Well I had quite a nice day yesterday, with lots of “me” time. I am trying to get plenty of “me” time again today as I have lots that I want to do and this is the last available day this week. I am having Ellie all day tomorrow and Thursday and Evan on Friday morning. On Friday afternoon I am going to the hair dressers to have my highlights redone and that takes up the whole afternoon.
So far today I have cleaned the bathroom and kitchen and got some washing on. I am trying to wash all the covers from my furniture. They all zip on and off so that they can be washed. They are very large so I am doing one set each day. They get very grubby from the dogs....yes, we do let the dogs get on the furniture. I know some people think that is a no, no, but we like having a dog sitting with us to stroke whilst watching TV. It is very comforting.
The disadvantage is that over the years they have ruined our furniture. Not in a naughty way, just wear and tear. Their claws catch sometimes so the covers have all worn very thin and are now fraying in the middle. They also get grubby just from the dogs natural oils, I suppose. They never get on there with dirty feet. Of course everything is always covered with dog hair, hence the daily hoovering! Anyway, they looked very grubby so I am washing them. We really need to replace the furniture but there is no point whilst we still have 3 dogs. When it gets really bad we’ll just cover it up!
That word hoovering is another one that causes confusion between us and our American cousins. They of course know that Hoover is a brand name for a vacuum. They however don’t do the hoovering they do the vacuuming! They all think I am funny when I say I am hoovering!
I am glad everyone liked the “Merkans” post. It was written tongue in cheek, so I’m glad nobody thought I was being rude. I love all our differences and I have learnt so much from all of you. At the basic level we all speak the same language. I have had some really informative comments. I didn’t realise that there was so much difference between the southern states and the northern. I have visited both and not noticed this. The accents change of course as you move around the country but I hadn’t noticed the change in vocabulary.
I have also learnt some new stuff. I knew you walked on the sidewalk but I had no idea you drove on the pavement!!! You would be arrested for that over here! Thanks Dixie for that bit of info. Dixie also points out how many of our words have French origins, which of course is true.
Unfortunately I have managed to get Dixie confused............In my “Merkans” blog I used the phrase “I am in a two and eight” Dixie said she didn’t quite get that as she thought the phrase was “at sixes and sevens”. Well they mean similar things, the latter means to be confused or to be in disarray the first one means to be in a bit of a state. The reason you “Merkans” won’t know the expression “In a two and eight” is because it is actually Cockney rhyming slang!!!
The words two and eight of course rhyme with the word state! EG. "Clear up your room - it's in a right two and eight! I am not a born and bred Cockney. My dad was, well just about! The thing is some expressions have become popular and are in general use and even a lot of Brits wouldn’t realise that they are actually Cockney rhyming slang. For more information on Cockney rhyming slang this is a great website: http://www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk/
What makes a person a true Cockney? It isn’t just any old Londoner, although the term is often misused to describe working class Londoners from the East End. It is someone who is “born within the sound of Bow Bells” The bells referred to being those of St. Mary-Le-Bow church in Cheapside in the city of London. (This is not actually in the East End!)
In olden days the bells could be heard over a large area of the East End including, Clerkenwell, Finsbury, Shoreditch, Hoxton, Stepney, Bethnal Green, Lime house, Wapping, Whitechapel, Shadwell, Bermondsey, and Rotherhithe. The bells were silent during World War 2 and remained so until 1961. Of course now days with the noise of the London traffic and other “din” the area where they can be heard is much smaller. My Dad was born in Forest Gate, which is very close so he is nearly a Cockney! It’s worth mentioning here that many people think that the “Bow Bells” are actually in a church in the district of Bow rather than the lesser known St. Mary-Le-Bow church.
Ok, now you have had todays lesson, I need to go back to the issue of confusion between ourselves and you “Merkans”. My friend Eileen mentioned in her blog today that she had finished preparing her Jello salad. I am sitting here all confused............... what the heck is a Jello salad? Over here Jello is Jelly; you know that wobbly stuff made with gelatine in bright colours. Salad is green stuff like lettuce, cucumber, peppers etc. They don't seem like a good mix to me??????? I know one of you will enlighten me!
Perhaps my friend Connie has got it right and I should just learn Merkan! She says “I tell ya what.... Why dunt y'all just lern how to spek redneck then all this coul' be figered out?” Are you offering to teach me Connie? By the way...... What actually is a red neck?
Gosh this is getting to be a long post again! I need to finish my coffee and get on with adding another layer to my snowman. I’ll take some photos of him later. Some of you asked what goes into him? Well the idea is a present for everyone, but just a small one!
I also need to go and sort out a cake that I made earlier. It is a coconut cake from a new recipe and unfortunately I took it out of the tin too early and it fell apart! It looked lovely in the tin. I also need to get some ironing done and check the recipe that I am using for tonights dinner which is Moroccan lamb. I think I have all the ingredients.
Right time to get off my bum (butt) and get moving. I’ll be back later!
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