Was it Oscar Wilde who described England and America as two nations divided by a common language?

I think McGrath was right to point out that words perceived as inoffensive in one country and culture might give offence in another (and since Maire says she's USA born and bred, possibly within the same country). Bill Bryson (born and raised in Iowa, but spent many years in England married to an Englishwoman) observed on returning to the USA that his new neighbour lacked a sense of irony, which Bill had taken for granted in England.

If you know the person you're talking to reasonably well, you usually know whether what you're saying will give offence or be misinterpreted or not. Otherwise you're running the risks described in the following song by the late Dave Houlden. If you're English, you can tell it was written by an Englishman because of the references to an English brewery (Breakspear), morris dancing, the Tory party and an English hero (Lord Nelson). It's probably crying out for an American version....

Kitty

HYPERBOLE

Speaking hyperbolically brightens up your talk
Like coming to a Brakspear's pub improves a country walk
One night a lady asked me if a night in bed would please
I said I'd crawl o'er broken glass on my hands and knees

CHORUS

I never meant to be taken literally I never thought she would
If she can't understand hyperbole it's damn near time she could

I went out with the morris; we got into a row
My adversary said to me if you don't leave here now
I'll break your bloody arm I will; you'll have one just like Lord Nelson
I said now that fighting talk break the other one it's got bells on

I came home from work last week, the missus said to me
You've had a long hard day my dear, what would you like for your tea?
I really wasn't worried; I was hungry, tired and hot
I said I could eat a scabby donkey. And that was what I got.

Two canvassers came to my house before the last election
They said we've come to point you sir, in the right direction
We presume that you'll vote Tory to right the country's wrongs
I said I won't, before I do I'll be dismembered with red hot tongs

At doing song accompaniments I've not had much success
However hard I practise they still come out a mess
One night I said I'm going to play with this song though I know you wish I won't
And tonight I'm going to get it right, I'll be buggered if I don't.

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 16-Feb-02.