![]() But this is how it’s used in current internet slang, and the way a 10-year-old is using it will probably be reasonably closely derived from that.) (I can’t speak for 10-year-olds I’m a bit out of touch with current playground slang. Similarly, is a Q&A site for discussing English is a Q&A site for discussing a Q&A site for discussing English. It isn’t a joke about national stereotypes it’s a joke about jokes. The humour comes from the barman recognising that he’s in a situation typical of jokes. The barman says “Is this some kind of joke?” These are simple jokes: jokes about certain national stereotypes.Īn Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman walk into a bar. There are lots of old jokes that begin:Īn Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman walk into a bar…Īnd go on to tell some story where the three people each do something (order a sandwich, perhaps) and behave in stereotyped ways (the Englishman snobbish, the Scot stingy, the Irishman stupid). It’s probably better illustrated by a couple of examples. The current colloquial use of meta is a bit hard to pin down with a definition - it doesn’t entirely fit the concept of self-reference. Some of them love the self-referential thrill of meta (my youngest once used the new label maker we bought to make a label that said label maker and stuck it onto the label maker with delight), but most don't and think it's something to be avoided. In my experience, Kids These Days call things meta if they are truly meta (arguing about the argument), or off topic, or just not what they wanted to talk about. In fact, the name of should make sense now - it's for questions and answers about questions and answers :-) Meta doesn't just apply to a conversation, a meeting, or an argument. there are also books about writing a book, plays about being in a play, movies about making movies, and so on.when a character in a TV show says to another character "this isn't a movie, this is real life" it's a little meta too, because of course it isn't real life, and by saying this, talking about their situation, they've brought up their own fictionality to you.They're arguing about arguing now, not about Christmas plans. when a married couple is arguing about a decision (where to spend Christmas, let's say) and one of them says "you always interrupt me" or "don't yell" the argument has turned meta.It's about the meeting, rather than being about the topic the meeting is supposed to be about. in a meeting, time spent discussing the meeting itself - how long it will last, who will talk first, whether everyone can see the screen - is meta. ![]() (Strictly speaking, you can be meta by being about the thing's own category, rather than this specific individual thing, but the key is "about".) If you substitute the word "about" where you see meta in a sentence longer than "it's meta", you will get close to the meaning, even though the sentence you make won't necessarily be grammatically correct. Something is meta (and self referential) if it is about itself. ![]()
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