Copyright manchestereveningnews
An American woman who now lives in Greater Manchester says there was one thing about the UK which "baffled" her when she moved. But, after living here for three years, she says she has now come to "love" this difference. Ashley Jackson, 42, made the move to Stretford from Austin, Texas, in April 2022 with her husband Andi, 40, from Preston, Lancashire , as they wanted "better opportunities" for their children Levon, six, and Matilda, four. However Ashley says when she first made the move she was left "baffled" by some of the common phrases and slang used throughout much of the UK, such as the term 'lollipop lady' and the phrase 'taking the mick'. But despite her initial confusion, Ashley says that Brits are "great" at abbreviations and admits she enjoys "dissecting" the language. Join our Family WhatsApp group HERE Ashley, who works as a librarian, said: "You guys are really great at slang and I absolutely love it. So many words pop up in daily conversation and I take note, or I’ll look to my husband and he’ll explain to me. "Taking the mick – I think my mother-in-law, Pam, first used that term. I was like, 'What? Where are we going? What are we doing?' "I’ve come to find out lots of variations of words and phrases. "The first one that came to mind was lollipop lady. I realised it was a crossing guard and was like, that’s so cute." She added: "Other words I don’t understand are 'chalk and cheese'. 'Gorden Bennett' is one I hear a lot and 'bobs your uncle Fanny’s your aunt'. "I’m infatuated with how creative everyone is with their language here and I like dissecting that. "A lot of people give me the etymology of words which is great. It helps me get to know culture more and I guess help me feel I’m fitting in more and learning the culture." Since living in Greater Manchester for the past three years, Ashley also says she has found "so many things" to love about the UK including the country's nature and history. She said: "You’re embedded in history, the culture, everything is more kid friendly. "The nature is more a part of everyday life. There’s lots of green spaces, it feels like a more genuine authentic place. "I don’t really know how to explain it. I just feel like its organic and natural and comes from a place of history. The dialects comes from where you live - everything has a story." Since learning more about the slang used in the UK, Ashley has begun sharing clips on social media where she discusses her thoughts on some British terms and phrases. "A lot of this I post about is kind of hoping for an explanation from the community, and who better to ask then the Brits themselves," says Ashley. "I find a lot of people are enjoying my content as I’m talking about the positives of living here as oppose to the 'UK versus USA' stance. And people are always commenting saying they are thankful for me seeing the little things in culture and not taking advantage of it."
