Love

English-isms

Three years in (yes! August marks my THIRD year living in England!), I still have my lost in translation moments. MRN gets a kick out of them as I continue to ask for translation assistance (sometimes it's words, sometimes it's that I just don't understand accents). I'm one of those annoying people who just laugh when I'm uncomfortable (or faced with confrontation), or grin and nod like an idiot when I don't understand what someone is saying-- at least in a party situation (one-on-one proves a bit more difficult so I have to ask people to repeat themselves). So at parties I still find myself sticking close to MRN so if I don't know what some one's said I can look at him inquisitively for interpretation. Sad, I know-- but once a pleaser, always a pleaser. Here are some of my favorite "English-isms" to date:

• Plonker (a dumb-*ss)
• Muppet (similar to plonker, but sometimes used more affectionately in a, "oh, bless" kind of way
• Oh, bless (when someone does something idiotic but they don't know any better because they ain't too bright)
• Rubbish (akin to "sucks"-- a nicer way to say it, I think)
• Snog (I've actually not heard anyone say this, but I love this word. So much more descriptive than just "kissing"
• Skip rats (I don't think this is actually an English-ism, but it's what MRN calls the people in our not-so-nice neighborhood)
• Blagging (akin to taking the piss)
• Taking the piss (Basically, "pulling your leg" but "piss" is also considered a bad word-- kids get in trouble for saying it; well, if they have [good] parents that care about that stuff)
• Bum (bootie-- also like bum bag, which is equivalent to our fanny pack. But fanny in British-English is not considered a nice word-- it's a euphemism for a female body part)
• Knackered (completely exhausted)
• Ginger (a red head-- my favorite)
• Queue (a line-- as in, "form an orderly queue")

There are loads more (there's one!) but that's all I'm able to rattle off at the moment. Of course my favorite word is the "W" word which is akin to the "F" word, but certainly doesn't sound as bad (maybe because I didn't grow up with it and so it doesn't seem like a bad word). MRN does go mental (there's another) if I say it because it is a pretty bad word apparently. Ah well-- I claim international ignorance.

Because

What if?

"'What' and ‘if’ two words as nonthreatening as words come. But put them together side-by-side and they have the power to haunt you for the rest of your life: ‘What if?'..."

"I don't know how your story ended. But I know that if what you felt then was love - true love - then it's never too late. If it was true then it why wouldn't it be true now? You need only the courage to follow your heart..."

"I don't know what a love like that feels like... a love to leave loved ones for, a love to cross oceans for... but I'd like to believe if I ever felt it. I'd have the courage to seize it. I hope you had the courage to seize it. And if you didn't, I hope one day that you will."

--Letters to Juliet