I have defined some of the words (underlined) in the dialogue, which you can add to your Personal Dictionary. Click on the Excel icon to download the word list to your PC or mobile device, which you can thereafter import into your Personal Dictionary. They are also listed below.
Scroll down to the bottom for links to a crossword and word search using words from this post, as well a YouTube video.
Plain – A large area of flat land with few trees
Elocution – The skill of clear and expressive speech
Posh – Elegant or stylishly luxurious
Stereotype – A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing
Especially – Used to single out one person or thing over all others
Queue – A line or sequence of people or vehicles awaiting their turn to be attended to or to proceed
Contrary – Opposite in nature, direction, or meaning
Fond – Having an affection or liking for
Pale – Light in colour or shade
Abroad – In or to a foreign country or countries
Nonsense – Used to show strong disagreement; ridiculous
Contrary – Opposite in nature, direction, or meaning
Kilt – A garment resembling a knee-length skirt of pleated tartan cloth, traditionally worn by men
Reputation – A widespread belief that someone or something has a particular characteristic
Motto – A short sentence or phrase chosen as encapsulating the beliefs or ideals of an individual, family, or institution
The rain in Spain, stays mainly on the plain. The rain in Spain, stays mainly on the plain.
Are we talking about weather Ed? I thought we had done that already.
No, I was practising my elocution. I want to sound posh Judy.
Why would you want to sound posh?
Because two exchange students from Germany will stay with us next week, and I don’t want them to be disappointed.
Why would they be disappointed?
Well for one, I don’t sound like Prince Charles, secondly, we don’t live in a castle and thirdly, I’ve never met the Queen.
Have you been sitting out in the sun? These are just stereotypes people from other countries have about us. Most of them are silly, but I suppose some could be true.
Which ones do you think are true, Judy?
Well, we drink a lot of tea and like to go to pubs. We love nearly all sports, especially football. I also think we are very polite, don’t you?
Yes, I agree. We like to queue too. They say the last four letters in ‘queue’ are not silent, they are just waiting for their turn. Ha ha!
Umm. Are we also well known for telling unfunny jokes?
No, on the contrary, foreigners are fond of our humour and love Mr Bean, Monty Python to name but a few
Well, they are better at telling jokes than you, Ed. Another true stereotype is that we like to sit out in the sun, our pale skins being roasted red. Especially when we are on the beaches of France and Spain.
Yes, Noel Coward wrote and sang, ‘Mad dogs and Englishmen, go out in the midday sun’. He was right. Of course the people from abroad think that our weather is bad all the time. In fact, the exchange student we had from France last year, told me that the first idiom he learnt was, in the UK it rains cats and dogs. He was right.
Well, it does rain a lot, but not every day.
So, what stereotypes are not true, Judy?
The Americans joke about our bad teeth, which is nonsense. Contrary to opinion, we don’t spend the whole day watching television. Although Scottish men wear kilts for special occasions like weddings, they don’t wear them all the time. Our food doesn’t deserve the bad reputation it has in some countries. We don’t all drink tea with the Royal family, or sound like them for that matter. Finally, we live in normal houses, although the thought of living in a castle is quite appealing…
When you start to get those thoughts Judy, I think we need to stop! I just want to say that ‘keep calm and carry on should be our motto.
Only you would say we need to stop and carry on in one breath, Ed!
I think you should just carry on somewhere else.
To test your knowledge, why not do a crossword puzzle, using words from this text?
Click here for instructions on how to play.
To test your knowledge, why not do a word search puzzle, using words from this text?
Click here for instructions on how to play.
