I am genuinely surprised by the amount of Americans who do not recognise our English accent. Yes they recognise that we are "not from round these parts", but they don't automatically associate us with being British. Most frequently we're mistaken for Australians - occasionally we have been asked if we are Irish or Scots - close; I have even bizarrely been asked if I was Russian (to be fair this was from a non-native American). Apparently I look Russian too - what do think of my secret agent outfit?
Of course there are Americans who will recognise that you're English immediately; others will enquire politely "where are you guys from?", others will just look at you, register that you are an alien species and turn away without further comment. Xenophobia? America? Surely not?!
Anyway, when it is finally established that yes, we're from England, you realise that Americans' knowledge of any other culture apart from their own is extremely limited. In Europe and the rest of the world we are bombarded on a daily basis with Americana - films, TV programmes, celebrities, fast food, American culture is everywhere. I've watched American films - I know that petrol is gas, I know the pavement is a sidewalk; I know a holiday is a vacation and I put my rubbish in the trash can. You have a lapse of concentration here and call an elevator a lift and suddenly you're from the Planet Zog. They have no idea what you are talking about.
I've given up trying to explain I'm from Southampton, a large shipping port on the South Coast of England - "is that near London?" Well, it's about 70 miles south west of London. Yes, actually I'm from South London. I have managed to bluff my way through questions about the Queen, Prince William and Camilla (whoops Camilla who? was my first thought when I encountered that one!) I have also admirably defended the British weather - after all who needs sunshine everyday - pretty boring if you ask me! Sadly, Americans really do have trouble understanding our accents. Expect to have to repeat everything at least twice - very clearly and very slowly. Our great sense of humour is wasted; Americans tend to take everything you say very literally so by the time you've repeated what you've just said, then explained that you were in fact only kidding, you really do end up wishing you hadn't bothered.
It really is a question of having to think before you speak - not exactly a good recipe for relaxed, spontaneous conversation. I'm flippant, I'm sarcastic - that's just who I am, or who I was, when I socialised with people who understood me. Now I've become very conscious that my sense of humour and throw away remarks can easily be misconstrued and worry every time I speak that I am about to offend someone. I once made the mistake early on of trying to make what I thought was polite conversation with a neighbour - contact with our neighbours had been extremely limited and whilst out for a walk I spotted this particular neighbour tending to her garden. I saw this as an excellent opportunity to become better acquainted - common ground - same street, gardening, the ideal conversational opportunity! I remarked how nice it was to see someone doing their own garden for a change rather than employing a gardener. "Actually I do have a gardener" she replied rather haughtily before turning her back on me. What had I done, what had I said? It wasn't until later that it occurred to me that she might have thought I was implying she couldn't actually afford a gardener....Had I actually been rude?? A few weeks later she appeared at the door, with her cat, which she informed me had recently started to go missing. She was sure someone was luring him away so she had decided to follow him. Guess where he had ended up? Not that I had ever seen the cat before in my life but as he playfully wound himself around my legs, I realised I was doomed....catnapper...worse than that, rude, alien, catnapper!
So, how do you stop being misunderstood? Stop speaking? Start talking with an American accent? No that would be losing my heritage. Find some British friends and stick with them, they'll understand. We'll have our own social enclave like all the other groups of American immigrants. Back to our bubble again...oh, only kidding. No I said ... B..A..C..K....T..O....O..U..R....B..U..B..B..L..E....A..G..A..I..N... It was a joke...it doesn't matter, forget I ever said anything!
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