Learning English with Tea and Biscuits

Victorious Fig Roll

I used to be so excited about the sound of the English language as a kid. I’d make up my own pretend-English before school forced the real thing on me. 20 years later and I’m alright at it but there’s always more to learn. Three months ago I started keeping track of the slightly bizarre expressions I come across living in Yorkshire. I think I’m ready now to add another four to the list.

namby-pamby
I learnt this melodic expression while discussing what properties are most important in our biscuits.
It means:
1. lacking in character or substance
2. weak, indecisive
Apparently fig rolls are proper biscuits and not of the namby-pamby kind like rich teas. I wish more of the world was explained with the help of biscuits. And what I wouldn’t give for some namby-pamby biscuits to go with my tea right now…

Do you want out? 
I get asked this at work a lot when somebody is about to go to Sainsburys: “Anyone want out?” When I heard it the first time, images of careless world exploration and escaping the mind numbing routine that is full-time employment crossed my mind. Unfortunately, the best thing you’ll get out of this offer is a chocolate bar (maybe even a Crunchie?) or biscuits to dunk in your tea. It merely translates as: “Do you want me to bring you anything from the shop?”

Nah, you’re alright.
The strange answer you get when you offer to do something for someone and they decline.
“Do you want another cup of tea?” - "Nah, you’re alright."
It still doesn’t make much sense to me why you would put it like that. To me it sounds a lot like: “I will only drink the tea of my enemies!"

Dinner/Tea/Lunch
A foreigner will learn that lunch is the meal you have around noon, dinner is what you eat in the evening and tea time is somewhere around 4pm... right? Welcome to the English Guess the Mealtime-phenomenon where dinner can sometimes be lunch however, lunch will always be lunch but tea can mean dinner as well as 4pm tea time. So “What are you doing for dinner?” could also mean “What are you having for lunch?” and “What’s for tea?” can mean “What are we having for dinner?” Okay then...