Sunday 29th of September 2013

This morning I made breakfast for my son and since it is Sunday and he's home for a few days from London, I wanted to make him a full English breakfast. So I asked him: "Would you like the full Monty?" His reply was (without hesitation): "Yes, please"

The explanation for my son's immediate reply showed his implicit understanding and consequent transference of the phrase The full Monty (from the film titled The full Monty) with the meaning: "all the food traditionally associated with a full English breakfast".

In this example everyday English creates humour by reforming word patterns and making us look at a situation anew.

In my role as a careworker I asked my client (a Geordie) what he would like for breakfast and he replied: "One Weetabik please" (laughter). 

Since Weetabix ends in an /s/ sound it could be interpreted as a plural 's'. So the singular Weetabix is without the /s/ and therefore becomes Weetabik (more laughter).