You know those people who are spectacularly incompetent but smugly go about their business thinking they’re the best?

Everyone knows someone like that.

Often it’s the people we work with, or the people we work for.

And 99% of politicians.

In my experience it’s been nearly every boss I’ve had – but maybe that’s just me.

These people are woefully inept but are under the impression they’re better than the average person. In fact, the worse they are, the more they think they’re superior to those around them.

I may be just unlucky but I’ve encountered more than my fair share of these people in my life.

It seems every second person is afflicted with this condition, and it has a name – The Dunning-Kruger Effect.

Named after David Dunning and Justin Kruger of Cornell University, New York. They wrote the Ig Nobel Prize winning, Unskilled and Unaware of It in 1999. The focus was not so much on intelligence, but on competence.

The Dunning-Kruger Effect is a cognitive bias that shows below average people overrate their ability, while above average people underrate it.

The truly competent tend to overestimate the skill levels of others, while underestimating their own. Also known as Imposter Syndrome, prevalent in high-achieving women, who think everyone else must be as good as they are, or better.

What does that say about society and the way we raise girls?

Those with Dunning-Kruger Effect overvalue their own skills and abilities and lack the capacity to realise it.

In other words, they are too incompetent to recognise their own incompetence.

Or, those who don’t know are unaware that they don’t know.

I think most of us don’t know what we don’t know, it’s just that some of us know less than others, and don’t know it.

Confused?

People who lack skill don’t know they lack skill, and fail to recognise skill in others. They think they’re good and everyone else is inferior.

They don’t learn from their mistakes.

Highly skilled people think everyone else is just as adept as they are, if not more, so they are inclined to undervalue their own skills.

They don’t think they’re anything special.

I know which sort of person I’d rather spend time with.

So, if you think you’re really good at something, perhaps you are, but then again …

And if you feel that other people are always better than you and you don’t measure up, well, there’s a good chance you’re a lot better than you think you are.

KEEP THE FAITH

Even the title could cause an argument about grammar.

To settle any confusion, ‘most stupid’ is used by those of us who like to stick to the older rules of superlatives.  Anything more than one syllable sounds wrong when you put ‘est’ or ‘er’ on the end but I’m fine with ‘stupidest’ or ‘stupider’.

I’ve used both and will continue to do so to a certain extent.

Today’s post, however, is about those silly things, mostly idioms, we say, read and write without  stopping to consider the meaning of them.

We blurt out ridiculous phrases with no thought as to what they mean or how confusing, and even funny, they might sound.

Here are some of the more humorous things I’ve read lately:

A Handful of People

As in ‘only a handful of people turned up’.

Were they very small people or did the author have very large hands?

In what universe could you ever have a handful of people? Yet this is such a common expression.

Remember that old American sci-fi show, Land of the Giants? I think I saw a handful of people on there.

Room Temperature

Not so much silly as misleading.

This is supposedly a temperature – not too hot, not too cold – to serve certain cheeses and wines, among other things.

I don’t know about you but in my house the temperature of the room is often very close to the outside temperature.

In summer, the cheese would have melted and the wine would be hot – that’s not what you want.

And in winter they’d be half-frozen.

I’d love to keep my butter at room temperature but at certain times of the year it just isn’t practical.

Moreover, no one in Australia would serve wine at room temperature in summer.

Perhaps this is an expression from countries with a milder climate, or where indoor climate control is the norm.

Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop

A common saying suggesting one is waiting for an inevitable but unpleasant event to happen based on something that’s recently happened.

I can’t help but wonder how long they’d be waiting if the dropper of the first shoe had only one foot, had an injury that prevented them from wearing one of their shoes, or had lost a shoe.

They may have been hit by a car at an intersection and a shoe flew off, or perhaps they were chased or mugged and lost a shoe in the struggle.

I know there’s a logical explanation behind the saying but it still makes me smile and ponder alternative scenarios.

More … Than You Can Shake a Stick At

You can fill in the blank with any quantity of anything but presumably a number of anythings too big to count.

Because everyone knows you can’t shake a stick at a small number, or any number you can count quicker than the time it takes to shake a stick at it.

I don’t know the origins of this idiom but it’s a perfect example of the point I’m trying to make here.

It’s silly, and you risk subjecting yourself to ridicule if you say it and anyone bothers to listen.

For the record, I can shake a stick at any number of anything with no trouble, but maybe that’s just me.

