Bay-sil or Baaa-sil??

For those who have been living in the UK for some time now, have you changed the way you say tomato or basil? When you're ordering food at a restaurant how do you pronounce them?

I feel like a sore thumb when I say toe-may-toe. And I feel like a poser when I say toe-mah-toe. Either way I know I'm gonna get a strange look.

Can't win for losing! 

For those who have been living in the UK for some time now, have you changed the way you say tomato or basil? When you're ordering food at a restaurant how do you pronounce them?

I feel like a sore thumb when I say toe-may-toe. And I feel like a poser when I sat toe-mah-toe. Either way I know I'm gonna get a strange look.

Can't win for losing! 

Nope!  I still say them the American way. 

For those who have been living in the UK for some time now, have you changed the way you say tomato or basil? When you're ordering food at a restaurant how do you pronounce them?

I feel like a sore thumb when I say toe-may-toe. And I feel like a poser when I sat toe-mah-toe. Either way I know I'm gonna get a strange look.

Can't win for losing! 

My husband will say toe-mah-toe but it sounds like it's such hard work for him, I wish he would just give up and say toe-may-toe!   

I'm trying to remember what I would say when we lived in the US... I think I just said to-mah-toe there too.

Basil never comes up, haha!

For those who have been living in the UK for some time now, have you changed the way you say tomato or basil? When you're ordering food at a restaurant how do you pronounce them?

I feel like a sore thumb when I say toe-may-toe. And I feel like a poser when I sat toe-mah-toe. Either way I know I'm gonna get a strange look.

Can't win for losing! 

Always to-may-to, always bay-sil.  Luckily we live in a fairly tourist-heavy area, so most people are unphased by the pronunciation.  In more rural areas less affected by the tourist hoardes, I find its more of a conversation starter and people are often just interested in "Where are you from? Why on EARTH did you move here?" etc.

My co-workers make fun of me for the pronunciation, but they're just jerks.

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Nope!  I still say them the American way.

I imagine I'll stick to the American way as well. But sometimes it slips out as toe-mah-toe and then I think "oh crap, they're gonna think I'm mocking them."   

I imagine I'll stick to the American way as well. But sometimes it slips out as toe-mah-toe and then I think "oh crap, they're gonna think I'm mocking them."   

Nah, we know you're trying! 

At work the other day one of my colleagues pulled up a “British vs American” dictionary kind of thing.  She kept saying the British word and I’d say the American word.  She couldn’t believe I knew them all.  Umm....   

Ponytail holder was a new one for everyone in the office.   

My husband will say toe-mah-toe but it sounds like it's such hard work for him, I wish he would just give up and say toe-may-toe!   

Ha ha! When I have forced toe-mah-toe or baaa-sil out of my mouth, it has sounded utterly ridiculous with my crazy midwest/valley girl combo accent. I only embarrass myself. I think I'll settle for sounding like a tourist forever. LOL!

Ponytail holder was a new one for everyone in the office.   

What are they here?

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Always to-may-to, always bay-sil.  Luckily we live in a fairly tourist-heavy area, so most people are unphased by the pronunciation.  In more rural areas less affected by the tourist hoardes, I find its more of a conversation starter and people are often just interested in "Where are you from? Why on EARTH did you move here?" etc.

My co-workers make fun of me for the pronunciation, but they're just jerks.

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See, I am gonna be living in a more rural area. The very first time I met my husband's good friend's wife, I said "aluminum" and you would have thought I had done a hour long comedy set. She thought it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard. And then she told me it was "alu-MIN-ium" and I was like ooooookay. I never knew that it was aluminium in the UK. But I also feel like she didn't know we say "a-LOO-min-um" in America. Needless to say, I just call it all "foil" now.

Lord help us all if she hears me say bay-sil.

For those who have been living in the UK for some time now, have you changed the way you say tomato or basil?

I've been here 30+ years, so yeah... i say it the UK way.

The one that gets me shouting at the telly, though, is 'risotto'... when i hear US-ians on TV pronouncing it 'ris-oe-toe'.   Because of the spelling, with the double Ts in the middle, isn't it obvious that it should be pronounced to rhyme with grotto and blotto?   

What are they here?

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What are they there? 

What are they here?

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I think they call them all "hair bobbles." That reminds me of what my mom used to put in my hair when I was 4 years old.

Nah, we know you're trying! 

Phew! I mean, I'm trying to do the whole "when in Rome" but sometimes it just feels bizarre. LOL!

Basil never comes up, haha!

Don't try to tell me that you don't have in-depth discussions about fox puppets or Torquay hoteliers!