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They're a weird mob

Posted by Lotg on September 18, 2004

In Reply to: I'm not *fronting* posted by ESC on September 18, 2004

: : : : Hello to you all,

: : : : Does anyone know what the "fronting" means?
: : : : I'm not *fronting*, but this cost me 200 dollars.

: : : : ThANK you

: : : I'm not sure what it means in that context. My New Zealand relatives use 'fronting up' to mean arriving, which they have just done for a family celebration here in the UK. I'm gathering lots of new phrases from the nether regions while they are here. 'Flag that away' seems to mean decline an invitation. Our accents are proving a bit of a barrier to communication. My NZ niece is recently qualified as a 'vit' and says her motivation for this was 'to make animals bitter'. They can't speak South Yorkshire and my mother (whose 90th birthday we are celebrating) only speaks broad Black Country dialect. Last evening the non-veggies amongst us ate, depending on country of origin, chicken/fowl/chuck. Flags might come in useful here.

: : It's not clear (a little more context might help) but it may be "putting up money in advance." Front money = an investment early in a process, before any return income is certain. Money to get something started. What makes me unsure is the word "but."

: There are several meaning of "front" in my Black English reference: A fraudulent person, someone who is not for real; to pretend; to confront someone about something they are supposedly are doing or should have done. Front on somebody: to deceive someone. Black Talk: Words and Phrases from the Hood to the Amen Corner by Geneva Smitherman (Houghton Mifflin Co., New York, N.Y., 1994).

: Could it mean, I'm not confronting you or making demands, but I'm just saying I spent $200.

I agree, it's confusing. If it wasn't for the fact that this person has just said, 'it cost me $200', I would have said they were refusing to 'front' or 'be responsible' for paying the money - so it seems to contradict.

In Australia you front the bill (ie. you'll take responsibility for the entire bill), you front for dinner or an appointment, (ie. you'll definitely personally be there), or you've got a lot of 'front', (ie. someone with a bold image, or who does something bold - ummm... say, if I were to crash a Royal party, I'd have a lot of front doing that.)

I love Gary's NZ translations. Your vit and bitter are spot on, but your 'chuck' cracked me up. I think both we and our NZ neighbours would call them chooks - although, I haven't heard your cousing speak and they're a weird mob over there - hehe.

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