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It really just happened to me

It really just happened to me

Old Apr 22nd 2011, 1:53 pm
  #31  
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Default Re: It really just happened to me

Originally Posted by Pegster
I've found it good to use alpha, bravo, charlie, etc when spelling things - makes it easier to understand.

Just a question for those of you who have had 'A' misunderstood when you're spelling something... do you say 'A' as 'ay' to rhyme with 'hay', or do you say 'ah' to rhyme with 'baa' (sheep)? I've noticed that here in Northern Ireland, some people say 'ah' when spelling something which is very strange to my US ears.
I say it as 'ay' which they hear as 'e' - even when I say 'ay' for apple, they still don't get it. It all got too much when we were trying to order something in Home Depot and I was trying to spell our second name which has an 'a' in it. After her getting it wrong on the 5th attempt I grabbed the paper from her and wrote out name down at which point she said "oh 'ay' I couldn't get that bit" FFS, what other letter starts off the word APPLE!!!!!!!!!!!! Give me strength
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Old Apr 23rd 2011, 3:41 am
  #32  
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Default Re: It really just happened to me

Originally Posted by robin1234
California is a suburb of Ipswich
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Old Apr 23rd 2011, 6:17 am
  #33  
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Default Re: It really just happened to me

In London I saw a sign in one of its front windows which stated:

WE SPEAK FRENCH (upper case letters)
WE SPEAK GERMAN do.
WE SPEAK ITALIAN do
We speak American (lower case letters)

You can tell all Americans that Pennsylvania is actually in England - it's in South Gloucestershire, situated on the A46 a few miles north of the city of Bath, but hardly any of the residents there speak American as far as I know...I reckon that many speak a sort of West Country burr type speak or a version of posh RP Queen's English.

Also mention the fact that California is situated close to Wokingham, in Berkshire, England.....maybe nobody there is a fluent American speaker either.

Any potential American visitors to either of those places would be well advised to arm themselves with an English/American phrasebook - something which was actually handed out by the US Military to every single American serviceman who was sent over to the UK during WW2. I know that's a fact as I actually have a copy myself which I acquired following the death of my grandfather - I don't know how he came to acquire it - maybe a Yank GI gave it to him at the time. It's really hilarious to read but it seems that in those days most Brits had little or no knowledge of the considerable linguistic differences between the UK and the US and vice versa and misunderstandings were commonplace - again, mostly funny.
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Old Apr 25th 2011, 6:32 pm
  #34  
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Default Re: It really just happened to me

My name is Sean and when I go to restaurants, coffee shops etc where they ask your name 99.9% of the time it goes like this:

Server: Name ?
Me: Sean.
Server: Joel ?
Me: Sean
Server: John ?
Me: Sean
Server: Shoal ?? ( not quite sure but there you go !! )
Me: Sean
Server: John?
Me: Sean

At which time I will spell it " S.E.A.N " and then they go "Oh Sean!!!"

Then they ask which part or Australia I'm from........

I dont go out much anymore...
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Old Apr 25th 2011, 8:27 pm
  #35  
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Default Re: It really just happened to me

Originally Posted by rpjs
Registering as a new patient at the doctor's office: on telling the med tech I was born in England, she asked me "Do they speak English there?"
See - it's not a myth - this really does happen.

I've had it asked once. The wording being something like 'you speak good English'.
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Old Apr 25th 2011, 9:36 pm
  #36  
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Default Re: It really just happened to me

Well, I'm glad to see that it is in fact not just me. Can't wait to GTFO out the South though, because it's particularly bad here.
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Old Apr 25th 2011, 11:23 pm
  #37  
 
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Default Re: It really just happened to me

Originally Posted by tonrob
In 33.333% of instances in which I ask for white toast in a diner, I end up getting wheat. Go figure.
At Starbucks I can't order a "tall" latte, or I'll get two.

So I ask for a "small" latte now, and they say, "tall?"

