Lost In Translation

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

Occasionally I lapse into Devonian which confuses people from outside the westcountry let alone Americans

My most used one being "where's that to"? instead of where is it?

[shippingforecast 126]

Occasionally I lapse into Devonian which confuses people from outside the westcountry let alone Americans

My most used one being "where's that to"? instead of where is it?

That's just reminded me of the first time my wife met my father... He's Glaswegian. He was telling her a story about his dog, and she looked completely nonplussed. So he said, "ye dinnae need subtitles, do ye hen?" She just laughed and said no.

Later as we were driving off, she turns to me and says, "I didn't understand a single word that man said."

[Pooky 3,348]

That's just reminded me of the first time my wife met my father... He's Glaswegian. He was telling her a story about his dog, and she looked completely nonplussed. So he said, "ye dinnae need subtitles, do ye hen?" She just laughed and said no.

Later as we were driving off, she turns to me and says, "I didn't understand a single word that man said."

Both my current and previous bosses were both Scotsmen. My co-workers were more than a little surprised that I had difficulty understanding either of them.

"But Britain is so small," they'd say.

All I'd think to myself was that they needed to hear a Scouser talk. Then they'd be really confused.

[rjm_cmyk 75]

Having been born in Liverpool , brought up just out Manchester , gone to college in the Black Country and then lived and worked in Lahndan I get it all :-)

Firstly many Americans think I am Australian.....

My biggest mistake was asking someone in a hardware shop , sorry store, if I could "have a butchers at some spanners". Even the kids (American born) asked me what I was on about.

We don't realise how much idiomatic English we use and many phrases which are not even slang , combined with a different accent often seem to confuse. Coming from London I can also speak pretty quickly..

My local issues - double, triple and zero. Reading out numbers I have for some reason to say three noughts not treble zero.

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

My husband wandered into a pawn shop while he was waiting for me to finish an appointment. He bought some DVDs for $1 each. But when he tells the story to our Texas friends, it sounds like, "I got ten DVDs at the porn shop".

[Pooky 3,348]

Having been born in Liverpool , brought up just out Manchester , gone to college in the Black Country and then lived and worked in Lahndan I get it all :-)

Oh, boy. That is a combination and a half.

Firstly many Americans think I am Australian.....

Being a Pompey lad, with a trace of my Dad's Lancashire accent, I'm surprisingly difficult to place, even by other Brits. And I get called Australian a lot.

My biggest mistake was asking someone in a hardware shop , sorry store, if I could "have a butchers at some spanners". Even the kids (American born) asked me what I was on about.

That brings to mind The Two Ronnie's and their "O's" sketch.

We don't realise how much idiomatic English we use and many phrases which are not even slang , combined with a different accent often seem to confuse. Coming from London I can also speak pretty quickly...

... unless, of course, you're doing it on purpose to wind up your American workmates. Not that I would do anything of the sort, mind you.

My local issues - double, triple and zero. Reading out numbers I have for some reason to say three noughts not treble zero.

No "O's" ?

Edited May 31, 2014 by Pooky

[Novembro 1,763]

Occasionally I lapse into Devonian which confuses people from outside the westcountry let alone Americans

My most used one being "where's that to"? instead of where is it?

Ali says "take the dogs a walk".

At first I was like why are you leaving out words? Weirdo. Now I just roll with it.

[PBJ 60]

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.

Love it!

My USC fiancé likes to say "look it" when wanting my attention on a specific thing, ie. "look at this". I think its adorable.

I'm from an unremarkable town in the Midlands' Black Country, which has its own broad and distinctive dialect. When I take her home to my folks, she has to work really hard to slow down in her head what everyone is saying. Once in Morrisons, after she asked the checkout girl to repeat what she was asking for four times, I had to step in and translate. Something about "do you want help packing your bags and £8.83 please". Then when everyone gets drunk (a favourite pastime of my home town), she doesn't bother trying to listen at all.

When i'm in California I tend to get along well enough with the prestige of being English, which is just funny to a kid from the Black Country. I spend some time with a dog called Carter, which responds perfectly well when called after by Californians since his name is full of curly American r's and drawn out vowels and a muted t. Then my English mouth flattens the R's and sharpens the T, rendering his name an entirely different sound, the dog doesn't even bother looking.

When i'm in the US i'm perfectly happy to use the words trash (rubbish), mall (shopping centre), chips (crisps) and sidewalk (pavement), but I struggle with EVER saying aluminum, or the obscure route (pronounced 'raowt', a common term in american football). So it seems the rule is new/replaced words are fine, but where pronunciation changes significantly, I just refuse to go with it!

Edited June 2, 2014 by PBJ

[shippingforecast 126]

Love it!

