Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Keep Calm and Carry On (or Freak Out and Throw Things) a Post from the UK
I'm guest posting under Suzie's identity. Shhhh.....don't tell, it's a secret. Wonder how shocked she'll be to see a post she didn't write?
Okay, so the point of this post. Winston Churchill is correct Americans and Brits are two people separated by a common language.
America UK
squash vegetable eaten at Thanksgiving Concentrated drink that you dilute
chips potato chips french fries
crisps dunno potato chips
mobile cell phone mobile
sat nav GPS satellite navigation
Most of those are probably recognizable to folks. And yes most things are sold in pie form here, kidney pie, beef pie, chicken pie, etc. Odd very odd. But all easy enough to get used to. Here's the one that gets me every time.
"Are you okay?"
A "chap" said this to me this morning as I got off my bike from my 1.7 mile ride to work. It's the second time I heard this phrase. The other time was helping move furniture and early in the move the guy who was helping me said, "Are you okay governor?" (I'm not kidding). Each time I though, geez I must look like crap. I must look like I've over exerted. Or maybe I'm bleeding from somewhere or something??? I get really nervous that something is seriously wrong. I was looking at my reflection in the building's glass wall after I was asked this morning.
So what are they driving at? It's the same as saying "How are you?" And yet in the US "Are you okay?" is always asked when something is seriously wrong or appears to be. When my father over exerts himself and sits on a bench breathing heavily, red in the face, and people stop and wonder if he's having a heart attack or needs an ambulance they say, "Are you okay?"
Freaks me out. I'm sure I'll get used to it, but I thought I'd share. Sorry no pictures, they'll have to wait for the family photographer to arrive (Suzie). I don't have a camera with me. Maybe when I finally get a mobile (cell phone). I know, *gasp* me with a mobile.
Cheers
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7 comments:
Welcome to culture shock :-) About the time you get all comfortable with the language you will come back to the US and have to re-orient all over again. Good to know things are going well. Dad, or is it something else over there??
Love you. Miss you... 9 days.
Ha Ha. You have a lot to learn!
You forgot a few essential translations:
US- Pants, UK- Trousers
US- Underwear under your pants UK- Pants
You may want to learn that one fast!
US- shattered. UK- devastated
UK- Shattered US- Extremely tired.
The "Are you okay?" thing- well if you look like you are having a heart attack, they will use the same phrase- you just have to listen out for the panic in their voice!
A couple of other ones you might need to know: when they tell you to walk on the pavement, they mean the sidewalk. Don't ask somebody where the restroom or ladies/men's room is because they'll give you a blank look - you need to ask where the toilet is. And if somebody says they're taking a Mickey it means they're just joking. This is what makes living in another country such an interesting experience!
I'm the anonymous person in the last post.
Cathy Young
Pants and shattered I knew. My accent saves me from any embarrassment when I refer to my "trousers" as pants.
Mickey I haven't heard yet. There's lots of ones that I'm like what? Or it's so out of context that I instantly realize they mean something different.
Are you okay? Still holds for most confusing to me so far. Glad everyone is having fun with it though.
Lunch today is a chicken, ham, and chorizo (mystery meat) sandwich, with Ginger Beer and Thai Sweet Chili crisps. Chorizo appears to be some kind of salami or capicola kinda thing. I'm told it's a spanish sausage kinda thing. Sandwich good, ginger beer good, crisps good.....life good.
Nice Doug!
We miss you back here in New York/Maryland.
Love you guys!
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