Vacation in Scotland

**Jock Scot** · 15th August 22, 11:30 PM

Originally Posted by LoE

Truly.

I was in England for a number of months, working a job that paid me to fly out. So I did so.

I didn't understand a word the entire time I was there. It's truly an isolating feeling to have everyone around oneself speaking one's native language - but still not understand a word of it.

The slang is different. The terms used are different, accent is different, inflection is different. I may as well have been in China or Japan.

With the greatest of respect, why are you so surprised that the words and how they are used are different?

When we consider the history of both Nations and makeup of the respective population differences of the two Nations then really, its hardly surprising.

**LoE** · 16th August 22, 12:19 PM

Not "so surprised that the words and how they are used are different".

Rather, surprised at the sheer scale of it. I didn't expect to find it nearly completely incomprehensible.

https://dai.ly/x3v9z74

**Jock Scot** · 16th August 22, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by LoE

Not "so surprised that the words and how they are used are different".

Rather, surprised at the sheer scale of it. I didn't expect to find it nearly completely incomprehensible.

https://dai.ly/x3v9z74

It can get much more complicated when County terminology and accents get used too! Mind you, we have some American friends who came to stay recently who had some really strange name for water taps! "Fossets"? or some such.

I do also notice the Americans in particular struggle with "British understatement", too.

I also can't help but point out that we over here had been developing the English language for many centuries before you chaps started mangling it!

**LoE** · 16th August 22, 12:56 PM

To exacerbate matters, the team members were from all over the place. England, Scotland, Ireland, continental Europe, North America, Asia.

It got nearly to the point were we didn't talk. We just emailed each other. We couldn't understand each others' banter.

That would be a "water faucet".

**Jock Scot** · 16th August 22, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by LoE

To exacerbate matters, the team members were from all over the place. England, Scotland, Ireland, continental Europe, North America, Asia.

It got nearly to the point were we didn't talk. We just emailed each other. We couldn't understand each others' banter.

That would be a "water faucet".

Yes probably a "water faucet", but I have not seen the word written down. "Tap" just seems easier to me!

**LoE** · 16th August 22, 01:14 PM

There's nothing like having a Scot, an Irishman, an American, two Indians, a Frenchman, a German, and a Swiss person in the same room trying to speak English.

It was quite the experience.

It sounds like a joke. But it was utterly incomprehensible.

**Iain Ruaidh** · 16th August 22, 01:34 PM

One thing that does not help Americans visiting UK is that even UK made TV shows ("programmes" in English) often use US word and phrase usage! I guess this must be because our US show buyers will not countenance genuine English in them as the US audience might have trouble understanding. But then you get over here and the lingo is a big shock.

**LoE** · 16th August 22, 01:46 PM

It truly was a shock. Some locals speaking "black country" english I think. Other locals speaking London english I think. Plus Welsh, Scot, and Irish.

Then add all the others speaking english as a second language, or english from another part of the world like myself.

It was a shock. I never expected to feel so isolated by a common language.

I was there for months, pretending I understood what people around me were saying. But I didn't understand them half of the time. Instead I would just nod along as if I understood. Because stating "what was that, or what did you mean" got old very fast.

**Ivor** · 17th August 22, 08:08 AM

I take it that your difficulty was with pronunciation due to various accents rather than the actual words. I believe that the best place to learn english pronunciation is actually Dublin as the pronunciation is more accurate.

**LoE** · 17th August 22, 01:21 PM

The pronunciation certainly.

But really it was the slang that incomprehensible. For example:

PISSED: USA = angry / UK = drunk
FAG: USA = pejorative for homosexual / UK = cigarette
BANG ON: USA = can't repeat that here! / UK right or correct

Many many more examples. The point being the words themselves, alone or grouped with other terms, have completely different meanings.

Add the different pronunciations to the mix, then it can get quite interesting. It did for me, at least.