I Also Double as a Dumb American

April 30th, 2006

You ever find out that you got something so wrong - maybe a song lyric or a book title - that you feel compelled to share your embarrassment with everyone else?

Well, let me air my embarrassing misunderstood moment. I've been watching British decorating shows for maybe seven or eight years, and all this time, I've been wondering what a certain color was supposed to be.

Karkee?

Car Key?

Karque?

I did web searches on every variation I could come up with, but no karkee. They'd paint rooms with karkee on two different shows, but they didn't look like the same color...what color was it supposed to be?

And then, recently, while watching an old episode of Changing Rooms, I figured it out. I nearly smacked myself on the forehead. Those Brits! They're saying KHAKI! I almost fell over laughing. Why didn't I realize that in the first place?

I am SO glad that I didn't post a question ("What color is karkee? How do you spell it?") on the BBC America discussion boards. Better yet, I'm glad I didn't meet the fabulous Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and blurt out, "I love your designs, but could you please explain this karkee color to me?"

Sigh. Color me red! Or, um, maybe just a light yellowish-brown.

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