What language do they speak in the UK? Is it Latin?

[struggle4progress]

I was thinking I might vacation there, but I don't want to seem like an ignorant American, so I want to learn to speak Latin or whatever it is they speak

[Mark Baker]

1. I recommend learning French

While speaking English is a superficially attractive option, as soon as we hear you're American we'll just assume you're ignorant anyway.

If you try French you'll find most of us can remember enough from school to give you simple directions or to serve you in a restaurant, but we'll be struggling so much we probably won't even notice that your French isn't that great either.

Hope that helps.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. The clue is in the name

Ukrainian, of course.

[Skinner]

3. Lol.

[dipsydoodle]

7. I've only just seen this

[geardaddy]

5. Welsh, of course.

[mwooldri]

13. Given that Pobol Y Cwm ...

... is a popular TV show in Wales - even with the non-Welsh speaking audience (subtitles in English are available) then yep definitely Welsh is a language that ought to be learned in the UK. As well as Gaelic - both Scots and Irish varieties.

Oh and if you want to work in the City of London be fluent in Bullshit. It really helps in the financial sector.

[geardaddy]

18. lol on your City of London comment.

Yes, if you want to work in the public sector in Wales, you'll need to learn Welsh, too.

Yes, and Gaelic, both types.

[T_i_B]

6. I speak fluent Yorkshire!

http://www.sat.dundee.ac.uk/~arb/durc/songs/ilkley.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Ilkla_Moor_Baht_'at

Wheear 'ast tha bin sin' ah saw thee, ah saw thee?
On Ilkla Mooar baht 'at
Wheear 'ast tha bin sin' ah saw thee, ah saw thee?
Wheear 'ast tha bin sin' ah saw thee?

On Ilkla Mooar baht 'at
On Ilkla Mooar baht 'at
On Ilkla Mooar baht 'at

Tha's been a cooartin' Mary Jane

Tha's bahn' to catch thy deeath o` cowd

Then us'll ha' to bury thee

Then t'worms'll come an` eyt thee up

Then t'ducks'll come an` eyt up t'worms

Then us'll go an` eyt up t'ducks

Then us'll all ha' etten thee

That's wheear we get us ooan back

[dickthegrouch]

8. I be vrum t'other end

an I speek pure pyrit!

[southernyankeebelle]

9. Are you being funny? Where did you get the idea they speak Latin? You can go to a catholic school

and learn latin. I love to hear the English people speak English. We americans don't speak English, we speak American. None the less love the English humor. We americans have our own ways. But please don't paint us all the same way as some of our tea party friends in the republican party.

[oldironside]

10. Englishinnit.

Being from the south east I find most nouns in English end in "innit".

It's your roundinnit.

Well, it's Sundayinnit.

The new European Union Treaty renegotiation is a disaster for the UK's economic interestsinnit.

[dipsydoodle]

12. "innit"

The origin of that , without boring you with the complete background of how I know , seems to be India.

It was only last year that twigged its actually "isn't it".

[oldironside]

14. Actually I am interested.

I'm a linguist, but it seems there's a gap in my knowledge. It's clear to me it's the contracted form of the question tag, but I assume you mean that question tags were adopted from one of the languages British soldiers came into contact with during the Raj. Pray do tell. Maybe there will be some clarification as to why people from Ulster use different forms, so they do.

[dipsydoodle]

15. What happened

was that October last year I toured Cuba for a few weeks. The other tourists included an Indian lady and a guy from Sri Lanka too. The lady seemed to suffix everything with isn't it. I asked the guy, who was as English as me anyway , why she did so and he laughed saying "your used to it as innit - she's using the full expression "isn't it" because she's well spoken.

In actual fact she was as English as me too. Funny old world - innit.

I've never used that expression myself but I'm the world's worst for saying whatever.

[mwooldri]

16. What part of the Southeast?

"Innit" is more urban speak than rural speak. People in the more rural parts of SE England, who grew up in the rural parts and their family is in the rural part - "innit" won't typically be part of their vocabulary.

If you know where Ringo Starr now lives, you'll know where I grew up.

[oldironside]

17. Unfortunately...

... I suffer from Estuary English. Too much Grange Hill during my formative years. As to my hometown: Yes, it is in a rural area but I have been dubbed a cockney in any other part of the UK I've ever lived. What's the place got going for it? Sweet Fanny Adams.

[non sociopath skin]

11. Divvent lissen hinny

Thu ownly troo dialeck is to be hord up yem nar nye in the toon. Wi larned tae taak from yon vikins an that so wor taak is canny historical.

An wor Bede invented Latin an aal.

The Skin