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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

407 replies

flummoxedworried · 02/04/2017 13:56

Does anyone understand why this happens?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Puzzledandpissedoff · 03/04/2017 00:17

Speaking of Boston, isn't it said that the area is one of the largest consumers of ice cream in the US? That's another thing which surprises me, given the widespread avoidance of fat: the premium ice creams in particular are absolutely stuffed of cream, milk and egg yolks

Maybe they think it's worth risking for the delicious taste ... and they'd be right Grin

HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 03/04/2017 01:14

Andylion I loooooove that you think I am from the UK

The reality is probably somewhere mid-Atlantic. I was born and brought up in Canada, spent 20 years abroad including most recently 13 years in London and both the DC were born there. We moved "back" to Canada last summer (I say back because I am really the only one who has lived here before!) My DMum is from England originally too. I am still terribly homesick for England!

I sound Canadian but still totally catch myself using British / English terminology.

Kitchen sides = countertops
Wardrobe = cupboard
Car park = parking lot
Handbag = purse
Purse = wallet
Note = bill
Trousers = pants
Pants = underwear
Toilet or loo = bathroom / washroom / the ladies / the facilities

I could fill a book!

Pallisers · 03/04/2017 01:50

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?

Why on earth would you think folk in Boston are used to plastic cheese? Weird.

And your local store in Hingham sold cheese that was bad? Why didn't you complain?

KickAssAngel · 03/04/2017 02:11

I loved Publix when I found one in Miami. We live in MI and don't have that chain.

We do have a World Market which sells a decent selection of Cadbury chocolate, crackers, and old style Toblerones and Chocolate Oranges - at least they ahd them in December, which is the last time I went there.

If you want cheese, go to Wisconsin. They have a Castle of Cheese just north of Milwaukee (it's a store called that, not a castle built out of cheese).

HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 03/04/2017 03:18

We have great cheese in Canada & our local supermarkets stock a good international selection too thank God cheese addict

BeALert · 03/04/2017 03:21

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?

:-D Almost as surprised as I was when I was in Acadia Park and was given a Yorkshire pudding, but told that it was actually a popover.

TheMysteriousJackelope · 03/04/2017 03:41

The DC and I set up a marmite tasting as part of the 'England' display at their school's international day. We did a 'like it or hate it' type survey. Unfortunately one of the boys in their grade was going around telling people to go and try the Nutella we were handing out. It skewed our results somewhat and I think some people thought we were trying to poison them for a laugh.

youdialwetile · 03/04/2017 03:47

I have one:
"stabilizers" in UK = "training wheels" in USA.
"stabilizers" in USA = ritalin.

My husband got some funny looks when he asked a friend how long his son had been off his stablizers. I had to jump in and explain Smile

fortheloveofcats · 03/04/2017 03:59

My favorite one is "rubber"

daisychain01 · 03/04/2017 04:01

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

Entrée in French is the past participle of the verb entrer which translates as entered.

It refers to the diner having "entered" into the main part of the menu.

daisychain01 · 03/04/2017 04:05

Au d'œuvre, which is the starter, means "the work of art".

The French take their food very seriously!

steff13 · 03/04/2017 06:01

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)

On a plate, with toast. We eat it either with a fork on top of a piece of toast, or we dip toast in it. I don't slice mine into strips, but if I did, I'd still just call it toast.

HapShawl · 03/04/2017 06:34

No, hors d'oeuvre means (more or less) "outside the work" - it refers to the fact that the appetisers are not part of the main meal

Batteriesallgone · 03/04/2017 06:34

Hang on I don't get the dippy egg thing either. If it's just on a plate how do you stop it leaking? Do you crack it and spread it over the toast all at once?

Veterinari · 03/04/2017 07:11

But hors d'oeuvre aren't starters are they? Aren't they canapés or light bites ?

Served as nibbles with drinks and not part of the actual meal? Thinking about it I always assumed that hors de'oevre and canapés were pretty much the same thing but maybe not otherwise why two French terms?!?

Chloe84 · 03/04/2017 07:12

Oh and its usual to boil water in the microwave.

That's dangerous, I think Blackchreries? I've heard of someone having the water explode in their face after taking the mug out of the microwave.

Love the actual soldiers and tank Mrscobain!

hesterton · 03/04/2017 07:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Paddybare · 03/04/2017 07:22

Pronouncing herbs without the h sound was actually done by the British first. We exported it that way and it later developed here into the way we say it today- that same change just didn't happen in the US, hence the difference we have today.

We still have words with the silent h- honour/honest etc.

HapShawl · 03/04/2017 07:52

Hors d'oeuvres can be used for both canapés and starters I think. The "main event" is the main course/meal I assume. I was just correcting the translation

GinSolvesEverything · 03/04/2017 08:04

What's with the dates? Surely it's Day then Month then Year. Not Month Day Year??

ComputerUserNumptyTwit · 03/04/2017 08:24

Paddy I think the same is true about Zs and Ss (as in criticize/criticise). It's interesting, isn't it (especially when English people get all snippy about "Americanisms").

The dates thing is weird though Grin

Tigerlovingall · 03/04/2017 08:27

paddybare thanks for that🙂, the US use of the word 'gotten' has similar roots.

dowhatnow · 03/04/2017 08:31

After a car accident in the USA we had fun not doing a statement confusing flashers/indicators, hood/bonnet and trunk/boot. In the shock of the accident it wasn't straightforward.

sneepy · 03/04/2017 08:38

No the dates is so you can file things properly. If you were filing by date, would you put the files in order by the day or by the month? The day is less relevant than the month: if you say the 1st, there are 12 1sts you could be talking about.

Also, if you name your computer files by the date, Office doesn't recognize file names as being dates so they don't sort properly unless you use month day year, which you can't in this country as nobody knows what you mean but oh how I miss it.

Trills · 03/04/2017 08:45

If you want to file things properly, today should be 2017-04-03.

Unless you have a very short-term view on your filing.