Do Brits actually say "Oy"?
 

When they said it in Snatch and that other Guy Ritcie film, I assumed it was a cartoonishly exaggerated version of British, as spoken by London criminals only. But recently, I've watched About a Boy, which also takes place somewhere in London. A girl in the film kept saying "Oy", and it wasn't regarded as comical or humorous at all.

That left me thinking, maybe Brits do speak that way. Maybe "Oy" is indeed a commonly-used term in England.

Any idea?

weird...I didn't even notice "Oy" in Lock Stock or Snatch...that probably says it all! In what context was "Oy" used, because I don't have a clue what you're talking about!

It's used in circumstances similar to those when Americans say "Hey."

Yep. They do. My flatmate confirmed it too... (he's born brit)

*edit
You can also hear it in the movie "Bridget Jones's Diary" when the mic is not working and Bridget tries to make a speach, she's shouting "Oy"...

And that's not a hello-like "Hey."
It's rather a "Hey! get out of my car!"-like "Hey."

Thanks for confirming it, peacy.
Funny people, aren't they?

Yes, they're. :)
When I moved here I thought I can speak english. Than I faced the fact that there's a difference between english and brit...

I work with several brits and none of them say "Oy." Maybe because it's really not a brit slang term. However I've known a few Aussies and they (and neighboring fellow Kiwis) who do say "Oy" with gusto.

OH!....Now I get you...It's spelt "Oi"! :D
and yes the Brits use it all the time, as do we Irish. I never even noticed the fact that the word never appears in American films! :D

yes, its actually an entire line in our sports chant...

<center>AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE,
OI, OI, OI!!</center>

Is that what you feed to horses? bales of oy?

OY!
dun-a dun dun dun
OY OY!!
dun dun dun duna
OY!!!

Jacko was proabably our (the US) first widespread introduction to <b>Oi!</b>

http://www.ciadvertising.org/studies...energizer2.jpg

My Aussie wife says it all the time, as does my daughter now. I even find myself saying it sometimes.

omg.
i´ve dreaded the day that clown got his mug on the TFP.

ENERGIZER, OI!!

may as well show a piccy of his best mate... Mark ´Chopper´ Reid...
http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2002/WORLD/asia...hopper.aap.jpg

some of you may remember chopper from the recent Eric Bana film.

apparently these days they do a comedy show together. they play at random dodgy pubs.

can you imagine, a psycho afl legend, and his best mate, a psycho killer up on stage laughing at everything and everyone.

´OI!!! why aren´t you laughing??´
´better give him the treatment, eh chop??´

good old aussie humour.

Makes "Aunty Jack" look tame.

I say Oi all the time...so do a lot of people I know.

Oi!: Annoyance at someone, sometimes used to let someone know they tipped over ur cup of coffee all over you, and that you expect them to apologise promptly and profusely...

Oi!: Used to get someone's attention, especially when the recipient of the 'Oi!' is somewhere in the distance...

Oiiii!: When you see so'm you like or you think is brilliant, you go, Oiiiiiii!

Oi Oi!: Used to get the attention of someone you know, usually at close quarters...kinda like 'hey there!' but not quite as dry. Also couples as a greeting of the lowest form, which is usually good enough between close friends...

What the hell am I doing anyway...

ps it's been a while since I last checked in, please welcome me back! I missed you flyman, and bundy, and and and fremen (a little bit...)

[The Streets - Don't Mug Yourself]

A new day another morning after leaning back on my chair in a greasy spoon cafeteria
Last night was some beer lairyness done our way,
but again we?re back in the light of day.
Chatting shit sitting at the wall table, telling jokes playing with the salt,
looking out the window,
girl brings 2 plates of full English over with plenty of scrambled eggs and plenty of fried tomato.
Get my phone out about to give this girl a shout see if she had a nice night last night up town.
Ask if she fancy trying it again sometime then Kalv grabs the phone like Oi Oi Oi Oi
Hold it down boy,
Your heads getting blurred
I know you can?t stop thinking of her
By all means you can vibe with this girl,
But just don?t mug yourself that?s all don?t mug yourself
Seriously Nick, you fucker?
Nah nah nah, itswhatimean, I fuckin? I?m no way really d?ya know what I mean,
I can take it or leave it, believe
then Kalvins like OI
You need to hold it down jack, put your phone back
Quit staring into space and hit the sack that?s that
She?ll want you much more for not hanging on
Stop me if I?m wrong Stop me if I?m wrong
Why should she be the one to decide whether it?s off or on or on or off or on
Now the girls rude, I know she?s rude but she?s screwed right though you you?ll be on your knee soon.
Hold it down boy,
Your heads getting blurred
I know you can?t stop thinking of her
By all means you can vibe with this girl,
But just don?t mug yourself that?s all don?t mug yourself
And I?m like, honestly it?s not like that,
your acting like I?m prancing like a sap jumpin when she claps and that
do you really think I act whack cause I?m telling ya,
I?m serving the aces and it?s game set and match
Perfectly in control, of this goal,
I?ve got the lead role, won?t be fold and I?m older than you told.
Girl sold, high speeds gold, game over game over too cold.
Hold it down boy,
Your heads getting blurred
I know you can?t stop thinking of her
By all means you can vibe with this girl,
But just don?t mug yourself that?s all don?t mug yourself
Hold it down boy,
Your heads getting blurred
I know you can?t stop thinking of her
By all means you can vibe with this girl,
But just don?t mug yourself that?s all don?t mug yourself
Yaaahhh, Hold it down boy,
Your heads getting blurred
I know you can?t stop thinking of her
That girl, and she a smell it on her piece,
She must have crabs and fucking shrimp in her teeth

my answer: yes.

If English guys say "oy," then do english jews say "oy gevalt"?

Good question. How about "Oy vey zmir"?
Any British Jews in here?

hahahaha

¨i´ll break your bloody arm off
and i will too.¨

OI,OI,OI.....eh

Not just part of the British language, it also has strong roots in Spanish culture.

OY e como va

http://www.photobucket.com/albums/08...e/4ff59b9a.jpg

It should be noted that attracting attention by calling out "oi!" in the North East of England will probably get you a smack in the face.

We would address our comrades with "how!" (say it fast)

Eg: "How! yee." - 'Excuse me, sir'
"How, man." - 'You appear to have spilt lager on my tabs.'
"Howay, man" - 'Come along, good fellow.'
"Howay the lads!" - An expression of glee, particularly at footbal matches.

Anyone who uses 'oi!' on a regular basis is a cockney, or soft Southern shandy drinker. Whereas I, myself, am a Northern monkey.

'Tis true, you have shipped over some fine representatives...
Croc Dundee, Croc Hunter, the Puppetry of the Penis guys, and good god now the Wiggles.

Oi, me achin' head.

tnt oi oi tnt oi oi

Oi! Cuddit owwwt! NOW!!!