Differences: US vs UK

[EstelSeren]

Even British people with genuinely British accents always have a fake sounding accent when surrounded by Americans with American accents! Take Hugh Laurie when he did his cameo on Friends when he sits next to Rachel on the plane to London when Rachel's going to crash Ross' wedding to Emily. You KNOW that he's using his normal accent but it STILL manages to sound fake! Other examples include: Giles and Spike on Buffy, who always sounded just a little out of place, or Crowley on Supernatural always seemed sort of 'other' thanks to his accent! John Barrowman learnt really quickly how to affect an American accent when he moved to the US as a child as his Scottish accent stuck out like a sore thumb. He still has a Scottish accent when he's relaxing and chatting with his family! It completely bemuses me! I think it must be something about the American accent- Chase on House is Australian and he always sounds kinda out of place!

Beca :wave:

 

[Surprise]

I'm in the southern USA. We fry everything down here.

We eat deer, raccoon, alligator, squirrel, goat, ect.

I am 30 minutes from the nearest big town.

We have 2 dollar stores, 2 fast food restaurants (Sonic and Subway), a couple dairy bars, and a grocery store.

I would really love to be able to walk a little ways and go to the store, like you ladies do in the UK. Also, I think your cars are smaller than ours and most of them, if not all run on diesel instead of unleaded gasoline?

Oh dear!!! I'm from the south too but I hate fried food and I don't eat any of those things you just described! But I'm a city girl - VERY BIG city.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

eat raccoon

 

[hopeandpray]

Just to add more confusion school in Ireland is different too! There is primary school from 4-12, then secondary from 12-17/18. You are allowed to leave at 16 or after you do your junior cert which is a set of exams (10-12 subects) you sit in your 3rd year of secondary school. Then if you want you can go to college/uni which are pretty much the same thing over here and you have to have sat your leaving cert (final secondary school exams) to go. And we have minimum 6 subjects, I always though A levels were so lucky just doing 3

 

[cleckner04]

lol yeah I think walmart has everything. You know what sucks about California? No walmart supercenters!! We have to get our groceries at real grocery stores and it's RIDICULOUSLY expensive. I miss Food4Less in VA. Now that was cheap groceries.

Really?? Where in CA do you live?? I've lived in about 3 or 4 different towns in Southern California and they've all had Super Walmarts

Really? With groceries and everything? They don't exist in San diego. Apparently the city voted to keep them out of it so local grocery stores can stay in business.

Edit: I just did a search and came up with this article and they plan on building supercenters here finally! Although I'll probably be long gone before it happens.
https://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/02/01/national/main7308146.shtml

 

[britt1986]

eat raccoon

Oh yeah! Put it in the crock pot with some bbq sauce and some seasoning. It's great!

 

[robinator]

I have to drive everywhere because I'm in the middle of no where lol.
In US they have bacon with dessert, seems very strange to me
The UK doesn't have many variations of things like pop tarts we only have two flavours.
Flip flops are called thongs?? or something like that. That confused the hell out of me when I heard it on friends
What's the big deal with cookie dough? I bought some when I was in America because I had heard so much about it and it really isn't very nice.
I'm starving btw hence mentioning so much food

I'm American and I have never ever heard of bacon with dessert!!??

And we say flip-flops, not thongs. Thong=little underwear

Don't base your thoughts on America from TV, plleeeeesee.... It's sooo misleading.

I don't know about bacon with dessert, but it's the newest, greatest things to put on top of maple donuts. DELICIOUS

Back in the 80's, modern-day flip-flops were called thongs. Some older women still refer to them as such. Hell, I remember calling them thongs....

 

[robinator]

One of the differences that strikes me on here is the difference in attitudes to pregnancy and birth. In the UK a lot of women will still drink tea/coffee, have the occasional glass of wine etc. Whereas in the US they seem to give it all up. With birth, it is so medicalised that it's (in my eyes) awful. I believe there are still some states where it is illegal to be a midwife. Here, most births are midwife led and there is support (usually) for home births etc.

Another thing that I think a lot of British people struggle to understand, is the power of God and religion in the US. We thought it was strange when Tony Blair was open about his belief in God and went to church. In the UK religion and belief is seen as a private thing, whereas in the US every politician and his aunt wears his religion on his sleeve and often speaks about his belief.
Oh, and what's the deal with American's hugging? I have relatives from the US that come over from time to time, (and I've met other Americans that do the same) and they just seem to hug everyone. I barely hug my OH, I never hug my mum or brothers and sisters, yet these people that I have never met just come up and hug me without care lol.

Another bug bear is when people say London, England or Perth, Australia. I realise there are Londons and Perths in the US but surely when you're talking about going to the UK anyway you don't need to clarify the country again.

Oh and I call the kitchen counter a bunker as well lol

I agree about the religion thing!

