Lost In Translation

[Brit Abroad 166]

I shocked my outlaws once by saying I was "going for a mooch around the mall". It wasn't until my husband almost wet himself laughing that I realised I'd said something wrong.

[shippingforecast 126]

Vitamins is a bit difficult to embrace sometimes! My other favorite is hearing my husband try and say words such as Tacos. I've grown up surrounded by delicious Mexican cuisine, but he's just now being introduced to that world!

I really hate that he calls the TV remote a "zapper" or a "clicker", but I agree that other words like Aluminium and Garage are just cute and quaintly British.

I never liked heat in my food before I met my wife; now food is just bland to me if there aren't any peppers in it.

[S-C 21]

People always ask if my fiancé has an accent and I always find that hilarious. I suppose when we first met I noticed it but now it is just his voice! I don't hear an Australian accent unless he is saying something that sounds totally different than i would pronounce it.

I know one thing that drives him crazy is if I say Koala bear. He gets irate. "It's not a bear it's just a Koala"blah blah blah- haha. He adds the word "hey" at the end of sentences. Sometimes it's somewhere that I would say "right" (i.e. I know, right? he would say I know, hey?) and that I have always found amusing. Also he will say things like something is funny as or hot as; that used to drive me crazy because I would wait for him to finish his sentence, but he was finished. Hot as WHAT?! Just as.

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

I'll never forget my first trip out, visiting Spec's for some beers;

Me: "Can I have 20 Marlboro Black please?"

Server: "What?"

I didn't realise that cigarettes were only sold in one size packs there.

I'm pretty good with accents and impressions, so my wife once challenged me to see how well I could blend in with the local populace. So we drove to the nearest Walgreen's (again, for smokes). I asked for a pack of Camels, and was asked what variety I wanted. I replied "black", but hadn't really practiced that word before so it came out a little Canadian. This really aroused the suspicion of the server, so he asked for my ID. Imagine my embarrassment and his confusion when I handed over my UK driver's license...

... My wife was listening to the whole thing in the haircare aisle and just stood there, laughing. That taught me.

Haha! At least you weren't in rural SD in a petrol station asking if they had "fags"! That happened!!

[shippingforecast 126]

Haha! At least you weren't in rural SD in a petrol station asking if they had "fags"! That happened!!

Oh my god, what happened next?!

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

Oh my god, what happened next?!

A stony silence and a feel of being distinctly unwelcome. It was only when we relayed the story to our US companion back at our site that we realised what had happened!

[shippingforecast 126]

A stony silence and a feel of being distinctly unwelcome. It was only when we relayed the story to our US companion back at our site that we realised what had happened!

Ha! I'd have loved to have seen that. I'm on the phone with her now, massively aware of the fact that when she said she was headed out for dinner with her parents I said, "where y'all headed to?" Guess I'm ready for my NOA2 now.

I love your Smiths quote by the way!

[Pooky 3,348]

Shedule vs. Skedule is a favourite, both with the better half and at work.

[shippingforecast 126]

Vase.

Varse/Vayse.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

My experience is that I pretty much learn a new Brit/Irish expression/word/insult/etcetera every week. Even after nine years. There's just so much slang and so many little nuances.

As far as word usage, we tend to assimilate to each other. For example - bin/trash can or kitchen rolls/paper towels. Many words are interchangeable in our house.

I think the migrant naturally tends to start using more phrases of the country they are in. I find my husband uses his nativisms most often when he's either relaxed or stressed/angry.

My all time favorite is when he's really annoyed by something and just shouts out "BALLS!"

[shippingforecast 126]

My experience is that I pretty much learn a new Brit/Irish expression/word/insult/etcetera every week. Even after nine years. There's just so much slang and so many little nuances.

As far as word usage, we tend to assimilate to each other. For example - bin/trash can or kitchen rolls/paper towels. Many words are interchangeable in our house.

I think the migrant naturally tends to start using more phrases of the country they are in. I find my husband uses his nativisms most often when he's either relaxed or stressed/angry.

My all time favorite is when he's really annoyed by something and just shouts out "BALLS!"

My wife is EXACTLY the same, although recently she became very self-conscious of how often she shouts "BALLS!", so now she shouts "DUKES!" instead.

[landr 126]

When my fiance and I first met, I had to explain "numb bum" to him.

We've had the aluminium debate and I've already incorrectly pronounced some US place names, while he has had a lot of fun with some of the place names he's come across during his visits over here - his favourite is Cockfosters.

I watch a lot of American shows and we spend a lot of time together on Skype, so my conversation can be peppered with both US and UK words and slang. And he's also taken on board some Englishisms in his everyday language.

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

We've had the aluminium debate and I've already incorrectly pronounced some US place names, while he has had a lot of fun with some of the place names he's come across during his visits over here - his favourite is Cockfosters.

My wifes favourite British place name she's seen so far is Shaftsbury, we've also joked about Cockfosters

[Novembro 1,763]

The pants-pants thing still makes me laugh. I do not, however, like 'bog roll' and 'kitchen towel'. plz no.

[shippingforecast 126]

The pants-pants thing still makes me laugh. I do not, however, like 'bog roll' and 'kitchen towel'. plz no.

"Bog" is just a horrible word in general.