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

[flummoxedworried]

Does anyone understand why this happens?

I remember seeing Christmas crackers in one of those year round Christmas shops and the box said -instructions included. I always wondered what they said - pull then be disappointed by the contents perhaps?

steff13 how do you eat your soft boiled eggs? This is the second time someone has told me Americans do have dippy eggs but I can't fathom how without an egg cup or soldiers (fingers of toast to dip in)

I found the local supermarket I went to had lovey fresh fruit.... but yes to no real cheese selection. Lots and lots of wrapped slices/canned cheese (?!) and v mild cheeses. A few foreign cheeses were expensive.

Shock don't worry, if one is idiotic enough to type the wrong name one has to take it on the chin!

Country clearly you need to come to Texas our local supermarket has a huge cheese section.

And yes we miss the chocolate too...

MrsCobain this is my kettle. I think the voltage is different.

Now that I see HeartsTrumpDiamonds post about her Canadian kettle taking so long, (I think you are from the UK, Hearts, and can make a better comparison than I can?) maybe my perception of my kettle's speed is off.

I've been to Texas briefly but didn't go to a supermarket when there!!

CountryCaterpilla are you in a big city? We have tons of cheese here. It might depend on your neighbourhood. Mine has The Wall of Cheese.

Oh wow that looks amazing!

Even after all the time I've spent in the US, I've never had a real answer to this: does anyone ever eat the contents of doggy bags taken home from restaurants?

Yes I know they'll keep for several days, and yes I know some will freeze, but do they actually get eaten? It always seems unlikely that, in a land of tempting choices, anyone would fancy a few spoonfuls of leftover pot roast or whatever, but hey - what would I know?

And good grief, andylion, where do you live? I've been in supermarkets all over America (admittedly mainly the coastal areas) and I've never seen a cheese selection like that!!

We gave up looking for cheese! Or asking for "hot tea" When driving across the south. Loved eating breakfast out though, that seemed much more of a "thing" to do.with friends.

I haven't been back with kids would love to go.

mmm, I lived in Canada and no kettle, Christmas crackers (DH thought I meant biscuits for cheese) and no Easter eggs.

So there. Definitely, absolutely. Montreal.
And they said Bonjour for goodbye, I kid you not.

danTDM I also lived in Montreal for a while and we had an electric kettle

Don't remember bonjour for goodbye though. I do remember that calling any number with 911 in it will connect with emergency services, unlike here. Got in trouble at a 'prank'

See, we do dippy eggs - they are called soft boiled eggs.

Giant chocolate eggs are sold in big cities at specialist shops, but people are more likely to have the small chocolate eggs. However, what Americans do which I have not seen here in the UK are real painted hard boiled eggs. Don't know why as we never actually ate the eggs - or maybe that was just my family.

Electric kettles do exist (my parents have one) but they take such a long time to come to a boil - don't know why. My parents got sick of theirs and had a hot water tap installed.

Cheese selections in grocery stores are improving, especially in areas with Whole Foods.

I never forget when I got into a lift on ile des soeurs. I exited and said 'au revoir' and they all said in chorus 'Bonjour' literally, 'good day'

That and the garbulator. Shudder, so dangerous!

Oh, and no alcohol, only in special SAQ government shops.
And poutine and and...
I didn't like it.

Don't know why as we never actually ate the eggs - or maybe that was just my family.

Mom we did. Hunted those eggs in the morning and most went into deviled eggs and the potato salad served with Easter ham dinner. Yum! Any leftover after that went in to egg salad.

mominatrix yes but people have said they have dippy eggs without egg cups. This I don't understand!

I know kettles exist, they had them in Macy's, but not in every other supermarket like we have here and people tended not to have them in their homes or know what they were. "Oh, you mean those tea kettle things?"

Puzzledandpissedoff downtown in a big city. We don't have them everywhere.

Cheese selections in our area (Greater Boston) is same as anywhere - huge selection in most supermarkets-not just Whole Foods which is overrated and overpriced now imo (although I do love their meat rating system)- including spanish, mexican, european and american cheeses.

I never realised my electric kettle might boil slowly ... it seems fine to me. Must investigate.

We only ask for leftovers to be wrapped (I have never heard anyone use the term doggy bag - just "do you want me to wrap that for you?") if we know we will eat them. Last time was when I brought our dds out for lunch. DD2 had a pasta/chicken thing which was lovely but she only ate half of it. Brought the other half home for dh who ate it. We also take steak and chicken home and give it to the dog.

This is what I got when I asked dh for eggs and soldiers when I first moved here.

Dickhead. 😂

brilliant!

Why no butter in sandwiches?!

Hard

Because mayo and mustard, among other lovely things to spread on bread for a sandwich.

Our Publix regularly has Wensleydale with cranberries or apricots, and one year there was a huge shipment of Sage Derby.

Also they suddenly decided to play George Formby's 'I was standing by the lamppost at the corner of the street' for some reason and then shifted back to the normal 1990's light pop selection.

We have an International Aisle that features Hob Nobs, Branston, Colemans, Salad Cream and bottles and bottles of Barley Water amongst other delicacies.

I think they have an anglophile on staff.

We only ask for leftovers to be wrapped (I have never heard anyone use the term doggy bag - just "do you want me to wrap that for you?")

Silly of me - I forgot "doggy bag" is more of a British name - though it's good to know that, at least with your leftover meat, the term was appropriate

I well recall the huge cheese selection in Victory at Hingham; lovely store, but my goodness even the "speciality" cheeses tasted of very little. Maybe, when folk are used to plastic cheese, vendors might think it risky to sell ones they consider too strong?

Fantastic city, though - always one of my favourite places in America