When you move to a different country it is a massive comfort to know that you already speak the language. I don't think I could have moved to France, for example, with my 'school book French' and been at all comfortable (although my grasp of the language is just enough to keep me out of jail - true story).
With respect to the lingo in this case, I had no cause for concern. Little did I know!
If I had ever really thought about it (which I obviously didn't) I would have said that U.S. English was different from original a.k.a. U.K. English by a few small spelling differences. Colour / color. Labour / labor. Aluminium / aluminum and so on.
Of course, we all know there are a few variations on words too. In the U.K. 'fag' is a cigarette. In the U.S. it is something startlingly different. The U.K. 'fanny' is not a person's rear end. If you are reading this and are not acquainted with what the term means in Britain, Google will assist you. Anyway the point is this, I had watched enough films (movies) to know that I was not going to be sitting on my fanny, but I had no idea just how laborious communicating in a singular language could be.
Life in the U.S.A. was to elucidate that the disparity in our application of the English language goes way beyond spelling and the odd terminology differences. Certain things are phrased altogether differently and even simple sentences can be entirely misconstrued.
It never fails to amaze me that, on more than one occasion, I've been left standing like a lemon trying to ask for 'peppered ham' at the local deli, while the 'professionals' there try to re-educate me to ask for 'pepper ham' (despite, I might add, the fact that the label and packaging clearly state 'peppered ham'). SMH!
To further expound, in one of my professional capacities, I was required to ask people for their date of birth. It seems that my request for their 'date of birth' leave some people flummoxed, but a simple twist in phrasing to 'birth-date' can elicit the appropriate response.
References to watching a film on t.v. might be met with foggy facial expressions that would dissipate only upon explanation that a film was a movie (thank goodness I had enough sense to avoid the word telly)! It seems, then, that certain words can be a huge stumping point, despite the clues provided by the context of a statement or conversation.
I have a theory that has presented itself in several of my conversational encounters. Whenever I am in a store, restaurant or anywhere where I am in dialogue with a random person, it becomes evident that the first words out of my mouth are seldom heard. Apparently, my accent is enough to set in motion a most distracting train of thought in the mind of the listener, such that they cannot retain the words uttered in the first few sentences. Trust me on this, I'm not lying or exaggerating or trying to be ugly about it.
Often you can see the listener's thoughts play out across their face as they contemplate, 'hmm! She sounds different. She's not from 'round here. I wonder where she is from?' When the train of thought finally pulls into the station, it all culminates with me being asked to repeat myself, often guised as 'skewze me?' which is a phrase that can epitome of uncouth when used in a certain way.
Being a stickler for politeness and professionalism, and also being rather impatient when it comes to people butchering what should be an otherwise straight forward encounter, I have found myself, over the years, feeling quite alienated, although I am someone adjusted now, for the most part. Come to think of it, perhaps a move to France would have been easier.
With respect to the lingo in this case, I had no cause for concern. Little did I know!
If I had ever really thought about it (which I obviously didn't) I would have said that U.S. English was different from original a.k.a. U.K. English by a few small spelling differences. Colour / color. Labour / labor. Aluminium / aluminum and so on.
Of course, we all know there are a few variations on words too. In the U.K. 'fag' is a cigarette. In the U.S. it is something startlingly different. The U.K. 'fanny' is not a person's rear end. If you are reading this and are not acquainted with what the term means in Britain, Google will assist you. Anyway the point is this, I had watched enough films (movies) to know that I was not going to be sitting on my fanny, but I had no idea just how laborious communicating in a singular language could be.
Life in the U.S.A. was to elucidate that the disparity in our application of the English language goes way beyond spelling and the odd terminology differences. Certain things are phrased altogether differently and even simple sentences can be entirely misconstrued.
It never fails to amaze me that, on more than one occasion, I've been left standing like a lemon trying to ask for 'peppered ham' at the local deli, while the 'professionals' there try to re-educate me to ask for 'pepper ham' (despite, I might add, the fact that the label and packaging clearly state 'peppered ham'). SMH!
To further expound, in one of my professional capacities, I was required to ask people for their date of birth. It seems that my request for their 'date of birth' leave some people flummoxed, but a simple twist in phrasing to 'birth-date' can elicit the appropriate response.
References to watching a film on t.v. might be met with foggy facial expressions that would dissipate only upon explanation that a film was a movie (thank goodness I had enough sense to avoid the word telly)! It seems, then, that certain words can be a huge stumping point, despite the clues provided by the context of a statement or conversation.
I have a theory that has presented itself in several of my conversational encounters. Whenever I am in a store, restaurant or anywhere where I am in dialogue with a random person, it becomes evident that the first words out of my mouth are seldom heard. Apparently, my accent is enough to set in motion a most distracting train of thought in the mind of the listener, such that they cannot retain the words uttered in the first few sentences. Trust me on this, I'm not lying or exaggerating or trying to be ugly about it.
Often you can see the listener's thoughts play out across their face as they contemplate, 'hmm! She sounds different. She's not from 'round here. I wonder where she is from?' When the train of thought finally pulls into the station, it all culminates with me being asked to repeat myself, often guised as 'skewze me?' which is a phrase that can epitome of uncouth when used in a certain way.
Being a stickler for politeness and professionalism, and also being rather impatient when it comes to people butchering what should be an otherwise straight forward encounter, I have found myself, over the years, feeling quite alienated, although I am someone adjusted now, for the most part. Come to think of it, perhaps a move to France would have been easier.
LOVE IT!
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