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Original poster

Things you didn't know weren't normal

1000 replies

Applescruffle · 08/08/2023 18:43

What are things you thought every one or every family did until you became an adult or entered a new relationship?

I'll start. I thought that everyone ate the leftover yorkshires after a roast dinner as desert eg: fill them with cream and fruit or custard or something, basically use them like you would a pancake... no?

I thought everyone peeled mushrooms, I didn't know that not only do people not peel mushrooms, lots don't even know they have peel!! 😱

I'll probably think of more.

Nb: I'm not meaning to trigger anyone's childhood or relationship trauma, I just mean lighthearted things x

OP posts:
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7
Singlemum19802023 · 09/08/2023 18:31

Defo had Yorkshire puddings as main and desert. We had jam on ours or golden syrup.

I still find it odd when people don’t have their Xmas cake with cheese on. That’s a staple for us!

JenWillsiam · 09/08/2023 18:34

SpanielsMatter · 08/08/2023 19:02

Culture shock

Beetroot on burgers (horrible)
Sausage rolls that contains watery frozen style vegetables ( kiwis do not understand decent sausage rolls)
’Bring a plate’ had to be explained that you also bring food on the plate to a social gathering 🤭
Beef/ Pork ‘flavoured’ sausages with painted on lines and made from … well we won’t go into that one - wouldn’t feed them to the dogs.

If you rent you don’t pay council tax
insurance not compulsory for vehicles and a LOT cheaper for fully comp
Being able to grow the majority of your vegetables year round
Neighbours talk to you, and are helpful. Strangers say hello on walks
Parking for free on the high street - spent ages looking for a pay and display the first time

And I didn’t know till very late that mushrooms should be peeled ( washed, always peeled, no).

Renters should be paying council tax…

Magneta · 09/08/2023 18:34

Applescruffle · 09/08/2023 17:54

It blows my mind the amount of people that won't get public transport to the airport and simply must go in a car. Our usual airport (Gatwick) has its very own train station, straight into the terminal and its a nice, comfortable hour's train journey where you can move around and there's tonnes of luggage space. It takes an hour and a half at least by road, if there's no traffic, and you have to cram all your cases in the boot and worry about parking.
And yet the IT'S were horrified we would even consider a train and tried to persuade us to let them pick us up at 5am! Whhyy??

Show quote history

It would cost us way more to go by train and literally add hours to the journey. It's not just the airport end, it's what the public transport provision is like where you live. We'd have a train that goes either once an hour or every other hour, and a 15 mile taxi ride, to factor in if we went by train.

WiddlinDiddlin · 09/08/2023 18:39

dramoy · 09/08/2023 07:41

Yes to pancakes - savoury (cheese and ham) then sweet (whatever, trad lemon and sugar, banana and chocolate spread etc). The idea of pancakes as a dessert after a normal meal, alien to us, pancakes are a faff, why do that after the faff of cooking a proper meal!We also spent lots of time in France as a family, when I was a child, and savoury crepes were a big feature, so thats what we had at home, thin crepes with all sorts of fillings, not thick pancakes or bubbly american style pancakes.

Sweet pancakes/crepes are definitely a thing in France so weird the concept is alien to you.

No, its the idea that you have a normal meal THEN have pancakes that is alien to me.

You have pancakes as a whole meal - savoury first, then sweet. Because as I said, making pancakes is a faff, why double that faff by having to cook a different meal first?

Original poster
Applescruffle · 09/08/2023 18:40

Magneta · 09/08/2023 18:34

It would cost us way more to go by train and literally add hours to the journey. It's not just the airport end, it's what the public transport provision is like where you live. We'd have a train that goes either once an hour or every other hour, and a 15 mile taxi ride, to factor in if we went by train.

Show quote history

No, I know it's not the same for everyone. Obviously people live all over and have different transport links and some airports don't even have trains. I just mean our situation specifically. There's a perfectly good train, it's faster, cheaper, more comfortable, less risk of delays, much more convenient etc etc.
But there's just this horror some people have at using public transport which makes no sense to me.

OP posts:
Yujismum · 09/08/2023 18:46

In my 70’s and my Nan used to give us raw onion and sugar with some hot water to treat a cold. Eurrgh!

Carlosi456 · 09/08/2023 18:50

I realised at 35 ish that my lefty views and anti-monarchism were not acceptable light, polite conversation. Living in a bubble....nobody told me....

