There is a charming city about two hours west of London named Bath (after the Roman baths the city is famous for) which is a huge tourist destination. I told a guy at church that we were going there for Kyle's birthday weekend, and he very Britishly (yep, made that up) corrected my pronunciation; I had pronounced the "a" like "hat," and apparently it's pronounced like "father." The problem is that a lot of Brits use an "f" sound for the "th" (as in Bethlehem, which is pronounced Befleehem). So when he corrected my pronunciation of "Bath," I repeated back what he had said exactly, with BOTH a long "a" sound and an "f" sound at the end instead of a "th" (because that's what he said when he corrected me). So, the stupid American says, "Oh, Baaf." Imagine both the silence and THE LOOK that followed.
You want to know how you correct a dumb American who pronounced the "th" you said as an "f" because that's what you were thinking even though you said "f"? "No, not BaaF, BAAf!" Oh! That clears it all up... Oops!
ON A HAPPIER NOTE...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WONDERFUL KYLE!!! You are my best friend. I enjoy every day we spend together, and I'm eternally grateful for you and your laughter, love, example, strength, and dedication. Thank you for sharing your life with me! I LOVE YOU, HH!
4 comments:
Even imagining the incredibly pregnant awkward pause is making me crack up and laugh out loud. I don't know what the guy looks like, but in my mind he's portly, wears his pants too high, has scant hair plastered to his head, and a greasy sheen to his skin - as if he needs a "baaf".
Sorry, couldn't resist!
Too funny! He's actually a young, fairly good looking blonde guy who's getting ready to go on a mission. The worst part about it is that I had just asked him to substitute teach my Sunday school class right before I accidentally insulted him!
Very funny Michele. I was literally laughing out loud.
I love reading about your adventures!
Thanks, Bri! Love you. M
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