I Speak English and English

Before going to England, I made sure to watch lots of British television shows. This was to, hopefully, help me form a more legitimate sounding British accent and to help familiarize myself with some terms we do not use in the States. Especially the terms that mean one thing in America but another in England. For example, a biscuit here is a cookie, while a biscuit at home is a type of bread. Similarly, chips are French fries, but crisps are potato chips. There are also just some terms that that are used here, which do not have another meaning in America, such as lorry is a truck and quid is a word for money.

I actually found a website a few days after arriving here that discusses a lot of terms that Brits use and what they mean. It is written by an British man, so hopefully it is correct. Although, in it he specifically tells Americans not to say "Cheers" or "Bloody Hell" (or really any phrase with bloody in it). This is because he feels our accents ruin those phrases. I found that hilarious and upon making a British friend I told her about this to see what she said. She felt that the words did sound strange in an American accent but us saying "Thank You" instead of "Cheers" did too. I was pleased to hear this because I had been saying cheers to the bus drivers pretty much any time I entered or exited a bus, which is about four to six times a day. (You can find the website I mentioned here if you want to check it out.)

That's another thing about living in the UK: buses. You literally can take a bus just about anywhere, or there is a bus that takes you to another bus that will take you anywhere. You really have almost no need for a car, which is probably good since gas prices are so high. But it is very strange to have to rely on a bus to get you somewhere instead of your own car. For instance, I will have a craving for chocolate and want to go to the store to get some, but then I remember that I will have to (walk up a giant hill, first of all) look up when the bus comes and then ride it to the store and then wait for the next one, etc. Let me just say, nothing kills the drive to spend money like that bus schedule. Although, I am usually still hungry, so I just go into our kitchen and eat an entire package of "Maryland Cookies" in one sitting, but that's just an issue I have.

Another thing that goes on in England that non-British people may not notice is all the different accents of British citizens. There are Northerners, Southerners, Welsh, Scottish, Irish (although technically some of them are not British Citizens), etc. and they all have different accents. If you watch a British television show they most likely are speaking "The Queen's English", which is the accent that will probably be the easiest to understand for you since they do not speak as fast and seem to speak more clearly. It is similar to the "Universal Accent" in America. I would almost say that it is the most basic accent in Great Britain that has been stripped of an accent, which makes literally no sense so ignore that. 

There is a video on YouTube of a British man talking in several different British (and other countries') accents. You can watch it here. It is really quite a laugh, especially the American ones because I'm sure we all know someone who actually talks like that.

But going along with how people talk, the moment you open your mouth everyone knows you are not British (some think you are Australian). You might think this is obvious, but for some reason this still surprises me. I guess it is from years of listening to British actors and actresses on television talking away, but I really cannot even hear their accents any more. Now, some people who have very strong Scottish or non-Queen's English accents, I can definitely hear, but others I just do not even notice. 

This one man came to my flat to deliver a package and when he heard my room-mate and me talking he said he liked our accents. I literally had no idea what he was talking about. I just stared at him. All I could think was, "What accent? We sound exactly the same as him... Is he saying that he thinks we are from the same place?" Luckily my room-mate wasn't being mental and understood that we speak like Americans and he speaks like a British person. She told him that we were from America and had a short, polite conversation with him, while I was still trying to figure out what happened. I felt so ashamed afterwards that I just left and ate some more Maryland cookies. Luckily, we have a judgement free-zone in our kitchen, so I was safe there.

Besides our voices though, I do not think that anyone would specifically guess that we, my friends and I, were Americans. I mean, we definitely sound America (or Australian to some), but for the most part, you cannot tell who is British based off their clothes. Because of this, my friends and I like to place this game, or at least I do, were no one talks and we just do whatever silently so that people will just assume we are British. And then when someone talks to us, we get to give them the big shock of us being Americans. I like to think of it as some type of laser-tag-type game that Brits play were they purposefully try not to talk to foreigners, but that I have tricked them into doing it. I just imagine them thinking to themselves, "Dang it! That was a record of three whole weeks with out talking to a non-British citizen and this girl tricked me into talking to her!" 

Clearly I have an active imagination.

Honestly though, all the British people I have talked to have been very friendly and most tell me how much they love Americans and that they feel like they are on TV by talking with me. One girl even began ranting about Goldfish to one of my room-mates since she was American. You really do get into interesting conversations once the conversation becomes about America. But that's all I am going to say about that for now, because I want to be able to tell you all about my University's obsession with America another time.

Until next time...

Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin

"A house that does not have one worn, comfy chair in it is soulless." -Mary Sarton