“Just a bit more Welly, Gromit!”

If you’ve watched any “Wallace and Gromit” movies, you probably didn’t even know WHAT was being said, much less what it meant. Luckily for you, I have cracked the code and shall come to your aid.

Wellies = waterproof boots. The expression “a bit more Welly” means “give it some more gas” (as in while driving).

Hello, my name is Stephanie, and I am a word nerd. (Hi, Stephanie!)

I’ve mentioned before in this blog that I love language. I didn’t just not skip the Reader’s Digest feature, “Increase Your Word Power,” I STUDIED it. Wait, I still do that. I also love learning word origins. I took a lot of Spanish in college. (on purpose!) And I even studied Portuguese before traveling to Portugal.  I know, I am a geek with a capital G.

(Hey, did you know that the word “geek” is believed to come from the Scots word “geck” for “fool”? Yeah, I didn’t think so.)

Obviously, because of this strange gift, I tend to take great pride in my ability to adopt local language and vocabulary wherever I go. And a few years ago, I got the opportunity to practice my skillz on a trip to Great Britain with Charlie. I could NOT wait. British English, here I come!

Six whole months before the trip, I found a fun reference-type book (okay, fun for me) on the language and culture differences between our countries. Because I’m me, I actually read it from cover to cover.

Now before you laugh, I want you to know that Charlie was very lucky to have me along! I learned that “boot” means “trunk,” and “mind the gap” means “watch your step.” What would he have done without me? Because of my obsession, he got to hear about some American English words/expressions that sound impolite or inappropriate in the UK. Like these:

Lesson 1: With a haircut, the bit that hangs down over your eyes is “fringe,” not “bangs.” For Brits, “bangs” has an entirely different connotation.

Lesson 2: Along the same lines, the bag you have strapped to your waist so you can be pegged as a tourist wherever you go is not a “fanny pack.” Just trust me on that.

Lesson 3: When you say, “Sorry I blew you off,” you will probably get a smirk in response. Their “blew off” = our “passed gas.”

Like I said, I took great pride. But you know that expression, “pride goes before a fall”? (adapted from the ancient Hebrew Proverb!) Yeah, well, it’s true.

Tomorrow, Part II of “A Bit More Welly”, in which I embarrass myself (along with the pastor we were with) more than I ever had before or ever will again.