I've never felt more American than I do living in Britain. I think about it all the time! I feel like I look different, talk different, and act different than the natives. Maybe this thinking is a little extreme, but the fact that I am from the US and not the UK is frequently on my mind. Another thing that I've found is how good it is to see familiar (American) things! Though maybe this is cheating on the idea that I am here to experience another culture... Here are a couple of examples: I was in Boots the other day (which is a pharmacy chain) and a man near me dropped some change. Helpful me picked it up to hand back to him and I found in the exchange that I was handing back a DIME! American money--not pence or pounds!! It is good to be reminded of home.
On the tube today coming back from my first London Metropolitan University drawing class (which, by the way, went very well), I said "You're welcome" to the man that borrowed a pen from me and the lady sitting near me quickly piped up, "Where are you from?" Come to find out that she recognized my accent as her own and we talked about the US (she is from Louisiana) and London and how good it is to hear someone talking the same "language." Again, good reminders of home.
Speaking of language, I've had a few questions about British sayings and words. So, here are some fun words to spice up your British vocabulary: 
UK vs. US
UK vs. US
pavement = sidewalk
flat = apartment
coach = bus
boot = car trunk
ground floor = our first floor
take the mickey = tease someone
pants = underwear (this is a must to know)
queue = line
smack bang = smack dab (as in smack bang in the middle!)
spot on = correct
sweets = candy
jacket potatoes = baked potatoes (I love this one)
biscuits = cookiestipped = messy
zed = z
chemist = pharmacist
If you want to sound British other things you can say are, "Sorry" (say it a lot), "Right" (to begin and end many sentences), and "Let's have a go." Like I've said before, they may speak English here, but vocabulary differences abound!
2 comments:
Fun! ooooo I love this post! Makes me feel so British! mmm yay!
Soooo they say A to Zed instead of A to Z? Right, thats cool. Sorry....ahahahah I'm trying to be british...i'm failing....
Amy! I found myself speaking aloud the various terms you wrote about, and I confirm your thoughts- it's only 'sometimes' the same language...other times it's totally foreign! And so great that you know Ida! :) We MUST catch up upon your return.... even if it takes all the planning we can muster! :) Your SD homie, Em
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