About five minutes ago I was wondering how long it would be before Trump changes the name of your language from English to American. He and his mates seem to have so little respect for Europe and tradition and he can hardly make America great while they’re all speaking someone else’s language.
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I must admit I’d always understood the term to be far more acceptable to British ears than US ones, so I was surprised to see a comment suggesting otherwise. When a team of a hundred of us brits rolled up in Hollywood in 2002 to start making what became the top TV show in the US for the next decade or so, turning the air ever so slightly blue without even thinking, I shall never forget the looks of horror from our new US teammates! Not innocent wallflowers by any means, just not used to the uniquely British way with profanity 
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When I worked in interior design there were some of the most creative and beguilingly veiled insults. Best left to your imagination but imagine them in the persona of the late Dame Edna.
Probably a defensive reflex due to all the bullying they all endured at school.
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A friend of mine got a job teaching in an American school in Europe and had an intensive briefing about acceptable vocabulary and words to be avoided at all costs. I can’t remember much of what they were told except that fanny bags were normal and the thing on the end of a pencil had to be called an eraser.
That reminds me of a joke I heard being told by a primary school pupil.
The joke: There were three pencils, one was pregnant which of the others was the father?
The correct answer: The one without the rubber.
The answer given by the joke teller: The one with the rubber.
The wrong answer got a lot of laughs. All the children laughed because they presumed it was some sort of risky joke even if they didn’t understand it, plus, all the adults within earshot laughed because they found it so funny that the children had laughed so hard at the wrong answer.
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Oh do share some of these beguilingly veiled insults, if you can remember them 
. I bet they were a treat.
My french driving licence arrived today. Although I will miss my welsh one. It was great for winding up the gendarmes. And I took all the necessary paperwork at the first try. I use the local agency for anything vehicle related, it makes my life sooooo much easier.
And our front door finally arrived last week! 8 weeks short of 5 years from moving in. 
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And the dog is?
Same for my Welsh wedding certificate 
🏴, although I’ve not shown it to the gendarmes.
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A beautiful foreign client examining the design sample board with her wordless elderly ‘husband’ said she wanted to see curtain fabric with “More oomph”. Naughty boy behind the scene whispered “Looks like she’s already enjoyed enough oomph”.
Said ‘husband’ paid in full, so madame must have been worth the oomph.
We supplied suitably scream worthy curtains with goblet heading in fabric by Pierre Frey.
(I’m also embarrassed to say that there was a lovely shade known in-house as ‘penis pink’. Never in writing!)
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Soggy
Fantastic view!
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I have have similar story but this one is completely true.
In the 1980s I took a trip to the US to try and sell an idea that I had recently patented. I had an early morning presentation with New York State highway engineers in Albany. The night before, in my hotel, I worked on my spiel and drew some complicated diagrams to try to explain a difficult concept. I made a cock up or two in my diagrams so popped down to the well-stocked hotel shop to get an eraser.
Unfortunately, as it was late, the shop was closed. I went to the reception desk for help.
“I know its late and I’m sorry to disturb you but it’s rather urgent. Have you got a rubber I could borrow?”
The receptionist stared at me and gave an exaggerated blink.
“Excuse me?” she said.
The bad news is that the engineers did not buy my invention.
The good news is that after traipsing across several states, the engineers from Caltrans in California loved it and I did a shed load of business.
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Hahaha, similar faux pas a friend made. Said to reception in a New York hotel he was just going outside to smoke a fag
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Aww thanks…
And to cheer me up, here’s the place with our local grasscutters (from last year)…
We are very lucky not to have any neighbours, roads or vehicles in sight and all you can hear (at the moment) our risseau in full spate, loads of birds and …the sound of tranquility…
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And a good supply of tasty lawnmowers to.
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I think you got away with it, I didnt after joking about Stella’s “rose tinted specs” as Stella linked the Bot thread to not enough cheeful news. My post was removed, ah well no harm done.
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Yesterday I asked my neighbour who is the daughter of a goat farmer if goat had been a regular dish during her childhood. She looked at me as though I was mad thinking that people might eat goats.
People are obviously more open minded further south in Europe, and Germany come to think of it, I’ve had goat there too.
The beasts in that photo look much tastier.
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How odd. Chèvre Salé is very popular round here, with special chèvre salé evenings and loads on sale including in local biocoop.
I was surprised considering what does get eaten around here.