Questions you have about other nationalities!

[WatermelonWaveclub]

Just for fun. DD and I were just watching a video where Americans were asking questions about the UK. What are your questions (can be for any nationality from any nationality)? And please feel free to answer other people's questions!

I'll start with some questions for Americans:

Are your grocery bags really those ones without handles? They look really awkward to carry!

Why do you not have electric kettles?

In High school films the English teacher for example always gives them some homework to do by the next day and says 'see you tomorrow' - do you have the same classes every day? We just had English twice a week or something!

I assume because they think it's delicious and it's good to use all parts of the animal if you're going to kill it and eat it.

We rarely do a roast dinner on a Sunday 😆

@StrictlyAFemaleFemale
Frozen is based on Norwegian culture, but Oaken is more Austrian. It’s really just an amalgamation and not culturally correct.

Why do Americans pronounce the word ask as aks?

HaHaHa, I used to live on Portland Dorset, not a real island but a 'tombolo' or isthmus. We called 'over the causeway' 'the mainland' for larfs....

Mainland.

Most of us don't.

That's like asking why English people pronounce the word something as somefink.

Having lived in the US for the last 10 years I can tell you that yes they do offer carrier bags without handles but they tend to be small and intended to carry only a few items. They also offer paper carrier bags with handles (more often than plastic in my experience). However there is much less emphasis on a 'bring your own bag' policy here. Much less focus on sustainability in general here.

Regarding the kettle, you can buy kettles here (with the correct voltage) the reality is, Americans do not drink tea anywhere near as much as the Brits do, they have no need for one. If they want a cup of tea, they will heat the water in a microwave and add a tea bag once the water is boiled.

For me, I have a kettle - I cant live without it! I hope that helps!

The term stems from ancient times. Apparently in Rome they had huge communal toilets,where people would conduct business. If you having a longer session, you could close bigger, more complicated deals, "großes Geschäft". Short visits (pee) would only be long enough to complete small transactions, therefore "kleines Geschäft" or "small business".

Black (pigs' blood) pudding is delicious, & widely eaten in England - possibly other part of the UK as well as Scotland

I actually think a lot of Brits pronounce it like that especially if form Birmingham or another gang related area. Never would associate with Americans. P.s. I’m from near Birmingham so would know !

How do Americans manage to go about day to day life without constantly crapping themselves? I don't mean just the guns all over. I mean whenever I watch TV or YouTube it seems there are far fewer health and safety laws out there. And that if you get hurt it was your own fault. Like people can build their own theme park and you go at your own risk. How do you feel confident that the shop floor isn't going to fall through when you go shopping? I've watched home renovation videos where a woman was explaining that you have to be careful because the whole house could be wired dangerously but that it's legal. Also that tradesmen just seem to be any guy with a spanner? I think if I lived there I'd just be worried all the time, or is it not as bad as it sounds?

Also houses made of wood? Is that really the norm?

All Americans on my FB always post about their Target/Walgreens hauls when they go back for a visit, and it always includes HUGE massive jars of over the counter painkillers. Never seen any other nationalities doing that.
Is it standard in the US that most people are in constant pain so they need to take high doses of painkillers every single day?

Brit living in California for many years.

We have an electric kettle - tea and slow pourover coffee lovers.
We all use bags for life - plastic bags are banned, and it is not often you will find a paper bag, and have to pay for it if you get one

Thankfully, abortion is widely available. Sadly, so are guns, but much less
'visible' than in many states.

Interesting one: our county (large) just made it illegal for middle schools (11-14 year old roughly) to start earlier than 8:00, and for high schools (14-18) to start before 8:30. Guess they've listened to all of the studies proving teenagers need their sleep.

Painkillers have a long shelf life. You can buy a large bottle for your household and use it slowly over a couple of years. Buying in bulk is dramatically cheaper.

Why do English people not understand the concept of regional food specialties?😉

1.I have a very silly question about US. If you have exact amount of money to spend and want to buy as much as possible for what you got. How do you calculate that? Your prices are different at the tills. How do you know what that item is going to cost you.....

I’m an Aussie who’s lived in the UK for 17 years. Always had a full English Christmas dinner back in Oz - turkey, cranberry, stuffing, sprouts, pudding with brandy butter (often called hard sauce). The only thing we didn’t have was bread sauce and I LOVE it!!! People might have a leg of cold ham on the side too, and prawns as a starter or part of a buffet etc. Depends so much on the weather - I’m from Melbourne and it could be 14 or 40 on Christmas Day!!

Ha ha ha I don’t, never have, For those that do, Im with you! The washing up alone makes it a twice a year affair in my house and one of those includes Christmas dinner.

Questions for Americans - do you ever not tip or is it expected? Would you feel embarrassed not to tip? In the UK although I feel tipping is becoming more the norm, it is perfectly acceptable not to tip and not really feel embarrassed about it.

also do you find it annoying that prices in shops VAT is not added on the sticker price? The UK price tag includes this so no extra math is needed to work out the final total.

I'm not sure what you're watching, because I don't recognize what you're describing!

Surely you go to Alton Towers at your own risk. What's the difference?

I have never worried that the shop floor is going to fall through when I'm shopping. Why would I?

Any guy with a spanner could call himself a tradesman, but he wouldn't be licensed and insured, and it would be foolish for anyone to hire him.

Houses aren't made entirely of wood. The wood you see is the siding, on the outside of the house.

There are lots of safety regulations in workplaces and building and remodeling. Renovation shows may be working in old buildings with out of date wiring or in places where people did illegal renovations without a permit

it is very true though that if you get hurt in an accident, you will face high bills, starting with being billed for the ambulance service in many locations. Our particular city doesn’t have that issue because the city runs the ambulance service and only bills the insurance company a ridiculously
reasonable flat rate and forgives the bill for people who can’t afford it.

Because you know what the sales tax is in your jurisdiction - 7% for example. It's not just a random amount.

@LittleBoPeepHasLostHerShit - you'll find Scots, especially Glaswegians will also ask you where you stay when they mean live.
Unlike Aberdonians who will ask 'far dae ye bide?'

We have a roast dinner every Sunday, but we go to the pub for it.