English Language Learners Asked by Swenglish on February 17, 2021
Is there any short idiomatic phrase in British English for encouraging people to not be annoyingly deviant in talk/behaviour and instead talk/act more like people in general?
Also, the context that I am going to use the phrase in requires that it includes a direct reference to ‘common people’, ‘ordinary folk’ (or something synonymous in 1-2 words).
My starting point is a Swedish phrase that translated verbatim would be: ‘be like folk’. My assumption is that British English requires something more specific to make sense. Or, would ‘be like folk’, ‘be like others’, stated as demands, suffice to convey about the same (reproachful) meaning of encouraging a normal behaviour?
Imagine, for instance, that a character gives another character a most scathing review: ‘I’m adamant that you need plenty of therapy until you learn to be like’… Yes, like what? Would “people” suffice? Or, would it at least have to be “common people”/”regular people”/ “normal people”/”ordinary folks”, or anything similar, to be correctly understood by British English speakers?
"I'm adamant that you need plenty of therapy until you learn to be like ..."
Perhaps "a normal human being" or "a decent human being", "a decent member of society". (And perhaps either delete "like" or replace it with "more like".)
Answered by rjpond on February 17, 2021
A simple “behave yourself/yourselves” would suffice and be idiomatic. This can be said sternly as a correction or just as a pre-warning. It’s a basic reminder than one is (or will be) in polite society.
You might also try:
Have some decorum.
This might sound a little upper class or over the top (too proper), but for that reason can also be used casually as a more tongue-in-cheek comment (this might elicit a giggle but be taken seriously at the same time, especially if the upper class quality is affected/put on).
UPDATE
For the example you gave in the comments, generally I think you’d hear something like:
Don’t be precious.
Precious here implies he believes himself to be special or a special case. The phrase above reminds him, “You’re just like everyone else (and should therefore act like them).”
If this doesn’t quite fit, please provide another example.
One other phrase you hear a lot which might apply is:
When in Rome...
The full phrase is, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” It means that in a particular situation, one should look to do whatever “normal people” (in that context) do, and drop their own customs and ideas.
Answered by Chris Mack on February 17, 2021
How about just:
Behave normally
Or something like:
Have some common sense
For an idiom, you can use:
Stop behaving like animals
Answered by Xnero on February 17, 2021
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