Sassyjaybabe

I cant find a topic the same so apologies. Just wanted to share the amusing time I have had since working in a shop here:

1) Are you from Australia/down under/new zealand/Ireland/wales/Scotland/South Africa - Yep guess everywhere but where I come from! If you dont know? Ask!
2) Where in England are you from- I tell them Southampton and they either go deathly silent or they then tell me about a distant relative who lives somewhere on the other side of the country.
3)How did you get out here. This is where I have to bite my tongue from saying on a plane.
4) What brings you here- and then I have to explain hubby's job!
5) Your accent is so cute (I wonder how they would feel about someone saying their accent was cute)! I have at times joked and said I dont have an accent!
6) Even work colleagues try and impersonate what I am saying and they love when I say "Tutti Fruiti!"
7)Some people flat out fail to understand me
8) Questions like "Do they have so and so in the UK?"
9) One guy last week asked me whether I had immgration papers and a work permit- oh how I wanted to say "oh no, actually I snuck over the Mexican Border!"

Its all good fun!

TimberHut

'I'm from Southampton, England'
<blank look>
'It's where the Titanic sailed from'
<less blank look> usually followed by 'is that near London?'

If you are getting the same ol' questions & comments each day then try and think of some different answers. See how far you can push it. Flat out lie.
'are you from Australia?' Reply in a fake, bad Geordie accent that you are - but you live in England at the weekends.

Bink

So true.
I also get the Australia, followed by oh, are you Scottish??!! Do I sound vaguely Scottish?!?!?! No!!

I actually don't mind the 'cute' comments on the accent. Down here it's more "Oh my Gosh, I LOVE your accent, say something British" and then I'm stood there with a blank expression trying to think of something British!

The biggest problem I have is ordering Diet Coke. When I first met my wife she thought it was hillarious that every time I tried to order it, they'd say oh you want Dr Pepper?
Even now, at Drive-Thru's I have her order as no-one ever understands when I say coke. They understand the food just fine, just not the drinks.

Pombat

I have taken to asking for a glass of "wadder" rather than water because my accent (or lack of) seemed to make it impossible for people to understand what water is!

100weight

We're from South Africa, and Americans all think big game wander the streets. I have on occasion told them we used to have elephants in our back yard and sleep with fires by the back door to ward off the lions.

We have been asked if you can drive to SA from Detroit. And were told that "a friend went to Morocco, is that near SA?"

And when asked "Are you from Australia?", I often respond, with an improving Australian accent, that "No if I was Australian I'd sound different, mate."

A friend, who knows we're also British, insists on greeting me with "Chip, chip, cheerio".

CWT

tonrob

I believe "bollocks" is the standard response in this type of situation.

Uncle Ebenezer

But spelt "bollox".

njmackem

Interesting working for Verizon about 5 years ago, I changed my name to Mr. English for work purposes so that I would a) not have to keep spelling my actual name and b) in an attempt to have people stop asking me where I was from.

Neither worked unfortunately, the irony of an Englishman call Mr. English was lost on the vast majority of people. They would still ask me to spell it and when told it was spelled the same was as the language, I would get a huh? what language....

On the Chip Chip Cherio comment, my wifes 18 year old daughter likes to think she can sound English, and the few phrases she knows work wonders, chip chip, Mary Poppins and Harry Potter are about as far as she can get without sounding like she is from Pakistan.

Bink

I know someone that has that as their license plate
Not sure how they got away with it really...

Bink

njmackem

hmmmm I was going for MACKEM as my plate, but suddenly BOLLOX appeals to my sense of humour more.

Bink

The same person also has OLD GIT

Sassyjaybabe

Haha! I would love to say "bollox" to them. Literally meaning "bollox to them" for not being educated hahahaha.
BUT. I admit I dont know the whole geography of USA!
Other things I get asked are:
1) How long you been here?
2) How long are you planning to stay?
3) How are you liking it so far?

I am actually thinking of just typing up a standard reply list and handing them out. Or getting a tattoo on my wrist which says "Made in England" then they should get it right.

What is amusing is they dont believe I have a southern accent- this makes them laugh!

I must say its not ALL Americans, the ones I have met who I am friends with are much more educated and have an idea of geography!

celticgrid

I have taken the time to educate my colleagues at work as to how a (very, very) dry sense of humour works. It is amazing, once that baseline is established, what you can say and get away with in response to stupid questions.

Sassyjaybabe

I really need to try and do that at some point! I just dont get a chance to speak to colleagues much and when I do they just keep asking me to repat something which sounds different to them! Do I look like a parrot?