Michelle ... I'm having a right ole giggle over here too as I'm typing! I just love the differences in our speech. Thing is, our slang over here always seems to be 'saucy' hehehe... what does that say about us? ;O)

What about Doc Marten's boots? Since they're made in the UK, I'm sure they're popular. My hubby will be wearing his since they are the most comfortable shoes he owns.

EnglishOne, I'm delighted that you answered michelleNYC so I didn't have to. I was trying to think of the most polite way to define &quot;spunk&quot; without getting the thread pulled.<BR><BR>As for cute, I was told it meant more what you call &quot;twee&quot;, i.e., overly sweetsy cutesy pie. But perhaps the meaning has evolved over the last decade, influenced by American English?<BR><BR>We've been watching &quot;Coupling&quot; on BBC and really enjoying it. I wondered last night if Americans know that what you call &quot;jelly&quot; we call &quot;jello&quot; and &quot;pudding&quot; means &quot;dessert&quot; not just a type of dessert. (If you are a fan of the show you may recall Jeff's brilliant idea for &quot;porn jelly&quot;, the stuff that's left after the girls finish wrestling in it.)

I've given up trying to figure out some of the pronounciation and slang used in Northern Ireland. My husband can't explain to me why he calls a shed a &quot;shade&quot;, or why Belvoir is pronounced &quot;Beaver&quot; or why so many of his friends are called by their father's or older brother's first names, rather than their own.<BR><BR>And if you're a woman over 50 in Ireland, all you have to do to fit in is wear a skirt and cardigan combo every day. Oh, and uncomfortable heels that you have trouble walking in. I think it was Graham Norton who described the show &quot;Father Ted&quot; as a documentary on life in Ireland. Mrs. Doyle just popped into my head as I wrote that.

Ok... call me stupid. As a &quot;Sex and the City&quot; devotee, I should have recalled the &quot;Funky Spunk&quot; episode. I just didn't put 2 and 2 (or spunky and spunk) together...

OK, English One, what are kitten heels on dress shoes? Mules I know, kittens are new to me!

Marilyn - thats what I meant by cute meaning 'sweet'- as in a cute kitten, etc. (as well as the other meaning - 'wow, he's CUTE!! ;o) )<BR><BR>Ann- Father Ted is a fave old sitcom of mine with its wacky humour.<BR><BR>AimJo - Doc Martens are fine - we just call them 'Doc's' here! they have a place in our heart! (esp. us ex students!) <BR><BR>

Natalia - kitten heels are those very slim, short heels that taiper in, like tiny stiletto heels. They look dainty! (but not so much on my size 7's)!! English size that is - are shoe sizes different in the USA like dress sizes? I prefer my USA size - it makes me look smaller (on paper anyway!)

Oh, I like those heels, now I am going looking for kitten shoes! Are they in style now in Britain?<BR>They come and go here in the US, come to think of it, I think I have seen some in stores.<BR>I'm going to get some for my trip to Italy, thanks for the idea.

Natalia - yes they're in style at the moment

Natalia, they're not kitten shoes, they're kitten heels. They might be on a variety of shoes -- sandals or little flats, for example.

EnglishOne, size 7 shoes in the US would be about average size feet, not particularly big. I think UK shoe sizes are different from US. A 7 US is about a 38 European size, I believe. What's a 7 UK in European size?

Marilyn - size 7 here is about 40-40.5 in europe. Once again, I like my US sizing much better! Size 7 for you must be about a 5/6 here? something like that.

A 7 US is 6 1/2 UK (if you can find half sizes). <BR><BR>As for width sizes in the UK -- don't ask! <BR><BR>

&gt;A 7 US is 6 1/2 UK (if you can find &gt;half sizes). <BR><BR>Sorry, I meant to say, size 7 US is 5 1/2 UK, not 6 1/2.

So, EnglishOne, the one thing we have established on this thread is that your feet are bigger than mine.

....my 'plates of meat' are bigger than most people's!! grrrr!!

EnglishOne, you should move to America. Our size 8 to 8.5 is pretty much considered average here.

Size 7 here is at the top end of the scale for women's shoes. There are some size 8's in shops for women. Most people I know are about 5 - 6

I don't know....a white t-shirt, blue jeans, sneakers and white socks are perfectly acceptable tourist clothes everywhere, right? Wouldn't think of sightseeing any other way along with my Hard Rock Cafe baseball cap to keep the sun out of my eyes...whether it be NY, LA DC, London, Paris, Amersterdam, Copenhagen, Rome, Florence, Milan, Geneva, Zurich, Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Oslo, Stockholm, Vienna; all places I have visited wearing my sightseeing uniform and not once have I ever been refused service anywhere (I do change into a slightly more formal attire if I am going to a &quot;fancy&quot; restaurant...I put on a regular polo shirt, blue pants and even wear shoes with black socks but for the most part I have no problems going as I please....