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?

In Scotland people eat ice poles rather than ice pops.

When giving directions they use phrases such as going 'down the way' or 'up the way'.

I have no idea how a Scottish morning roll is different to a normal bread bun, but apparently they are.

Scotland here and my kids school doesn’t allow them to leave the grounds at lunchtime (senior school). I’m glad as whenever I see kids from other schools in the supermarket at lunchtime they are buying junk such as packets of biscuits and big bottles of juice. I’m glad my kids are getting a proper meal whether that’s from the dining room or packed lunch from home.
No need to leave the grounds.

Seymour5 · Today 17:10

The fish suppers in Scotland take a lot of beating, and I’ve never seen white pudding

I don't think I've seen one in a chipper, but you can get it in the shops. Loads of butchers used to have it, there's a butcher's stall at Tynemouth Market, mostly good stuff, especially sausages, but the white pudding is bland.

The Sunday shops thing in England really caught us out.

People often don’t realise Santa/ Guising (trick or treating) at Halloween/ Pancake Tuesday have been long term things in Scotland and think the first two are Americanisms.

If anyone in London is missing any of the Scottish delicacies mentioned here, you're in luck! A Scottish Deli has just opened near Angel tube 😍 https://www.auldhag.co.uk/

Is white pudding what we'd call hogs pudding in England?

In Scotland you cant buy alcohol in a supermarket after 10pm or on a Sunday morning

Serious hit of nostalgia here! Haven't had an ice pole since I was a kid

I moved from England to Glasgow in about 2010 and got asked a few times if I was Catholic or Protestant. I answered "neither" (I'm atheist and was raised atheist) and one person answered "right, Protestant then". I was amazed by that but I do get the cultural element.

I was amazed how partisan Glasgow was, including orange marches and piping and stuff.

No free periods until post 16.
It's not about them getting lost.....

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · Today 18:24

Is white pudding what we'd call hogs pudding in England?

I don't know, I've never knowingly had it. As we're a bit Scotland adjacent, I suppose we get a few things the same.

@GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut

I don't know about your example of "just now", but we certainly say "the now"

Nearly burst my Swedish friend's head when I texted her saying "that's me the now"

Meaning "I am currently parked outside your door"

How? Instead of why? ‘I’m not going out tonight’ ‘How??’

"Protestant then" 😂

Yeh, pretty much. I see a lot of that shite dying out now though.

My gran will still say things like "he's a wee Proddy, but he's nice."

Is it Scottish to say "watch!" for "be careful"

Hmm only if you can actually get to a library or somewhere to pick them up. It’s not like you can just pick up tampax in the supermarket and they don’t charge you for them!

They aren’t, they’re in common use in England.

It's a west coast of Scotland issue and fortunately not the whole of Scotland issue.

@NotFastButFurious

But aren't they stocked in all workplaces now too?

@CauleyMacGlochlin not that I’m aware of and definitely not obvious in mine if they are. Possibly in the public sector? The only place I know supplies them is the local library which is only open when I’m at work.

Any public building. Any council building, school building, any public building.

We used to go to our auntie's in the South of England, for school holidays. I was about ten when I realised that people outside the NE of England just say squash and not "Dilutey squash."

I was corrected to, "It's dilute! "

@Itslegitimatesalvage which are just as inconvenient as the library! Like I’m not exactly going to walk into the local high school to ask for sanitary products am I?!?

I once had an Amazon delivery cancelled because according to them I lived too far north or on an island. I'm in the DD postcode area so not exactly up in the Highlands and definitely on the mainland.

A lot of big item deliveries won't deliver up here either, things like Wowcher deals on furniture you have to double check the postcode areas they go to. We struggled to get a new sofa at a decent price a few years ago because of this.

No Ocado.

No multibuy deals on alcohol usually (you'll see supermarket ads with a 3 for £20 on alcohol and small writing at the bottom always says "not available in Scotland").

I grew up in Glasgow in the 80s, was raised without religion as my parents are atheists, and while at my school you were asked if you were green or blue, I didn't actually know there was religion behind it when I was there and we didn't have any bother whichever side we were on. We moved in '92 before I started secondary school though so I guess things would have been different there.

Yes we do say big light