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

999 replies

Pipbin · 18/08/2014 20:23

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

OP posts:
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15
seagull70 · 29/08/2014 16:10

Yes, it must be strange to Americans when they see us refer to our history and historical sites in such a laid back way.

DD 1 has a pen friend in Texas and they were chatting via Facebook about their respective schools. DD's school was founded (originally as a boys school) in 1734 and Texan friend STILL goes on about the fact that is earlier than the ratification of the American Constitution Grin

To us, it's just a comprehensive school with a grand logo - we've never really given any thought to the origins.

Our old house was built in 1817 however and we fell in love with it as it had all the original fireplaces, sash windows and wood panelling it was drafty as hell though and it was fascinating to look through the original title deeds.

What I don't get though is that our current house (if we sold it) would get us a house 3 times the size in somewhere like Plano, Texas. It's not bloody fair GrinGrin.

We almost relocated out there a few years ago and I became OBSESSED with house-hunting Grin

AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore · 29/08/2014 16:28

Aw, I would LOVE a house that is one of those old old houses. Guess I need to get to buying a lottery ticket. Grin

mathanxiety · 29/08/2014 16:42

My American house was approximately 70 years older than the house I grew up in. The schools my DCs attend/ed were both a good deal older than the schools of my DCs...

My mother's family however, lived in a postcard variety Irish thatched cottage down a little lane lined with dry stone walls, that had stood since Norman times in all likelihood, with massively thick stone walls, old worn flags on the kitchen floor and a hob for cooking (as well as a Kosangas oven) and was part of a really old fashioned farmyard setup, with pigsty next door, a dairy, stone barns and storehouse, milking parlour, henhouse, all in a rectangle around the yard (known as the 'haggard', probably from Old Norse heygarthr meaning an enclosure where hay was processed). I have described this to American friends and they are all incredulous that the family built a modern farmhouse in a field closer to the road, with a large bathroom and a shower and mudroom, kitchen with all the mod cons of the 70s, and spacious and well heated bedrooms. The old house was cold and draughty, and thatch leaks in February, March and April no matter how skillfully the thatching was done the previous summer. exMIL, who wouldn't have put up with the inconvenience of my granny's kitchen for ten minutes, was especially appalled at the idea of a nice new house with safe wiring and an even, tiled kitchen floor with a mains gas stove, and central heating.

mathanxiety · 29/08/2014 16:44

The schools my DCs attend/ed were both a good deal older than the schools of my DCs my schools. Or the campus of the university I attended if it comes to that...

CheerfulYank · 29/08/2014 16:51

Our house was built in the 30's and is an "older" house around here!

I don't like brand new houses though, I'm a bit of a snob that way. :)

HalfSpamHalfBrisket · 29/08/2014 17:00

My old school started in 1503 - I didn't know this until my mum got an invitation to the 500 year anniversary celebrations a few years ago.
(It was an Endowed Grammar School, then a bog standard comp when I went to it, and is now an Academy.)

Pipbin · 29/08/2014 17:17

This thread reminds me of the saying that the UK is somewhere where 100 miles is a long way, and the States is where 100 years is a long time.

American houses all seem to big though. Watching things like Breaking Bad, Walt is meant to be on the bones of his arse and he has a fecking huge house with a swimming pool.
I could never understand how the family on Roseanne were meant to be poor when their house had 3 bathrooms.
Until 2 years ago I lived in a house with an outside loo still!
I feel like my house now is fairly new and it was built in 1947

OP posts:
TheSoulCakeDuck · 29/08/2014 17:34

I think the language and cultural reference thing is changing a bit. I have been watching "Lie to Me" on Netflix and apart from having a massive teensy crush on Tim Roth, I have also noticed a lot of British words and Britishisms creeping in that I wouldn't have thought a US audience would always get. He calls everyone "love" and when a storyline mentioned football they didn't change it to soccer. He also wears a West Ham scarf and was cooking a chicken tikka masala which I can only think we're "in" jokes for any Brits watching.

