Name Game

As I've mentioned before, my name is a bit of an anomaly in the UK. And lately, I've given up on correcting. It usually takes a while for people to get it right, and some never actually catch on. I never thought my name was all that unusual, given I shared it with many girls in my classes growing up. So many, that we just went by our last names to avoid confusion. Kristin was a name of the 80s, no matter how you spelled it...

In the UK, Kirsten is more well known and I've taken to saying - "like Kristin Scott Thomas," who is the only English actress with my name to associate. I have an Irish client that I've known for over a year, and every time I see him and he's about to introduce me to someone he says, "is it Kirsten or Kristin?" Every. Single. Time.

Typical variations are: Kirsten, Christian, Christine, Kristine, Kirstin...

It's hard enough getting people I know well to say (and spell) it right. There's obviously no hope for Starbucks... Christine? Yup, always for me.

I really need to brush up on German

Last weekend in Berlin, I tried to order 3 of these: 

Drei Weissbier

 

And I got this:

Drei Weißwein

 

We drank them anyway.

 

Nobody believes I'm a German girl. Sorry Dad.

Say What You Mean

My Dad sent this to me a while ago and it's true. All of it.
  
I have to remind myself of these above nuances in work situations but I have gotten used to it by now. Luckily, most of my clients are international and from all over the place so they tend to say what them mean!  Hopefully I haven't offended anyone by saying what I mean in an obvious manner, instead of the unobvious, roundabout, easily miscontrued way that is customary.

I learned quickly if someone says to you... "I would prefer it if..." it means "Do it or else."  If you offer something to someone and they say "Oh I don't mind" it means "I'd love some but I don't want to be a bother so I'm going to act like I don't want any but yes, I do."

After sending this grid to some Brits they refuted some of them but I don't believe it. I think they just know their own secret unspoken language that they've been brought up with that the rest of us are meant to uncode!

The Great Pronunciation Battle

We all know that the English and Americans pronounce words differently. Basil, progress, leisure, tomato, aluminum (they spell it with an extra i too).

However, what confuses me so... Is that the English will pronounce brand names completely differently. As a marketing major, I learned that of course companies need to make adjustments in translating products into other languages. Not only to make sure the meaning makes sense in that language but also that the pronunciation works as well.

English and Americans speak the same language. So why, I wonder to myself (ok and comment with exasperation to those that bring it up) have the Brits decided to change the pronunciation of brand names that are written in English? Just cuz? As far as I know, the company that made the product gets to decide how it's pronounced. It's doesn't have to make sense. It can be a made up word. It's ok!

These brands are pronounced:
Mentos - Men-Toss
Pantene - Pan-Ten
Nike - Nyke- rhymes with Bike
Nikon - Nick-on

You would think P&G wouldn't have to adjust the pronunciation of their products in shampoo commercials in England. But they do. Because they've come up with a whole new way to pronounce it as if in a symbol of defiance or to give the product an aura of English sophistication, I'm not sure which. I'll give you that Nikon is a Japanese company and therefore the company that made the product likely doesn't care...

My colleague told me that if he ever pronounced Nike - Nikeee in the schoolyard he would have gotten beaten up. It wasn't until Michael Jordan became globally known that he and his friends even knew there was a different way to say it.

Just because Nike looks like Bike doesn't mean the company intended for them to rhyme!

Ok rant over. Until I find out a new brand name pronounced in a ridiculous way.

A Very Hardy Groupon Deal

I couldn't resist... Today's national Groupon deal is for Ed Hardy Core t-shirts, available in 13 tattoo inspired styles for men and women. Normally priced at £90 each you can grab them at a steal, £25 a pop. It's a shame I saw this too late in the daily countdown. I could have stocked up for you all.



***For those taking notes, the appropriate name for the clubbing Ed Hardy t-shirt wearers in England is "Chavs". They are much the same as those that might wear the Hardy Core apparel in the USA... same idea, different accent.

Fill-turd Coffee. Fun with Language

Two countries divided by a common language. That George Bernard Shaw... he was so right.




I knew before I came I'd be learning a new language and yet, the English language can still surprise me daily. I've never been so cognizant of my choice of word or phrase on such a constant basis. The tone, the pronunciation, the volume... nothing like moving to a foreign country to make one hyper-self-aware. Even if they "speak the same language". There were words I knew in advance of course, and I read up on some of them, yet I still have some type of regular revelation.

•  Whilst. They do say it... I was hoping it was a myth. I already sense its going to start creeping into my vocabulary any day now. It will start with writing it in an e-mail, then it will come out of my mouth and sound awkward in my ears.
• I had a Rocket, Goat Cheese and Sun dried Tomato Pizza. They said Rocket was a leafy green. I thought it might be like Arugula. Rocket = Arugula. I figured right.
• "The faucet is dripping." "What?" "The faucet." "You mean the tap?" Faucet is not a word in British English. I got a laugh.
• Maths. I had my Maths exam. I'm not very good at Maths. This was a word surprise where I heard it and thought, lisp?  I did not know this one and in my opinion it just does not roll off the tongue. Say that ten times fast. They argue Mathematics is plural and therefore this is the correct word. I googled it, and this guy's blog  Separated by a Common Language has a rather lengthy defense of "Math" if you are curious.

 There have been a few timely articles on BBC News that have definitely hit home for me: Why do some Americanisms irritate people? Followed by the reader's input Americanisms: 50 of Your Most Noted Examples , and an American lexicographer's response Viewpoint: American English is getting on well, thanks (which is trying to be a little too 'clever' towards the end but he has some good points).

While I understand the annoyance in the creep of baseball terminology into the language of the English (ball-park estimate, touch base, out of left-field), I agree with Grant Barretts opinion --"The original version" is what Engel calls British English, which is like calling one's firstborn "the original child". English is, in truth, a family: American English and British English are siblings from the same parentage, neither is the parent of the other. They are two siblings among many modern-day varieties."

If the English language wasn't meant to evolve, we'd all be talking like Shakespeare right now. Which word choice or pronunciation is 'correct' is not the point. Although my new friends and colleagues are quick to quip that theirs was the original and therefore, correct!

Other things:

• This conversation happens about every other day:

"Kirsten is it?" "No K-R-istin...." "Oh Kristin, oh okay." This is usually followed with a "Sorry not a common name here so I keep wanting to say Kirsten" when they inevitably call me Kirsten again at some point.  Apparently my name does not roll off the British tongue.

• I bought my sheets and mattress topper (my bed is as hard as a rock!) at TK MAXX. No, you didn't read incorrectly. It's called TK MAXX here because someone apparently already had the T-J taken.
• The first time I ordered at Starbucks here, I asked for a cup of coffee and they said "Fill-tuhrd Coffee?" What? "Fill-Turd Coffee?" I nodded yes. Not knowing what they meant. They went to the coffee pot so I was satisfied I had communicated properly and then my eyes glanced to the board. "Filtered Coffee"... I've since learned that if you want milk in your coffee you order a White Filtered Coffee. The Fill-turd coffee is so strong it barely changes color with milk!  
•  The British keyboard is pretty similar with a few slight issues ... the Enter key is much farther over to the right and there are some other keys including the # key in between so when I first started using one, my typing looked like#  this whenever# I have a new paragraph# or second thought# in an IM window# or email. I'm getting used to it. Just like everything else...