UK and America are two countries separated by a common language, UK and US Q&A

[Pipbin]

Continuation of the previous thread where posters from the UK ask questions like 'what the hell is going on with the gaps in US toilet doors'; and posters fro the US ask things like 'what is with wearing stripes'

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/a2149133-to-think-there-is-something-wrong-with-Americans?msgid=48969042#48969042

Tabulah yes. We have alcoholic cider too but that is called "hard cider". It's different from apple juice, more raw and unfiltered.

Scone, is that the food vouchers? I only know about them from Orange is the New Black where some woman was running a scam with them in her shop.

In the US do all colleges have those sorority clubs? How do you get to be in one? Are they all full of elite bitches like in films?

I'm English but have lived in Florida for 35 years.

We have something similar to squash they call it water flavor here. Comes very concentrated in small bottles, like Robinsons Squashed. Dozens of flavors.

Our house at the beach is a townhouse (1800 sq ft). About twice the size as my Grandmothers terraced house in England.

Pipbiin I have never seen Orange is the New Black, but that might have been food stamps, now called the SNAP program, I think. SNAP is a general program for low income people to help buy food. WIC is aimed at providing early-in-life nutrition, including help for pregnant women.

I'm in Florida, too. Lots of townhouses in Florida.

WIC is food vouchers, yeah, they're for low-income pregnant women and those with children. Can only be used on certain things - like milk, vegetables, nappies, formula, cereal. It's a wide list but specific.

There's also food vouchers (food stamps) for other low income peoples. Can be used for any food not alcohol I believe.

So the scam in OitNB was cashing them (so people could buy drugs/whatever with the money) then the shop claiming the money back from the government.

Most big universities have some sort of sorority system. Older, established schools take them more seriously, as there's a lot of history. Bigger in the South too, afaik. Often under fire for dodgy recruiting/elitism/hazing, and most have cracked down a lot on it. Typically you are approached or apply as a "pledge" then you're sort of voted in, sometimes after an initiation.

At my uni, most have a cultural empowerment bent, and they're very relaxed. Community service is a big part too.

A lot of sororities are for specific things. Like my cousin who is going to be an accountant belongs to one where it's all women who are going into financial stuff. (Bet they're a wild bunch :o )

Do most people (people over 21,anyway) think that having the drinking age at 21 is a good idea?

Or do they think that it's weird that you could be married or in the armed forces or own a gun or drive a car for years before you are allowed to have a beer?

Yes WIC is very specific..for instance I saw the other day that plain frozen berries had "WIC approved" by them but not the strawberries frozen in some kind of sugar syrup.

When the government shutdown was in place some people lost their WIC so all the churches in my area had volunteers to drive the women who needed help to the store to get formula and food, and a lot of farms around here set up free stands with veggies and eggs until the women could get their WIC back. Fucking government bastards

We live in the biggest house here in Texas just outside a large city that we will probably ever live in. It's 3000sqft. And it wasn't the biggest in our price range, but was the most comfortable we felt in. The others were just too massive. All to do with space, and cheap building. It's 4 bed, in comparison our UK house, also 4bed (3+box) was only 1100ft if that.

I found most people comfortable to talk about religion and God in day to day conversations. Whereas I like to hide mine to myself. It's quite refreshing, but does throw me sometimes.

Food here I find extremely expensive. I'm always amused by the food is expensive in the UK threads, last time we were back, saying that it was 3years ago, I couldn't understand. We pay min $5 for a lb of butter here. My grocery bill is anywhere between $250-350 per week. It's horrifying! This past week we spent about $300 and only bought meat for 3 nights as we have some in the freezer. And that's at a mid range supermarket. I tried the Aldi that is open in our town and walked out again, too much in the way of canned/processed food, and a tiny section of fresh fruit/veg.

Everyone I know thinks the drinking age should be 18 for the reasons Trills mentioned.

cheerful that's another thing I admire about the US, the sense of community and people rallying to help others. Recent case I saw of this was the poor girl in Houston who had her whole family killed by her Uncle. Donations have poured in for her future. It's really amazing.

$5 for butter?!

Well I guess it's $3 something here. Still!

Following on from the mention of fortnights, we caused bafflement at the Californian B&B we stayed at 10yrs ago by saying we were on a fortnight's holiday. Back in the U, my friend pointed out that a week used to be referred to as a "se'night" (seven nights), but that had fallen out of use.

We have stayed in B&Bs on visits to the US and they seem nicer than hotels, whereas here they tend to be cheap and cheerful. Is a B&B more akin to a boutique hotel in the US?

U = UK

It seems that people in the US marry very young- is this actually the case? Is there as much pressure to marry as there seems to be? If so, why?

Yes, B&Bs are often very upscale, even more so if they call themselves a country inn.

yep $5 for butter! We paid closer to $6 in canada, I used to rejoice when I could buy it at Costco for $1 less!

The average age for first marriage in US is 27 for women and 29 for men. Not that young really.

Yes, B&Bs are often very upscale, even more so if they call themselves a country inn.

Ah, that explains why the one we stayed at in New England was achingly posh. I was terrified DS1 was going to trash the antiques...

As I recall -- when you're under 21, you think the drinking age is stupid. When you're over 21, you don't want a bunch of drunken kids ruining your night!

It's usually not that hard to drink illegally though.

No, not that young Scone. I must just know a few people who've married young!

Ok. What's the deal with the cheese? Is that dayglo stuff all you can buy?

You live in the biggest house in Texas her? Damn that must be big.

For our US friends, here are some terrace houses, they are very tiny and very common.
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/Salford/terraced.html?sortType=1&index=20
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-46221134.html?premiumA=true

New England B&Bs are terrifying

I stayed at one once that was full of creepy antique dolls in every room, I had to put my coat over them to sleep