Potato-Po-tah-toe

Has this every happened to you?

You are in a self checkout at the local store purchasing a tasty zucchini for your dinner, but wait, you click on "Z" for zucchini and nothing shows up! You panic, you look around feverishly while the line of seasoned self-checker-outers starts to wind down the aisles behind you, shuffling as they get restless and watching over you shoulder as you hunt for the damn zucchini button! Finally you eyeball one of the overworked staff members who looks at you confused, quickly presses the letter "C" and informs you in a tone reserved for such situations that this is not a zucchini, despite popular belief, but a courgette!

This is actually a re-enactment of my everyday life. Language has become something that sometimes alienates me, and in my short time here in Scotland, most commonly in the grocery store. Also, you will be corrected if you call this place that contains the groceries a grocery store because the term commonly used here is supermarket.

I have compiled a short list that I will add on to as new terms to know arise. Assimilate faster? Maybe. Increase ease of shopping? Perhaps. Learn and respect the language of the county, and its country-people, you are residing in? You bet. Not get made fun of and start to cry at the checkout only to be not consoled because it is a 'self checkout' and the kind ladies that you have known for you entire life behind the till are all but obsolete so you just have to imagine that this machine can feel your pain and put your tear stained zucch...courgettes into your tote bag and go home to you apartm...flat? Here's hoping!

In no particular order, and in Canadian-to-UK only out of coincidence:

zucchini-courgette

eggplant-aubergine

bun-bap

hotdog-frankfurter

cilantro-corriander

dish soap-washing up liquid

cookie-biscuit

homogenized (4%) milk-full fat milk

arugula-rocket

ground beef-mince

molasses-treacle

jell-o-jelly (I guess they haven't heard of a guy by the name of Bill Cosby)

super fine sugar-caster sugar

instant noodles or ichiban-pot noodles

bacon-streaky bacon, or else you get thick back bacon that is meaty, not crispy

oatmeal-porridge

And just to add insult to injury, while I was posting this I discovered my spellcheck is British too because it won't accept zucchini as a word either!