5. Renting a House
(Anglo-American Misunderstandings)
The telephone rings in a house in the London suburb of Twickenham.
An American Voice: Good morning. Is this Mrs Jones?[131]
Mrs Jones (rather puzzled): I’m Mrs Jones.
American: Oh, fine. I’m Drusilla Applebee, and I’m calling[132] about your house you advertised to rent[133] for the summer months.
Mrs Jones (still rather puzzled): Why yes, when are you going to call?
Mrs Applebee: I mean I’m calling you about it right now[134]. We’re a large family and your house sounded the sort of place we need for July, August and September.
Mrs Jones: Oh, yes, of course. How many are you in your family?
Mrs Applebee: Six, so we hope you have plenty of closets[135].
Mrs Jones: Er — oh, you mean what we call cupboards! Yes, we’ve got plenty of those. And lots of chests of drawers too.
Mrs Applebee: Chests of drawers…?
Mrs Jones: Oh, I should have remembered — the American term is “dresser”, isn’t it?
Switchboard operator (in strong American voice): Are you through?
Mrs Jones: Oh, yes, I’m through.
Mrs Applebee (simultaneously): No, no, we’re not through yet. I’m speaking from my husband’s office and they’re all Americans here. Gosh[136], I’d no idea the British were so different about languages. What do you mean when you say you are through? We mean we’re finished with the call.
Mrs Jones: Oh dear, we mean we’ve been “put through”, we’re connected! Perhaps you’d like to come and see the house and then we needn’t misunderstand each other quite so much.
Mrs Applebee: I should love to see your house, but I’ve no car right now. Can I get to you easily some other way? I’m in Church Street.
Mrs Jones: You can take a 27 bus to the Twickenham roundabout, then use the subway right there…
Mrs Applebee: Excuse me, I didn’t know the subway went to Twickenham.
Mrs Jones: Oh, of course, my fault. The underground doesn’t go to Twickenham. I just meant when you get off the bus you take the passage under the road and when you come up the other side our house is at the end of Aldridge Avenue, opposite. How soon would you like to come?
Mrs Applebee: Is three o’clock today OK?
Mrs Jones: Fine, I’ll expect you.
EXERCISES
I. Define the meaning of these phrases. Make up sentences using them.
to ask somebody (to do) a favour, to be disorderly, to be rung up by somebody, to view one’s suggestion (un)favourably, to do something within reason, to give a party, to be wondering if, to redecorate a room (cottage, house), to know where you are, to be up to something, just the usual grind, to be off to (some town or a country), to be a comfort, as a matter of fact, to play hostess, to look nice in some dress, to look after somebody, it is terribly sweet of you, to come over, to stay with somebody, to get a day off, it’s settled, what’s wrong with him?, to be rather puzzled, to sound the sort of place we need, how many are you in the family?, to be so different about languages, to be put through, I should love to do something
