Podcast – how do you describe your life?

[Paul Wisken]

Listening to Robart and Lucy discussing proletarian vs upper-class descriptions of everyday items, I was reminded of a situation at one of the significant anniversary recreations of the Battle of Hastings some years ago.
During the march-off of the victorious Norman army, one of the soldiers shouted to the spectators: “And now you must stop saying ‘Paper Napkin’ and learn to say ‘Serviette’!”
Somehow, totally anachronistic, it summed up the Norman Conquest in one sentence.

[Jacqueline Bertho]

I am very confused these days by these type of discussions. Brought up in NE Lincolnshire (Immingham to be exact) from a very ordinary family obviously my language was coloured by the local « norms ».
We ate bacon baps, sitting was done in the front room, Dad worked in the garage (garidge) and at Christmas Chez my great Aunt we used paper napkins…..but daily we used serviettes, kept in a drawer under the table. I pushed my brother off the settee…..
But now I am in my 60th year, living in France, married to a Frenchman, we use serviettes both in the bathroom and à table. Rarely eat a sandwich let alone a bap, a bun or roll. We both eat (at the aperitif hour) and sit on our canapés (sofas). The only time we go in a lounge is at the airport or we walk by them on the seedier side of town, when visiting a city.
Basically it is all so regional I am sure there must be a map out there…..

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