You Made Your Bed Now Lie In It

Another expression that doesn’t stand up to further scrutiny.

We all know what it means but has anyone stopped to consider that beds are traditionally made every day?

Wouldn’t that suggest whoever has to lie in the bed they made could just make it more to their liking the next day?

Why wait until the next day? Why not get out of the bed and re-make it right now? Who wants to sleep in a badly made uncomfortable bed all night?

I’m also pretty sure some people don’t even make their bed before they lie in it.

What does that say about them?

The Cost Of Living

We all know the cost of living keeps rising but no matter how expensive it gets it’s still more popular than the alternative.

I guess anyone can increase their prices and blame it on the cost of living.

Even though being dead lasts a lot longer than being alive the cost of living is much higher than the cost of dying.

Can funeral parlours increase their prices and blame it on the cost of living?

And why does no one complain about the cost of dying? Is it because you only die once?

Isn’t there another popular expression  – You Only Live Once?

KEEP THE FAITH

Everyone loves and deserves a bit of comfort but it becomes a problem if we get too comfortable and decide to stay right where we are.

It’s ok to luxuriate in your own triumphs for a while but remember, you’re only as good as your last great achievement, and if you don’t strive for more you’re not moving, growing, or improving.

When you become comfortable with your life you are saying you believe it can’t get any better, this is as good as it gets. You’ve tried everything and you know everything.

That’s never true. There is always more to do and more to become. Being comfortable signals the end of growth and the beginning of complacency and stagnation.

Of course it’s fine to relax with family and friends and take some time off, just don’t let it be all you do once you get to a certain point in life where you think you’ve ‘made it’.

You can always ‘make it’ more and ‘make it’ better.

Most people finish school and think their learning days are over.

Nothing could be further from the truth. They’re just beginning.

Indeed I believe we need to ‘unlearn’ a lot of what we’re taught in school but I’ll get into that can of worms another time.

We should never stop learning. It is a lifelong process that should only be finished when we are.

Our brains can handle an enormous amount of knowledge. Don’t worry, it won’t get overloaded with the right information. It only gets overloaded with useless trivia that causes stress and overwhelm.

Many people have a taste of success and think they can rest on their past achievements, there’s nothing more to do, as if life is a race to the finish line and they’re already there.

True success comes when you push past your fears and illusory limits.

Sure, it’s scary and maybe even a little bit difficult, but no guts, no glory right?

Success lies on the other side of your fear. Push through it – and we’re talking about just a little shove here – and marvel at what you can really accomplish.

The fear is just your ego telling you to stay comfortable, you’ve done enough.

You know your ego is wrong. It doesn’t want you to grow, it wants you to stay right where you are. It likes to be comfortable, it wants you to like it too. It thinks there’s danger on the other side and it wants to protect you, but there is no danger.

What IS on the other side of your fear is everything you’ve ever wanted

If you step out of your comfort zone just a little every day you’ll soon realise that pesky ego of yours is holding you back and you’ll learn to ignore it.

And a little every day builds momentum.

Before too long these daily things will compound and you will be taking on new projects, learning new things and feeling very comfortable about it all.

It isn’t hard. It just takes commitment, faith and a little practice.

Every successful person has pushed right on through their fear and been amazed at what they found on the other side.

So learn to recognise when you’re feeling too comfortable. Not just good about yourself because you’ve rocked your to-do list for another day. That’s the best kind of comfortable, because it only lasts until the next day.

Know the difference between the two and that’s when being uncomfortable will become your new comfort zone.

You’ll feel uncomfortable when you get too comfortable. You’ll want to go out and do something new, learn something new, and face your fear so you’ll feel better, and more comfortable with yourself.

Now you’re really living, and learning.

‘The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.’  –  JOSEPH CAMPBELL

KEEP THE FAITH

Christmas is traditionally a time to be with friends and family but for various reasons this year I spent Christmas home alone – well, I had company in the form of small, furry creatures but no other people – and no I don’t have a rat infestation.

It was the first time in my life I’d ever been alone for Christmas and the idea was at first daunting – I imagined people’s reaction when I told them I’d spent Christmas alone.

Oh, the poor thing, does she have no friends or family? Or worse – Wow, what a loser!

But with a bit of planning I still had a very nice day and spoke to friends and family on the phone, some even sounded a tad jealous that I was doing what they wished to do but felt the need to go along with tradition.

And that got me thinking, why do some of us only get together with our loved ones at Christmas? Shouldn’t we be doing all that nice Christmassy stuff all year round?

