American STEPHEN RUSSELL GOURLEY Commits Suicide by Jumping from Condo in Phnom Penh

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Re: American STEPHEN RUSSELL GOURLEY Commits Suicide by Jumping from Condo in Phnom Penh

Post by SangieC »

I'm sure there isn't, but in the same way that 'snuffed it' in reference to someone dying probably wouldn't be in there; that again would be a very insensitive way of referring to someone near and dear to you who has died.. trust me, as a native English speaker from the UK, it won't be language that friends and family of Steve will be using to refer to his death (if indeed it wasn't an accident...).
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Re: American Stephen Russell Gourley, 51, Tops Himself

Post by Jamie_Lambo »

Cam Nivag wrote: Sun Feb 25, 2018 9:21 pm
Jamie_Lambo wrote: Sun Feb 25, 2018 8:49 pm
theres nothing disrespectful about it
Real English people disagree.


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I'm real English and i gave you the origin of the phrase...
you quote me "Real English" people from some unknown forum who use phrases like "i think ive heard it transitively..."
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Brilliant mate, good work
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Re: American STEPHEN RUSSELL GOURLEY Commits Suicide by Jumping from Condo in Phnom Penh

Post by Jamie_Lambo »

SangieC wrote: Sun Feb 25, 2018 9:45 pm I'm sure there isn't, but in the same way that 'snuffed it' in reference to someone dying probably wouldn't be in there; that again would be a very insensitive way of referring to someone near and dear to you who has died.. trust me, as a native English speaker from the UK, it won't be language that friends and family of Steve will be using to refer to his death (if indeed it wasn't an accident...).
prahocalypse now wrote: Sun Feb 25, 2018 9:34 pm Is there a British dictionary that lists the term as offensive?

British dictionaries normally indicate when a word or phrase is offensive. For example, the Cambridge Dictionary lists cocktease, wog, and blow job as offensive. It doesn't say that the verb 'top' is offensive.
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Re: American STEPHEN RUSSELL GOURLEY Commits Suicide by Jumping from Condo in Phnom Penh

Post by prahocalypse now »

SangieC wrote: Sun Feb 25, 2018 9:45 pm I'm sure there isn't, but in the same way that 'snuffed it' in reference to someone dying probably wouldn't be in there; that again would be a very insensitive way of referring to someone near and dear to you who has died.. trust me, as a native English speaker from the UK, it won't be language that friends and family of Steve will be using to refer to his death (if indeed it wasn't an accident...).
As a native speaker from the UK, you are probably aware that the term "topped himself" was good enough for your former Home Secretary David Blunkett to use when he spoke to the press following the suicide of Dr Harold Shipman. He said, "You wake up and you receive a phone call - Shipman's topped himself.”
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Re: American STEPHEN RUSSELL GOURLEY Commits Suicide by Jumping from Condo in Phnom Penh

Post by Jamie_Lambo »

but of coarse respect where its needed im not complaining just pointing out some truths about the phrase,
if people dont like it then thats fine, i wasnt the one that wrote it, just saying its just normal talk
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Re: American STEPHEN RUSSELL GOURLEY Commits Suicide by Jumping from Condo in Phnom Penh

Post by cptrelentless »

I'm a British English speaker, it's more a term used by northerners. The hand-wringers are likely southerners. Surely "dead from a balcony fall" would be better, what with him being a god-botherer and the big man upstairs doesn't let you in if you off yourself.
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Re: American STEPHEN RUSSELL GOURLEY Commits Suicide by Jumping from Condo in Phnom Penh

Post by John Bingham »

Whatever about the semantics, the guy is dead. I'd be more interested in knowing what led him to this end rather than nonsense arguments.
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Re: American STEPHEN RUSSELL GOURLEY Commits Suicide by Jumping from Condo in Phnom Penh

Post by Jamie_Lambo »

cptrelentless wrote: Sun Feb 25, 2018 11:05 pm I'm a British English speaker, it's more a term used by northerners. The hand-wringers are likely southerners. Surely "dead from a balcony fall" would be better, what with him being a god-botherer and the big man upstairs doesn't let you in if you off yourself.
probably aye, "popped his clogs" is also a common northern phrase
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Re: American STEPHEN RUSSELL GOURLEY Commits Suicide by Jumping from Condo in Phnom Penh

Post by finbar »

RIP.
Regardless of etymology, it's slang.
Would we hear "Dearly beloved, we're gathered here today because Stephen topped 'imself".
I don't think so. Even oop noarth.
More to the point, are we sure it's even suicide? I think the title should just say "died from a 12-storey fall" or whatever if not.
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Re: American Stephen Russell Gourley, 51, Tops Himself

Post by Kuroneko »

Cam Nivag wrote: Sun Feb 25, 2018 7:23 pm
Perhaps if he had gone home to a country with proper medical care, he or his family would have been advised that a person with balance problems and confusion and mood swings from a brain injury shouldn't be living in an apartment on the 12th floor with a low balcony railing.
In my experience here in Phnom Penh the balcony railings in condos aren't particularly low. My balcony rail is 112cm (44 inches) high for example. You would have to be very tall to accidentally fall over that.
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