"Two countries separated by a common language..."

We were having a conversation at work when we were trying not to work (haha) about where we'd like to be from if we weren't American.  Since most of us haven't been out of the country to make an educated guess, we narrowed the conversation down to what kind of foreign accent we'd like to have.  One wanted Irish, another French, and another Russian because he thinks it's an intimidating accent. I went with British, because it's a nifty accent, and I wouldn't have to deal with a whole other language...or would I?

For some reason I don't know many of the blogs I follow come from the UK, and there are all sorts of nifty phrases I encounter that just sound so much better than the American equivalent.  For example, they have a loo roll, instead of toilet paper, for when they go to the loo (and not the bathroom).  Doesn't it make it sound so much more elegant?  Instead of checking under the hood of your car, you look under the bonnet; and you don't stow things in the trunk--you put them in the boot.  Rentals are hire cars, and they're kept in the car park instead of the parking lot.   Elevators are lifts.  See what I mean?

They have ministries instead of departments, jumble sales instead of flea markets, and dustbins instead of trash cans.  A baby carriage is a pram, gasoline is petrol, and a truck is a lorry (unless it's a big rig, in which case it's an articulated lorry).  And that's not even bringing up the spelling difs.  They have programmes instead of programs, they fly in aeroplanes instead of airplanes, and crayons come in colours, not colors. 

And some are just plain fun--ice lolly instead of popsicle, swimming costume instead of bathing suit, and bangers instead of sausage (with which you may eat chips (which are fries) or crisps (which are chips)). 

Now, I'm going to stop mucking about and have a biscuit before I go to bed (only one more sleep before my last work day and a looong holiday weekend).  Translation: I'm going to stop goofing off, have a cookie and go to bed because there's only one more day of work left.  See? It's fun. If you don't think it's fun, clearly you're not saying the British words with a British accent and the American ones with a nasally New York/Boston/Philadelphia type of accent.  Go back and try again.....see? Fun!