When I moved over here I had to quickly accept that I will forever be a novelty. In a way that (as far as I can tell) isn’t true of other cultures, other accents, Britishness in America is seen as uniquely quaint and, for some reason I’ve yet to understand, totally fair game. There’s mimicry, which is widespread, there’s the curling flicker of a smile when I talk that lets me know they’re only half listening to what I’m actually saying and mostly listening to how I say it, there’s the look of blank confusion that normally goes unaddressed and in that moment I realize that some turn of phrase or word I’ve used has completely passed them by. And then there’s correction:
“It’s not Basil, it’s Baysil.”
“Pavement? You mean sidewalk.”
“Um, we say Tomayto?”
"HA! Oreg-ah-no? it's oregano"
There are certain people around whom I avoid saying certain words because I know it'll result in correction and I'll result in bristling good humour. Ha ha ha, how funny that you think my pronunciation of things is wrong. How amusing.
Am I sounding bitter?
The truth is, pretty much every American I know has done this to me at some point or another. People I have known for years still do it. It's also entirely possible that we British (you British I should say, in this instance I am not included) do it to the Americans in our (your) midst. I have but one thing to tell you.
Stop.
It happens often enough that I have to drop my ts and ask for budder or warder when people fail to understand butter or water. Recently I even had to spell out children on the phone... c-h-i-l (etc) when a volunteer really couldn't pick up the word I was saying. I actively avoid calling customer service because it's almost always laborious and painful. My days are littered with misunderstandings, repeats and rephrases. So when people I know correct my speech when they already understand what I'm saying, I mostly want to strangle them.
And then there's the "Alright Guvnors..."
Enough. No More. It was never good and it's certainly no good anymore.
Yes, yes and more yes. I get this every day. Vitamin, VY-tamin, PA-stels, past-ELS, tomato, banana, car park, lorry and so many more.
ReplyDeletePretty much every new person you meet, you have to go through the ritual where they smile/laugh/correct pronunciation.
And then the odd person who just can't let it go. I've been here 6 years. Do you have to note my accent every time we meet?
Maybe it's karma...Ross ;-)
ReplyDeleteMy own kids even imitate me! This morning the youngest said "Toodle pip" in a very exaggerated way when I dropped him off at school. I don't even say that.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have given up having tomatoes in my Subway sandwiches, unless I can just point at them!
I can only apologize (apologise) on behalf of us Americans ... I can only imagine how wearing that becomes! My British husband encounters much the same when he visits the States. As an American expat settling in the UK, I can confirm that I do get a few Brits requesting that I say certain words so that they can then giggle at my pronunciation (oregano, buffet, filet, et al), but it is far less frequent as you can imagine, so I don't mind it. When I returned home to the States for a visit, people I've known for years pointed and laughed when I said 'rubbish'. I hope that you will nonetheless find lots to love about your new life there. Most Americans are probably just enthusiastic about the novelty of a Brit in their midst ... especially if they have not traveled much. 'Chin up'! :-)
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