the British " ... is it?" / " ... isn't it?"

I don't think I understand how to hear this turn of phrase. The French have "n'est-ce pas?", which I often hear with a playful tone and a sort of coy, girl-wearing-sailor-stripes wink. But when spoken in dry, UK English, all I can hear is patronizing or condescension -- as in when I say "Boy, it's hot out today," and a British person replies, "We'll it's summer, isn't it?"

For people who actually speak the language, do you use & hear this phrase in a humorous way? to express annoyance by pointing out the obvious or showing someone else's ignorance? or simply as a conversational matter of course? Help me get it!

And, do we have any US English sayings that are opaque in a similar way?

innit

i like in braveheart where the royal magistrate says "a most excellent idea sire" and longshanks goes "is it?"

i pretty much say that in reply after every single statement is made with any sort of assertion in a conversation.

do you?

do you?

edit: damn you encey

  On 5/7/2010 at 7:24 PM, Fred McGriff said:

i like in braveheart where the royal magistrate says "a most excellent idea sire" and longshanks goes "is it?"

 

i pretty much say that in reply after every single statement is made with any sort of assertion in a conversation.

then you throw them out the window

iziiiiiit

Well, it's all in the pitch glide, isn't it?

oh bre youre startin on me isit?

whatever bruv youre gonna get merked innit

summat

  On 5/7/2010 at 7:39 PM, dese manz hatin said:

iziiiiiit

lol south africans are alllll over this.

"ezzzit" is used AS often as "uh huh" or "yeah" is in America esp. when just to confirm a yes/no question someone just posed. It's fucking weird.

"Is that my blue car over there?"

"ezzzit."

south africa

chuuuch

0:35 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiAvfcfIzac

ball 'til ya fall lol

martha: "that's what we're gonna be doing, balling 'til we fall!"

still hoping for an answer before p. 2

  On 5/7/2010 at 7:18 PM, encey said:

I don't think I understand how to hear this turn of phrase. The French have "n'est-ce pas?", which I often hear with a playful tone and a sort of coy, girl-wearing-sailor-stripes wink. But when spoken in dry, UK English, all I can hear is patronizing or condescension -- as in when I say "Boy, it's hot out today," and a British person replies, "We'll it's summer, isn't it?"

"It's gorgeous outside, isn't it?"

That's not patronizing or condescending at all. But I can see it sounding that way in the way you used it, all dependent on tone of course.

I think "right?" is sometimes used in the way that "n'est-ce pas?" is, which you might find more appropriate.

it's essentaially approval seeking.

and a desperation to be polite.

it is summer ISN'T IT??

subtext 'please agree with me, because if (god and the heavens above forbid) we are not in agreement, then there may be potential conflict which in turn, may be construed as bad manners'

imagine that cunt hugh grant saying it and you'll get the gist.

Don't know about that. I'm reading "We'll it's summer, isn't it?" as "Well, obviously. What did you expect and why are you telling me?" but I'm quite dismissive of small talk. To not be rude, though, I would just answer "Mmm."

The best way to continue a conversation is to ask a question.

Isn't it?

it's like "know what i mean?", isn't it?

getting shanked innit bruv

"watch the ride."

what the heck does the above mean?

I may be off but I thought that most of these subtle conversational inflections could not be translated to the written/typed word. Are there not things communicable with voice that can not be reproduced with words? I could type two lines of dialogue which would require an additional paragraph to unravel all the intricacies of a given language as it relates to the given situation. I could also speak the same sentence without the necessity of the explanatory paragraph and instantly convey my message, assuming the listener was familiar with the language on a conversational level.

  On 5/8/2010 at 6:26 PM, thepilot said:

Are there not things communicable with voice that can not be reproduced with words?

http://eeuauaughhhuauaahh.ytmnd.com/

inorite

True story

bish bash bosh job done knowhatimean mate ?