Comments on: Just brilliant

By: Dylan

Dylan — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 14:33:35 +0000

Embroidered? I always knew that everybody was secretly a bit posh in the South…

By: belleandthecity

belleandthecity — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:52:26 +0000

Bathing costume is a term used by my dearest Cornwallian, as is pinny. Guess they are a *bit* behind in that part of the country.

Southerns have tea towels, at least my grandmother does. They are like nice, thin towels that are usually embroidered, right?

By: Dylan

Dylan — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:11:18 +0000

Paul – thanks for the support, especially as I had a long and involved conversation with The Special One about ‘route’. She’s spent too long with me now, and has forgotten how to say it herself…

Belle – reckon is one of my favourite words! Although you’re right that nobody has called me a hillbilly. Yet. And nobody uses pinny anymore really. The Special One did look at me a bit funny when I asked her whether she’d seen my bathers on honeymoon, admittedly. Although Americans call it a costume, and that’s surely weirder? I mean, me dressing up as Robin Hood is a costume – me pulling on something to swim in doth not a costume make…

Tea towels is my latest favourite to try to explain…I don’t even know whether you have them, let alone call them by the same name…

By: belleandthecity

belleandthecity — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:37:51 +0000

But hundreths and thousandths takes too long to say! Sprinkles is much, much better. And don’t even get me started on pinny and bathing costume. Why do y’all insist on using terms from the 19th century to describe clothing items?

At least you use reckon like we Southerners do, but I bet when you say it no one calls you a hillbilly!

By: Paul Sheffrin

Paul Sheffrin — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:07:15 +0000

I so identify with so many of your comments, also being a BooW (in my case in Canada). I don’t have so much trouble with vocabulary as such, however; we have seen enough US shows in the UK to become familiar with their version of our language. But it’s the peculiar pronunciations that bug me. My pet peeve is the corruption of “route” so that is is pronounced like “rout”. This means that only context will distinguish between a highway and a complete vanquish. “We were routed across the downtown area” sounds the same in N America with either meaning. The hardware that splits an internet signal between several computers sounds here the same as the hardware that gouges grooves in wood. English has different pronunciations to aid communications. In any case, if it was OK for Chuck Berry to pronounce the word in “Route 66″ to rhyme with boot, why is it now no longer acceptable?

By: Dylan

Dylan — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:02:37 +0000

So the upshot is that I’m not that unusual, and even if I am, I should stick to what I know?! Always good to know you’re not a complete freak though, I guess!

Belleandthecity – surely hundreds and thousands is a much better name for those things than ‘sprinkles’?! I appreciate that you sprinkle them on top of your ice cream or fairy(cup)cake or whatever, but the action required to use a product doesn’t necessarily need to become its actual name. Hence calling a ball a ball, rather than a ‘kicks’…!

By: belleandthecity

belleandthecity — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 10:41:31 +0000

Don’t change your language! People are not looking at you because they think you are an idiot, but more likely because they really are confused by the words you are using. Although you may have trouble finding paper towels in Duane Reade (“kitchen roll? what’s that?”), it’s worth it to stay true to your roots.

We’ve been state-side for 4 years now and my boyfriend STILL hasn’t adjusted–saying lift, queue, hob, hundreths and thousandths (seriously?), rubber, toilet roll, you name it–which I think is actually a good thing. Being from the South, I also keep all of my colloquialisms because they’re a part of who I am. Y’all will never get me to say “you guys” instead!

By: belleandthecity

belleandthecity — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 10:41:26 +0000

By: Melanie Seasons

Melanie Seasons — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 10:13:27 +0000

I think part of the problem is that you’re in New York. I’ve never heard of anyone pronouncing awesome as are-some. I’m thinking that has to be an accent thing.

I use awesome, but also brilliant. I know a lot of non-Anglophiles who do too, so don’t feel weird about saying it. Really, I think “wicked” is the only positive exclamation that hasn’t been accepted over here. (Except in New England, where I think they use it more than “yous guys”)