Originally posted by jmlee
I just have to charm in here on the British-American thing.
Here in Germany, I am often mistaken for being British. My fiancée keeps telling me that if I could just get my grammar in order, few would notice that I am not a native German speaker--the point is that it cannot be the accent.
So what is it? Is in the way I dress? If so, I am not sure which is worse--given the fashion tragedy that is the Anglo-American world generally. Is it just that they don't expect to see an American so far from home--or at least one not wearing tennis shoes?
So, then I get asked whether I am capable of translating from German into English--as well as into American. I try to explain that the written differences are pretty small. Nevertheless, they take British English to be the standard, from which American English is some deviation--and all the while writing "color" and "sympathize". (Oops, the placement of that last period/full-stop looks awfully British to me.)
Or is it an imperial thing? The denial of the current American Empire, causing them to focus on the former British one?
Okay, I am rambling. But, I do have a question for the Brits in the group: Is Tony Blair just George Bush's poodle or what? (I mean it kinda seriously, with no offense intended. I am just interested in the British reaction to Tony's beating the war drums with George.)
Cheers,
Jamie
jamie its kinda rude to butt in to someones thread with something completly unrelated.
Respecfully suggest you post this as a seperate thread elsewhere