Actually, I often give directions by time: "It's about a 30 minute drive from here." for example. And not so much landmarks as street and road names, with landmarks for emphasis. ("Go about two blocks east on Hiway 33, turn left on Highland at the gas station.")
Carbonated drinks in general are "soda". Coke is Coke; other cola sodas are nasty.
"Bless your heart" has about two dozen different meanings, depending on the tone of voice and how it's said. It can mean anything from "You are such a sweet person and deserve to be blessed" to "I feel sorry for you" to "You are a complete b**** and I hope you fall off the face of the earth", and everything in between. You have to be a real southern female to sort through all the nuances involved.
As for cussing, I've been known on rare occasions to pop out with a s*** or a d***, but I never use the F word. (Though since LJ, I have been known to say WTF? But I don't count initials!) Mostly I say "Rats!" if something goes wrong or "ARGHH!" if I drop something heavy on my toe.
I now live in the South, and believe you me, "Bless your heart", or the correlary "Bless his/her heart" are staples of the vernacular. It's funny too, apparently you can say anything you want about a person no matter how rude it is as long as you follow it with "Bless his heart" and it will be totally socially acceptable.
I think it's hilarious. You can't really be insulted unless you're not from the South and have no clue. Some of the things you can say and get away with, lol!
I'm terrible with directions. I can barely find places myself, unless I'm very familiar with the place, and I tend to give directions by landmarks. "If you've hit the Chinese church you've gone too far, but I'm right across from the Safeway."
When I was in Basic in North Carolina, one of the ladies fitting me for uniforms said, "My, you don't have much up top, bless your heart." I still laugh every time I think of it!
When I was in Basic in North Carolina, one of the ladies fitting me for uniforms said, "My, you don't have much up top, bless your heart." I still laugh every time I think of it!
Aha! That's the motherly "you poor sweet child" version!
When I talk about soda or pop or that kind of drink in English I call it a fizzy drink. In Norwegian it's called "brus" (even if it's a Coke). Brus means fizzy or carbonated or the sound of running water (like the sound of a shower, not a bubbling brook).
"Bless your heart" is a bit over-the-top ridiculous and I think extremely American, but I'm not offended by it. Amused, yes, but not offended.
Wow! I didn't know that about fizzy drink. So all pops are brus in Norwegian, and you just say which one you one? Kind of like how in the South it's all Coke, and you say which one you want.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2010-07-21 12:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-21 05:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-21 01:45 am (UTC)And when it comes to directions, I haul out MY map... (I do work in a library!)
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Date: 2010-07-21 05:33 pm (UTC)Directions? I'm usually the one asking, lol!
no subject
Date: 2010-07-21 02:13 am (UTC)Carbonated drinks in general are "soda". Coke is Coke; other cola sodas are nasty.
"Bless your heart" has about two dozen different meanings, depending on the tone of voice and how it's said. It can mean anything from "You are such a sweet person and deserve to be blessed" to "I feel sorry for you" to "You are a complete b**** and I hope you fall off the face of the earth", and everything in between. You have to be a real southern female to sort through all the nuances involved.
As for cussing, I've been known on rare occasions to pop out with a s*** or a d***, but I never use the F word. (Though since LJ, I have been known to say WTF? But I don't count initials!) Mostly I say "Rats!" if something goes wrong or "ARGHH!" if I drop something heavy on my toe.
And I have been known to coin a word or two.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-21 03:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-21 05:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-21 05:35 pm (UTC)When I was in Basic in North Carolina, one of the ladies fitting me for uniforms said, "My, you don't have much up top, bless your heart." I still laugh every time I think of it!
no subject
Date: 2010-07-21 10:04 pm (UTC)Aha! That's the motherly "you poor sweet child" version!
no subject
Date: 2010-07-21 07:13 am (UTC)"Bless your heart" is a bit over-the-top ridiculous and I think extremely American, but I'm not offended by it. Amused, yes, but not offended.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-21 05:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-21 04:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-21 05:38 pm (UTC)