Then I get the right drink
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Old Apr 25th 2011, 11:32 pm
  #38  
 
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Default Re: It really just happened to me

Originally Posted by Englishman43
My name is Sean and when I go to restaurants, coffee shops etc where they ask your name 99.9% of the time it goes like this:

Server: Name ?
Me: Sean.
Server: Joel ?
Me: Sean
Server: John ?
Me: Sean
Server: Shoal ?? ( not quite sure but there you go !! )
Me: Sean
Server: John?
Me: Sean

At which time I will spell it " S.E.A.N " and then they go "Oh Sean!!!"

Then they ask which part or Australia I'm from........

I dont go out much anymore...
My name sounds like Maah-ri (rhymes with starry), but it's spelt Marie.

My name is a constant almost daily conversation. Gets very old:

Hi, I'm Marie
-- Hi Maury
It's Marie
-- Hi, Lori / Molly / Marty
It's Marie
-- How do spell that?... Oh, you mean Ma-reeee.
No, it's Maah-ri
-- Oh, is that how they say it in England?
No, it's just a different name.
-- (blank look)

I have never, not once, had this conversation with an English person!

Last edited by citizenmarie; Apr 25th 2011 at 11:58 pm.
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Old Apr 26th 2011, 8:48 am
  #39  
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Default Re: It really just happened to me

I had the same problem in Connecticut a few weeks ago - with multiple people.

Me: My name is Nicola
Them: Nicole?
Me: No, Nicola
Them: Can you spell that?
Me: N-I-C-O-L-A
Them: Oh! Nicolette!


Can't wait to see how this works in WA when we finally make the big move on Friday!
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Old Apr 26th 2011, 4:34 pm
  #40  
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Default Re: It really just happened to me

I now say my name with an American accent.
I used to get called Paulie, Polly, Colleen, and all kinds of odd variations
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Old Apr 26th 2011, 4:44 pm
  #41  
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Angry Re: It really just happened to me

My current Rant is how the letter "o" has been substituted with a 'hard' "A" so that 'box' becomes 'BAX' or 'BAAX'
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Old Apr 26th 2011, 4:46 pm
  #42  
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Default Re: It really just happened to me

Originally Posted by DeltaSierra70
My current Rant is how the letter "o" has been substituted with a 'hard' "A" so that 'box' becomes 'BAX' or 'BAAX'
You've never been to Belfast, have you

I don't talk like that myself, being the well spoken gent I am, but I was well used to the hard "a" for an "o" before I moved out here . . .

My sister once had fun ordering a Mountain Dew in a cafe out here on her first trip though. They probably wondered why she was asking for a Rabbi who liked high altitudes until I decided to step in and explain to her she has to say 'doo' instead
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Old Apr 26th 2011, 4:47 pm
  #43  
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Default Re: It really just happened to me

Originally Posted by DeltaSierra70
My current Rant is how the letter "o" has been substituted with a 'hard' "A" so that 'box' becomes 'BAX' or 'BAAX'
I'm with you on that one;-)


Jim.
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Old Apr 26th 2011, 4:50 pm
  #44  
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Default Re: It really just happened to me

Originally Posted by SultanOfSwing
You've never been to Belfast, have you

I don't talk like that myself, being the well spoken gent I am, but I was well used to the hard "a" for an "o" before I moved out here . . .

My sister once had fun ordering a Mountain Dew in a cafe out here on her first trip though. They probably wondered why she was asking for a Rabbi who liked high altitudes until I decided to step in and explain to her she has to say 'doo' instead
LOL
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Jews
"Highland Jews, or Mountain Jews, or Juvuro, or Juhuro, are Jews of the eastern Caucasus, mainly of Azerbaijan and Dagestan. They are also known as Caucasus Jews, Caucasian Jews, or less commonly East Caucasian Jews, "
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Old Apr 26th 2011, 4:55 pm
  #45  
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Default Re: It really just happened to me

Originally Posted by kimilseung
LOL
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Jews
"Highland Jews, or Mountain Jews, or Juvuro, or Juhuro, are Jews of the eastern Caucasus, mainly of Azerbaijan and Dagestan. They are also known as Caucasus Jews, Caucasian Jews, or less commonly East Caucasian Jews, "


No wonder the poor waiter looked so confused. Imagine the tip we'd have to leave if he'd actually gone and brought her one of them
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