Posted by Mike O on: 04.19.2007 /
I’m leaving for the UK on a business trip in about a week. And over the past week or so, my co-workers have been having some fun advising me on what not to say while I’m there unless I want to be the butt of their jokes. It’s kind of funny how two groups of people can speak the same language and use the same words, yet take away something completely different from the conversation. And I’m sure I’ll be the source of much snickering. At least I hope so!
Examples:
We refer to unexpexted days off as “floaters.” In the UK, a “floater” is a turd that doesn’t sink.
I’m not exactly sure what this means, but apparently I’m not supposed to say someone “has the floor” in a meeting. I can only imagine …
And if you’re running late, never EVER say you’re going to just blow off the meeting.
Does anyone else have advice for phrases I could use innocently enough (heh heh) that would evoke, how shall we say, odd looks from my English co-workers? I’d like to toss a few in under the guise of innocence just for fun to see what happens.
Also, I’ll be in York for almost two weeks. If anyone has ideas of sights to see or things to do in my spare time, I would really appreciate it. Thanks, Helen for your ideas already,
Comment by: Mike C
1Well, don’t refer to your “fanny pack”… :)
or to your “pants”
Then there was the time when a young British lady asked me if she could “bum a fag”. “If they’ll let you,” apparently was not the right response. ;)
Comment by: Mike O
2Oh, yeah. I was told that whether or not I even wear pants to work is between me and, well, me. Trousers, on the other hand, *are* required.
Comment by: Stephan
3And don’t ask for a napkin.
Comment by: Mike O
4Is it what I think it is? Geez, I’m so immature … this is going to be a blast.
Comment by: Stephan
5I read in Andrew Sullivan’s Daily Dish that his British friends thought Don Imus’s “nappy headed ho” was a garden tool with a diaper on top.
But a napkin is what you think it is, and yes, you are immature.
Comment by: Ir (Helen)
6We hadn’t been in the US very long when one of my female American friends asked my husband (who is from the UK like me) “do you choose your socks to match your pants” - he was a bit taken aback until he realized she didn’t have inside information about his underwear.
I recommend avoiding the word ‘bugger’ - although you might hear it as an exclamation.
I see someone already warned you not to say ‘fanny’.
We’re looking forward to your stories about the responses you get when you say the things we forgot to warn you about (or decided not to warn you about…heh heh… ;-))
Comment by: Mike O
7Or things I *did* say now that I’m compiling a list of things I know will be a bit of a bugger for them. heh heh heh.
Comment by: Katherine
8York is a gorgeous city, there are lots of things to do: the art gallery, Jorvik Viking Centre and the Minster. It’s easy to get to other places like Scarborough if you want to experience the good old fashioned British seaside and Harrogate and Knaresborough which are also lovely towns worth a little explore. You could even go up to Edinburgh or Newcastle for the day on the train if time/money allows.
Comment by: Mike O
9I’ll have one weekend and some evenings. My coworkers will probably show me around a bit, too — pubs, stuff like that.
Comment by: Kathleen
10Isn’t it strange to think that the differences in the American and British accents and lexicons have developed only in the past 400 or so years? When I was in London a few weeks ago, there were people I ended up staring at blankly because I couldn’t understand a word they said, and yet the languages have been developing in separate places for less than half a millenium - that’s nothing as far as history and language go. But I have no advice on what not to say - I was probably mentioning the unmentionable left and right.
Comment by: Rachel
11Was she asking you for a cigarette???
Once my mother-in-law was standing in line to use the public restroom and she was completely mystified when a British lady walked up and said, “Is this the queue for the loo?”
Comment by: Mike C
12Yeah, I think fag=cigarette.
And the “queue” think threw me too. I was in Scotland once, about to get on a ferry boat to the island of Iona, and there was a sign by the boat that read: “Q Here”. My response was “Yes, yes there is…” :)
The loo thing threw me too, especially when we were camping in England and they didn’t have indoor plumbing, the just had “Port-a-Loos”.
Oh yeah, and btw, a truck is a “lorry”. Don’t ask me why.
Comment by: Ir (Helen)
13Katherine wrote:
I love Whitby - it’s a very pretty small town on the coast with narrow winding streets and a picturesque ruined Abbey on the hillside - but it’s further North than Scarborough.
Mike, the British seaside on the North East Coast can be disappointingly cold. We were there in August (on the Northumbrian Coast) a few years ago and it was 60 with a strong wind blowing sand in our faces - it was not warm or fun!
Comment by: Ir (Helen)
14Mike, I’ve found just what you need!
The English to American Dictionary
This online resource will tell you what British words mean, in the language you understand!