Ameringlish*

After an incident at my office last week, I am now willing to concede that Americans really do speak another language from the UK and former British colonies.  (No gloating, Graham.)  It took me a good ten minutes on Friday to convey to my Kenyan colleagues that I was in need of a band aid.  Not a cloth bandage, but just a simple sticky wrap to put over the blister forming on my toe.  Finally after showing them the offending toe and acting out what I would like to do to it they determined I was looking for an elastoplast.  Elasto-what? According to Wikipedia (the source of most useless knowledge floating in my head) this is a brand name for a sticking plaster or adhesive bandage.  Both generic terms I would never have thought to use to explain the item I needed.  Perhaps I should work on expanding my vocabulary. 

*The name of this post is stolen from the title of my bestie's blog about life as an expat in the UK.  Check it out here.

4 comments:

  1. I'm surprised you haven't also been confused by sellotape

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  2. HA HA! Love it! I no longer say I speak English. I speak American and Spanish. Vernon(UK) and I(US)are constantly playing a game of charades when we speak to each other. We have fun with it and I give in and use his words sometimes and he gives in and uses my words sometimes. But he constantly reminds me that I do NOT speak English. :)

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  3. Cheerio- I didn't know that's how it was spelled, but I did have a rather long discussion with my Scottish colleague about sellotape and hoovering as a verb for that matter as well. You crazy Brits!

    KimberlyJ- I recently realized that I'm now unconsciously using the British/Kenyan word instead of the American. I no longer rent my apartment, but I let a flat. I don't get off the bus; I alight from matatus. And I don't call people but I ring them, flash them, or pop by. I am also reminded regularly that I don't speak English or even spell it correctly for that matter.

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