Are we all speaking the same English language? 😜😏

Fun Stuff
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@Vanessa_A , your pronunciation is correct for the Arkansas River, which is pronounced as spelled. … Just double checked myself on Google and some parts of the country say Arkansas River, while other parts say Arkan-saw River.

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I found this.

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We used to call them thongs until thong underwear became popular. Now we have to say flip flops. It annoys me. :rofl:

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Ah that’s interesting and makes me feel better :grin:

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@Crookie You’ve solved the issue of the “kisses” censorship on the forum… Discourse does this as standard but I couldn’t find the formation causing the problem to search for it. Thank-you!! Never occurred to me to put spaces between :grin:

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Philadelphia area native here.

  1. Schuylkill Expressway in Philadelphia. “Skoo-cull” AKA “Sure Kill” (horrid road).
  2. Bala Cynwyd (yes we know it’s a Welsh name!): “Ba (like a sheep)-lah (same) Kin-widd” (some people say “wood” or similar

Des Moines, Iowa: “Duh-moyne”
Des Moines, Washington: “Duh moynes” (I think–this one seems v. weird to me)

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As a Brit, I have just learned how to pronounces Theydon Bois from this post!

I did know how to pronounce Beaulieu, but learned the correct pronunciation from my dad, whose former boss lived there.

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In parts of the midwestern US, where a lot of German immigrants settled, if you don’t understand something, you say “Please?”, meaning “I didn’t get that. What?” That confuses the heck out of people visiting from outside the area!

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I heard this one on Escape to the Country. How bizarre.

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Imagine how we, foreigners, feel :rofl::rofl::rofl: I ve lived in the UK for the last 20 years - still learning every day. Originally Russian, not a proud one these days, unfortunately.

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Imagine how much I wince, as a Welsh speaker, having to listen to the English strangling my vowels.

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@LTD Welsh doesn’t have any vowels!!:joy: (My husband is Welsh & I tease him mercilessly). I heard a really good comedy sketch once that included the line “…an emergency airlift of vowels to Wales”.

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Even if we speak the same language, there are some differences in culture and social customs, which is quite interesting.

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Yes, I thought about this today. The terms “spayed”, “neutered”, “fixed” or “de-sexed” are all so different, but mean the same. De-sexed is the term used in Australia and I remember it, because it’s a funny word. But as for the rest, when I’m unsure which term they use in the country I am visiting, I just keep throwing words at them until they understand what I mean! We get there eventually :smile:

It’s kind of like blinker, flicker, indicator, turn signal etc…

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Being a true cockney I have to say that cockney slang isn’t widely understood throughout the country. Even in London it is relatively rare. The odd word yes, but in the conversational sense very rare. As for being used in the East end, not true either I’m afraid! To be, in the first instance, a true cockney it is necessary Tobe born within the sound of Bow bells. many think this church is in Bow but in fact is situated just behind Barts (Bartholomew’s Hospital in the City of London)

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In another topic @Cuttlefish wrote:
“It’s such a basic fix after two years of waiting! Damp squib” (referring to disappointment with the new review system).

I hadn’t heard this one before so looked it up and found a few more interesting British expressions here:

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I thought I’d share this article, which mentions some of my very favourite Scottish words! Dreich is my favourite, as it relates to the kind of weather I’m used to all year round!

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You’d love this @mars - unbelievably my landscape architect client (who is a smart cookie) also used damp squib in our meeting this morning! #ingreatcompany :rofl: