Cultural differences Scotland and England

[CauleyMacGlochlin]

So surprised to see on a recent thread that in England secondary school pupils are often not allowed out of school for lunch until 6th form, which Google tells me means 16-18. I'm gobsmacked. I've never heard of anything like this in Scotland and I've lived all over the country (grew up in Glasgow and moved around in adulthood)

I also recently discovered that English school pupils can't leave education at 16. They have to stay in education til 18 unless they have an apprenticeship.

Got me thinking about cultural differences between the countries that I've maybe been oblivious all this time. Any others?

Stayed in a hotel in Scotland. The restaurant meal on Sunday was called Sunday tea. Fair enough. It was toast and jam first followed by huge Sunday roast followed by a 3 tiered cake stand filled with cakes,scones and sandwiches. If was obviously a big thing because there were big family groups gathering together. Loved it actually but couldn't eat anything like all of it.

Loch Lomond finishing every party!

I'm in Scotland, Glasgow. My DS is 3rd year (14 yr old) and they aren't allowed out of school grounds on breaks.

The only time I remember this being an issue at my school in the SW (Scotland) is after we read “The Twelfth Day of July” by Joan Lingard in English. Then kids who were friends with each other starting calling each other sectarian names “for a laugh”. Kids can be such little shits. I told my DCs about the video we were shown in school of a Scottish boy starting school in London and getting called “Jockstrap”. This was supposed to resonate with us and make us oh so compassionate. The next new boy to start at the school, can you guess what nickname he was given… 🤦‍♀️ Poor kid had moved 30 miles along the road and had no idea wtf was going on. Stuck with him all the way until he left.

Not where I am. I'm guessing they mean 'I'm going to bed' and a 'lay in'

When leaving a house you slap your knees and say "right"

Definitely going to call the sun ' the big light' now.

I do this just getting up from the couch. Sometimes I don't even get up afterwards. I just like to sound productive.

Im so confused. I live in Scotland. I have never even heard of a 'nugget' from the ice cream van - we call those Oysters??!

Nougat - pronounced nooga is the marshmallowy type stuff.

If i heard anyone say nugget for nougat, like @MaggieBroonofGlebeSt i would think they were thick.

Valet - I would say a car vall-et-er would va-lay my car.

Cooperative - co-op

Born/Grew up in Scotland lived in England since uni (pre fees changing so it was pretty equivalent):

• Tea/dinner time. I grew up with it being 6-6.30pm & down here it’s 730 to 8pm (for adults)
• lack of oat products: sweet triangle oatcakes (not just nairns), oats in different levels of ground like pinhead to make skirlie. It’s just meal or rolled. You can import them though 😂
• compared to the exact city I grew up in & return to, people embrace colourful coats and outerwear more here. Perhaps as they wear them less.
• not needing to own a summer coat!
• People air their houses less when cold though that might have been a symptom of the granite Victorian stock requiring it to not grow mould
• No ceilidhs at weddings (which is obvious) but there is a bit of time in English weddings where the band/dj starts and no one dances (normally after the bride/groom) as everyone is super awkward or not quite drunk enough to awkwardly shuffle around yet- too conscious they have arms. Ceilidhs are getting dragged up at 7pm and thrown around.
• Fish and chips - no skin in Scotland

Definitely going to call the sun ' the big light' now.

Christ, it's been so absent recently it might as well be called that when it returns.

"Aargh! What's that big light in the sky?!!!"

Hang on... what? Is this true??

Neither do men in Scotland 🙄

@Edinburgal

I'm sensing a trend here. Seems like everyone except Edinburgh folk say nugget.

An oyster is a different thing. The single or double nugget is made with one or two of the chocolate dipped marshmallowy blocks.

And the coop is pronounced "coh-pur-ay-tif"

I wonder if we’re from the same place 🤔

My ex was English and would physically flinch whenever I said ‘the bunker’.

tbf they are few and far between,

I remember older relatives would always put a coin in a new purse that they gave you here in England.

Oysters are the round things with the coconut at the edge…nuggets are the rectangular marshmallow things. Whilst ‘noogah’ is the correct pronunciation, I’ve never, ever heard it called anything but ‘nugget’ here in central Scotland and I’m definitely not thick!

For nougat, I say noo gat.

Starts with an L?

I live in Edinburgh. There are 2 very distinct accents in Edinburgh, posh Edinburgh and normal Edinburgh. One is very Jean Brodie and the other isn’t.

i am wondering if this is just an age thing. I walked home to and from school from primary 5 but that was the mid 90s. There was lollipop lady for the only big road.

I do see primary aged kids walking themselves to school near me… but on Mumsnet it appears to be banned in most places.

I’ve never had any kind of nuggety noogah, or not more than once anyway. I have it filled along with Tunnocks Teacakes as weird sugary shit that tastes of f’all.

Infact, i think you are right, an oyster is different.

I think i would call the 'nugget' a slider??

I only ever saw my gran order things like that and again, it was lucas - it was either an oyster or a slider she would choose. I dont no anyone else who doesnt just take a cone lol!

We got nuggets at Mcdonalds!

1970s born child of Newcastle Upon Tyne here and we also called it Nugget.

We probably have a lot more in common up here (phrases and traditions) with the Scots than we do with England. Certainly most of the stuff that's been mentioned already.

And I've just placed an order for some fruit pudding, Ayrshire bacon, potato scones and square sausage, thanks to this thread being a timely reminder that I needed to stock up.

Oh, and M&S up here sell Scottish plain