I've only recently realised through conversation with various Indians, that I talk like a complete berk and almost entirely in English idioms. Three things have contributed to this:
This means that when I talk to Indians I have to tone it down dramatically otherwise the conversation is in trouble immediately. English may be one of the national languages in India, but it is normally a secondary language to a regional dialect such as Tamil. An Indian may have an impressive grasp of the English langauge and often have a good knowledge of American slang due to the influence of Hollywood and even the influx of dire R'n'B music in clubs but when I attempt to be witty with English slang, I tend to hit a brick wall. However, I intend on sticking to the passing greeting of "alright" to all children and teachers just in the vain hope that they might ask me what the hell I mean. At the moment, they must just think it a strange noise.
There are many words which don't have the same double meanings over here as they would back home, as evidenced by the 'Hot Puffs' signs on every street corner. Leela, a teacher at the school, was very confused as to why the book she was reading had a character calling a young woman a word meaning 'a baked dish consisting of a filling over a pastry base with an open top not covered with pastry.' I awkwardly informed her that this definition of 'tart' actually meant that she was what the Oxford Dictionary termed as 'an easily-beddable loose woman, grrrrr'.
Whilst discussing these differences with Leela and some other female teachers, they said they'd heard Canadians talk about 'chicks' when referring to girls and asked me if that was what 'us Brits' call them. I couldn't let them think that so I mistakenly told them that some Englismen call women 'birds'. Of course we don't actually (in reality, it's only really Richards Keys, Andy Gray, Neil Morrissey and Martin Clunes), but I didn't want the Canadians having one-up on us. The problem is that these teachers have somehow got it into their heads that the word 'birds' is some sort of code amongst males for when girls are around. So, every time I am talking to a female volunteer, they shout to me "oh, there are a lot of birds in the sky today Andrew!" (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). Cue my face turning a shade of beetroot. I suppose it's more subtle than, "go on my son".
- Working in a pub where you pick up a load of old tosh from regulars. Tosh that, unfortunately, sticks with you.
- Watching a lot of football because it is a game which has developed an idiom for every single possible situation.
- Watching all the regional soap operas since I was 5.
This means that when I talk to Indians I have to tone it down dramatically otherwise the conversation is in trouble immediately. English may be one of the national languages in India, but it is normally a secondary language to a regional dialect such as Tamil. An Indian may have an impressive grasp of the English langauge and often have a good knowledge of American slang due to the influence of Hollywood and even the influx of dire R'n'B music in clubs but when I attempt to be witty with English slang, I tend to hit a brick wall. However, I intend on sticking to the passing greeting of "alright" to all children and teachers just in the vain hope that they might ask me what the hell I mean. At the moment, they must just think it a strange noise.
There are many words which don't have the same double meanings over here as they would back home, as evidenced by the 'Hot Puffs' signs on every street corner. Leela, a teacher at the school, was very confused as to why the book she was reading had a character calling a young woman a word meaning 'a baked dish consisting of a filling over a pastry base with an open top not covered with pastry.' I awkwardly informed her that this definition of 'tart' actually meant that she was what the Oxford Dictionary termed as 'an easily-beddable loose woman, grrrrr'.
Whilst discussing these differences with Leela and some other female teachers, they said they'd heard Canadians talk about 'chicks' when referring to girls and asked me if that was what 'us Brits' call them. I couldn't let them think that so I mistakenly told them that some Englismen call women 'birds'. Of course we don't actually (in reality, it's only really Richards Keys, Andy Gray, Neil Morrissey and Martin Clunes), but I didn't want the Canadians having one-up on us. The problem is that these teachers have somehow got it into their heads that the word 'birds' is some sort of code amongst males for when girls are around. So, every time I am talking to a female volunteer, they shout to me "oh, there are a lot of birds in the sky today Andrew!" (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). Cue my face turning a shade of beetroot. I suppose it's more subtle than, "go on my son".
"SORT 'ER" is clearly the next step.
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