Separated by a common language

It took me a while to decipher the Scottish equivalents of American words. After living there for three years some became so ingrained that they still come to me as first choice - I still think bonnet, boot, windscreen and petrol instead of hood, trunk, windshield and gas. I still say "bloody awful". We still toast eachother with "slainte mhath" and "slainte mhor". But most other Scottish words and phrases have been left behind.

Joanie used to say "I have to go up to the store for some messages". I wondered for quite a while why people would leave messages at the store when they could call her on the phone. Turns out she meant she needed to get some groceries. I'm glad I never asked - I'd have seemed a real twit.

People would ask us for tea - and it would turn out to be a full-fledged roast beef and Yorkshire pudding Sunday dinner. A "fork supper" was one that didn't include a piece of meat that needed slicing. Casseroles or "hot dishes" were unknown. A "pudding" was the dessert course. Biscuits weren't baking powder buns but came in packages and were as close to cookies as one could get. Sweeties were any kind of candy. Tatties and neeps were potatoes and turnips (swedes as they were known there - the closest veg we have to them are rutabagas - but those aren't as good). Bangers are what purport to be sausages. Chips are french fries, crisps are potato chips all of which were flavored.

We would go to the surgery on Wed. afternoons if we needed to - not to have an operation but to wait in the village hall for a turn to see the doctor who was making his weekly rounds. If a guy was "pissed" he was more likely to pass out than to punch somebody out. "Knickers" would have looked funny on a golfer (at least in public). A jumper was a sweater - not a style of dress. Football was soccer.

And "God Save the Queen" stole its tune from "My Country 'Tis of Thee". (I can too say that - its my blog!!)