My question to our Americans is about politics, you seem to have a very strong tradition of town hall meetings and engagement in local politics is this true? I read somewhere you vote directly for a lot of public officials, does this get a big turnout? In the UK we have just started voting for our police commissioners and I think most ballots barely scraped a 15% turnout

CheerfulYank · 29/08/2014 17:42

Yes, a lot of people vote in local politics. :)

I'm not poor or rich (DH makes the equivalent of £40k) and I'm a SAHM though I will begin child minding in September. We live in a 1200 sq ft house with two bathrooms and it's smaller than most houses with families of similar size.

SconeRhymesWithGone · 29/08/2014 17:56

Local politics is very important. Many public positions are elected where I live: school board, judges, sheriff, tax collector.

LaVolcan · 29/08/2014 18:19

Do you really elect a local dog catcher?

AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore · 29/08/2014 18:21

Never had an elected dog catcher anywhere that I've lived. In AZ the dog catchers (humane officers) were city employees that worked through the police department. And they fielded all sorts of different animal calls.

SconeRhymesWithGone · 29/08/2014 18:25

Never had one anywhere I live either. They are called animal control officers where I am and are city employees. And here in Florida they have all sorts of animals besides dogs to deal with.

TheSoulCakeDuck · 29/08/2014 18:30

You must do a lot of voting then, public officers, state elections, national elections - or do they time them so they all come together?

TheSoulCakeDuck · 29/08/2014 18:33

I have other totally unrelated questions - what do you typically eat for Christmas dinner? Is it turkey or, are you so fed up of eating leftover turkey after thanksgiving that you eat something completely different?

Also, do Girl Scout cookie sellers really turn up at the doors of strangers and are the cookies any good?

SconeRhymesWithGone · 29/08/2014 18:55

The elections are usually at the same time. The ballots can be very long. I look at it online before I go to the polls so I can be ready.

We usually have ham for Christmas dinner.

Yes, to the Girl Scouts turning up at the door. There is usually someone at work with an order form for their daughters as well. The cookies are ok, but not great, in my opinion.

Trills · 29/08/2014 18:56

I have a friend who says everything is AMAAAAAZING.

She is not American.

I now always take her recommendations with a pinch of salt, because

1 - She has not word for "quite nice, OK if you are in the area or other places are busy"

2 - I think we may have different taste.

SconeRhymesWithGone · 29/08/2014 18:56

Let me add: the Girl Scouts who turn up are from the neighborhood so we know who they are.

AlpacaMyBags · 29/08/2014 18:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheSoulCakeDuck · 29/08/2014 19:00

So do you have Christmas pudding?

Also, what is a typical thanksgiving menu, I know about the turkey and the pumpkin pie but am a bit hazy about any other traditional dishes?

LaVolcan · 29/08/2014 19:03

Are Girl Scouts the same as Girl Guides, or is it like the UK now is, where girls can also join the Scouts?

SconeRhymesWithGone · 29/08/2014 19:05

No Christmas pudding here. This is our traditional Christmas dessert.

UK and America are two countries separated by a common language, UK and US Q&A
TheSoulCakeDuck · 29/08/2014 19:19

Is that some kind of lemony coconut cake scone?

SconeRhymesWithGone · 29/08/2014 19:25

It's basic butter (so vanilla) flavored layers with lemon curd filling and a butter cream frosting covered with coconut. It's also DH's favorite so I am making it this weekend for his birthday. I'm not much of a cook, but I do like to bake.

CheerfulYank · 29/08/2014 19:28

Thanksgiving varies a bit but is usually turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, veggies like carrots or Brussels sprouts or a green bean casserole, rolls, all sorts of pie but especially pumpkin, and some sort of sweet potato.

Christmas is ham with sides. We don't have a special Christmas dessert though our family tradition is cinnamon rolls in the morning with scrambled eggs and orange juice.

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