Old USPS New USPS

Somewhere as small as Scotland just gets one little post caravan...

But in the OLD days all it had was this even littler shack...awww....

Interestingly, a caravan is a type of car here, and never the towed mini-residence that it is for us in the UK. Also, on this recurring theme, a jumper is a kind of dress for young girls, and not a SWEATER, as it should be more universally termed.

Really, truly, these things happen all the time, as Sandy rightly points out.I feel some kinship with Sandy, who made the reverse trip some months back. She encountered all our daft Englishisms and had to struggle with them. Here, I perceive them as strange Americanisms - but there's more Americans than UK people so guess we're outnumbered.... but really dreadfully stubborn.

The thing is, I can understand the USA having different words for things - as indeed they do for a great many things:

Flannel - Wash Cloth

Pavement - Sidewalk

Push Chair - Stroller

It's the things which recycle common words with similar but different meanings which do the worst damage. When I assess my conversation with others over the last month, a firghteninly large portion of it has been in relation to these wordal differences. I'd like to say I've learned a lot, but actually it is far worse than that. When I return, anyone who comes into contact with me will quickly become bored with me cleverly remembering the American way of referring to whatever it is and telling them with great glee - like it affects them in any way or that they were even remotely bothered.

Silly me. :)

Comments

[Rebecca]

Your hair is growing....

[AndyC]

Rebecca - I've been blogging for quite a long time now. I remember my first blog was arrogant enough not to allow comments from readers - something which qI uickly changed when I realised how nice it would be to hear the thoughts of those who followed my deeds, misdeeds and other sillinessess.

In all that time I have received a great many comments, but none so witheringly factually accurate as the one you have just made.

YES -my hair is growing. Bravo! Excellentti! Amazing! You have me all sussed out, I can tell. Between you and me, my heart is also beating. :)

[Jason]

I can HARDLY WAIT for you pointing out the British phreses which Americans would either misunderstand or become offended by CONSTANTLY in almost EVERY conversation we have when you get back home. I'll try not to WET MY KNICKERS with excitement and unabashed glee at your metropolitan sophistication. LET ME LEARN FROM YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Liz Curtis]

Some of the Americanisms date from the time that the Pilgrim Fathers went out there. The words that they used are still in use in the States, whereas the words we use have been affected by our European neighbours.

[suzy colebeck]

Hi Andy, have been following your american trip blog with glee, sounds like a great trip albeit an eventful one helath wise. As long as you don't come back speaking in an american accent like someone at my uni did after 6 weeks (also wearing a cowboy hat and boots), we can forgive you anything!

[Rebecca]

Jason, you crawler...Andy I read your blog with interest and then looked up at your photo and thought....ahh your hair is growing and wrote it. I hang my in my head in shame and I hoped to amuse you...clearly I failed :(

[AndyC]

Rebecca! I am so sorry - My convoluted attempts at humour are not always as kind as I might wish. Please forgive me?

Jason - You're so cruel and yet attractive. Honestly!

[AndyC]

Rebecca - If only Jason were crawling. I sense a deep sarcastic twist to his words. He won't even deny it, when interrogated.

Suzy - I never knew you read my blog. Oh my. I'm all embarassed now. Oh really, Suzy! Oh my. Gosh.

[Jason]

I wouldn't know how to be sarcastic if I TRIED.

[Jac]

I miss you. Can't wait to hear all about your stateside (just thought I'd drop that little Americanism in so Jason would realise how cosmolopitan I was too) adventures AND see you grown hair. :-)