On the other side of the pond
I've not had a chance to post this week as I've been in the USA. For the first time since I was a kid and went to Disneyland. It's a business trip, but I love traveling and just going to a new country is always fascinating to me.
The locals were pretty sure they were up on British slang - 'yeah, sure we know a pavement's a sidewalk' - but there have been two words I've used which have thrown them (into fits of laughter).
Sat in a jeep and thinking where to put my laptop when we get out to go to a bar...
Me: Do you have a closed boot?
Local: A what?
Me: A closed boot. For my laptop.
Local: A closed boot???
Me; Yes, a boot at the back I can put the laptop in to stop someone stealing it.
Local: A boot? Sorry, what's a boot?
Me: Ah! A... trunk, right?
Local: What? You call a trunk a boot?!
Sat in a meeting room:
Local: We can content share as much as possible.
Me: Indeed. If I can nick stuff you've drafted and just tweak it that would be super.
Local: Nip?
Me: Nick
Local: Nick? I thought you said nip - like what? cut 'n' paste?
Me: No, nick... it means steal... Brit slang, sorry!
The locals were pretty sure they were up on British slang - 'yeah, sure we know a pavement's a sidewalk' - but there have been two words I've used which have thrown them (into fits of laughter).
Sat in a jeep and thinking where to put my laptop when we get out to go to a bar...
Me: Do you have a closed boot?
Local: A what?
Me: A closed boot. For my laptop.
Local: A closed boot???
Me; Yes, a boot at the back I can put the laptop in to stop someone stealing it.
Local: A boot? Sorry, what's a boot?
Me: Ah! A... trunk, right?
Local: What? You call a trunk a boot?!
Sat in a meeting room:
Local: We can content share as much as possible.
Me: Indeed. If I can nick stuff you've drafted and just tweak it that would be super.
Local: Nip?
Me: Nick
Local: Nick? I thought you said nip - like what? cut 'n' paste?
Me: No, nick... it means steal... Brit slang, sorry!
posted by Kate Allan @ 7:50 pm
2 Comments:
At 12:27 pm,
Tess said…
Kate - ROTFL. Yep, gotta watch that Brit slang. I still get people here in Canada (where Brit slang is more common). Really confused a friend of mine a few years ago by referring to my brolly on a rainy day. She'd no idea what I meant. Know there are other words I use that lead to raised brows - I think knackered is another one. And knickers. Or worse, "squashed fly biscuits" - at least that's what my mum always called the flat biscuits with dried raisins in them *g*.
At 8:54 pm,
Anonymous said…
Lol, Kate! I don't remember any fun stories like that, though I should. Tell us more about the trip!
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