Good insights there, Tanya.
Maybe the biggest differences between British and American (and
Aussie, Kiwi, etc) is the pronunciation of certain words. When I first
arrived in the US (with my British accent) waitresses couldn't
understand when I ordered water. 9 years later...and they still can't.
It seems woh-ter (closed "o") is sooooooo far removed from wah-rer
(open "a") as to be a completely different word, even when placed
within the context of the answer to the question "what would you like
to drink?". Nowadays my wife translates for me when we order at
restaurants.
Another interesting point worth mentioning is that in the UK
**everyone** understands American slang and pronunciation, while here
in the US only 1% of people understand us Brits. Whenever I come
across someone who understands everything I say, I always ask them if
they're big fans of Monty Python, at which point their faces light up
and they proceed to re-enact the Blue Norwegian sketch. Or sing the
Lumberjack Song.
I was once at a petrol station (why would you call it "gas" if it's
liquid!?!?!?) in Tennessee where the manager, a lady in her 50's,
started chatting me up (I was in my mid-20's) because she "loved my
Australian accent". When I told her that, actually, my accent was from
London, she asked me what part of Australia that was in.
So Tanya, what part of Australia are *you* from? :-)
--M.
--
http://EnticingTheLight.com
A Quest for Photographic Enlightenment
On 13 March 2010 08:13, Tanya Love <tanyal...@bigpond.com> wrote:
> Ok, so here's my (Aussie, which is kinda, sorta Pommie) take on it all, as
> taught to me by Thomas Van Veen at GFM...
>
> 1. Our biscuit (or "biccie") = your cookie.
> 2. Our scone (pronounced SKON, as in "he bumped his scon (aka head) on the
> door") = your biscuit.
>
> We also have this DIVINE invention that we call "choccie biccies", which are
> really a combination of #1 above, coated in chocolate. We also like to call
> them Tim Tams, and those of you who were at GFM may remember sampling some
> that I brought with me!
>
> Further to this, we have TWO types of "muffins" - the ones that are like a
> huge patty cake (which you call cupcakes) without icing on it (you call it
> "frosting"). And then the muffin (aka "English" in variety) that you have
> for brekkie (you call it "breakfast"), with heaps of melted butter and
> Vegemite or jam on it - oh, wait, you call it "jelly"... Doesn't matter as
> they are much better with Vegemite anyways!
>
> Which brings me to the next part of my education whilst I was in that weird
> country of yours...
>
> Our jam = your Jelly
> Our Jelly = your Jell-O
> Our lollies = your candy
> Our chewy = your "gum"
> Our maccas = your "mickie dees" (WEIRD!)
>
> I also learned that Americans think it is really weird to say that a food
> tastes "nice". It is something I say all the time "oooh, yuuuum, that is
> soooo nice!" And, everytime I said it at GFM, the American reply to me was
> raised eyebrows (or just one to those who are clever enough to possess that
> talent). Apparently, you should only ever say that food is "good", because
> people are "nice".
>
> Oh, and you don't say "heaps" because you should say "a lot" as apparently,
> you only manure in "heaps" and you don't say "thanks heaps!" (another thing
> I say ALL the time!), but you CAN say "thanks A LOT".
>
> You also don't seem to understand it if a person says a really simple thing
> like "ta muchly", which of course translates to "thanks very much".
>
> Oh, and here's yet another straaaaaange American fact - you lot drink your
> tea COLD!! AND, like, with EVERY meal!! See, we tend to drink WATER cold,
> and with every meal, and save the "tea" for when we are needing a nice hot
> cuppa at the end of long day - personally, I like mine with milk and oh,
> about 2 1/2 sugars, but with ice cubes, and in a glass, well that is just
> WRONG!
>
> And here's another fun fact - Americans LOVE it when Aussies (pronounced
> OZZIES!!! Very weird that you have no trouble pronouncing it when it has the
> word "Osbourne" after it), say the word "wanker". I must have said that
> word a thousand times whilst I was there as it seemed to entertain you
> (well, Tom) so much! So, here it is again ... Wangka...! Ooooh, I can hear
> the giggles now!
>
> Oh, and btw, yes, this is indeed what we call a crumpet...
>
> http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/1383338/2/istockphoto_138
> 3338_toasted_english_crumpet_with_melting_butter_against_whiteon.jpg
>
> I think the strangest thing of all though, was the fact that Cotty was
> really the only one who I could understand 100% of the time! Sad, but true!
> We also had this amazing common bond called junk food and we were both in
> heaven when we discovered how EVERYTHING in America is HUGE!! You could
> have knocked me over with a featha (bit more Aussie twang there!), when I
> saw the MONSTER boxes of Tic Tacs!! OMG, HEAVEN!
>
> One other strange thing I learned at GFM is that there is a weird species of
> red haired, bearded Welshmen that like to go off into bear country on their
> own, overnight, in almost freezing temperatures (apparently this was your
> SUMMER!), and rain, on some strange quest for photos of a sunrise. I got to
> meet one of them, although I am sure that there must be others in existence
> too... right?
>
> t.x.
>
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