In English!

So, today I took my driving theory test and passed - woo! I booked a taxi to get me to the test centre, and as I got in the car, the driver asked to verify where we were heading. He mentioned the street name, and I confirmed it and gave him the building number, thinking that was sufficient.

"On Silver Street?"
"Yes, it's 12 Silver Street."
"What?"
"It's number 12."
"In English!"
"...number 12 is English?"

He seemed exasperated so I just kept rattling of details like the name of the company and then the name of the building. He then turned around in his seat and said "right, when you're here and getting a ride to a place of business, you need to tell the driver the name of the building. We don't care about the number of the building."

"Oh, right."

What else do you say to that? I know postcodes and building names are helpful, but my poor yank brain just defaulted to the actual street address. He then asked me how long I've been in England (in a pointed way - like it was obvious I have not been here long), and throughout the short journey he eventually got nicer and even wished me luck on my theory test as I got out of the car.

But damn! The "in English!" part just threw me for a loop! I speak perfect English, and it's not my first time taking a taxi here. It was odd to suddenly be scolded for how I gave an address of our destination. I've been here for three months now, and that is the first unpleasant interaction I've had with someone.

Well, that's not entirely true. There was a drunk man that stumbled out in front of my husband and I driving to the supermarket a couple of months back now. My husband honked the horn to alert the man to our presence. He was standing in the middle of the road, swaying whilst trying to retain what little balance he had. Once he heard the horn, he drunkenly spun around and shrieked "F**K OFF!" while showing the few teeth he had left. Otherwise, it's all been fine - everyone has been lovely!

Anyone else have any unpleasant interactions that they would like to vent about? Or just any other awkward interactions while living as an ex-pat here?

So, today I took my driving theory test and passed - woo!

Congratulations, Kay! 

Well done on the driving test!

My worst moment was related to my first Halloween here.  I came to the office dressed.  Yup, I was *THAT* person.   

Hooray for passing your theory test!  Mine is booked for 01 December. I have not been studying.  Really need to fix that.

One of my first awkward encounters: I was in Waitrose looking for lime juice (a la the unnaturally lime green plastic bottles) and couldn't find it.  Finally resigning myself to asking an employee, he said, "Lime juice? Hm... Why don't you just get some limes?"

Because that's not what I asked for?  Because I want a bottle of juice that will last five million years instead of limes that will go off in my fruit bowl?

Honestly...

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Haha, I had to give that explanation to my husband too. Now I just buy limes.

Congrats Kay!! I have learned to just give post codes now because I have been in that situation too many times. But I think if it were a cab company I probably would be calling them to let them know how intolerant their driver had been Uber is more difficult because you don't want a bad rating in return!

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I've taken plenty of cabs and not ONCE given the name of the building.  That guy was a butt.

I agree with Jimbo, that guy was a butt.  That taxi driver was taking it on you, because HE didn't have a clue where to take you..... 

"On Silver Street?"
"Yes, it's 12 Silver Street."
"What?"
"It's number 12."
"In English!"
"...number 12 is English?"





But damn! The "in English!" part just threw me for a loop! I speak perfect English, and it's not my first time taking a taxi here. It was odd to suddenly be scolded for how I gave an address of our destination. I've been here for three months now, and that is the first unpleasant interaction I've had with someone.

That is not an insult aimed at you as it is just something that is said. The English will say "in English"  "say it again in English" to each other. In this case, it just meant that he didn't understand where you wanted to go. We he said "In English" "you could have then said "the theory test centre in Silver Street" as that would be a building everyone would know.

e.g.
- when i was using my tablet to post and it had a mind of it's own, Nan said something like "I'll decipher that" but she could have said "in English?"
- when a friend was chatting on the phone to me, a fly went in her mouth and all I heard was strange sounds. Me: In English?


It's even used in the House of Parliament. The then French President, Chirac, had a hissy fit because a French businessman gave a talk in what he called "the business language" and he spoke in English. Later in the UK Parliament, the then deputy PM, John Prescott, gave a speech but it didn't make sense what he was trying to say. Another MP, William Hague, then stood up and said something like "President Chirac would be proud of your speech, there was hardly a word of English in it".   Prescott is English and was speaking in English, but nobody understood what he was trying to say.

That taxi driver was taking it on you, because HE didn't have a clue where to take you..... 

That is exactly what he meant when he said "In English": although I don't know what "taking it on you" means. Putting it on you?

That is exactly what he meant when he said "In English": although I don't know what "taking it on you" means. Putting it on you?

It's not hard to work out that there's a word accidentally missing in that sentence... 'taking it OUT on you'.

It's not hard to work out that there's a word accidentally missing in that sentence... 'taking it OUT on you'.

I thought it might be a phrase used. I didn't realise a word had been missed out.

Yeah, sorry, just terrible writing. 'Taking it OUT on you.'   

I've taken plenty of cabs and not ONCE given the name of the building.  That guy was a butt.

Seconding this wholeheartedly!  He was a massive butt.

But congrats on passing your test!

Wow, now I know not to look for lime juice in UK supermarkets! 

Haha, I had to give that explanation to my husband too. Now I just buy limes.

Congrats Kay!! I have learned to just give post codes now because I have been in that situation too many times. But I think if it were a cab company I probably would be calling them to let them know how intolerant their driver had been Uber is more difficult because you don't want a bad rating in return!

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Yeah, I know post codes are a safe bet, but he caught me off guard since the taxi had been booked prior and told them where I needed to go. My yank brain just defaulted to the street address. It also threw me because it's not the first time I've taken a taxi here either, and some combination of building name/street address/post code has never been called into question like that.

My husband was upset when I told him and ready to call the cab company, but I didn't want him to put in a complaint because the driver did soften up and was more polite and chatty as the ride went on. I had a sneaking suspicion that he felt a bit bad for how he spoke to me.

I've taken plenty of cabs and not ONCE given the name of the building.  That guy was a butt.

Same for me until that fateful Monday - first time for everything!

That is not an insult aimed at you as it is just something that is said. The English will say "in English"  "say it again in English" to each other. In this case, it just meant that he didn't understand where you wanted to go. We he said "In English" "you could have then said "the theory test centre in Silver Street" as that would be a building everyone would know.

e.g.
- when i was using my tablet to post and it had a mind of it's own, Nan said something like "I'll decipher that" but she could have said "in English?"
- when a friend was chatting on the phone to me, a fly went in her mouth and all I heard was strange sounds. Me: In English?


It's even used in the House of Parliament. The then French President, Chirac, had a hissy fit because a French businessman gave a talk in what he called "the business language" and he spoke in English. Later in the UK Parliament, the then deputy PM, John Prescott, gave a speech but it didn't make sense what he was trying to say. Another MP, William Hague, then stood up and said something like "President Chirac would be proud of your speech, there was hardly a word of English in it".   Prescott is English and was speaking in English, but nobody understood what he was trying to say.

Thanks for the explanation! I didn't think about it that way. Maybe it's a testament to the parts of the US that I've been in, but that sort of retort in the US might have a different meaning behind it. Maybe something along the lines of "speak American!" or "we only speak English here!" Not a "sorry, didn't catch that" sort of tone that my driver was probably trying to convey.

Lime juice is in the baking aisle st Tesco. It's not in the juice aisle with the lemon juice.

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