ー英会話講師の英語日記ー　札幌英会話スクールSTEP UP（札幌駅、大通駅徒歩５分）

I`m cross, only joking!

2017年9月18日 (月)

Hello everyone. Recently I`ve been thinking about some of the things I sometimes say which are a little confusing for students.  For example, if I were angry at a kid in England, I would usually say “I`m cross” and not “I`m angry”. I think saying that you are cross is a kind of diluted version of being angry. When I can`t buy my favourite rice ball because they sold out, I get a little cross at myself for not going earlier. I think using the word “cross” is tough, there are also so many idioms; come across, cross wires etc, so we have to be careful!!

There are lots of differences between American English and British English but there are also so many different dialects within England. I was born near Liverpool so my parents speak Scouse (the dialect or accent of people from Liverpool) and my best friend speaks Manc (the dialect or accent from Manchester). Although these two cities are only an hour drive away, the two accents/dialects are very different.   I guess I am lucky to be able to understand both although I am from the countryside, so naturally I have a more neutral accent.  For example, I say “trousers”, my dad says “kecks” and my best friend says “keks” (the accent is quite different). Do you have a favourite English word? Let me know if you do.