If I ever judged the UK by what I saw on TV when I lived in the US

[Tee2072]

Everyone in the UK would either speak with a Cockney or RP accent.

They would all either live in an over crowded terrace or a huge country estate.

All the schools would be crap.

The populace would spend their entire lives in pubs.

Now, I never believed any of that, being a relatively smart human being.

So am I being unreasonable to wonder how come I'm constantly battling US TV stereotypes here on MN?

It's a thread about many many many threads.

No washing lines allowed here. I know someone who put one up and their neighbour went crazy at her screaming she "didn't want her neighbourhood looking like the fucking projects".

Well, it is, Jinx if you're talking about DC!

Spastic isn't considered un-PC in the US, Nancy. Or at least it wasn't when I lived there, 10 years ago.

Everyone (and I mean Every.Single.Person.) in the USA has a absolutely huge fridge. It's the law.

Oh, just because she came from hartford and moved back there in retirement, thought she would have been regarded as a local celebrity.

That's actually true, Jinx. I have been in some of the tiniest apartments in New York and San Francisco and the 'fridge is always the same size as someone in a huge house in the 'burbs.

HighJinx And you can get ice and water straight out of the door... [sigh]... I miss big fridges.

I like that quote reeling

She was the original box office poison apparenrtly.

I lived near Hartford from age 1.5 to age 3. And then never went back.

I have no idea what they thought of her!

I did grow up around the corner from Paul Newman and went to the same high school as his kids, if that makes you feel better?

I won my big american fridge (with cubed or crushed ice and chilled water) in a mumsnet competition. It is the best thing in my house.

Dorothy Parker was a right old cow, but funny as fuck

One of those fridges wouldn't even fit in my kitchen

I would die for one too.

Yeah for big fridges, that makes me happy actually Tee

I am about American fridges.

That's cool about Paul Newman!

Nobody famous or remotely interesting came from my home town. Joan Collins was evacuated there during the war though.

I love having a washing line, what the frig is wrong with them?

lljkk, you must have led a very sheltered life, then.

I know reeling. The space is what I most about the USA. I know it isn't available in the big cities but outside them, that country is vast.

Perhaps it looks uncouth having your knickers waving around in the sunshine.

There are 2 things I miss from America. My family and my refrigerators.

Although it was amusing when we were there on holiday, staying in a holiday home, and my mother was lamenting lack of space in the fridge. I gave her one of these and reorganized the whole thing. They are so spoiled by all the space! I told her I'd take a picture of my Christmas Dinner waiting to be cooked in my under cupboard 'fridge if she wants to see a truly full one!

Sir Malcolm Sargent came from my home town and is buried in the graveyard there.

WTF do you mean WHO ?

I have more Orf.

Rodney Dangerfield also had a house in my hometown, if you know who he is? I never saw him, I saw Paul several times.

Also, after I left the high school that Paul's children also went to, I went to boarding school where Jane Fonda went. She came back and spoke the year after I graduated, actually, because it was the schools 175th anniversary.

I don't know Rodney Dangerfield!

I don't know which is more impressive, jane Fonda or sir Malcolm Sargent

Tee I miss more about America than you do and I've only ever been on holiday

One of the most bizarre 'attacks' I've ever witnessed on an American was by a Mexican who was enraged that the USA had 'stolen' the words 'America' and 'American' from them as they should refer to the continent(s) and not a single country. It all got very ugly.

Is that something that is widely felt against the use of the term American to describe US citizens?

I remember christmas with my old CRAP under counter fridge. The turkey was stored in the car boot and most of the other stuff in a box in the garden.

I had a miniscule fridge in my room when I lived in a nurses home because all your stuff would get nicked from the big ones in the kitchen.

It mainly held wine, gin and milk.

We had it for a few years when I moved out and in with DP.

I've only been to New York City and parts of Tennessee. I loved both places - the people were extremely friendly and interested to hear about us and where we were from. Homeland security and immigration at JFK were lovely and I lost count of the lovely people on buses and subway trains and in Grand Central Station in rush hour who obviously thought I looked lost and asked could they help. (Maybe cute 4 year old Ds1 was the charm)

I get what people are saying about some Americans assuming that because they've met someone from Belfast that because you live there so you must know them but to be honest that happens to me with people in England.