I got asked.....
May 3rd 2010, 4:10 pm
#61
Sursum corda
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Richmond Hill, GA USA
Posts: 38,860
Re: I got asked.....
In that instance, 'Irish' would be used in the same way as 'English', 'Scottish' or 'Welsh', even though they were all British citizens, as all of Ireland was part of the UK.
Since the partition of Ireland in 1921, 'Irish' would be used to describe those from the newly formed Republic of Ireland (think it was known as the Irish Free State back then) and those in the 6 counties had no official title, so I guess British is the only correct term to use.
Out of interest, where in NI did your Great Grandfather hail from? I think if I take it one or two generations before that 90% of my family on both sides were in Scotland/England funny enough. According to my mum, there were no Barrs (her line) in any part of Ireland until the plantation of Ulster in the 18th century.
My wife thinks it's funny that her mother's family line were in the Londonderry area in the 12th century, so she has more Northern Ireland roots than I do
Sorry - off topic there, but I do love history/genealogy!
Since the partition of Ireland in 1921, 'Irish' would be used to describe those from the newly formed Republic of Ireland (think it was known as the Irish Free State back then) and those in the 6 counties had no official title, so I guess British is the only correct term to use.
Out of interest, where in NI did your Great Grandfather hail from? I think if I take it one or two generations before that 90% of my family on both sides were in Scotland/England funny enough. According to my mum, there were no Barrs (her line) in any part of Ireland until the plantation of Ulster in the 18th century.
My wife thinks it's funny that her mother's family line were in the Londonderry area in the 12th century, so she has more Northern Ireland roots than I do
Sorry - off topic there, but I do love history/genealogy!
May 3rd 2010, 5:17 pm
#62
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: killeen texas
Posts: 822
Re: I got asked.....
I went to my 16 year old daughters conference at school and met her chemistry teacher.{my daughter has been at the school for 2 years} The teacher asked if i came from the same country as my daughter and do i speak English 
I explained where we came from and that i do indeed speak English, she then asked me if i speak fluent English! 
I explained where we came from and that i do indeed speak English, she then asked me if i speak fluent English!
May 3rd 2010, 5:24 pm
#63
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: I got asked.....
I went to my 16 year old daughters conference at school and met her chemistry teacher.{my daughter has been at the school for 2 years} The teacher asked if i came from the same country as my daughter and do i speak English I explained where we came from and that i do indeed speak English, she then asked me if i speak fluent English!
I explained where we came from and that i do indeed speak English, she then asked me if i speak fluent English! Of course, with my Belfast(ish) accent and red highlights in my beard, I'm a dead giveway as a Hernandez
May 3rd 2010, 8:33 pm
#64
Septic Sprout
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 7,993
Re: I got asked.....
May 3rd 2010, 8:48 pm
#65
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,170
Re: I got asked.....
I swear to god - other than one instance of a nice woman at the AAA call centre telling me I have a nice accent (and me telling her that she did too - which confused the hell out of her) then I've had no questions, comments or reactions. I think that maybe I'm a bit scary....
It's the sprouts, it probably puts them off the conversation
May 3rd 2010, 10:56 pm
#66
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2008
Location: Somerset UK, to Missouri, USA
Posts: 806
Re: I got asked.....
I love telling ameircans that i like their accents, most of the time they say "i dont have an accent" followed by me trying to explain that yes they do, they have an american accent, sometimes they just kinda nod and smile, others look confused and the occasional few say "but i speak english"
May 3rd 2010, 11:37 pm
#67
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 44
Re: I got asked.....
Someone recently asked me where I was from (because of the accent) and I said 'I'm English'.
Her response was 'oh no that's not what I meant, where do you really come from?..many people speak English you know'.
Her response was 'oh no that's not what I meant, where do you really come from?..many people speak English you know'.
May 3rd 2010, 11:45 pm
#68
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 44
Re: I got asked.....
I went to my 16 year old daughters conference at school and met her chemistry teacher.{my daughter has been at the school for 2 years} The teacher asked if i came from the same country as my daughter and do i speak English I explained where we came from and that i do indeed speak English, she then asked me if i speak fluent English!
I explained where we came from and that i do indeed speak English, she then asked me if i speak fluent English! I think the operator was offended by this - all of a sudden they said to me in an angry tone 'I can't tell what you are saying either, you really don't speak English that well do you...if you're going to live in a foreign country you really should learn to speak the language there'.
I'm English, living in USA.
May 4th 2010, 12:28 am
#69
The Kwisatz Haderach
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: North Wales
Posts: 8,080
Re: I got asked.....
Another one...I called the bank and was put through to a call center in what must have been a non-English speaking country (as they often are nowadays). The person on the other end didn't speak the best of English but that generally wasn't the problem, it was the accent (indian I think) I had a hard time understanding them - I felt it was best to just fess up, explain the difficulty and ask to speak with someone else.
I think the operator was offended by this - all of a sudden they said to me in an angry tone 'I can't tell what you are saying either, you really don't speak English that well do you...if you're going to live in a foreign country you really should learn to speak the language there'.
I'm English, living in USA.
I think the operator was offended by this - all of a sudden they said to me in an angry tone 'I can't tell what you are saying either, you really don't speak English that well do you...if you're going to live in a foreign country you really should learn to speak the language there'.
I'm English, living in USA.
I had a guy in a call center in India keep trying to give me and 0800 number for me to call and I kept telling him I'm the USA not UK the accent was throwing him off. He finally got it and had a good laugh.
May 4th 2010, 1:04 am
#70
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 307
Re: I got asked.....
I've been here 3 weeks, and so far have been asked if I am from New Zealand or Irish. At least the guy who thought I sounded Irish said 'Oh, close' when I replied that I was Welsh, rather than looking completely confused
May 4th 2010, 2:50 am
#72
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Manhattan
Posts: 2,913
Re: I got asked.....
Where there are way too many illegals who can't be bothered to learn to speak English.
May 4th 2010, 12:10 pm
#74
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: killeen texas
Posts: 822
Re: I got asked.....
Before learning to drive i used to ride the HOP bus, one middle aged woman started to talk to me and asked me the following.........
''How do you say 'no' in your language''
''How do you say 'no' in your language''
May 4th 2010, 12:17 pm
#75
Just Joined
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 21
Re: I got asked.....
i had a young girl cutting my hair in a mall in Birmingham, AL.
'where you from ?'
'Glasgow, Scotland'
'oh, thats where my family comes from'
'really, where abouts ?'
'where shakespeare came from, sherwood castle or something...'
'where you from ?'
'Glasgow, Scotland'
'oh, thats where my family comes from'
'really, where abouts ?'
'where shakespeare came from, sherwood castle or something...'