They May Speak English But...

Okay, so yes they speak English over here...but trust me, it's not what we're used to. Over the last couple of weeks I've made a list of some of the differences we have in our lingo (among other things). So here we go...

• I thought "mate" was only an Australian thing, but boy was I wrong...they also do the same thing with "love"
• They say "yeah?" after just about everything...kind of like the Canadian "eh?"
• I'm still working on the proper usage of "cheers"...so far I think it's used as a "thanks" or a "best wishes" or "enjoy" kind of thing. Either way I have no idea how to respond so I'm just really awkward and don't say anything
• People ask me if I'm alright. They just say "all right?" And I was wondering why people said this to me when they greeted me...do I not look alright? So I was just like yeaaaah are you? Learned that that's what they say instead of our "how are you?"
• They call high school college and they call college uni (short for university)...tricky I know
• Their spelling is funny for pretty much everything (ex: favourite, realise) come on now
• They think you're "daft" or "thick" aka stupid if you say hi or smile at a stranger (so apparently I'm pretty daft)
• One of my professor's says we should "have a little think" when she wants us to think about something...and of course it's even funnier with that accent
• Everyone smokes "fags" here or cigarettes....gross
• If someone is hot or attractive they call them "fit" which I guess makes sense
• Soda is just "cola"
• Things that are no good are referred to as "bollocks" like "that's bollocks"...who knows
• "Quid" is a monetary term. They say quid when referring to the pound just like we say buck when referring to dollars. Basically slang. And Monday night is Quid night at a bar near us so hooray (or "hoozah!") for quids!
• Pissed means drunk, which made me very confused. I was with a British girl one night and her coat got stolen so she thought someone must've been pissed and took it. I thought to myself...why would they be so angry? Daft me. Also "taking a piss" is not actually urinating. I was shocked to hear this phrase used so much. It actually means that you're making fun of something or just joking around. Imagine my surprise when someone told me that "oh, he's just taking a piss"....what?!
• On the topic of stealing...it's referred to as pinching or nicking. As in "he just pinched the hat right off me!" probably with a "mate" added at the end.
• A "timetable" is a schedule
• If something or someone is "dodgy" it's sketchy or shady.
• Snogging is making out with someone (I thought that one was pretty hilarious..."oh yeah, he was snogging that girl last night!")
• "Chips" are actually fries and our chips they call "crisps". Can't we all just get along?
• Instead of exit signs, buildings will use "Way Out" signs. Pretty logical
• The "registrar" is the attendance sheet...and when they call your name you do not say "here" (which I did), you just say "yup!" Could I be any more American?
• The bathroom or restroom is called the "loo" or more bluntly...just "toilet".
• The word "rubbish" is used a lot instead of trash or garbage, whether someone is talking rubbish or just saying that something is rubbish
• The elevator is the "lift". fun fact: Queen Victoria had a lift in the 1860s but hers was made completely of men because she didn't trust machines. Interesting the things I remember from my history class...
• Speaking of class...class is referred to as "lecture"
• Military time is used here or the "24-hr clock"...tricky
• The date is switched around in writing. So today would be 15.01.09. On top of that when you say the date aloud you'd say "fifteen of the first month".
• Whenever getting off the tube you must "mind the gap" (theres an announcer lady that says it over and over again...pretty funny)
• English muffins are just muffins or breakfast muffins (delicious still, but no nooks & crannies which is sad)
• Instead of saying "excuse me" to get by someone just say nothing and walk right into them or say "sorry"....I read somewhere that if you say "excuse me" or "pardon me" they think that you've burped (or done something else...)
• All the streets tell you which way to look because they drive on the opposite side of the road...actually very helpful for us pedestrians!

Some other things to note. All the girls here get wicked dressed up for class. I'm talking skirts and heels to a 9am class. NOT OKAY. So I compromise...instead of wearing my usual sweatpants, I'll wear jeans (with my glasses though). Anything more than that would just be pushing it...sorry London.

Went to a class at the gym tonight called Body Pump. Probably not going to be able to move tomorrow when Mom and Dad come. It was all weights and we worked on our "beeceps" and "treeceps", at least that's how the instructer pronounced biceps and triceps. I was dying laughing (and physically).

This guy that we're friends with is strangely obsessed with my teeth (he does have the stereotypical British teeth, though so it's pretty funny). Also, important to keep in mind that I'm from New England...so when they're talking about going to Greenwich, Cambridge, Brighton, etc....chances are it's not Rhode Island or Massachusetts (seeing that most of them don't even know about Rhode Island I just say I'm from Boston...makes it easier).

Ta ta for now! Or should I say cheers?