One of the great things about moving to a different country is learning a new language, which in some ways still applies for a Canadian moving to England. Let’s be honest, English people are far more easily shocked than I am accustomed to, and they are very particular about their language (cause, you know, they made it up and everything).
Due to the racial tropical fruit salad that is Toronto, we have become rather desensitized to just about anything as long as it’s not said with malice. I’ve lost count of how many samurai jokes have been made with Asian friends, or how often I’ve called my besty a dirty Portuguese (how I miss you Douchey). Additionally, I went to theatre school, full of crazies. In short, there is very little I deem shocking.
So you can imagine my surprise over a few innocent words I misused. Here’s the first…
Lesson One: Frigid
One morning at work, after a particularly cold commute, I said to a few female colleagues that it was a real ‘frigid cold’ today. I got a few confused looks and a ‘pardon me?’ in response. Assuming that they simply didn’t hear me, I reiterated ‘frigid, it’s really a biting, frigid cold today…’ More odd looks. ‘Oh no, am I saying something that doesn’t have the same meaning as I want it to again?’ Yes. Yes I was.
Apparently, frigid in England is reserved for very prude women only and it can be awkward to use in other ways. So unless I’m trying to imply that the weather just ain’t giving us any loving (which it really isn’t), let’s just describe it as everyone else does: blimey, it’s chucking it down!
Lesson learned.
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