Sometimes, living day-to-day in Northern Ireland lulls me into a false sense of security—since I can read and speak the language, I find myself assuming that communication will be effortless. But then someone will look at me strangely after I say something, or one of the kids in the afterschool program will ask me a question full of words that I’ve never heard before (and trust me, I’ve learned the hard way that guessing doesn’t work well—it’s much better to ask them to repeat themselves). Maybe if I were more prepared for these little differences, they wouldn’t surprise me so much. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad surprise—but it’s a surprise all the same.
Here are some of the differences that I’ve had fun observing and, at times, putting into practice (with varying degrees of success):
Providing transportation is giving someone “a lift”—never “a ride.”
When eating, your fork is held in one hand and your knife in the other. You turn your fork over and use your knife to pile food on top of it (your bite might consist of mashed potatoes and peas, for instance, or French fries—chips—and coleslaw). If you’re thinking that this takes a fair amount of balance and skill, you’re right. If you’re thinking that I probably haven’t gotten the hang of it yet, then you’re right again.
You might describe a timid person by saying, “She wouldn’t say boo to a goose.”
You might describe a crazy person by saying, “He’s mad as a bag of spiders.”
Scundered: embarrassed, awkward, uncomfortable
A vacuum is a “hoover.” This can also be a verb, as in, “I’ve just hoovered the stairs.”
When someone offers you juice, they’re likely talking about squash—not the vegetable, but a sort of liquid concentrate fruit drink. You make it by pouring a small amount into a jug and adding water. You end up with a vaguely fruity, vaguely sugary, vaguely carbonated drink.
Chasies: the game of tag
Pumpkin Spice does not exist as a Starbucks syrup here. This is the only difference that I have not had fun observing.
Wick: rubbish; can be used as an adjective or exclamation
In years past, trick-or-treaters have been given money more often than sweets. However, it now seems that sweets are more in demand. Also, Halloween fireworks are a big pretty big deal.
How's the form? It's another way of saying how are you?
More table etiquette: when I went out for lunch the other day, everyone at the table set aside the top half of their hamburger bun and proceeded to eat the rest of their burger with a knife and fork. The leftover piece of bun was later eaten with knife and fork, as were the chips (French fries). Now, perhaps this is also done in polite American society, but I have to admit that it was a first for me. :)
