Sunday, April 17, 2016

How's your British?

Right. So since it has been a week of assignments and not much to actually tell about, I thought I would share British English.  Though I have a page listing many of the vocabulary differences, I want to share how much difference there really is. This is not all of the differences, but just to give you a taste of the culture. Many of these I have learned in the process of trying to just live here.  

Daily my alarms sounds at half six. I cook my food on the hob and eat it on my crockery with my cutlery.  The other day I ate sausage and mash for tea and for pudding I had a lovely cream tea of scones with jam and clotted cream. I like to eat fish and chips though I haven't tried mushy peas yet. When I want junk food I eat crisps, biscuits, digestives, and sweets.  
When it is cold I put on my jumper and trouser and my boots. Never go out in public wearing only pants.  When it rains I need to wear wellies to keep my feet dry, and when I exercise I wear my trainers and track suit which I bought in the leisure wear dept at the shop. When grocery shopping you put the food in a trolley, and you stand in the queue to check out.  Actually in the UK everything is a queue....
 I carry my books to Uni in my rucksack to the faculty of Humanities where I sit through lecture listening to my tutor.  I haven't actually had to write an exam, just very long assignments for my assessments. The exams are given by an invigilator. 
I live in a flat with flatmates. My room in my flat is an ensuite which is really nice. It is on the 12th floor so most people will use the lift. Some people let a studio flat or a bedsit and sometimes it is a shared house or shared facilities. Although I don't fancy sharing the loo.  I have friends who live in semi-detached house, terraced houses which can be either mid terraced or end of terrace, or detached houses.   
 When you walk down the side of the street you walk on the pavement. The engine of the car is under the bonnet and you put your parcels in the boot. And to see out the front you clean the windscreen. Yearly the car needs to have  a MOT so you can pay the road tax. To get from here to London you drive on the motorway where there might diversions and queues. If you don't have a car you can go by coach or carriage. When you go to the shop you park in the car park. 
    Babies wear nappies and you give them a dummy to keep them quiet.  Their mum will take them for a walk in a pram.  Toddlers might ride in a push chair.  
At the end of a sentence you put a full stop. Not to mention that if I want to be emphatic I would say "that's it full stop!" You always say sorry, even if the other person bumps into you.  And cheers is always said when thanking someone for whatever.  When you enter a shop or office you will be greeted with "are you alright there?" if they want to be of service to you. People who are not feeling well and computers if not working are poorly. If you get something right they will tell you well done.  The movie was brilliant, the weather is lovely and I think I have finally sorted out what people are saying most of the time. 

So even though I came here speaking English, I've had to learn British. I get along with it.  It has been a fun adventure and I have been alright with it all.  Cheers! 

1 comment:

  1. Now can we have the Americanized version? I followed most of what you wrote but I had to pause at some of your turn of word.

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