Some handy phrasebooks

[matgb]

British-to-Foreign Translation

American to reality translation

Comments

[eccles.livejournal.com]

Ah, that makes me feel right at home does that.

[matgb]

Y'know you're one of the very few recently that's said hello after adding me. I've been hit by so many serial adders the last few months I've lost track of who I've missed...

[eccles.livejournal.com]

Ah the mysterious serial adders, fleeting and unknown the slide in and out of friends lists like ships in the night.

[matryx.livejournal.com]

People rarely say what they mean, or mean what they say.

The fact that these 'translations' are so accurate just goes to show how large the scope for misinterpretation is.

[matgb]

As the intro on the second one said, USians in particular seem to want to avoid causing any offense or conflict at all costs.

I've actually not found this as much in Germany and Italy, people seem to be more forthright. Or blunt, as my old German boss put it.

But I'd have never twigged that let's do lunch was closer to I never want to meet you ever again than it was to I'm pleased we've met. Then, I tend to dislike people that use such stock phrases anyway.

[matryx.livejournal.com]

Then again, it depends on other factors - like social groups, context, and inflection etc.
I can totally imagine some shallow "*MWUAH!**MWUAH!* Darling!" type's "let's do lunch" as meaning "I never want to see you again - hah, I never eat lunch!", whereas mine would almost certainly mean "lets meet for lunch" :)

[matgb]

Ah yeah, but you're not a filthy yank, so wouldn't be misinterpreted in such a way...

[raksaksa.livejournal.com]

I'll remember these particular links...it may come in handy for educating my students!

[matgb]

Thought you'd like it, might send it back to a few colleagues at the old work.

[spurious-logic.livejournal.com]

Beautiful. Thanks Mat.

[matgb]

De nada, seems to have gone down well all over, I found the link on, of all places, a Dr Who community...