Learning to speak the language

For the last 8 weeks, I have been mentally compiling a British to American dictionary. When we moved here I was under the impression that England was, well, an English speaking country... and I was right, but I forgot I don't really speak it. Apparently, I speak American. Well that's ok, it's who I am, but I am starting to pick up the local language and assimilate.

For example, I went to the grocery store weeks ago and asked an employee where the zucchini was in the produce section. The what? He had no idea what I was talking about. 'Zucchini it's a vegetable,' I said. 'It's green and should be near the squash.' He gave me a very confused look and then went to consult a coworker. They both scratched their heads. When he came back over to me he asked what language zucchini was and a kind passerby told me that 'we call it courgette here.' That was my first British lesson. Many others would follow including a mad search for cilantro only to be told (after 5 stores) at a fruit and veg stand that 'we call it coriander leaf here.'

I have also learned a new sentence structure, I have, as well as how to respond to common greetings like 'you okay?' When I was first asked this, I thought, 'yes, I'm fine, wait, don't I look like I am fine?' but what I said was, 'I'm ok' or something like that. What I was supposed to say (and have since responded with) was 'Yea, I'm good' because really they are asking 'How are you?' There is a variation of this greeting in Australia which confused me years ago (they say "how are you going' to which I always wanted to say back 'by foot' or 'by bus') so I have adjusted to the British greeting quickly.

Before moving here I knew that there were a few new terms I would have to get used to-- rubbish bin (trash can), post box (mailbox), boot (trunk of the car), bonnet (hood of the car), and a few others like pub, cheers, ta, loo, and flat-- but I kind of thought I knew them all. Most of the new words I have had to add to my lexicon are things I just would not have thought of and would never had known if we didn't live here (they never used these words on Coupling). As a tourist you wouldn't go to the grocery store and buy a bunch of ingredients for a recipe that you always cook in the US and expect to be able to by here. For those of you that were contemplating a move across the pond, here is an abbreviated dictionary for any number of random situations:

the grocery store:
chopped tomatoes-- diced tomatoes
creamed tomatoes--crushed tomatoes
bap-- hamburger bun
lindseed-- flaxseed
golden syrup-- kind of like molasses but not exactly
semi-skimmed milk-- 2% milk
cling film-- saran wrap
baking paper-- wax paper
bin liner-- trash bag
loo roll-- toilet paper

also, you will find it odd that eggs are stored on the shelf, not in the cold section

around town:
alight-- get off the train
humps-- speed bumps
high street-- main street of a neighborhood
hole in the wall-- ATM

at the gym:
press up-- push up
box-- step

getting dressed:
pants-- underwear
trousers-- pants
jumper-- sweater
smart-- well dressed
jersey-- shirt
cardy-- cardigan
morning suit-- gray pinstriped suit with tails worn at English weddings
lounge suit-- more casual man's suit

sports related knowledge:
We have also learned that you "support a team" you don't cheer for one. While playing a softball/baseball, if the ball pops up and you are going to catch it you would not say 'I got it, I got it' you would say your own name (!) so, "Andy, Andy, Andy!"

So, in short, I am learning a lot. This is just a partial list, of course. We recently went to our first English wedding which was really fun and very nice. More on that in another post but I will say that as two random Americans at a very British wedding, we were, dare I say, quite a hit! I think the Brits are learning a little bit from us too.