I have just been made aware of the fact that if I ask someone for a ride here in England, instead of asking for a lift, I am actually requesting sex!! It's things like this that are so hard to get used to! It's not like there is a handbook that comes with your visa - Although there should be!!
Some other things I have learned since arriving here...
** A fag is a cigarette, not a distasteful word for homosexual, so you can imagine my surprise when my husband asked me for the 1st time after kissing me (when I still smoked), if I was just sucking on a fag!
** A toilet is the word for restroom not just the thing you sit on (the word restroom just gets you a blank look when asking for directions to the nearest bathroom).
** Pants are actually underwear here not trousers, so while walking down the street talking to my husband saying, 'I think I'll wear my black pants tonight', gets me some pretty interesting looks from passer-byers!
** A period refers to menstruation not a punctuation mark (which is called a 'full stop') so if you make a statement saying something like: We're not doing that tonight - period (meaning end of conversation), people might look at you funny as well.
** A fanny is a word for female genitalia - not a cute word for butt (My husband still giggles like a child when he sees a fanny-mae commercial on TV in the US). So, I don't recommend saying to a child 'Did you fall on your fanny.' You might get a good talking to by a angry parent!
** You all right (said like: Y'alright)? Is a greeting like saying 'how ya doin?' When I first arrived I used to wonder why everyone seemed so concerned. I thought maybe I looked sad all the time!
** An aubergine is an eggplant, a courgette is a Zucchini, a prawn in a shrimp and a biscuit is a cookie and a sweet is candy (I can go on and on)...
** If someone asks you over for tea, they are actually inviting you over for dinner so, don't eat before arriving or you'll be eating twice that day!
** Bugger is not a cute replacement word for a curse either! It is a very dirty word to use, so I'm glad I never used it in the presents of my new in-laws!
There are a million things like this that make it a challenge to have simple conversations with people here in England if you speak American vs English and I am still learning. I am just glad I didn't ask one of Wayne's friends for a ride before finding out it's true meaning!
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