[Daphne – Flesh and flash are NOT pronounced the same way. Of course not. Flash takes a flat ‘a’, a sound which doesn’t exist in Maltese.]

And cross my heart, the following is true and happened to me:

Once I was waiting in line at a bank and the woman in front of me starting chatting away telling me all about her precious son. At one point, she told me that he was born around Easter-time (twieled ghall-Easter) so she had decided to name him “ghall-Easter hux hekk xieraq”. It took me quite a few embarrassing moments to realise that she had named him…..Alistair.

Comprehensive policy? – Comprihenxin
Windscreen? – Winscrijm
Mudguard? – Medgerd
Petrol? – Petlor
Peugeot? – Bugu / Pugot …

[Daphne – Don’t forget the ZuZu pick-ups.]

inxurjans – insurance
brejkfast – breakfast
coklejt – chocolate
exxtrej – ashtray
ekstrej – x-ray…….grrrrrr this one is widespread

I never met Europeans who could NOT distinguish different English accents. Depends on the people one meets, I guess.

http://bad.eserver.org/issues/2001/57/carroll.html

“most continental Europeans can’t differentiate between a British and an American accent. I know it’s unbelievable to Americans to think that we sound even remotely like Brits, but I’ve never yet met a continental European who could distinguish between our accents (same with Irish, Australian, Canadian, and other English-speaking accents). In fact, they generally assume I’m British (and I’m Texan!).”