Lost in translation: USA vs UK (vs Aus/NZ/India/etc) cultural misunderstandings

[Cagivagurl]

In NZ we still get a lot of British content TV and radio....
We understand....

 

[NoTalentHack]

Most American cable TV and streaming services offer not just BBC America, but also BritBox and Acorn, showing British TV. My grandmother basically watches British shows all day. She says the difference between the US and the UK is that in the UK they have more murders on TV than in real life.

Apropos:

https://nicholasrossis.wordpress.co...getting-murdered-in-a-quaint-english-village/

 

[intim8]

I've watched enough British TV and YouTubers, read British stories, and have a few online/IRL British friends that I get a lot of the references and have learned how to gloss over the ones I don't get so they aren't speed bumps.

I've even started using more Britishisms in every day sppech. I partcularly like "bin". It's much more efficient.

 

[Levorotatory]

In the US most of your high school seniors graduate at 18. They start the year at 17 and turn 18 during their Sr year.
You start kindergarten as a 5 year old, 13 years of school later you graduate as an 18 year old.

Looks like we have found another one of those cultural differences. I looked this up and was surprised to find that most states don't allow kids into kindergarten until they have already turned 5. In Canada, the cutoff date for most provinces is December 31, so about 1/3 of the kids starting kindergarten are still 4, 1/3 of the grade 12 class starts the school year at 16, and only half are 18 by the time they graduate. Even that is older than it used to be - when I was a kid it was the end of February so only about 1/3 of students in my grade 12 class turned 18 before graduating.

 

[HordHolm]

I'm glad this thread is here right now... advice wanted:

I am writing some dialogue, set in an anachronistic turn of the Twentieth Century. The dialogue is, in part, taking place between a Russian count and an airship captain (as I said, anachronistic) from Texas. Now, the correct form of address to a count is 'my lord', but what I'm wondering is whether it might not seem more accurate for a Texan to address the man as, "Count XXX" rather than "my lord", however correct the latter might be in the etiquette books. I would welcome the views of any US colleagues. Would it seem unusually deferential for my Texan airship captain (analogous to a sea captain), to metaphorically bend the knee?

 

[Rustyoznail]

This is the BBC Home Service, here is the news and this is citizen 7638/J reading it...

I grew up listening to "The Goon Show" on the ABC radio, and watching British TV shows on the tellie.

My first couple of stories were deliberately location neutral, but then I wrote a deliberately Aussie / Indian story. It had a few nice comments about how refreshing it was, so that's what I do now.

 

[onehitwanda]

I'm glad this thread is here right now... advice wanted:

I am writing some dialogue, set in an anachronistic turn of the Twentieth Century. The dialogue is, in part, taking place between a Russian count and an airship captain (as I said, anachronistic) from Texas. Now, the correct form of address to a count is 'my lord', but what I'm wondering is whether it might not seem more accurate for a Texan to address the man as, "Count XXX" rather than "my lord", however correct the latter might be in the etiquette books. I would welcome the views of any US colleagues. Would it seem unusually deferential for my Texan airship captain (analogous to a sea captain), to metaphorically bend the knee?

I can't see a Texan lowering himself enough to say "My Lord" - at best you'd get a "Sir" out of them.

 

[onehitwanda]

"Unit" is not restricted to police usage, vis. this tweet from the Museum of English Rural Life and follow-up blog post:

View attachment 2400199

Oh lawd he comin'

 

[StillStunned]

Oh lawd he comin'

Nah, he's just a skinny lamb with a massive afro.

 

[alohadave]

Now, the correct form of address to a count is 'my lord', but what I'm wondering is whether it might not seem more accurate for a Texan to address the man as, "Count XXX" rather than "my lord", however correct the latter might be in the etiquette books. I would welcome the views of any US colleagues. Would it seem unusually deferential for my Texan airship captain (analogous to a sea captain), to metaphorically bend the knee?

It would largely depend on the individual, and how attuned they are to foreign titles. Most people would tend to call them by their title, rather than by calling them 'my lord'. Maybe as a sign of respect after getting to know the the count.

Most Americans aren't going to know or care about aristocratic customs.

 

[HordHolm]

I can't see a Texan lowering himself enough to say "My Lord" - at best you'd get a "Sir" out of them.

"Sir" is good, after beginning with "Count XXX", I think. Thanks.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I'm glad this thread is here right now... advice wanted:

I am writing some dialogue, set in an anachronistic turn of the Twentieth Century. The dialogue is, in part, taking place between a Russian count and an airship captain (as I said, anachronistic) from Texas. Now, the correct form of address to a count is 'my lord', but what I'm wondering is whether it might not seem more accurate for a Texan to address the man as, "Count XXX" rather than "my lord", however correct the latter might be in the etiquette books. I would welcome the views of any US colleagues. Would it seem unusually deferential for my Texan airship captain (analogous to a sea captain), to metaphorically bend the knee?

Speaking as a Texan, that's a hard no on "My Lord".
If you're making him old school, any mention that he should address someone that way would gwt a response that is some form of "I only acknowledge one Lord, my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."