Contract Day

Mark and I are signing the contract for our new place tonight. And speaking of which, it's time we discuss the anglification of my terminology. I've come to learn that word choice is sometimes a politic statement, sometimes a point of confusion and the rest of the time a possibly quaint statement of one's cultural origins. For example, I chose to use the term 'place' as I felt this was non-country specific. This is due to the fact that I feel like a bit of a poser when I use the term flat. Plus there is the general concept that 'flat' refers to a surface without topographical variation, but let's not go down that route.

From time to time I am actually taken aback to find myself using a word that the locals do not know. When I know the English equivalent this is not such an issue, but sometimes I don't know and the conversation kind of comes to an end as I mumble incoherently and then just stare off into space. The phrase I have in mind at the moment is 'station wagon'. I think it might be called an estate car, but that sounds somber and oppressive so I'm not sure if that's right.

Other words you should avoid while in the UK: sketchy, garbage, sedan, awesome (tv commercials have led me to believe this is an Americanism, and while understandable, they will not use the word in return). I'm sure there are others but I'm blanking on them now!

The good news is you get to shorten all kinds of words and add 'ies' to the end, which I find just good fun and I'm a little disappointed that we didn't come up with it first. Most well known is of course the shortening of television to telly, but also includes the common shortening of umbrella to brolly, beverage to bevvies (as in, let's go out and get some bevvies), biscuits to biccies (not sure how that one's spelled), and presents to prezzies (as spelled by Mark). Of course the Aussies also shorten barbecue to barbie, but this isn't about them, now is it.