One of Xoti's comments (when clicked)

[xzar_monty]

So, every once in a while, when you click on Xoti, she says, "What can I do you for?"

 

It feels too blatant to be a mistake, but it also doesn't feel good enough to be a joke. So, who can best explain this?

[bringingyouthefuture]

Eh, I am guessing a little bit of esoteric knowledge led to them going with an American South dialect:

 

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20180207-how-americans-preserved-british-english

[Triple - A Foxy Lad]

Its a reasonably common joke used by service workers here in the uk. I wouldnt be surprised if it was used in other english speaking countries - or had originated from elsewhere.

[daven]

Whenever someone rings me in the office I ask that...

 

It goes...

 

'Hi David'

 

'Hi Joe Bloggs'

 

'How are you?'

 

'Fine, what can I do for you?'

[daven]

It's kind of like, when people are bothering you a bit... you just say 'What can I do for you?' It's ALMOST sarcastic.

 

I guess it's just in England?

[AndreaColombo]

Personally I found it in keeping with Xoti's horny teenager act (as in, it's obviously tongue-in-cheek and it sounds like the kind of silly joke a person like Xoti would make.)

Edited November 18, 2018 by AndreaColombo

[Guest]

Brits say this too? I thought it was something only American southerns said.

[xzar_monty]

It's kind of like, when people are bothering you a bit... you just say 'What can I do for you?' It's ALMOST sarcastic.

 

 

But that's not what she says. She says, "What can I do you for?"

[Triple - A Foxy Lad]

Brits say this too? I thought it was something only American southerns said.

 

ye, we do. dont know if we got it from america or vice versa.

Edited November 18, 2018 by Triple - A Foxy Lad

[Triple - A Foxy Lad]

double post. why am i so bad at this (looks for delete button)

Edited November 18, 2018 by Triple - A Foxy Lad

[daven]

 

It's kind of like, when people are bothering you a bit... you just say 'What can I do for you?' It's ALMOST sarcastic.

 

 

But that's not what she says. She says, "What can I do you for?"

 

I misread.

 

But yeah we do say 'What can I do you for?' as kind of a casual greeting.

 

I'm from Yorkshire, not sure if they say it the rest of the UK? Maybe it's just a poor English accent saying.

[Triple - A Foxy Lad]

I'm from Yorkshire, not sure if they say it the rest of the UK? Maybe it's just a poor English accent saying.

Im from the west midlands. i use it myself. ive heard it used a bit farther to the north in leicestershire, derbyshire etc. cant speak for farther south.

[injurai]

To "do someone" prior to having a sexual connotation, meant to swindle or con someone. You might be more familiar with "do someone in" which usually means to mug or kill someone, but prior it was to take someone for all they were worth.

 

What can I do you for? taken literally is almost a threat or warning to not get taken advantage of. But it's being said in jest. What it's actually doing is setting up a formal transaction where the onus is on the asker to convince the person to borrow their time. "What can I do you for? is an invitation to hear out a proposition with no promise of help. Eventually it's became a friendly way of putting up a barrier. Now that it's seen as friendly I think most people assume it's merely a grammatical inversion of "What can I do for you?" solely for the sake of saying something with flair.

[xzar_monty]

To "do someone" prior to having a sexual connotation, meant to swindle or con someone. You might be more familiar with "do someone in" which usually means to mug or kill someone, but prior it was to take someone for all they were worth.

 

Yeah, sure. The point is that there's a discrepancy between the phrase itself and the way Xoti phrases it. Thus, it doesn't suggest the meanings you mention. But it doesn't suggest anything else, either.

 

I believe you may be correct in the sense that Xoti just wants to say something with a bit of flair.

Edited November 18, 2018 by xzar_monty

[Triple - A Foxy Lad]

To "do someone" prior to having a sexual connotation, meant to swindle or con someone. You might be more familiar with "do someone in" which usually means to mug or kill someone, but prior it was to take someone for all they were worth.

 

almost there, but i think ur off by a gnats wing, at least wrt where i live.

 

"what can i do u for" is closer to:

 

"what can i arrest u for",

"what can i punish u for",

"what can i charge u with"

or "what can i grass u for".

 

Its jokingly threatening someone via *authority*, not criminality.

 

basically:

 

"do you in" = direct threat of harm.

 

"do you for" = threat of arrest or similar. eg. "do you for theft." "do you for muder" "do you for assault"

 

like part of the reason i say it all the time is bcs im a security guard. the phrase is almost never received as an actual threat, just a common joke.

 

u could argue that its flirtatious in some situations bcs it implies the addressee's been 'naughty' (oo er missus) but that meanings only there if the addressee wants to pick it up and run with it. u can get away with using it generally and not worry about sounding fresh.

 

Edit: the flirtatious aspect is certainly congruent with Xoti's attention-seeking horndog act.

Edited November 18, 2018 by Triple - A Foxy Lad

[Wormerine]

Oh jeez. So she says it in a flirtatious way. Fits very much with her character. 

[Frak]

Wait what? I hear it as straight up polite.

 

I gather from this thread that's its mainly a southern USA and european thing, but the 'greeting' is fairly common here and there. We literally have the same greeting in my country. It's just a common greeting with no salacious meanings. Xoti is just being nice.

[Prince of Lies]

This thread seems like it's over-analyzing an otherwise innocuous companion bark.

 

I don't get sexual overtones at all.

 

Yes- "What can I do you for?" is something working ladies/gents use towards Johns and it's not just a Southen USA/Europe thing, it's used in Canada as well.

 

It's similar to "Is there something I can help you with tonight?" wink-wink-nudge-nudge.

 

However, you wouldn't assume it's salacious unless the person saying it is dressed like a prostitute, and you're in a red-light district.

 

Buuuut- if some guy knocks on my door at night, I'm going to respond with "Is there something I can help you with tonight?"- which doesn't mean I'm trying to solicit a John, I'm literally asking (politely) what the hell the guy is doing at my door. 

[house2fly]

It's... just an innocuous phrase people say when talking casually with acquaintances or work colleagues. Someone says "what can I do you for" and you know they're in a jovial mood. It means nothing else

[InsaneCommander]

Maybe, in Eora, it's an Eothasian thing. They go visit every house and farm asking people that. Gaun followers will offer to reap something. And those who value the rebirth aspect will ask with a different connotation...

[Triple - A Foxy Lad]

Lol i did say the meaning was only there if the addressee wants to pick it up and run with it.

 

Also worth pointing out ive spent most of my working life wearing a security uniform and/or doormans badge so 'ooooh are u gonna frisk me' etc is occasional response.

 

Anyhoo we're brits, we can turn anything into a double-entendre. Matron etc. Theres no such a thing as an innocent phrase here.

[Frak]

Maybe, in Eora, it's an Eothasian thing. They go visit every house and farm asking people that. Gaun followers will offer to reap something. And those who value the rebirth aspect will ask with a different connotation...

 

I KNEW IT! Every Gaunite is basically a prostitute offering you a "little death".

[Verde]

What's the issue exactly? She's channeling her inner Ned Flanders and saying "hidely ho neighbor!"

[InsaneCommander]

What's the issue exactly? She's channeling her inner Ned Flanders and saying "hidely ho neighbor!"

 

"Flanderization" was being discussed on another thread. Image Xoti if she comes back in PoE3...

[Triple - A Foxy Lad]

What's the issue exactly? She's channeling her inner Ned Flanders and saying "hidely ho neighbor!"

stupid sexy flanders lol