September 20, 2007

One Year and One Week and Now I Speak the Queen's English

Can you believe I've lived in London for one year and one week? Feels longer and shorter. No worries about a fake accent, I still think in American. However, I do have some nifty new expressions in my vocabulary.

Blag - talking your way into the VIP room

Cheeky - smooth talk to get your way

Pear shaped - something has gone completely wrong

Cheers for that - used mid-sentence to say thanks "Got the file you sent me, cheers for that, it was really useful."

Cuppa - a cup of tea "care for a cuppa?"

Bugger off - describing how you told someone to get away. "That guy kept bothering me so I told him to bugger off."

Chugger - charity mugger - this is a concept unique to the UK. People stand on the sidewalks and accost you into making a donation. Feels like you've been mugged by a charity. I give them the evil eye and shake my head "no" which seems to work. Kinda like using bug spray.

Do you think the Queen would be proud of my adoption of her English?