
Windows is like a submarine. Open a window and serious problems will start.
anti-apXos
disappointment at the lack of a specific item—in your example, an “Alpine” (which could refer to a specific car model, a brand of chocolate, or a type of scenery, depending on the context)
u wot, mate?
Alpine has been at the top of the list of distros I want to try out for a while now (with void not far behind), but I suspect it will probably remain there for quite a while longer since I just don’t seem to feel like digging into stuff like that these days.
Actually, though, I did spend some time playing around with the wayland version of TrixiePup64 recently. I still can’t see any actual advantage to wayland, but this is the best implementation I’ve tried, probably because it’s WM-based instead of a DE. In fact, I suspect it’s a lot like what some future version of antix might be like if it goes wayland. It even uses zzzfm to manage desktop icons (but then uses Spacefm as its file manager, which I didn’t get).
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Wallon
Thanks, @Robin, for the explanations.
I thought it was the name of a Linux package.
I think I’m getting the feel of this place a bit better now: “never discuss the actual contents of a post when you can bellyache (look it up!) about a three-letter word in the title instead”!
- This reply was modified 5 months ago by m4r35n357. Reason: stylistic impact
- This reply was modified 5 months ago by m4r35n357. Reason: syntax
I think I’m getting the feel of this place a bit better now: “never discuss the actual contents of a post when you can bellyache (look it up!) about a three-letter word in the title!
Whao. You complain about non native speakers clicking your header, simply because not understanding the meaning? And then complainig that this is subject of discussion? OK, understood.
Anyone else here tried it?
Sorry, due to lack of pi hardware there is nothing I could contribute substantially. Seems merely a very limited target group is allowed to post here in your thread. Well, I’m out.
Windows is like a submarine. Open a window and serious problems will start.
You complain about non native speakers clicking your header, simply because not understanding the meaning? And then complainig that this is subject of discussion? OK, understood.
This makes no sense. Whatever. Anyhow, you certainly have had plenty to say, hope you enjoyed yourself!
- This reply was modified 5 months ago by m4r35n357.
- This reply was modified 5 months ago by m4r35n357. Reason: quote
hope you enjoyed yourself!
Not enjoyed myself. But instead enjoyed learning a facet of British culture I didn’t know before. Thanks for providing the opportunity.
This makes no sense.
Look it up. 😉
Windows is like a submarine. Open a window and serious problems will start.
ElCuarteador
Thanks @Robin for the research and for sharing its outcome! Some people have never left their neighborhood, at least not mentally…
@m4r35n357: regarding the “contents” of your post, I have no idea what Alpine is, so I guess I can´t help.
Service: Alpine. Not actually alpine, but instead a backronym for »Linux-Powered Network Engine«.
(Sorry for spamming again here.)Windows is like a submarine. Open a window and serious problems will start.
regarding the “contents” of your post, I have no idea what Alpine is, so I guess I can´t help.
What leads you to believe that I am asking for help, and why post to tell me you cannot help me?
I am beginning to think talking about other distros is OT for the “other distros” forum . . .
- This reply was modified 4 months, 3 weeks ago by m4r35n357. Reason: humbug
I am beginning to think talking about other distros is OT for the “other distros” forum . . .
For sure not. But obviously not many users here are much interested in (or know much about) a Linux tailored for embedded devices, otherwise you’d have got lots of on-topic answers already.
(Which does not mean in any way that this your thread would not be welcome here)I knew Alpine before, not having to look it up, but had never time to actually try it, even if I’d own a matching embedded hardware.
Windows is like a submarine. Open a window and serious problems will start.
enigma9o7
Thanks, @Robin, for the explanations.
I thought it was the name of a Linux package.
It is, it’s a mail reader, and available in antiX/debian. It’s a gnu clone of ‘pine’ which what some of us used in the 80s/90s for email…. which used the pico editor, which is what nano is the gnu clone of.
Brian Masinick
Thanks, @Robin, for the explanations.
I thought it was the name of a Linux package.
It is, it’s a mail reader, and available in antiX/debian. It’s a gnu clone of ‘pine’ which what some of us used in the 80s/90s for email…. which used the pico editor, which is what nano is the gnu clone of.
Thanks, now that you reminded us I do remember pine, pico and alpine though I personally did not do much with any of them.
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Brian Masinick
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