My USC fiancé likes to say "look it" when wanting my attention on a specific thing, ie. "look at this". I think its adorable.

I'm from an unremarkable town in the Midlands' Black Country, which has its own broad and distinctive dialect. When I take her home to my folks, she has to work really hard to slow down in her head what everyone is saying. Once in Morrisons, after she asked the checkout girl to repeat what she was asking for four times, I had to step in and translate. Something about "do you want help packing your bags and £8.83 please". Then when everyone gets drunk (a favourite pastime of my home town), she doesn't bother trying to listen at all.

When i'm in California I tend to get along well enough with the prestige of being English, which is just funny to a kid from the Black Country. I spend some time with a dog called Carter, which responds perfectly well when called after by Californians since his name is full of curly American r's and drawn out vowels and a muted t. Then my English mouth flattens the R's and sharpens the T, rendering his name an entirely different sound, the dog doesn't even bother looking.

When i'm in the US i'm perfectly happy to use the words trash (rubbish), mall (shopping centre), chips (crisps) and sidewalk (pavement), but I struggle with EVER saying aluminum, or the obscure route (pronounced 'raowt', a common term in american football). So it seems the rule is new/replaced words are fine, but where pronunciation changes significantly, I just refuse to go with it!

PBJ, you're from the Black Country?! Which town? I'm from Wednesbury... Edited June 2, 2014 by shippingforecast

[PBJ 60]

PBJ, you're from the Black Country?! Which town? I'm from Wednesbury...

Then wim locals, mucka... Walsall here.

I see yow in a band... did yow eva play the Wharf Bar?! That was my local for far, far too long.

I've been in London for 8 years since leaving.

[shippingforecast 126]

Then wim locals, mucka... Walsall here.

I see yow in a band... did yow eva play the Wharf Bar?! That was my local for far, far too long.

I've been in London for 8 years since leaving.

Yeah, I've been living in Walsall for the past five years or so now... it's gone even further downhill in the past 8 years, hence the decision to jump ship and move to TX. I played the Wharf a whole bunch of times, on my own acoustic and with several bands I think!

Guess I know exactly what you meant about "getting along well enough with the prestige of being English, which is just funny to a kid from the Black Country".

[PBJ 60]

Yeah, I've been living in Walsall for the past five years or so now... it's gone even further downhill in the past 8 years, hence the decision to jump ship and move to TX. I played the Wharf a whole bunch of times, on my own acoustic and with several bands I think!

Guess I know exactly what you meant about "getting along well enough with the prestige of being English, which is just funny to a kid from the Black Country".

If i'm totally honest, I think London is the greatest city in the world for a young creative, its only love that draws me to Los Angeles. I have my interview on Thursday and expecting a denial but hey, we will see.

Regardless, we will be together, somewhere, sometime, so we get on with it.

Good luck with your run to Texas pal. If you ever need a friend who "gets it", stay in touch.

Edited June 2, 2014 by PBJ

[shippingforecast 126]

If i'm totally honest, I think London is the greatest city in the world for a young creative, its only love that draws me to Los Angeles. I have my interview on Thursday and expecting a denial but hey, we will see.

Regardless, we will be together, somewhere, sometime, so we get on with it.

Good luck with your run to Texas pal. If you ever need a friend who "gets it", stay in touch.

London is a great place, we were there a few weeks back playing a few shows in Brixton and Camden. Always amazes me how it feels like a nation in it's own right. And thanks... there's something about TX that gets under skin. When we drove back home from NoLa last year crossing the state line felt like coming back home. Looking forward to that feeling again.

Let us know how you get on with your interview - never say never.

[rjm_cmyk 75]

When I first moved to the West Mids Bilston steel works was still in operation (just) and I ended up staying for five years (from late 70's). I still go back regularly as I have friends who live in Woolaston. The West Mids an odd area - like the UK pockets of real affluence surrounded by areas of let's just say not so affluent. In different circumstances I could probably still live there and have many fond memories of the place and people. During the 80's manufacturing was all but killed off and replaced with consumer spending and service industries which generally = low pay.

London was always where I worked rather than somewhere I would ever have called home.

Even with that exposure I still need to listen occasionally when I'm in the pub and some local is talking to me in broad BC. Yam being my favourite word :-)

Not sure what an American visitor would make of the Saturday night banter in the Snow Hill chippy in Wolverhampton !

[MacUK 983]

Most 'Yankisms' I was ok with but a few I just couldn't get me swede around.

Aluminum - just lazy spelling.

Sneakers - they're sodding trainers!

The lack of 'u's in words.

But the one I could never and will never accept is 'erbs, it has a frigging H in it!

And at risk of getting a smacky bum for using naughty words, most Yanks were astounded at the sheer amount of unique British swear words the one my ex used mostly was 'shite'