British-isms

I've been pretty open about the fact that originally, moving to England wasn't top on my list because I wanted to become proficient in Spanish. In the end, I am unspeakably glad I am here for my YAGM year, even though it has nothing to do with learning Spanish at all - there are just so many other great things about living in York. And learning British-isms is certainly fun and satisfying in its own way. I kept a list in my journal in the beginning of new-to-me phrases, but over time forgot to be amazed when someone said something I'd only ever heard before in Harry Potter.

But I started thinking about learning a language all over again thanks to Apu (Shantonu's cousin) who sent a list of 88 British Phrases to Shantonu and me. Read 88 British Phrases That Will Confuse Anyone Who Didn't Grow Up in the UK here. On first thought, I added Number 89 - naff, which basically means something is messed up. Then I thought of a few other Yorkshire-specific words. It still delights me to hear them - things like nowt or hiya. Nowt means nothing - I was walking down the street lately and a woman asked a man if he had been given any sort of directions or assistance, and he responded with a very emphatic nowt. I was inordinately pleased by this exchange for some reason. It's the little things, innit? (isn't it)

Another Yorkshire expression that I fancy (like) is the York-typical greeting of "Hiya! You alright?" It's like saying, "Hey, how are you?" but when I first moved here it confused me endlessly. Specifically, one of the women who works at The Island would greet me as such. And I never could figure out how to respond. Yes? I'm alright? Fine? OK? To me, at the beginning, it sounded like she was asking if I was doing OK, which to me then meant I must have looked like I wasn't doing OK. It didn't sound like the equivalent of "How are you?" at all. And I was worried I would be par if I responded incorrectly (committing a breach of social etiquette).

I know some Americans find this phrase rather mingy (unpleasant) but I began to like its lilting cadence, and now, somehow, it feels perfectly natural to respond to the query with a simple, "Yeah, you?". And I find myself greeting others with this same easy expression - it rolls off the tongue to say it as I swing my groceries up on the counter or walk in to a doctor's office. It's not the same as mastering the pluperfect tense in French, but upon realizing that I've adopted this quirky pleasantry, I was pretty chuffed (pleased). I felt bloody dench (damn cool).