We all have heard the phrase “A picture is worth a thousand words.” I started thinking about the meaning behind this quote when I was studying abroad. I know that a picture shows so much to convey scenes and experiences to other people that they would otherwise never understand from a visual perspective. They show us a lot about the places we’ve been to and those we want to go to.
But not everything. Pictures, while depictions of beauty and epic moments, cannot portray the life that lives within the moment that exists past the camera frame. There are feelings that a camera can only show in a simple smile or crows feet around the eyes. The sounds of cyclists and voices, smells of the baking bread and the flowers around you, and the slight breeze that’s in the air are all absent in a picture; sometimes I find that words can tell you, even “show” you, more than a photo can.
So what about the words I’ve heard during my travels? Have they all been similar to “How are ya’ll doing?” No, they haven’t. I have included a list of some of my favorites that I heard while across the pond in the UK. They are pieces of the culture and they show the presence of differences between American culture and British culture.
1. Driegh or variant Driech (pronounced Dreeck)
Imagine the most dreary, wet, and rainy day possible. That’s the meaning of Driegh. Saying it almost conveys it’s meaning, as if it’s awful to even utter the term.
2. “What are you after?”
The phrase means “What do you want?” When I was in Scotland over Independent Travel, the Altmans and I were sitting down to dinner when Mike asked me what I was after. I was confused for a second and replied, hoping I was responding to the right thing, “Uh, water.” He was wondering what I wanted to drink.
3. Lorry
I first heard this term when we were driving in England and someone reminded me that the British refer to Semis or 18-wheelers as Lorries. A huge lorry just past us on the road. Sounds so much cooler, don’t you think?
4. Trousers, not Pants
Trousers is the term the British use to refer to pants. They call underwear pants, so don’t say you’re going to go iron your pants too loudly or they will laugh. Serious, they will laugh.
5. Half Five (or half one; half ten; etc.)
The British way of saying “half five” or “half seven” is another way of saying “five thirty” and “seven thirty.”
6. Anti-Clockwise
We would say “Counterclockwise.”
7. Cheers
I’ve heard this so much that it’s practically ingrained into my word bank memory, however it took a few times to get used to the term as it’s used so often in England and the UK. Saying “cheers” is another way of saying “thank you.” If you buy something from a store, the owner might say cheers to you before you leave as a way of saying “thank you for supporting my business.” Or to a waiter at a restaurant, you would most likely say “cheers” to thank him for bring your food to you. This too, is a much cooler term than the simple “thank you”.
So, not every word that means one thing in America means the same thing in the UK. It was interesting to learn these phrases and terms and many more that I haven’t yet shared. (If you’re ever interested in knowing more, just ask!) Much love to you all and cheers for reading my blog! I hope you will still continue to do so, even though I am back in America. I still have tons of thoughts to share with my readers (:
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