Ken

Hello Everyone.

We have all, since relocating to the UK, made some sort of error when communicating with the inhabitants of this island. Feel free to share your story if miscommunication and the ramifications (if any). The best story will receive a certificate I will make up on my computer! There is no word limit.

My own story will be forthcoming.

I'm not sure if this is neccessarly a "miscommunication" as such as I did not speak but there was a time I made a swear gesture in class.
I was about 10 years old and I just moved to England and was in my second week or so of school. I was innocently counting on my hands-you know the way North Americans do-index finger, middle finger, ruby pinkie thumb for last. I got to two and my class mates immidiatly told the teacher I was swearing! I couldn't belive it! I told the teacher I wasn't (my hands still locked in that offensive gesture). The teacher who was understanding just told me not to do it again.

I have also had difficulty in class dividing the class into two groups. I keep forgetting which way is the wrong way. Oops.

My miscommunication occurred when I was listening to an upset mother explain to me how she and her son had just left her husband the night before. Every sentence began with the word, "ken". By the end of it, I thought that was her husband's name. When I later went to the staff room, I asked the other teachers whether they had encountered "Ken".

That was when I found out that "ken" is used as "ya, know"....
Yip. Good for me.

Awww, I wish I had a story now because the prize sounds fabulous
Hmmm, gotta think of something and get back on this one.

At the moment, I can't think of a specific example but here's something I just learned a couple of weeks ago that has caused me re-think a billion conversations I've had.

In Canada (at least on the west coast, where I'm from), when I say something like, "I feel quite happy", or "Is that a new shirt? It looks quite good on you." I mean 'very' - I feel very happy and that shirt looks very good on you. And I mean it sincerely. Well.... I've learned that here in the UK it doesn't. It's use of "quite" is almost always sarcastic (unless combined with obvious expression of enthusiasm). So the above would mean - 'I feel like crap' and 'your shirt is crap' -- sort of thing.

I've lived here three years and have used 'quite' quite a lot. I can only imagine how many incidents of miscommunication have occured! lol.

when i was about 17 i was over here on vacation and was greeted with looks of shock/horror/disgust from my cousin and her female friends when i bellowed: "anybody seen my fanny pack?"

Within a week of my moving to the UK four years ago, my landlord/housemate/work colleague asked me if I wanted to join him in a trip to the pub with his friends. I said that would be great, but I'd have to make sure I had some clean pants to wear ......... and then wondered why on earth he was giving me the strangest look I'd seen in quite a while. He then said "I'm hoping that the word "pants" in Canada means something different from what it does here!" When he explained that it refers to UNDERpants here, I was aghast with embarrassment! Get quite a kick out it now though! I've since learned though that people in the North of England sometimes use the word "pants" the same way we do in Canada/North America.

BTW, does anyone else still find it really strange calling them "trousers"?? That's sounds like something my Grandpa would wear!!!

[quote="kirsten78_uk"]
BTW, does anyone else still find it really strange calling them "trousers"?? That's sounds like something my Grandpa would wear!!! [/quote]

Better than "slacks" I hate that word.

Definitely agree with that.