Like most English children, I learned foreign languages at school．When I made my first visit to the United States, I was sure I could have a nice easy holiday without any language problem．But how wrong I was!

　　At the American airport, I was looking for a public telephone to tell my friend Danny I had arrived．A worker asked if he could help me．“Yes,” I said, “I want to give my friend a ring．” “Well, that’s nice．Are you getting married?” he asked．“No,” I replied．“I just want to tell her on the phone I have arrived．” “Oh,” he said, “ there is a phone downstairs on/he first floor．” “But we’re on the first floor now,” I said．“Well, I don’t know what you are talking about．Maybe you aren’t feeling well after your journey．” he said．“You just go and wash up, and you will feel a lot better．” And he went off, leaving me wondering where on earth I was, at home we wash up after a meal to get the cups and plates clean．How can I wash up at an airport?

　　At last we did meet．She explained the misunderstanding．Americans say “ to give someone a call,” but we English say “to give somebody a ring”．When we say “to wash your hands”, they say “to wash up”．And Englishmen start numbering from the ground floor, so the first floor is the second for Americans．

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