Smooth Move, Laxative!

No, no.  This post isn't what you think it is...

For all of the British-isms I've picked up over the 3.5 (almost!) years I've been in London, I do often forget about the American/Southern-American lingo I continue to spew forth-and many time to my poor husband, who is still learning 'the language.'
Last nite was no exception, and the result was so funny, I have to make note of it.

We were tossing a rubber ball back and forth in the hallway-as us hip, married couples do on a Friday nite-and at one point, Simon fumbled the ball so terribly, I couldn't help but revert to one of my favourite childhood taunts:  Smooth move, Exlax!

The look on Simon's face was one of utter confusion.  So, it dawned on me that Exlax must not be a product that was ever sold here in the UK.  So, I quickly proceeded to explain to him that it was a popular chocolate-flavoured laxitive sold in the US, so the phrase, 'smooth move, Exlax' was meant to imply, well..a sarcasm in someone not being so smooth or fluid in their movements.

He took it onboard like he does many of these things, and we proceeded to keep tossing the ball.  Well, after a few more throws, I too fumbled the ball.

Simon's taunt?  Smooth move, laxitive!

I proceeded to double over in laugher as I dropped the ball.

'Where Are You From?'

Simple question, right?  I used to think so.  Not any more.
This past Sunday, while sitting down to lunch in Paris (rough life, I know...), the Americans sitting at the next table looked at me and said, 'where are you from?' as they heard me talking when I sat down, and darned if Americans aren't friendly to their own kind when they're abroad! :)

And, thus the dillema began.

When living in the US, 'from' implied where I was originally from-as opposed to where I currently lived.   And, as most Americans can still detect a slight Southern accent, my reply, 'North Carolina' isn't a suprise.  Since moving abroad however-and especially since fully settling into life in London-I really have no idea how to answer that question.  If I say, 'London' (which I did in this case....), I immediately get:  'oh, wow.  you don't sound  British.'  And, then I usually have to follow up with explainig that no, I'm not British-I just live there. I'm most recently from Seattle.  Invariably, the Southern accent gets mentioned, and then I have to further clarify that I'm originally from North Carolina.

Who ever knew that such a simple question could create such a complicated response!  Maybe I'm just making this more complicated than it needs to be.

So, blog readers....when people ask you 'where are you from?' how do you respond?