Since I had a quiet Christmas I vowed to whoop it up for New Year and I did exactly that. After all I’m planning on having my best year yet so I wanted to bring in 2015 with plenty of hoopla and fanfare.

But still, I will make more of an effort to spend time with friends and family and to keep in touch all year, not just a concentrated effort around special occasions and holidays.

I also like to get as much as I can done in that ‘nothing’ time between Christmas and New Year.

That’s the time most people chill out and relax, maybe review their year and make plans and resolutions for the coming twelve months.

Not me, I like to go against convention and get my house, office and mindset organised and clean so I go into the new year uncluttered and ready for action.

This brings me to the business of resolutions. Many people aim for starting their new habits and rituals right on January 1^st and feel like they’ve failed if they start to waver a few days later.

I say ease into it. It doesn’t matter if you start a few days later. It doesn’t matter if you’re still partying on the 2^nd of January. There’s plenty of time to get it right and it’s more important than being rigid and starting on a given date.

What really matters is that you succeed in whatever it is you want to change. You’re not a failure if you start a few days later, be kind to yourself, change can be hard and if you find an easier way then more power to you.

So, for me, this year’s theme will be people and kindness. Putting in a bigger effort to connect and spend time with the people closest to me, as well as being of greater service to my wonderful clients and those I’ve yet to meet. And being kinder to myself, not being so regimented with my time, taking time to smell the roses.

I’d like to wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year and may we all stay safe and be good to ourselves, not just in the holiday season but all year round.

And for now I wish warm, crackling fires for those in the northern hemisphere and cool breezes and rain for those down here in the heat with me.

KEEP THE FAITH

At the risk of sounding as if I’m obsessed with Americans or picking on American culture, which I am so not, I want to take the opportunity at this time of year to talk about Halloween.

Perhaps I’m picking on Australian culture this time.

Ah Halloween. Only ten years ago it was just something to do with pumpkins, scary stuff, too much sugar and Americans. We didn’t even know what month it was in, or care. All we knew about Halloween was pumpkins with faces, the kind we don’t even grow here, and kids dressed up in costumes roaming the streets in search of sugar.

Now, it seems to have invaded our shores and there are Halloween masks and costumes in all the shops.

Halloween comes from the Celtic Feast of Samhain and appears to have been transplanted into North America when almost two million Irish people migrated there after the potato famine of 1845.

Australia didn’t have a huge influx of Irish migrants so it’s only now, with Australian popular culture having a tendency to copy all things American – let’s hope not – that we are seeing a rise in Halloween festivities.

Australia has its own unique culture and it disturbs me to see our kids blindly following American trends when they don’t understand them and they don’t make sense over here.

You only have to look at the Ice Bucket Challenge that made its way here during our winter, because the Americans were all doing it in what was their summer. I’d like to bet the Americans won’t be doing that in December or January.

Thankfully we don’t observe Thanksgiving and never will because that would really be absurd and meaningless to Australians. The idea of a day to be thankful has its merits – and I’m full of thanks because we don’t have Thanksgiving – but American Thanksgiving is, and means, much more than that.

So instead of the usual tinsel all over the shops in September it has now been delayed by all the Halloween paraphernalia, most of which is ignored by 90% of consumers. Some savvy markets have even started growing the large, orange jack-o’-lantern pumpkins, native to North America. Even our fruit and veggie departments aren’t immune.

What next, pumpkin pie? Why would anyone make a pie out of pumpkin? Pumpkin scones are more our style. As for canned pumpkin, let’s hope that never shows up on the shelves of Australian supermarkets.

Trick or treat? We’ve all seen this happen in the movies and in sitcoms but I’ve never seen anyone choose trick instead of giving in and handing over the goodies. The kids just say trick or treat and hold out their bags for more life-shortening, teeth-rotting, sugary rubbish. What if someone were to choose trick? Would the kids even know what to do? I don’t think they would, I don’t think anyone expects that answer.

Fortunately we are not as obsessive as the Americans about dressing up and bothering the neighbours, and I hope we never are. I won’t have to worry about random strangers in bizarre costumes knocking on my door and asking me to contribute to their diet-induced declining health – I live too far out of town.

Tonight there will be some people in my town dressing up and celebrating something they know nothing about, especially since Halloween falls on a Friday this year, and I feel for them because it’s currently 37 degrees Celsius and those costumes won’t be comfortable. Yet another reason for Australians not to bother with Halloween, it’s just too hot this time of year.

