gruffbrown

We have a town near us which has the "Haddonfield Fortnightly" at first I thought it was a Newspaper, but it seems to be a womens group not disimilar to the W.I. It seems "Fortnight" went out of fashion in the US in the late 1800s.

Smaug

Yeah.. my co-workers like to bust my balls on this one too. "We kicked your ass".

I point out that they themselves could have descended from those fighting against American independance.

Mind you, some other people I've spoken are surprised that we don't celebrate that day in England too...

Smaug

The very first day my mother met my now-wife.. the very moment she stepped into my parent's house.. my mother asked if she'd like a drink. My now-wife said 'I'd love a glass of wadder'.

My mother's reaction: 'Wadder? Wadder?? Wadderr!!' and instantly the ice was broken

Since then, I say 'wadder' at restaurants only because I want to get a glass of water without having to go through the whole spiel about being fresh-off-the-boat, etc, and being made fun of.

geordiegirl2

I tell them we didn't want them. people ask the same of thanksgiving, why would we celebrate them.
Someone also aked me if we celebrated St Patrick's day on the same day as them

EnglishTeaDuck

I do NOT understand why it is so hard for people to understand an English accent. Thats probably one of my biggest Weird Things about living here. I have a kind of standard southern english accent (I'm from Southampton) ...I used to work in WHSmith there and we would have foreign students or people from the cruise liners or whatever in all the time, and if someone spoke English with a French accent or something, you listened and worked it out.

I honestly do not understand why someone cannot hear 'water' or whatever.....I understand the accent is different but I don't really have trouble with theirs and I really think it is a lot to do with that attitude that there is something wrong with anything that is not American so WE should change how we say it!

I think you can adjust, make friends etc without losing who you are. There has to be effort from our side too. But I do sometimes feel that ALL the effort is from our side!

Ruth

Smaug

I think partly it may be that they're not expecting it, and aren't tuned in properly. Consider, for example, going to a chinese restaurant that employs (typically chinese) staff whose first language is not English; Most people can understand most of what they're saying because they're intently instead of passively listening.

My grandmother-in-law had to have everything I said to her repeated at least once when I first knew her. Nowadays she knows my voice and accent, and I speak a little slower and a little louder to help her.

As for places like restaurants, I prefer to be polite and say 'Could I have a glass of water?' and slowly have converted to 'Can I get some water?' but find what works best is just plain ol' 'wadder please'. Not as eloquent, sadly.


Amusingly enough, this reminds me of the UK comedy series 'Little Britain' which depicts a group of (somewhat overweight) people attending a hosted session of 'Fat Fighters'. The group is comprised of mostly white people with 'English' accents. However, when this one particular (Indian) lady speaks perfect English, the host pretends she cannot understand and asks her to repeat herself. When someone chimes in and adds, 'She said ........', the hosts respond with 'Oooh! You don't have to patronize her!'.
I enjoyed the scene because I can relate to it

Smaug

Thydney

I did think of taking him with me

Does anyone else find that people over here listen more to how you say something rather than what you're saying. My eldest boy manages to wrap women around his fingers because of his accent and his manners (lucky little shite)

Elvira

So what's wrong with YOUR accent and manners then?

Thydney

I think it's the fact he's only 7 years old and children don't seem to do manners over here. Whilst I would expect an adult to.

snowbunny

That's cos they have to pay good money for private etiquette lessons for their own kids!

Jerseygirl

Me too. I speak English, English not American English and I spell words correctly.

TruBrit

or as i was asked the other day had i had 'electrocution lessons' ..lol nope water it is for me too

snowbunny

As an American it is very difficult to enunciate that 't' without sounding completely affected. It's much easier if you switch into a British accent.

Hope your elocution wasn't too painful.

TruBrit

last night they were talking about innerviewing someone or other on the tv...my hubs says interviewing....he uses his 't' for the most part but can't say tomato like we do.

snowbunny

I can say it but I come off sounding like a complete tosspot if I have to stick with an American accent and just change the middle "a" from a long to short as in toe- MOTT-o. Names for that matter can sound completely different as well -- say the name "Bernard" and then have an American say it. Sounds oh so much better in a British accent.