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

[flummoxedworried]

Does anyone understand why this happens?

So what is 'pudding' in the US? Have wondered since seeing them talk about it on the Gilmore Girls. And what is the difference between biscuits, cookies and scones??

plunkette - we actually have an imported American coffee maker. My DH wanted a bean to cup filter machine and wit her a particular type of grinder (he is coffee and gadget obsessed) and it was the only model he could find that met his needs.

how is something you have halfway through your meal, the entrance to the meal?

I wondered that too.

Not sure why the OP is getting such a hard time, either.

I don't get this entree thing either. Harmless enough discussion though, I would have thought.

I'm enjoying the tangents too

That Huffington Post entry is poorly written IMO. The examples in the second paragraph are not consistent as to whether the "correct" thing is the thing written first or the thing in brackets.

“I could care less” (instead of the proper “couldn’t care less”) or “For all intents and purposes” (instead of “intensive purposes”)?

The author is definitely saying that the version in brackets is correct for caring, but has not specified which way round is correct for the purposes (it's the version before the brackets, not the version in brackets).

'Pudding' is kind of like those chocolate rolo desserts in a plastic cup.
They don't seem to do dippy eggs in egg cups with soldiers either.
Also if you ask 'are you in the queue?' they won't understand. You have to say 'line' if you mean a physical queue.

The word 'uppity' has racist connotations and 'scheme' means something dodgy.

Oh and its usual to boil water in the microwave.

My experiences are from West coast usa - when I went to the east coast it felt much more British...

I live in the US.

We have a kettle. We got it from Bed Bath and Beyond.

Americans complain about people who say 'could care less too'. It's like a Mumsnet thread on The Huffington Post sometimes with the comments pulling up people who do that.

French is the most spoken non-English language in the US after Spanish. A huge swathe of the Southern US used to be French and French was the main language in some Louisiana schools until legislation replaced it with English during the 1920's. Cajuns are the 'Arcadians' who moved South from French Canada. Creoles are anyone born in Louisiana who is Catholic and speaks French. Plenty of people from Quebec vacation in New Hampshire and Vermont so it is quite common to hear French spoken there too.

And they don't always understand the word dodgy. Or the expression taking the piss.

The full phrase is "I could care less, but I can't be bothered to". Meaning that whatever it is isn't even worth your mental energy to consider in the first place.

That doesn't make any sense at all: "I care too much about this, but it would be an effort to care any less, so I won't".

Um... right....

Celtic 'pudding' is a particular food, similar to custard but made without eggs. It's sweet and comes in different flavours. It's a true 'comfort food' as most of us ate it as children. I guess it's what you might think of as a 'nursery food'?

Cookies = Biscuits

Biscuits = similar to unsweetened scones. Usually served with a meal instead of a bread roll. There are differences in recipes and they can be 'rolled and cut' or 'drop'. The difference is usually regional or based on family's geographical US origins (i.e., "it's Granny's recipe, she's from XXX place").

Shortcake = scones, no fruit in. Well, it's similar in some places. It can run from slightly sweet "Biscuitus Americanus" (vs "Biscuitus Brittanicus") to more of a full on 'cake'. In my family it's a sweetened 'Biscuitus Am'. Usually served split with fruit (especially strawberries) and whipped cream.

HeartsTrumpsDiamonds you can use the word 'tosser' at work with impunity too. Until someone asks you for the definition.

Running through an accounts payable office staffed entirely by very ladylike accountants while yelling 'Has anyone got a rubber because I need one really badly' doesn't go down too well either.

Neither does asking for chips in McDonalds.

Confused me the first time I was in the States too, given that "entree" is the French for "entrance" which leads you to believe it would be a starter.

Why don't they pronounce the H in herbs?its erbs or urbs all the way where my family live....just...WHY?
Love the 'doggy bags' tho. Usually all the leftovers neatly boxed up. Love that.

Plunk realises, just typed the wrong name in her big deal post

Sorry for my Jeez, Plunk

While we're at it, does anyone want to talk me through a typical Italian dinner??

Trils I don't even have tumblr but my bloody phone always auto corrects tumble to it!

Chocolate no I'm in Maine haha. I should just pop up to Canada to go shopping!

We have an electric kettle and it takes pissing hours to boil. Dh hates it and thinks I'm weird.

Celtic 'pudding' is a particular food, similar to custard but made without eggs. It's sweet and comes in different flavours. It's a true 'comfort food' as most of us ate it as children. I guess it's what you might think of as a 'nursery food'?

As a Canadian I can't tell you how surprised I was the first time I was given Yorkshire pudding. What the actual fuck? If it doesn't come in chocolate, vanilla or butterscotch, how can it be pudding?

(For more confusion surrounding words that being with the letter "p", see also, "public school". )

My electric kettle is super fast.

French is the most spoken non-English language in the US after Spanish. A huge swathe of the Southern US used to be French and French was the main language in some Louisiana schools until legislation replaced it with English during the 1920's. Cajuns are the 'Arcadians' who moved South from French Canada. Creoles are anyone born in Louisiana who is Catholic and speaks French. Plenty of people from Quebec vacation in New Hampshire and Vermont so it is quite common to hear French spoken there too.

Quite. Also, at the turn of the 20th century there was massive immigration from Quebec (French Canada) to the US, with nearly one million French Canadians moving south.

Acadians (Cajuns) are from a separate part of Canada (Maritime provinces) and the history of their migration to Louisiana is extremely tragic. They were forcibly deported by British soldiers and their land expropriated. The Great Upheaval (you can google it) describes this dark page of British history where a local population was wiped out for refusing to swear allegiance to Britain.

What kettle do you have andy? Is your voltage the same as America's?

Dh will only agree to a kettle if it has no plastic parts inside.

Electric kettles are pretty standard in Canada but I can confirm they do take pissing hours to boil compared to the UK.

I have both an electric and stovetop kettle. Everyone I know one or the other (or both!). You're not really supposed to boil water in the microwave.

We also recognize that "I could care less," isn't correct, but there are people in America who don't use correct grammar. Just like there are in the UK.

They don't seem to do dippy eggs in egg cups with soldiers either.
I don't have any egg cups, but if you mean soft boiled eggs, yes, we have those. I don't know any soldiers, though, and I wasn't aware I should eat soft boiled eggs with them, even if I did know any.

Most restaurants now use "main course" where I am in the US (when they aren't using "small plates" which is everywhere!).

We have an electric kettle.

our american neighbours either side have clothes lines and use them.

You usen't to be able to get xmas crackers but they are very popular now.

I lived in California for a year and the phrase that I said that really confused people was "what time do you make it?" . Americans would say "what time do you have?"

Coffee cake was a huge disappointment - I though it would be like coffee and walnut cake but it was a very plain cake to go with coffee.

I live in Canada and proper large easter eggs are few and far between :( The chocolate isn't as good either as in the UK.

I have noticed at my local supermarket that they regularly stock more and more imported english biscuits though...so thats a start. Miss the chocolate so much, and the cheese...the cheese here has different labels and colours, but all tastes identical (bland)