Chapter 4 Excerpt

Words That Guarantee Giggles

The differences outlined in this chapter cause giggles rather than offense or annoyance, but are included so you'll know why people are laughing at you.   And they will!  

For example, little girls wear "panties", grown women do not.   Going into a store and asking for panties, will begin with directions to the children and toddler department, followed by hoots of laughter when you explain they're for you, (or your wife).  

Similarly, if your name is Randy, be prepared for years of taunting and childish giggling, as the word in the UK is not a name, but means "horny".

"Several other seemingly similar words will cause mutual giggles when they're pronounced out loud.   For "yogurt" the Brits pronounce the first syllable like "fog" rather than like "go"; "pasta" and "basil" are pronounced with a flat 'a', as in "fast"; "oregano" has the emphasis on the third syllable rather than the second.

"Perhaps one of the funniest to the Brits will be the American pronunciation of "buoy", and I guarantee they won't know what the heck you're talking about unless you're actually pointing at one.   They pronounce it "boy", and since it's not a word that comes up on American TV shows too often, you'll be able to count on one hand the number of Brits who have ever heard the "Booey" version of its pronunciation."