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Old 09-11-2010, 06:30 AM   #67
DMB
Old Git
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MacEachaidh View Post
It can be a challenge. One tiny example of my own: in high school, I was an exchange student to the US, and my very first day at school there, in my very first class (physics), I asked the girl sitting in front of me in my unfortunately-loud voice if she had a rubber I could borrow. I wanted to correct an error in the graph I'd just drawn; I wasn't to know that the American word for what I was asking for was "eraser".

The story spread like wildfire round the school - it was a kinder, more innocent time than today - and it took me a long time to live it down. Even months later some people would still only half believe that I was genuine in my ignorance. And then I made it worse.

I was giving a talk about Australia - then, a fabled country beyond the "Here be dragons!" line on the map, to most Americans' minds - to a meeting of The Daughters of the American Revolution. When it was opened up to questions from the group, the very first lady who spoke to me fixed me with a steely eye and said, "I'm wise to you. You're the one who spoke dirty to my grand-daughter!" I stammered some attempt at an explanation, but unfortunately said it had made me feel like a twit, which at the time in Australian English meant a bit foolish and without common sense. I'm sure you can guess what they thought I was saying.
The borrowing a rubber thing seemed to happen to a few people. Then there is the thing about knocking people up in the morning (= knocking on the door to awaken them in British speech and getting them pregnant in American). And then there is the "fag" thing.

Quote:
  • Do you know Lord Fuzzbuzz?
  • Yes. He was my fag at Eton.
  • My! You British are frank!
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