Should Driving tests be in only English?

[rhino17]

The next time you go into a coffee shop and ask for bangers and mashed, here in America, let me know what you get?

that is a regional phrase (and most people know what it is), its hardly any more different from regional dialect of Boston vs New Orleans

[philab]

The next time you go into a coffee shop and ask for bangers and mashed, here in America, let me know what you get?

Seriously, we do speak a series of unique English dialects, but travel around the UK, or for that matter, just around England, and you and I would agree that they speak a spectacular variety of dialect. Apples and pears means a very non fruit thing when speaking Cockney slang than it does at our local supermarket.

I swear Brits are just making up slang sometimes. Bumpers? What on earth is a "bumper"? (Actually, I know that answer to that one now.)

Anyway, I'm just not sure what the argument is. Do we speak "English"? We most certainly do. Is it an English language? Yes. Is it exactly what they speak in England? No.

Cockney slang is crazy, but a lot of upper-class, RP-accent types don't understand it a whole lot better than we do. There are plenty of American dialects that are difficult to understand -- the "stoked" surfer So-Cal language, deep South, whatever the hell is going on in Minnesota ... It's all English though. If you want to get more specific, again, someone has already done that: American English, Hiberno-English, Cockney, "Pittsburghese," etc.

And frankly, if we're looking for the dialect that's best understood across ALL English speakers, it's the "American" dialect. No one ever has a hard time understanding me in Dublin, London, etc. because of Hollywood and the American news media. For me, the accents and slang were a bit harder to pick up.

But again, I'm just kind of lost as to what we're talking about anymore ...

[Patsfan56]

I swear Brits are just making up slang sometimes. Bumpers? What on earth is a "bumper"? (Actually, I know that answer to that one now.)

Anyway, I'm just not sure what the argument is. Do we speak "English"? We most certainly do. Is it an English language? Yes. Is it exactly what they speak in England? No.

Cockney slang is crazy, but a lot of upper-class, RP-accent types don't understand it a whole lot better than we do. There are plenty of American dialects that are difficult to understand -- the "stoked" surfer So-Cal language, deep South, whatever the hell is going on in Minnesota ... It's all English though. If you want to get more specific, again, someone has already done that: American English, Hiberno-English, Cockney, "Pittsburghese," etc.

And frankly, if we're looking for the dialect that's best understood across ALL English speakers, it's the "American" dialect. No one ever has a hard time understanding me in Dublin, London, etc. because of Hollywood and the American news media. For me, the accents and slang were a bit harder to pick up.

But again, I'm just kind of lost as to what we're talking about anymore ...

Holy ****, those redneck hicks were right! "Gad damnit fool, talk Americin'"

Right up there with "They toook r' jeerbs!!"

[The Schmooze]

"Would you like me to take the Chiswick roundabout through Hounslow and Staines?"

"What is this ****ing Middle Earth? Just take us to the airport OK?"

[Patsfan56]

"Would you like me to take the Chiswick roundabout through Hounslow and Staines?"

"What is this ****ing Middle Earth? Just take us to the airport OK?"

[flips333]

This would be impossible to do in new york city. New york city runs on the backs of immigrants, recently transplanted. I don't care if they can speak english so long as they recognize the signs and drive well. I have driven cars in Peru, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Turkey... and I drove there fine. New Zeland (where they speak english) was the hardest place for me to drive, for obvious reasons.

[TRUTH-TELLER]

when in rome...