I was at a delightful conference today with health care professionals from around the English-speaking world. I love the accents, different uses of words, etc. I am sure I'll hear more tomorrow - but today many of us (even the Canadians) enjoyed hearing the Australian and New Zealand speakers say, "Put your hands together" for "applause." Have you heard it before? Do they use it in England?

Another thing - I was talking to a group of Canadians, and I said I can always tell they're Canadian by the way they say schedule: "shedule" and not "skedule." Well - I was surprised. The people from Ontario said they say "skedule," though those from other provinces say "shedule."

Yes, it's common in the UK. Rather a cliche, in fact.

Hmmm...even the Canadians hadn't heard it. Interesting.

There were some others that I've heard here before, but I still love, like "tea break," "jolly expensive," "foot path" (instead of sidewalk). Here is one that I must have misheard because I can't figure it out from dictionary entries: I thought one of our speakers from London said that "We learned a lot, despite our rather "budgie (?)" start yesterday. He was the first speaker, so clearly this was a joke. Did I misunderstand what he said - or is this a word?

I think you misheard. "Fudged" start, perhaps?

Maybe...I should have asked him, I guess.

I really do enjoy the differences between countries. I think international collaborations are fascinating. We learn so much from each other. I particularly learned that other English-speaking countries think of Americans as "loud-mouths." I don't much blame them, I guess.

I've heard "please put your hands together" often in the States and from non-Commonwealth anglophones.

That's interesting, z. I've never heard it before.