We had a short break in the middle of one of our classes, and I was standing just outside the restroom. My new friend Cheryl from England approached me and asked, "Is this the loo queue?" I had to think for a second before realizing that she was asking if I was in line for the restroom.
My new friends have (lovingly) made fun of me for using the phrase "might would," as in "I might would go if..." Initially, the English teacher in me fought valiantly to justify my Southern misappropriation by arguing that the word "might" signifies something indefinite while the word "would" connotes something conditional, so therefore "might would" implies something that is not only indefinite but also conditional. It didn't work. I eventually had to concede that it would really be best to just say "might." At that point I insisted that I didn't use the phrase often. PRIDE. I caught myself using "might would" in a prayer yesterday!
If I'm lucky, perhaps a little British propriety will rub off on me. I saw evidence yesterday when someone apologized for bumping into me. Without thinking, I said, "Quite alright!" instead of the usual, "That's ok!"
I have a feeling I will come home changed in more ways than one. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment