Expats - do you find yourself becoming ^more^ foreign as time goes on ...

[NotQuiteCockney]

I'm Canadian, I've been in the UK for 11 years.

When I lived in Canada, I never said 'dude'. It's not something a Canadian, particularly one from Ontario, would say.

But now I call everyone 'dude'. Ok, well, every child.

I've got hooked on Seinfeld, too, which I don't think is going to help with the 'not becoming less British' thing ...

LOL!!!
I say 'dude' ALL THE FRICKIN' TIME!!! and i never said it before!

what's up with that?

It's easy, saying 'dude' is a north american stereotype, might as well say it.

I just have to be careful not to say it when I'm home. I can't wander around Toronto with my entirely broken accent saying 'dude'.

Who is Joyce Grenfell? [too lazy to google]

oh yes
here

Hmmm, that monologue sounds a fair bit like a few minutes at the co-op.

Only of course I'm running about with the children making buzzing noises, too.

And calling them 'dude'.

yes, but imagine it spoken by a harrassed 50yo Mary Poppins
that's Joyce Grenfell

and Califrau

I am frightened of James Garner. Was he in Gunsmoke or some other naff TV show?

Message withdrawn

Rockford! God he was Rockford! Gah.

oh fabulous, they're all here

I like the nativity play best

I say 'eh' a fair bit. But 'dude' more.

Does your DH say 'eh' as part of his ongoing being 'Canadian' thing?

(Spent a while at a party on Sunday being told, by a Brit, who used to date an Anglo Quebecker, how horrible the Quebecois were ... quite similar to listening to the ex of an Africaans person tell you what was wrong with Black South Africans . Thankfully he had to go off to stop his father telling an Italian what Italians are really like.)

Who, exactly, is Pam Ayres? She appears in that claymation series with the dog who says 'Sausages!' a lot. But I don't think I get her. Is she a pistake? Of who?

of herself I think

I hope anyway...

As a canadian, I have never called anyone dude. I think it is an american thing eh? I find in canada, we call everyone buddy, as in hey, buddy, what cha doin?

it's all too easy to pick up british words instead of what you normally say:

duvet instead of doona (though my dh now says 'doona' )

pants meaning trousers not knickers

trainers not sneakers

flip flops not thongs

etc etc

Yes definitely. To the point where I see Brits abroad behaving as Brits do and remonstrate about "the English" and their funny habits, totally forgetting that I am one of them and probably was exactly the same before I became "one of the natives".
I now also peel all my fruit, although I do draw the line at eating an apple with a knife and fork (as seen at a posh dinner party).
I have become extremely articulate in Italian swearwords, apart from when I'm really angry, when only a good old f*@# will do (as in word, not shag ).
I'm sure there's more apart from all the obvious things associated with language but I can't think right now. Will probably come to me later.

Oh, no, I mean, I'm a Canadian living in Britain, and I appear to be transmogrifying myself, unintentionally, into some sort of bizarre North American stereotype.

I have had my vocabulary get all confused, and I do default to the British terms for everything, as it's less work.

And yeah, you're right, 'buddy' is Canadian for 'dude', but for complicated family reasons, I hate the word 'buddy', so never use it ...

Oh arse, am NQC with comedy name to annoy Frances with ...

When I lived in france and was introduced to someone as l'anglaise I was always jokingly asked if I would like a cup of tea (I never drank tea in those days) so I always answered, actually I'm scottish (and I am a quarter)- then i was promptly offered a whisky!

Hi everyone,

Just thought I'd post to introduce myself.

Im living in Greece, anyone else here in the south?

I have a 2yr old boy and Im about to start work again for the summer. Im really going to miss him as I dont work in the winter.

x