A happy Halloween to everyone around the world except those who don’t care and don’t celebrate it because, well, like me, they just don’t care (but it’s hard to ignore Google’s amusing cartoon videos today). No doubt the shops will be covered in Christmas decorations come Monday.

KEEP THE FAITH

Even though I live in Australia, most of the material I read and listen to is American, just like many of my clients, friends and colleagues.

That’s fine; I’m used to the American culture. I love the diversity of living in one country while being immersed in the culture of another; I have the best of both worlds.

The point of this story is that I’ve come to realise when Americans talk about people and events they are only referring to American people and events, as if they’ve forgotten that the rest of the world exists.

And have you ever noticed when you see a picture of planet Earth from space on any American TV show you can only see North and South America?

I’ve recently read blogs which declare, ‘as the world starts to wind down for winter’ and other mind-boggling statements.

Seriously? The world?

That’s interesting because half the world – including me – is currently enjoying glorious spring weather and looking forward to summer.

Does that mean these blog-post writers truly think the entire world is experiencing autumn – or fall, if you’re American – or are they just so arrogant they don’t care about the other half of the world?

Perhaps they think the Internet only encompasses America and its surrounds?

Even some well-known and, dare I say it, ‘should-know-better’ marketers send out emails mentioning the weather, when half the world has the opposite season happening, and quoting American statistics only.

Are they really so naïve they think only the Northern Hemisphere can read their emails or do they just not care?

When I and most non-Americans refer to people we mean everyone, not just the people in our own country. To us, people means everyone in the world, all people.

Americans seem to have an ‘us and them’ attitude.  Does U.S stand for United States or is it just US?

With well over 300 million people, Americans are the most insular folks I’ve ever come across. I don’t know if they just forget about the rest of the world or if they just prefer not to think about us but I do know it can make for some very frustrating conversations.

So why is it that I must keep reminding my amazing American peeps that they aren’t the only ones on the planet? Well, that’s not entirely true. They’ve heard enough from me to remember there are other people in the world. Must I single-handedly re-educate the American population?

So why are Americans so U.S-centric? I thought I’d do some research and try to nail down the exact time they thought the rest of the world didn’t matter.

It seems being insular is taught in schools with copious amounts of American history and very little, if any, non-American geography in the school curriculum. Children are encouraged to be disinterested and unconcerned and the U.S government surely doesn’t help when they declare America to be superior to the rest of the world.

For any Americans reading this, it just isn’t true. America is no better and no worse than anyone else, just different – and very indifferent.

Some have used the excuse that the country is so vast it’s not necessary to travel overseas or learn about other countries because they are so far away.

I live in Australia, also vast, and most Australians have some idea of the rest of the world and how it works and we’re very interested in other people and cultures. Our closest country is well over 2000km away yet at least 60% of Australians have passports compared to 30% of Americans. So that excuse just doesn’t cut it.

I think it must be a cultural influence and the way Americans are brought up.

In my opinion America needs to give more of a damn about the rest of the world if we are ever going to have world peace. I know there are other countries full of people who likewise don’t care, but Americans are more prominent and able to make change on a large scale. At almost 5% of the world’s population that’s too many apathetic citizens.

Until then I’m happy to educate my American friends or maybe just remind them sometimes, not that any of them are unduly insular, and do my part for international relations.

Personally, I’m tired of the attitude of Americans who think they are the only ones who matter and the attitude of the rest of the world who talk and laugh about the ‘ignorant Yanks.’ What we all need is solidarity.

I love being a part of the global village and I think everyone in the world has something valuable to contribute to society.

So, dear Americans, please join the rest of us in enjoying the whole, beautifully diverse planet and everything it has to offer, including all of US.

KEEP THE FAITH

I had planned to post something entirely different but after shopping in a different area on the weekend I felt compelled to write a piece on the direction we appear to be taking.

Last Saturday I thought I’d try a change of scenery and shop somewhere different. It was a huge supermarket with overflowing shelves and plenty of everything I could possibly need, but what caught my attention most was the brand new shopping trolleys.

No feral wheels with minds of their own on these babies. Not today would I pulling out my hair and cursing because that one wheel keeps jamming up and making the trolley go sideways. These trolleys did exactly what they were told, but what amazed me most was the cup holder on the handle. Yes that’s right, a cup holder.

