Ah... I loved that movie. (Roxanne, if any of you didn't get the quote.) Steve Martin as a Cyrano type of figure was trying to feed a tongue tied hunk lines to win over Roxanne. The tongue tied hunk couldn't hear too well.
Anyway, what does this have to do with travel in the UK?
Well, when I first got to England it started out as kind of annoying to find out those darn British don't speak English so good! I was in dire need of a restroom at a department store one day. Let's just say my eyes were floating. :)
I run up to the nearest cashier and with a crazed look and no-nonsense approach, I boldly ask for the restroom.
"Th' wha?"
"Restroom!"
Blank face.
"The bathroom."
"You want to take a bath???"
NO NO NO!!! My poor bladder was about to burst.
Quickly thinking of synonyms... I tossed out, LadiesRoomPowderRoom... and the final last ditch effort... "WC!".
"Ah," says the lady and points.
England and America are two countries separated by the same language. -George Bernard Shaw
I had a few other run-ins with the "English" language while over there. Let's see...
I was talking with a telephone operator and asked if she'd transfer me to Information.
dead silence.
"What?"
"You know, directory information..."
Silence.
"OH!!! You want directory INQUIRIES!"
Whatever.
Just like that post in that last blog on various foodstuffs. Aubergine/eggplant. Lift/elevator, flat/apartment...
The cute part of British English (to me) is their colloquialisms.
Bob's your uncle.
Getting a leg over.
'ave a Butchers.
LOL, I still don't know what they're saying 'arf the time, but I'm learning.
Oh, and if you really want a laugh, try asking an American to say:
"Sort it out"
With an English accent. I've been trying for YEARS!
Tirrah for now, me ducks!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
An Eggplant by Any Other Name
While living and traveling in England, I've run into various and sundry strange eating habits! A lot of things have changed since the early 80s, but some haven't.
Take Marmite, for example.
I've determined that it's something between marmalade and a termite. Generally, it has the consistency of axle grease (though axle grease tends to smell better).
But, Kim and Greg seem to like the stuff. I guess it's an acquired taste.
When I lived in Yorkshire, I loved the Yorkshire pudding. But, beware! Black pudding is NOT nearly the same lovely stuff.
Black pudding or (less often) blood pudding is a British English term for sausage made by cooking blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled.
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the black pudding is fictional creature of the ooze family. It resembles a bubbling, heaped pile of thick, black, pudding-like goo, roughly fifteen feet across and two feet thick. I sometimes wonder, when I see Black Pudding, if it reaIly *is* a fictional creature!
Now, why can't the Brits be more like us???
Personally, one of my favorite breakfast dishes is grits.
And don't be doing yankee messin' wid perfection stuff. Eat grits as they should be et. With butter and salt. Grits are made of corn, for Chrissakes! What's all this "milk and sugar" or "syrup" business? Eat grits with butter and salt. Period, the end!
And yams... I once sat down to a meal in England where the restaurant served up the nicest meal with mashed sweet potatoes... or so I thought! Yams/sweet potatoes... similar enough in taste that I don't notice a difference (if there is one)... are God's own tuber. With a little butter, cinnamon, and sugar - you have a veggie delight that is almost akin to a dessert! Plus, ladies, all that plant estrogen in sweet taters is way good for you.
However, back to my restaurant story. I'm looking at my "mashed sweet potatoes" all slavering and stuff... took a bite, and AAAAKKKKKKK!!!!!!!
What *was* that stuff? It's like going to hug your granny and getting mugged instead!
This stuff is called Swede. And it's NOT like a sweet tater. More like a turnip. *insert green face here*.
And the terminology for stuff even if it IS similar to things we know in the US is just mind boggling.
I was asking a neighbor in Yorkshire once about where to find eggplant. She looked at me like I was crazy!!! Eggplant??? You must be joking!
And when I tried to explain it was a large, purple, bulbous kind of thing - she further snickered behind her smile. I could read "what a nutter" crossing her mind.
But, the next day, she comes back and says... I looked it up, and what you are describing is an Aubergine! A what??? Aubergine?
Who knew the English would find some french word to describe a veggie. Eggplant. Much more suitably English in nature. :) That's my stand and I'm sticking to it!
I'll write more later when I'm back from eating breakfast. Which will, of course, include grits. With butter and salt. :)
Take Marmite, for example.
I've determined that it's something between marmalade and a termite. Generally, it has the consistency of axle grease (though axle grease tends to smell better).
