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

[mathanxiety]

Started another one in case anyone wants to do it again...

What always puzzles me watching US TV programmes is how people seem to be able to open their front doors from outside without unlocking them if there is someone already in the house.
Don't US front doors automatically lock when you close them? It seems rather unsafe if that's the case.

What age can you have sex? And how are you meant to have sex without getting drunk

Shakshuka my husband downloads GBBO. He's gotten the current season, plus all the previous seasons.

Prices vary greatly by area, definitely. This is one in the very small town where I grew up (once my dad retired from the military anyway).

www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/142-E-Schlieman-Ave_Appleton_MN_56208_M77406-99835?row=2

When I bought my first house (3 bedroom, 2 bath) in Arizona, it was $44K in 1990. I sold it in 2004 for $90K. Similar houses are now going for $130K. Prices just keep rising in that area, but it's a much larger area with more jobs and such.

NCIS When we were living in a small town, nobody locked their doors during the day. My parents only locked it at night. And I know some that still didn't lock it at night - mostly those that lived out in the country on farms. I imagine more do now though, as there's a huge prison in the area.

I get that, we don't dead lock our front door nor do we lock the back door but all the houses I have lived in have a yale lock which means you can't walk in without a key. It seems safer somehow although I accept I watch too many crime series where the murderer just walks in.

NCIS my front door does not lock automatically when you close it. You have to lock it manually. Our garage is attached to our house, so we generally leave the front door locked and enter/exit through the garage.

Pipbin age of consent is different for each state, and even then different depending on who you're having sex with. Here in Ohio, age of consent is 16. But in other states, like Idaho, the age of consent is 18. In Hawaii, it's 16, but there is an exemption for 14 or 15 year olds if the person they're having sex with is 5 years older than them, or less. So, I guess a 19-year-old could legally have sex with a 14-year-old.

When I lived in the Minneapolis/St Paul area of MN, I ALWAYS locked my door. Daytime or nighttime. Less safe area. But small town it just wasn't as much a concern during the day. Although yes, things could happen, and probably did. I think more crime in the smaller areas are either domestic or committed by transients. Everyone knows everyone, so other than stupid stuff like fights and things like that, burglaries and such are often non-locals in very small towns. Or they're caught very VERY quickly as someone recognises either the person or the stuff they have stolen.

Not all US radio stations start with K!

About half start with W!

Those South and West of the Mississippi used to start with K, those east and North with W.

ahhhh KDKB WLOL... goodness. It's been ages since I've listened to a good country western station. Perhaps I need to gear up the online radio again. Or buy a few cds of some old favourites.

Our radio and tv stations in Ohio start with W - WKRQ, WLWT, etc. Remember that old tv show, WKRC in Cincinnati?

Oh, it was WKRP in Cincinnati, wasn't it? Oops.

WKRP in Cincinnati. Oh god. Yes, I remember that.

On the flag flying thing. I think it's tradition more than anything else. Where I live many people fly the flag, but only on certain national holidays. I like it because it is a unifying factor in a very (at this moment in time) divided nation. It does not indicate political leanings. Besides, we are not the only country that likes to fly the flag. Ever been to Denmark?

One thing I really do hate is that American presidents seem to feel that they have to wear an American flag lapel pin all the time. I don't think President Obama really likes to do it, but he gets accused of being anti-American all the time by the tea partiers and their ilk, so I think he must feel it's one less bit of ammunition to give them. But it looks so stupid at the G-8, G-20 or whatever and all the other leaders are there and only the US president wears a flag--it's not as though you would not know which one of them is the US prez.

I have to say I have become a bit less enamored (enamoured?) with the flag flying since living here. I appreciate why the Brits seem to comment that the Americans are very "in your face" about the flag and patriotism and such. I probably did used to be that way. I am a bit more laid back now. Perhaps it's a slight disconnect with the "American way" since I've been here over 10 years. ??

This is the flag we are flying this weekend. It's the first big college football weekend of the season.

I never lock my door. Sometimes at night, if I've watched something scary! :) Otherwise never.

And wherrrrre do you live? And wherrrre do you keep the family silver please?

Alice I'm in the north of England so our house prices are a bit cheaper. Something akin to the size of the Atlanta house liked to would be about £135,000 here but probably with the bedrooms a little smaller and one maybe two bathrooms, possibly a bigger garden though something like this

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/34374910

But it very much depends on area and the further south you go the more expensive it gets.

My house is 3 stories and was built in 1856 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom but a full size playroom and study (which was the old Victorian kitchen, with range, and scullery) mine I would guess is worth about £190,000 but you could pay £1.5 million or worse for something similar in London

Just to let you all know, in honour of this thread, I am making peach cobbler for Desert

*dessert Damn autocorrect!

Oh and the silver is kept in the sideboard in the dining room, oh that we had a butler to polish it

Pipbin - I've also wondered about the front door leading straight into the main living area. That wouldn't do much for privacy.

Another thing I've seen on TV, but probably mostly crime dramatisations, is sometimes when the cops go to a house, they knock on the screen door, which surely wouldn't make much noise. But they never open the screen door to knock on the front door - maybe that's against the rules (cop or etiquette)?

No, not against the rules. Some screen doors are locking, so I imagine it's just a simple matter of not wanting to be yanking on someone's door, and having them think the police (or just anyone) are going to just walk in.

And most wooden screen doors I know produce a lovely clattery noise when someone knocks on them from the frame rattling a bit. The metal ones, not so much.

Hot Ribena is the best!! I drink it from a mug when I'm poorly or just as an alternative hot drink in the winter. Yum

Hardly any US houses I've been to have a front door into the living room. Usually it's into a hall or a mudroom.

We never lock our doors during the day unless we are going out, and even then we probably leave the windows open. I've been here 7 years and no one I know has been burgled. I would hate to live somewhere I felt I had to lock the doors when we were all in the house.