Maireas · 09/08/2023 18:51

The Gatwick train is brilliant, @Applescruffle . I always use the train to airports because it literally takes you right into the middle of it! No parking worries, or traffic anxieties. Much more pleasant.

pebbles8811 · 09/08/2023 18:51

I do this too with mushrooms eat them as is and everyone’s shocked like it’s a big deal lol

DrSeuss84 · 09/08/2023 18:52

Nevermay · 08/08/2023 19:09

I thought that those rocking machine rides in supermarkets only worked with special grandparent money, which was not the same as the money mum or dad had in their pockets. Special grandparent money was the only currency accepted m=by ice cream vans too.

Brilliant! I live this. Your parents were genius.

Maireas · 09/08/2023 18:53

Carlosi456 · 09/08/2023 18:50

I realised at 35 ish that my lefty views and anti-monarchism were not acceptable light, polite conversation. Living in a bubble....nobody told me....

What?! That's completely the opposite of my experience! Maybe it's where you live and work? No one would admit to voting Conservative or supporting the monarchy where I live and work! All Remainers with "Refugees Welcome" posters!

Maireas · 09/08/2023 18:54

Yujismum · 09/08/2023 18:46

In my 70’s and my Nan used to give us raw onion and sugar with some hot water to treat a cold. Eurrgh!

That's actually a very good cure for a sore throat, and was the only thing that used to sort out my tonsillitis!

nopuppiesallowed · 09/08/2023 18:57

When we had a meal with gravy, we always had a doorstep of bread to mop up any that was left on our plate. If you were posh, you ate the gravy bread with a knife and fork. We weren't posh....

Yujismum · 09/08/2023 18:58

Yes Maireas a good source of Vit C but pretty horrible to drink. Well I thought so. Can taste it now!

sueelleker · 09/08/2023 19:01

My mother does not like my relaxed attitude to meal times!
We always had a Sunday roast at home. Shortly after we got married, Mum asked me what we'd had for Sunday lunch; and was horrified when i said "sandwiches".

SleepyHedgehog · 09/08/2023 19:03

I was trained to respond to a particular whistle in public. Seemed very sensible for locating a lost child and to this day if I hear the whistle it makes me drift in that direction.....

fatimashortbread · 09/08/2023 19:07

DropCloths · 08/08/2023 19:11

Having butter and peanut butter on toast. Totally normal in my family, every time I've done it in front of someone else they've reacted as if I'm eating like late era Elvis.

My husband did this (and still does) when we first met I had never seen anything like it! He also attempted to put butter underneath Nutella for our daughter but got told off by her

Maireas · 09/08/2023 19:08

Yujismum · 09/08/2023 18:58

Yes Maireas a good source of Vit C but pretty horrible to drink. Well I thought so. Can taste it now!

Oh it's horrible! Takes your mind off the illness!

Soberfutures · 09/08/2023 19:09

RubyFlint · 08/08/2023 20:35

That sheep had two shorter legs on one side for walking around hills.

Cheers Grandad

We had the same but for haggis lol.

And jam in Yorkshire puds. All dinner parties had to have jacket potatoes and a good game of trivial pursuit.

Suzypoo10 · 09/08/2023 19:10

That you don’t need a passport to go to Scotland or Wales. My dad made us all crouch down in the car because we were entering illegally.

kthnxbai · 09/08/2023 19:11

As children, we weren't lucky enough to have a TV with a remote control, ours was a wood framed push-button monstrosity. However my wealthier friend had more than one TV and all of them had a remote control. She referred to the controller as "the titty". Young and awestruck as I was, I never questioned it.

It took my daughter, who has also adopted the label, asking me why we call it that to question it. DH, it seems, has just eye-rolled his way through our marriage. Sorry darling.

OhMerseyMe · 09/08/2023 19:11

But you dry “everything” when getting out of the shower, so….. How would you know your sibling didn’t dry his @$$, etc with the same spot you are drying your face? This is the most weird one so far for me. No one shares a towel in our house, and we only use it once before they are washed. We are in the U.S. though and have clothes dryers, which makes doing laundry a lot easier.

All of these posts are so interesting to me ❤️. I have had to google lots of things because I have no idea what some of these items are that people keep mentioning. Very educational!

Carlosi456 · 09/08/2023 19:12

Ha Ha - yes I moved to Dorset at 35!

Soosi · 09/08/2023 19:13

Can’t stand warm crumble always have it cold.

muddlingthrou · 09/08/2023 19:15

Having cream and maple syrup on pancakes. I've no idea where my Middle Eastern parents got this from, but it's amazing and so much better than boring old lemon and sugar 🤣

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