Now, I’m not a fan of grocery shopping and the faster I can get in and get it done the better, but even if I feel like taking my time and browsing I’m pretty confident I can do it without needing to carry a drink with me.

What next? Little pop-up screens so I can be entertained by the movie of the day, or perhaps a documentary on good nutrition?

Whatever happened to being able to go out and do the shopping without the need to eat or drink until you got home? Millions of us survived for years doing just that and we’re not scarred for life, nor are we suffering the detrimental effects of dehydration from all that drink-free shopping.

New cars now have screens for all the passengers so they can watch TV while they’re travelling? There are screens in the gym when you’re working out, screens in hospitals and doctors’ surgeries, screens in restaurants (but not the ones I eat in). In fact anywhere people have to wait you’ll find a screen playing mind-numbing swill to anyone who’ll watch.

Remember when you used to look out the window on long car trips? That’s what you do when you’re travelling in a car. That’s why they have windows. Otherwise cars would be people-containers on wheels with just a window at the front for the driver.

We used to gaze out the window and watch the world go by. Think about our lives, make plans, and dream up new ideas.

When we grew tired of window-gazing we’d have a conversation with the other occupants of the vehicle.

Remember that lost art? Remember striking up a conversation with a complete stranger and being all the better for it?

Are we all so vacant now that our minds have lost the ability to entertain themselves without some sort of electronic doodad? And don’t even get me started on smart phones.

If you look out the car window while you’re travelling you’ll see a moving picture. It’s called the outside world – it’s what we live in and perhaps we should take more notice of it and let our minds wander more often. Who knows where it might take you? But be careful, it may just expand your mind.

And you won’t get thirsty while you’re roaming around inside your head so you won’t need a cup holder nearby.

It seems many people these days just cannot be alone with their thoughts. They must always have some sort of audible and visual stimulation. I thought that’s what imagination was. It is for me and it’s far superior to anything I could plug into externally.

The whole universe is inside my mind and I can do, be and have whatever I want whenever I want and as wild or fantastic as I want. There are no limits – my mind is the only limit. The constraints I let other people put on me are my only limits. And if I decide I need some external input, I’ll talk to someone and gain some insight into their mind.

You have to wonder if one day in the not-too-distant future people will be going to the cinema and watching the movie on their personal screen right in front of them.

Will they be there to watch the movie or just to sit in a big, darkened room getting their fix of external stimuli with others who can’t stand to be alone?

And you can bet that every seat will have its own cup holder.

KEEP THE FAITH

I live in a small country town, and I do mean small. There are about 400 people in the area. Since I’ve been living here I’ve noticed that a lot of the locals, the ones who’ve been here almost forever, do the same things all the time.

Day after day, week after week, year after year.

They don’t just do the same things, they think the same thoughts without ever stopping to question why.

These are the people I refer to as ‘on a loop’.

Their lives never change. They may not get any worse but they don’t get any better either.

They are sleepwalking robots imprisoned by their own subconscious patterns. Doomed to repeat the same actions and think the same things day after day until they die or something breaks the pattern.

The worst part is they don’t even know it. And it’s not just small town folk. People all over the planet are stuck in repetitive cycles of conditioning inherited from their parents and grandparents.

They are trapped by limiting beliefs they subconsciously picked up at an early age. Limiting beliefs that no longer serve them and keep them from realising their full potential.

An army of shuffling zombies, each one held captive in an invisible cage of futile habit.

It’s true that greatness is the culmination of small things done well every day.

If we want to be great we must do the little things regularly and having a daily schedule helps to get the mundane tasks completed but we should never just switch to auto-pilot and stay there.

Daily habits are essential to maintain our lives and keep the well-oiled machine running but other than those question everything.

Too many people live their lives doing things they’ve always done because “that’s the way we do it.”

Aren’t we all here to try to live up to our full potential? To really live?

Life isn’t something to be endured until you die.

Life is about pushing boundaries and testing your limits.

You don’t know what you’re truly capable of unless you try. Get out there and take some chances.

Start to question why you do what you do.

Is there a better way to do it?

Does it even need to be done?

Is it something I’m doing just because I’ve been doing it so long I can’t even remember why I’m doing it?

Does it bring me closer to my goals or am I doing it out of habit?

Re-examine your life and try to identify anything you’re doing that serves no good purpose or that you don’t enjoy doing.

Sure, there are some boring, maybe even unpleasant, things we have to do every day but those things help us to get  what we want and that makes them worth doing.

