What gives you away for being British in Spain?
Nov 9th 2010, 8:44 pm
#1
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What gives you away for being British in Spain?
Not as clear cut as it used to be. You may be German, Polish or Russian! Apart from speaking English (or Spanish with an English accent and too many "por favors") what gives you away?
Nov 9th 2010, 9:01 pm
#2
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Re: What gives you away for being British in Spain?
For me it's the total being caught out by physical gestures such as the dos besos, or the friendly handshake from someone you only saw yesterday...
Nov 9th 2010, 9:14 pm
#3
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Re: What gives you away for being British in Spain?
None of which I have, I hasten to add!
Honestly not sure. I´ve been told many times that I look really Spanish, but it´s inevitable that you will stand out as a guiri, not that I deliberately try not to, but there´s always some give away. I´m quite happy to be thought of as a guiri, as a Brit, it´s not something I try to hide, I´m not ashamed of it. (soy inglés por los cuatro costados) And no matter how good your Spanish is, there are very few that would pass for Spanish, they would have the rest of us down as a foreigner straight away, even if they weren't sure exactly where you came from.
Last edited by agoreira; Nov 9th 2010 at 9:16 pm.
Nov 9th 2010, 9:20 pm
#4
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Re: What gives you away for being British in Spain?
Nov 9th 2010, 9:33 pm
#5
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Re: What gives you away for being British in Spain?
Many spanish think I am German, the British think I am spanish...not sure why
Nov 10th 2010, 9:34 am
#6
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Re: What gives you away for being British in Spain?
British people have said they thought I was Spanish, but again my OH says I can't be cos my face is too bony and I've got pink piggy skin
Nov 10th 2010, 11:24 am
#7
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Re: What gives you away for being British in Spain?
Yes I have a similar thing. Spaniards often think I'm Dutch or Scandinavian, but not British. I've even had some ask me what part of Spain I'm from because they dont recognise by accent, but my OH says they are just being polite
British people have said they thought I was Spanish, but again my OH says I can't be cos my face is too bony and I've got pink piggy skin
British people have said they thought I was Spanish, but again my OH says I can't be cos my face is too bony and I've got pink piggy skin
Last time I was in Madrid (Museo del Jamon) some old gent politely asked me which part of 'El Reino Unido' I was from, that surprised me!
Nov 10th 2010, 1:03 pm
#8
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Re: What gives you away for being British in Spain?
At the moment - the Poppy.
Nov 10th 2010, 5:25 pm
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Re: What gives you away for being British in Spain?
Everything?
Nov 11th 2010, 11:01 am
#10
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Re: What gives you away for being British in Spain?
Being 5ft 8" female & riding a motorbike usually 
Or German sometimes.
Or German sometimes.
Nov 11th 2010, 11:35 am
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Re: What gives you away for being British in Spain?
It could be my good looks, my charming personality, or even my impeccable English manners.....
......but somehow I don't think so.
......but somehow I don't think so.
Nov 12th 2010, 10:46 am
#12
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Re: What gives you away for being British in Spain?
40 years ago - tall, slim, blond, tanned. Always mistaken for a Scandanavian.
Now - bald and fat. Always assumed to be English!
Now - bald and fat. Always assumed to be English!
Nov 12th 2010, 3:53 pm
#13
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Re: What gives you away for being British in Spain?
A woman stopped her car next to me today and asked me for directions to Specsavers, in Spanish. She looked Northern European and had a very recently acquired black eye.
The directions weren’t easy as the premises she wanted were about three miles away and not easy to find. And I suddenly couldn’t think of the Spanish for roundabout which I would have had to use at least four times from where I was walking. And I wanted to say something about the black eye and my Spanish was definitely playing up.
So I re-assessed the situation, quickly. A woman with a black eye in a Brit area, speaking accented Spanish and in obvious distress.
I spoke to her in English and her demeanour brightened. I explained the way to Specsavers but suggested she attended the emergency clinic nearby first to get treatment for her eye, which was bleeding alarmingly.
She took the next turning on the left as she drove off which would take her to the clinic.
My intuition that she was British, along with the evidence, had proved right.
The directions weren’t easy as the premises she wanted were about three miles away and not easy to find. And I suddenly couldn’t think of the Spanish for roundabout which I would have had to use at least four times from where I was walking. And I wanted to say something about the black eye and my Spanish was definitely playing up.
So I re-assessed the situation, quickly. A woman with a black eye in a Brit area, speaking accented Spanish and in obvious distress.
I spoke to her in English and her demeanour brightened. I explained the way to Specsavers but suggested she attended the emergency clinic nearby first to get treatment for her eye, which was bleeding alarmingly.
She took the next turning on the left as she drove off which would take her to the clinic.
My intuition that she was British, along with the evidence, had proved right.
Nov 12th 2010, 11:15 pm
#14
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Thread Starter
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Re: What gives you away for being British in Spain?
A woman stopped her car next to me today and asked me for directions to Specsavers, in Spanish. She looked Northern European and had a very recently acquired black eye.
The directions weren’t easy as the premises she wanted were about three miles away and not easy to find. And I suddenly couldn’t think of the Spanish for roundabout which I would have had to use at least four times from where I was walking. And I wanted to say something about the black eye and my Spanish was definitely playing up.
So I re-assessed the situation, quickly. A woman with a black eye in a Brit area, speaking accented Spanish and in obvious distress.
I spoke to her in English and her demeanour brightened. I explained the way to Specsavers but suggested she attended the emergency clinic nearby first to get treatment for her eye, which was bleeding alarmingly.
She took the next turning on the left as she drove off which would take her to the clinic.
My intuition that she was British, along with the evidence, had proved right.
The directions weren’t easy as the premises she wanted were about three miles away and not easy to find. And I suddenly couldn’t think of the Spanish for roundabout which I would have had to use at least four times from where I was walking. And I wanted to say something about the black eye and my Spanish was definitely playing up.
So I re-assessed the situation, quickly. A woman with a black eye in a Brit area, speaking accented Spanish and in obvious distress.
I spoke to her in English and her demeanour brightened. I explained the way to Specsavers but suggested she attended the emergency clinic nearby first to get treatment for her eye, which was bleeding alarmingly.
She took the next turning on the left as she drove off which would take her to the clinic.
My intuition that she was British, along with the evidence, had proved right.
Nov 13th 2010, 6:50 am
#15
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Re: What gives you away for being British in Spain?
I was really pleased about that, but I’ve just thought of the explanation. I jokingly said to the woman, ‘Was he bigger than you?” and she replied, ‘Yeah, much bigger, and the bastard smashed my spectacles as well.”