to not understand why Americans call a main course an entrée?

[flummoxedworried]

Does anyone understand why this happens?

Flatware is cutlery only. Most people I know say silverware. Crockery in the US has a narrower meaning than in the UK, I think, mainly referring to earthenware bowls and containers. For the broader UK meaning, where I live, people just say dishes or dishware.

Seneca has it. Crockery would refer to bowls and servingware made out of earthenware. You don't see a whole lot of 'crockery', at least where I live.

We'd refer to our everyday plates, bowls, etc as 'dishes'. The 'good stuff' is called 'the china'. It doesn't matter what it's made of. If you used Wedgwood every day it would still be called the 'dishes'. But if you only used it on 'special occasions', it would be called 'the 'china'.

Many 'run of the mill' restaurants will serve salad with a separate fork, or will bring you a sharp knife if you order steak, but other than that it's the same cutlery though out the main part of the meal. Dessert is usually served with a new spoon or fork.

What does "crockery" refer to in the UK?

Where you put the dirty knife and fork while the first plate is taken away before the main plate arrives?

In schools, the room children eat lunch in is usually called the dinner room, so it gets called dinner by everyone, even if at home they have a strict lunch = midday, dinner = evening.

Really? I've worked in a lot of schools - primary, secondary, private, state, northern and southern and I've never been at one that called it a 'dinner room'! It's mostly called the canteen or just the hall. 'School dinners' is a recognised set phrase, but in the southern schools I've worked in everyone actually said lunch. Now I'm up north everyone says dinner (and the evening meal is tea).

UK crockery is plates, bowls.

Crockery in the UK means all the dishes and plates etc, not just a specific type, but lots of people don't really use the word crockery any more and just say dishes.

Thanks. I had pictured kitchens across the UK using only earthenware.

There's a new thread on MN at the moment about someone "hiring" a carpet cleaner. The thread is about renting a carpet cleaning machine, but from the title I thought it would be about hiring an actual human being to clean your carpets. In the US, "hire" is generally only used for people; you would rent a machine (or a house).

Yep hire machinery here. Large plant hire isn't large plants....

I've lived in the US for 10 years and lived all over the place here, and this thread has made me realise how much I still did not know.

Where you put the dirty knife and fork while the first plate is taken away before the main plate arrives?

Many places don't 'clear' until they bring the next course. One server picks up whilst the other lays down the new course. In that case you hold your cutlery awkwardly in your hand . Otherwise, the bread plate if there is one. I've even been known to rest the fork 'tines down' on a napkin with the knife balanced on the back. But usually, in a 'single server' situation, if you leave your dirty flatware on your plate, they take it away and bring you new. I've never known a server to motion to dirty cutlery and say 'you'll need that!'.

One of my favourite 'differences' and one that always makes me giggle is 'pot plant'. I picture you all growing cannabis in your windows or conservatories. It's a 'potted plant' here. I guess that's as close as we get to the giggles you get over 'fanny pack'.

Hehe I knew about fanny packs but pot plant section of the diy store will make me giggle now.

Here one course is usually cleared and a little gap before next course comes. Makes more sense if you just hold them for a second. I can't remember what I did when we travelled across America, obviously nothing that made me aware of it! (possibly didn't have starters)

I so want to bring my kids across! And show them all the things I saw..... May need some serious time off!

I guess that's as close as we get to the giggles you get over 'fanny pack'.

Well, "rubber" does provide some giggles over here from time to time. A friend had a British colleague who on his first day in their US office asked to borrow a rubber from the office manager, who, as it happened, was a former nun. Hilarity ensued, of course.

When I was a student in the UK many moons ago, one of my American friends had to be admonished to revert to her full name of Miranda. She was from Mississippi, very friendly and outgoing, and she had a habit of bouncing up to people, sticking out her hand and saying, "Hi, I'm Randie."

Oh another thing that makes me giggle is when Americans talk about 'riding with people' as in a lift in a car - I laugh every time

A friend of mine, who now lives in Michigan, was in a meeting and they were discussing something difficult and she said," why don't we suck it and see?" this was met with gasps, it doesn't mean that same in the states. By the way a previous poster thought the correct phrase was all intensive purposes, it isn't, it's to all intents and purposes.

Ha I found it funny as a teen to hear of people called "Randy!"

Similarly an American woman asking if it's okay to wear pants in a professional setting..

I've never known a server to motion to dirty cutlery and say 'you'll need that!'

There is a charming urban legend here in Canada that the Duke of Edinburgh was visiting a small town and they threw a banquet in his honour. At the end of the main course, someone leaned over and said "Keep your fork, Duke, we got pie!"

Of course no one can agree on the details of the story:

Keep Your Fork

The American use of "bathroom" in a private house context can cause confusion too. Some southern friends visited my late parents and my poor mum simply couldn't understand their need to keep washing their hands. Worse still, their loo was in a separate room next to the one with the bath and sink, so some awkwardness ensued

FWIW I got so used to calling it by its American name while over there that calling it "loo" or - worse still - "toilet" now feels really wrong, so I'm afraid I now cause confusion even in my own country; "restroom" is slightly clearer when out somewhere, but even that gets puzzled looks sometimes

Hmm, and I suppose we need to add the name 'Roger' alongside 'Randy', 'pants', and 'fanny' to the 'words that sound rude list', don't we?

And the word 'rude' itself. Here it means you're being impolite or pushy. There's no connotation of a 'rude' comment as being 'racy' or 'sexual' in nature. So if someone told a racy joke and someone said 'ooh, that's a bit rude!', we might think that the person was telling us we'd been impolite and that they were offended.

I love language. But it can make you a bit crazy. Or mad as the case may be. But not mad as in angry. Mad as in crazy. Oh, never mind, you guys know what I mean. Or do you?

So true on the bathroom thing. One thing that Americans of all social groups agree on is that we never say "toilet" to refer to the room that the actual toilet is housed in. It's bathroom (whether there is a bathtub in it or not), restroom, or powder room. "Toilet" is just not a word you will hear much in the US.

One thing that Americans of all social groups agree on is that we never say "toilet" to refer to the room that the actual toilet is housed in

Not even at Venice Beach where, years ago and before they modernized them, there used to be three actual toilets in one big room ... no dividing walls, nothing!!

I thought I was hallucinating with the jetlag when I saw that, but no, it really happened. I had no choice either as I was desperate - all those huge American drinks servings, you see

So its not the done thing to say to your hosts "Alright mate? Where's the shitter?"

A lot of things have just fallen into place....