You might find you can do some things much more efficiently and stop doing some stuff altogether.

Do whatever it is you want to do. Do what makes you happy, not what you think is expected of you.

You only get one shot at life. Don’t live it on autopilot. Live it with reason and passion.

Make sure everything you do is to enhance your life and bring you closer to what you want, not because someone a long time ago told you it was the thing to do or because that’s what you’ve always done.

Question everything you do and if you don’t have a great reason for doing it then stop and replace it with something else.

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.”

― Henry Ford

KEEP THE FAITH

Being an Australian who spends a lot of time with Americans I can’t help noticing some of the peculiar expressions they use from time to time. I know they aren’t peculiar to the people who use them, just peculiar to someone who wasn’t raised in America.

Of course it’s just a cultural difference but because I’m also exposed to, and grew up with, Australians and their expressions, I tend to notice when someone says something that deviates from what I’m used to hearing, like most of us do.

Having said that, I’m starting to get used to these ‘Americanisms’ and indeed have incorporated some into my own vernacular. Other people often bring to my attention the fact  that I’m starting to sound less than Australian.

Asi es la vida, I say. Who says we have to speak one way or another? I just love other languages and cultures and I’ll speak however I like and you should too, although I am always mindful of what I say and how others might interpret it.

So, just for fun I thought I’d make a list of some of the things that Americans say that get my attention and remind me that we’re all different and life would be oh so boring if we weren’t.

The Dates Are Back To Front

This is more of an annoyance than anything since some dates makes sense when they’re backwards, such as 5/9 or 3/2. Now is that the fifth of September and the third of February? It is to me, but to an American it’s the ninth of May and the second of March.

I’ve had emails from American businesses wishing me a happy birthday on January 5th when my birthday is May 1st. All because I typed my birthday in their input forms as 1/5.

This is particularly confusing when you’re not sure of the website’s country of origin or don’t realise you’re on a U.S website (I believe some Canadians also do it).

Couple Dozen, Couple Anything Really

When in America leave out as many words and letters as possible seems to be what’s going on here. Instead of saying ‘a couple of dozen’ the of is left out. Isn’t that also the reason the ‘u‘ is missing from ‘colour’ and ‘honour’ etc., to save space and ink when printing? Is this why they leave out an entire word?

It always makes me want to edit and put in the missing word or letters.

Rescue Dog

The first time I heard this expression I had visions of a large, well-trained dog (think St Bernard) sniffing around and barking when he found something worthwhile. You know, helping  to find people after an avalanche  or locating earthquake victims buried under the rubble.

Boy, was I wrong? A rescue dog is one that has itself been rescued, usually from an animal shelter.

We generally don’t differentiate, they’re just called dogs.

Mom

I guess every country has a different take on this word. In Australia the word is mum. In parts of England it’s mam.

If the accent doesn’t give them away you can always tell when someone is American – they’ll have a mom.

Aluminum

Another case of leaving out letters considered to be superfluous, except this time you can hear the difference when the word is spoken.

When I was much younger it took me a while to realise that aluminum and aluminium were the same thing. I thought it was some strange substance that only occurred in America.

Lunch Sounds Like Launch

Depending on how strong the person’s accent is some Americans don’t have lunch, they have launch.

It used to give me the giggles listening to American speakers and one in particular had an accent so pronounced it was hard to understand him at all.

Sodder and Cauk

Speaking of accents, I’ve noticed some Americans don’t  enunciate the ‘L’ in words such as  ‘solder’ or ‘caulk’. This may be a throwback to the original pronunciation of ‘sawd’, the old English word for ‘solder’, and perhaps the same situation applies to ‘caulk’.

It does sound a little strange to non-American ears, although we all drop the ‘L’ sound in words such as ‘walk’, pronounced ‘wark’ in America, and ‘half’, pronounced ‘haff’ in the same country.

I have a Canadian friend who, even with coaching from me, just cannot say ‘Hawker’ the way I say it. It always sounds like ‘Harker’ instead of ‘Horker’.

Don’t get me wrong I am by no means ‘American-bashing’ and I must confess I love the sound of an American accent. It sounds so strange and exotic when you hear it in person amongst all the Australians. You get used to hearing it on TV and the Internet but when it’s right in your ear standing next to you it’s very hard to ignore.

And I’ve yet to meet an American who wasn’t as sweet as apple pie and thoroughly charming.

KEEP THE FAITH