One qualification of the Rotary Scholarship was to study outside of the United States. My research foray into Spanish-speaking schools was very brief. While studying in Argentina, the searing struggles of following the convoluted plot lines of Julio Cortazar and the persistent embarrassment of being unable to roll my r’s quickly directed my thought process to English, and therefore England.
I figured I would be well-equipped for communication in London as a native English speaker. However, a few weeks in, I’m noticing that there’s more separating the States and the UK than the Atlantic Ocean.
For example, I have accidentally mentioned my underpants in public on at least a dozen occasions. How have I managed this, you may ask? In British English, trousers are pants, and pants are underwear. In this misunderstanding, I have also accidentally complimented many other people’s underpants.
Semantic swappings aren’t the only differences. My spelling has been recolonized by the Oxford University Press. Two weeks ago, I found myself writing notes on “behavioural” interventions to improve uptake of polio vaccinations in India.
In these dialectical diversions, I have also received a gift in the form of a conversational catch-all. Never will I be at a loss of words again. In any situation, “Cheers” may well be the best, most universal response. Someone holds the door open for you? “Cheers.” Someone makes space for you on the crowded tube? “Cheers.” You and another person both miss the same bus by mere moments. “Cheers.” It can also be combined with that notorious British sarcasm. The usefulness is endless.
In the minor differences separating British and American English, I embrace “Cheers” for its many meanings, and as an Alabamian, I hold steadfast to “y’all.”
Echo Foxtrot 
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