I pride myself on knowing a lot of Britishisms through reading a great deal of British novels (mostly fantasy and classic mystery) and watching Britcoms, but I still get confused by some things my British Internet friends. Candies ("treacle" is pretty much "caramel" isn't it? or is that "toffee"?) and political & rugby/football terms are the hardest for me.
I truly pity English-language learners, especially here in the US where any English they've ever learned is probably British English. The library where I work has books on American idioms to help our many immigrant patrons through the minefield of American English.
Within the US, I find regionalisms aren't quite so bad as accents. After 13 years in Maryland (the edge of "the South") I still sometimes have to ask people with deep-South accents to repeat what they've said.
I'm first language English english but also have immediate Italian ancestry and immediate ancestors from parts of England with 'interesting' local dialects, like Sunderland in the North East and Stafford in the 'Black Country' of the Midlands although I was bought up in the 'deep southeast' county of Kent. I also lived in Belgium for a time. This has left me with an accent and useages which people often find hard to pick-although it's indisputably southern English at one level. I've even been accused of being Australian!
Sultanas are dried GREEN grapes while raisins and Currants are dried red (black) grapes. Sultanas tend to be plumper and juicier than either raisins or currants.
I truly pity English-language learners, especially here in the US where any English they've ever learned is probably British English. The library where I work has books on American idioms to help our many immigrant patrons through the minefield of American English.
Within the US, I find regionalisms aren't quite so bad as accents. After 13 years in Maryland (the edge of "the South") I still sometimes have to ask people with deep-South accents to repeat what they've said.
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Me too. I have a mix of London and Yorkshire accents.
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Does that make sense? :o)
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