Slog
News & ArtsFriday, December 10, 2010
International A Drink Driver
Posted by Charles Mudede on Fri, Dec 10, 2010 at 11:25 AM
BBC:
A drink driver has admitted killing two men as they helped an elderly woman who was trapped inside her crashed car.It's a sad story indeed. But I'm also startled by the expression: "drink driver." It's a little hard on my Americanized ears.Thomas Irvine, 48, was more than double the legal limit when he ploughed into the men and car on the A737 Linclive Spur in Renfrewshire in January 2010.
1
Europeans in general use the term "drink driver" or its equivalent, since you don't have to be drunk to be impaired. In Sweden, for instance, I understand that the legal level is 0.0.
5
I know, right? It's the same in Australia, they refer to drink driving and drink drivers, and it really annoyed me when I first moved here. I'm over it, though, since most things about Australia make the US look like a pile of poo.
6
@2 Uh, no, that would be, "SORE-y, you are legally impaired in BC." ...I take it you've visited one of our fine Check Stops?
7
Darn. I was hoping 'drink driver' was a job description. So one could call out for pizza with a side of gin.
8
Agreed! 'Drink driving' always hits my ear a little tinnily, too.
The other British expression that gets me is when they say 'Ta' for 'thank you'. To my American ears, 'Ta' means 'see you later!' - and always will.
Silly England! (They also drive on the wrong side of the road, the punters.)
The other British expression that gets me is when they say 'Ta' for 'thank you'. To my American ears, 'Ta' means 'see you later!' - and always will.
Silly England! (They also drive on the wrong side of the road, the punters.)
9
@2: I've never heard that said in Canada. I assume you're speaking from experience -- maybe they were calling you a "dink driver"?
10
with the 'i' and the 'u' right there next to each other, i would have assumed it was just an adorable typo were it not for this comment thread.
12
@11: Or maybe it was "Dinka driver"? Did he give his keys to someone else? Canada has strict laws about this shit.
13
@12 This is the same guy who said "craggy!" when he meant "crikey!", so it could have been Minnie Driver for all we know...I'm just hoping he puts a big sticker on his car when he drives north, like those "N"s they make you use in Vancouver...
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