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

[flummoxedworried]

Does anyone understand why this happens?

Flannel is clearly a regional thing as that's what I call a small towel-like cloth used for washing one's face and I had no idea it was old-fashioned.

Me too. Only word I'd use. 30s m/c southern.

But we use the flannel on our face, I think in the US it is used to wash all over

We use flannel, facecloth and washcloth interchangeably here. But we don't actually use them much.

www.pinterest.com/pin/68733000850/?utm_campaign=category_pp&e_t=49f91791558c4f47a9729242635c2fff&utm_content=68733000850&utm_source=31&utm_term=2&utm_medium=2012

One of my American friends was telling me how they use a sheet under the duvet in many parts of America if using a duvet and us in the UK just having a duvet and a duvet cover was weird.

Sorry I meant Christmas crackers- they are enot sold here like Easter Eggs.

Why no butter in sandwiches?!

I lived in America for a couple of years back in the 80s. I was intrigued to see a colleague making sandwiches using mayo instead of butter and thought I would try it.

What a difference! Everything tastes so much nicer without the butter! I haven't used butter in sandwiches now for nearly 30 years and never will again (jam sandwiches excepted).

We found it fairly easy to get Christmas Crackers but Easter eggs are proving far more of a challenge. I saw a big standard Cadburys egg for $30.

Big standard not big standard!

I grew up (in California) with egg cups, & I knew how to eat a soft boiled egg by lopping off the top with a swift knife motion, so I don't know why US posters are mystified by it. No dipping though.
Here (UK) a back-hoe is a JCB, and an I-beam is an RSJ. (I work in the building industry)

Rooting for their team...

If the kids have tea, do they also have dinner with their parents? In the US, we're always hearing how important it is to have a family dinner together.

If rooting for your team amuses you (what does it mean for you?), you'll like this classic American song:

Take me out to the ball game
Take me out to the crowd
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack
I don't care if we never get back
Cause it's root root root for the home team
If they don't win it's a shame
Cause it's one, two, three strikes you're out
At the old ball game

I have a kids book that has this song in it.

geeky root means sex... much teenage guffawing when watching US tv shows and movies

Middle - we houseswapped with a Canadian famiky once - they were fascinated by our duvet covers!

I have to remake the guest bed depending on who is staying next and their nationality. The first time my American mother came to stay she asked me where the bedding was because there was only a duvet on the bed! She was expecting a top sheet and blanket as well as duvet. Then British MIL came and promptly stripped off the top sheet and blanket as not to her tangled up in all that bedding! Sigh. The area of the US I come from has four very distinct season so we always change out summer/winter bedding and clothes. This always gets me funny looks here but old habits die hard.

geeky re dinner.... the children having tea and then the adults having dinner is still done by some although generally its accepted that any child over toddler age should eat with their parents as a family. My friends do it because she always fed the kids, put them to bed and then had dinner with her partner, and sees no reason to "lose" that because her kids are now teens, which I do think is very odd.

It comes from "Tea in the nursery with nanny, say goodnight to Mama and Papa just before dinner" Downton type arrangements amongst the middle and upper classes pre WWII.

Where I live (SE England, near London) Children to quite an old age eat "Tea or Children's Dinner" separately from the grown ups. Usually because if Daddy (usually) has a long commute then he won't get home until at least 7 pm, so will need to eat earlier either with Mummy (whoever works closer/stays at home) or the Nanny/childminder. Although often Mummy will not eat but eat later with Daddy.

When I lived elsewhere in the UK I was amazed that Father's could get home in time to eat with the whole family.
And my teens actually would like to eat earlier - I'm just not organised enough to do two meals.

What a difference! Everything tastes so much nicer without the butter!

Must give it a try. Mind you, I love butter so much I am happy to eat just bread and butter - nothing else!

MiddleClass - My mum always made (and still does as far as I know) the beds with a sheet and duvet, although we called them quilts..! I grew up in London. My DH thinks it's weird so we just have the duvet now as he got tangled up in the sheet!

I'm a Londoner too but none of my family or friends did it as far as I remember

To go back to the beginning of this thread, I did t know the entree thing when I first went to The States. Which resulted in me ordering an entree followed by a steak. In Vegas of all places. That was about ten years ago, I'm still digesting it all now.

That was about ten years ago, I'm still digesting it all now.

It is the sort of thing that can stick in your craw.

The duvet plus top sheet thing has been discussed on a bedding thread. I use a top sheet and change it weekly and change the duvet cover less frequently.