New Word Wednesday

I'm going to give this a try, at least a couple times a month posting on a regular topic -- new words or new word uses that I've learned since I've been in Scotland. We'll see how it goes.

pear shaped - An adjective describing a situation that went awry, perhaps horribly wrong. As in, It all went pear shaped.

It's funny how I can hear a word for what seems like the first time, and after that I start hearing it all over the place. Pear shaped is one of these. A friend used it in conversation a couple months ago, prompting a big "What?" from me. Since then, I bet I've heard someone use it at least once a week. Which means that I must have heard it without it registering for a good year and a half.

This also happened with Hiya. Hiya is probably the most common casual greating used here, but it took a good two months after I moving here before it registered that was what people were saying. Weird.

But back to pear shaped. It's definitely one of the more fun words I've learned, and I'm hoping it will make its way into my regularly used vocabulary.

Note to self, seriously screw up something at least once a week so that I have a reason to work pear shaped into my conversations.

Photo courtesy of Opus104 on flickr.

Vocabulary Update

Being an American living over here in Scotland, I occasionally encounter new words, or new meanings for words. For example, when I first moved here, one of the first unusual-to-me word uses that threw me was for the word salad. I went to a sandwich shop for lunch and after ordering my typical sandwich fillings of tuna and cheddar, I was asked if I wanted salad on my sandwich.

My response: "Ummm."

The word salad here has evolved to also mean "lettuce, tomato, and cucumber, and possibly other veggies one might put on a sandwich."

This past week, I picked up a new word. Ironically, it was used by a fellow American who has just lived here for a long time. It always surprises me to hear her use British words or speak the occasional word with a British accent, because otherwise, her accent is very American.

New word: stroppy

It is an adjective used to describe a person who is easily offended or annoyed, bad-tempered or hostile. There is a theory that it might originate somehow from the word obstreperous.

So, know anyone who is stroppy?

Oh, and if you are interested in learning to speak with a British accent, this was one of adds Google listed when I was looking things up on dictionary.com.

http://www.speakmoreclearly.com/downloadbritishaccent

Wow, get a British accent in just 15 minutes a day! Think I should I go for it?