But, Kim and Greg seem to like the stuff. I guess it's an acquired taste.
When I lived in Yorkshire, I loved the Yorkshire pudding. But, beware! Black pudding is NOT nearly the same lovely stuff.
Black pudding or (less often) blood pudding is a British English term for sausage made by cooking blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled.
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the black pudding is fictional creature of the ooze family. It resembles a bubbling, heaped pile of thick, black, pudding-like goo, roughly fifteen feet across and two feet thick. I sometimes wonder, when I see Black Pudding, if it reaIly *is* a fictional creature!
Now, why can't the Brits be more like us???
Personally, one of my favorite breakfast dishes is grits.
And don't be doing yankee messin' wid perfection stuff. Eat grits as they should be et. With butter and salt. Grits are made of corn, for Chrissakes! What's all this "milk and sugar" or "syrup" business? Eat grits with butter and salt. Period, the end!
And yams... I once sat down to a meal in England where the restaurant served up the nicest meal with mashed sweet potatoes... or so I thought! Yams/sweet potatoes... similar enough in taste that I don't notice a difference (if there is one)... are God's own tuber. With a little butter, cinnamon, and sugar - you have a veggie delight that is almost akin to a dessert! Plus, ladies, all that plant estrogen in sweet taters is way good for you.
However, back to my restaurant story. I'm looking at my "mashed sweet potatoes" all slavering and stuff... took a bite, and AAAAKKKKKKK!!!!!!!
What *was* that stuff? It's like going to hug your granny and getting mugged instead!
This stuff is called Swede. And it's NOT like a sweet tater. More like a turnip. *insert green face here*.
And the terminology for stuff even if it IS similar to things we know in the US is just mind boggling.
I was asking a neighbor in Yorkshire once about where to find eggplant. She looked at me like I was crazy!!! Eggplant??? You must be joking!
And when I tried to explain it was a large, purple, bulbous kind of thing - she further snickered behind her smile. I could read "what a nutter" crossing her mind.
But, the next day, she comes back and says... I looked it up, and what you are describing is an Aubergine! A what??? Aubergine?
Who knew the English would find some french word to describe a veggie. Eggplant. Much more suitably English in nature. :) That's my stand and I'm sticking to it!
I'll write more later when I'm back from eating breakfast. Which will, of course, include grits. With butter and salt. :)
Friday, February 13, 2009
Winter Rates
Well, my friend Lisa has been posting me all these wonderful airfare rates to England. $599 for airfare and six nights in London!
A shame it's only through March.
I've also been bemoaning the fact that I am going at the wrong time of year to see the live show of Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds (http://www.thewaroftheworlds.com/). The small consolation is that I have a DVD (British format only) of the show. Now, to figure out how to get my tv to play the darn thing!
The other news is that I've been discussing the trip with my adopted mom (Joan). We call her Woofie... not sure where she got that... :) Anyway, Woofie has always wanted to go overseas , so I'm going to take her out to Valentine's lunch tomorrow and go over things to see if it's really something doable. I hope so, because I think she'd have so much fun!
So, if she does come, I'm guessing the itinerary would be reworked quite a bit. Less time on the road - more time in centrally-located spots.
We shall see!
In other news, I've been in touch with Kim and Sarn again. Sarn is working on some ideas for the Stoke-on-Trent and Lake District part of our trip. Will keep you posted here on any major updates to the schedule.
I'm off to go look at some guided tours for Woofie... maybe I can take her some brochures tomorrow.
XOXOXO
A shame it's only through March.
I've also been bemoaning the fact that I am going at the wrong time of year to see the live show of Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds (http://www.thewaroftheworlds.com/). The small consolation is that I have a DVD (British format only) of the show. Now, to figure out how to get my tv to play the darn thing!
The other news is that I've been discussing the trip with my adopted mom (Joan). We call her Woofie... not sure where she got that... :) Anyway, Woofie has always wanted to go overseas , so I'm going to take her out to Valentine's lunch tomorrow and go over things to see if it's really something doable. I hope so, because I think she'd have so much fun!
So, if she does come, I'm guessing the itinerary would be reworked quite a bit. Less time on the road - more time in centrally-located spots.
We shall see!
In other news, I've been in touch with Kim and Sarn again. Sarn is working on some ideas for the Stoke-on-Trent and Lake District part of our trip. Will keep you posted here on any major updates to the schedule.
I'm off to go look at some guided tours for Woofie... maybe I can take her some brochures tomorrow.
XOXOXO
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