Oh, and what's that behind Dyan and Michelle? Why it's the door to the bathroom, which Michelle has kindly labeled "The Loo" to help Dyan find her way around.
I looked at this and thought to myself, "Why should Dyan have all the fun?" (Even though she did tell me that I deserved an award for never having gotten an award... a woman after my own heart!!!)
Anyway, Dyan doesn't exactly speak American English, does she? We should have our own little guide (Not that we haven't picked up a little on our own, despite Michelle's claims that she no longer has an accent - it sneaks out when she's not paying attention!!)
So here it is - a helpful little guide to get you through the next few days. Add a couple of these words to your vocabulary and you're sure to score some brownie points with Dyan! (You see? I keep my little brown nosers close to my heart... :)
Now, while you're in your class you may need to use the bin - that's trashcan to us Yanks (Don't worry if you're from the South, like me... apparently the British use Yank for all of us!)
Clothing may be a little confusing for some - when we say pants we mean these, which the British would call trousers:
But if you say pants to Dyan, she might be imagining these:
So be a little careful when you're talking about clothes! Oh, I must say when I googled underwear images I found some mighty fine pictures of well built young men filling those pants up, but I thought if I posted one of those pictures Michelle might never recover!
Food is also a little complicated. If Dyan mentions she's feeling a bit peckish (hungry) and asks for a biscuit, she's talking about cookies:
But we're thinking of these:Mmmmm... biscuit. I don't know what the British call real biscuits - the closest food item I could find was the crumpet (not to be confused with strumpet, but don't worry - I don't think you'll have need for that word in class!). Now, here's a crumpet, which looks an awful lot like what we call an English Muffin:
But they are definitely NOT the same. If you bite into a crumpet thinking you're getting one of these:
then you will be in for a bit of a shock. Crumpets are weird. I'm not sure why - perhaps it's just because when I ate one I was expecting it taste like a big fat English muffin... trust me, they don't.
Now, if you think the whole biscuit thing is out of hand, don't go offering Dyan any chips. She's going to think you're offering her these:
But you're thinking of these, which she would call "crisps":
That's not very specific, if you ask me. I mean, anything could be crispy, even french fries (especially if I'm the one cooking them!)
Finally, don't be surprised if Dyan asks for a rubber. She's talking about this:
Not that other thing that you're thinking. Focus, ladies, focus.
I think that should get you through the next few days of class. Not to worry if all this confuses you - Dyan is a genuine sweet heart and she's sure to be very patient with your bumbling English.
I'll close by showing a few of the beautiful art samples that are currently decorating our store. You've got to come to the store and see these in person - there's no way any photo could truly do justice to the depth of the layering in these beautiful and unique works of art. Be sure to check back tomorrow for Dyan Day 2 - we'll be sharing some more beautiful samples and a little warning for Rosemary!
Wow, what an awesome time you must be having! I sure wish I could join in the fun! Thank you for sharing Dyan's visit. It's the next best thing to being there :)
ReplyDeleteOooo the loo, another word here in the uk is the bog!! Lol!! Hope you having a brilliant time xx big hugs
ReplyDeleteKaz x