Under the Pump @ Synchro32

One of the neat things about working for Synchro32 is that I get to speak to people around the world - in far far away lands. It was really mind boggling when I first started work with Synchro32, almost 15 short months ago - my how time flies, in that I was actually calling Australia and South Africa and Turkey and the UK - not to forget Canada, Mexico, Russia, Poland, India, and everywhere in between. One of the truly fascinating things is that everyone uses different terminology - phrases - sayings that are local to their part of the world. My good work mate and friend Lee Mahon has been educating me over the course of time in the terminology of the UK and Wales. The first time I spoke with the Synchro32 managing director Chris Collins, I could barely understand him due to the accent. The same goes for Lee Mahon - at least initially. I now can understand everyone like they were next door neighbors here in Texas. I've been keeping a list of sayings and here are a few of them...

Australia - "under the pump" - meaning, a lot of work to do. Under pressure. In the USA we would call this "under the gun".

Australia - "no worries" - very common phrase from our Australian customer base - means just what it implies. Very relaxed attitude unless you are under the pump.

Australia - "back in a tick" - meaning a very short amount of time - the tick of a clock.

UK - Heeming - really busy.

UK - Dolly Bird - British term for pretty young women

UK - Thats the Badger - right on, correct - on target - correct answer.

UK - Badgered - broken - likely beyond repair.

UK - Giz a ciggy - can I have a cigarette

UK - Crash the ash - your turn to share the cigarettes

UK - Cadgin a fag - see Crash the ash.

UK - off you pop and away with you - go on then...

UK - Geezer - a blokie bloke - a decent chap all the razzmatazz...

UK/Australia - cheers - saying thank you or good bye.

UK - Knackered - extremely tired. exhausted. (Simon taught me this one - he uses it all the time as he is constantly on the road supporting and training the Synchro32 customer base - often flying back and forth from North America. Simon got home from the states and was knackered...)

I won't even go into the more colorful ones that Lee has instructed me in - or the ones that have hugely opposite meanings than what the American counterparts intend...

I've found that the Urban Dictionary is a good place to look up such terms...
www.urbandictionary.com

Well, that's all for today from deep in the heart of Texas for Synchro32 North American Operations...