The religion thing is so complicated: I agree with the poster who said this country will never elect an atheist president (in my lifetime, anyway). It used to be that the president must be Christian, but does anyone really know what religion Obama is? I digress. Okay, so the president must have a religious affliliation but what makes it weird is that other than that, no one wants to hear about it from your average layperson. From a politician: yes; from your neighbor: no. It's messed up.

And the hugging thing? Gads. It's really too much. People who don't know each other and are introduced for the first time hug (like if they are friends of friends). I don't get it and don't practice it

In the UK pasties are things to be eaten; here they are little stick-on nipple covers

 

[Parker_Podge]

Hey ladies!! This thread is fantastic & I love hearing everyone's opinions & customs!

I have been born and raised in a small town in Tennessee, so I am very southern, however I do not do a lot of the things mentioned It is pretty common around here to eat deer, but I have NEVER heard of anyone eating racoon and such We do NOT say soda/pop/soda pop, we say "coke". The conversation is like this:

"Hey, do you want a coke?"
"Yeah"
"which kind?"
"dr. Pepper"

And some of the restaurants call them "soft drinks". We do fry a TON of things, like OREOS Yummy with a little sprinkle of powdered sugar on top

 

[britt1986]

Hey ladies!! This thread is fantastic & I love hearing everyone's opinions & customs!

I have been born and raised in a small town in Tennessee, so I am very southern, however I do not do a lot of the things mentioned It is pretty common around here to eat deer, but I have NEVER heard of anyone eating racoon and such We do NOT say soda/pop/soda pop, we say "coke". The conversation is like this:

"Hey, do you want a coke?"
"Yeah"
"which kind?"
"dr. Pepper"

And some of the restaurants call them "soft drinks". We do fry a TON of things, like OREOS Yummy with a little sprinkle of powdered sugar on top

I agree about the "coke" thing. Weither you are drinking a Sprite or Dr. Pepper, they are both coke.

As for the raccoon, it's more of a "poor boy" meal. Not an every week supper. Maybe once or twice a month.

 

[MizzDeeDee]

Hey ladies!! This thread is fantastic & I love hearing everyone's opinions & customs!

I have been born and raised in a small town in Tennessee, so I am very southern, however I do not do a lot of the things mentioned It is pretty common around here to eat deer, but I have NEVER heard of anyone eating racoon and such We do NOT say soda/pop/soda pop, we say "coke". The conversation is like this:

"Hey, do you want a coke?"
"Yeah"
"which kind?"
"dr. Pepper"

And some of the restaurants call them "soft drinks". We do fry a TON of things, like OREOS Yummy with a little sprinkle of powdered sugar on top

I agree about the "coke" thing. Weither you are drinking a Sprite or Dr. Pepper, they are both coke.

As for the raccoon, it's more of a "poor boy" meal. Not an every week supper. Maybe once or twice a month.

I couldn't eat a raccoon.. reminds me of a cat.. or skunk....

Deer is okay I guess. Never had a fried oreo.... it must be a southern thing.

I tell you what I do like... is places like Stone Cold Creamery... mmmmmmm... good good good!

 

[robinator]

Yes, Cold Stone is delish

 

[~RedLily~]

US and UK pronounce Louis different I think. We say it like Louie and in US you say Lewis don't you?

 

[robinator]

I don't know about bacon with dessert, but it's the newest, greatest things to put on top of maple donuts. DELICIOUS

I eat my words. Denny's just showed a commercial for their new bacon celebration (?) and they have a maple bacon sundae.... and it sounds strangely delicious

 

[Surprise]

One of the differences that strikes me on here is the difference in attitudes to pregnancy and birth. In the UK a lot of women will still drink tea/coffee, have the occasional glass of wine etc. Whereas in the US they seem to give it all up. With birth, it is so medicalised that it's (in my eyes) awful. I believe there are still some states where it is illegal to be a midwife. Here, most births are midwife led and there is support (usually) for home births etc.

Another thing that I think a lot of British people struggle to understand, is the power of God and religion in the US. We thought it was strange when Tony Blair was open about his belief in God and went to church. In the UK religion and belief is seen as a private thing, whereas in the US every politician and his aunt wears his religion on his sleeve and often speaks about his belief.
Oh, and what's the deal with American's hugging? I have relatives from the US that come over from time to time, (and I've met other Americans that do the same) and they just seem to hug everyone. I barely hug my OH, I never hug my mum or brothers and sisters, yet these people that I have never met just come up and hug me without care lol.

Another bug bear is when people say London, England or Perth, Australia. I realise there are Londons and Perths in the US but surely when you're talking about going to the UK anyway you don't need to clarify the country again.

Oh and I call the kitchen counter a bunker as well lol

I agree about the religion thing!

The religion thing is so complicated: I agree with the poster who said this country will never elect an atheist president (in my lifetime, anyway). It used to be that the president must be Christian, but does anyone really know what religion Obama is? I digress. Okay, so the president must have a religious affliliation but what makes it weird is that other than that, no one wants to hear about it from your average layperson. From a politician: yes; from your neighbor: no. It's messed up.

And the hugging thing? Gads. It's really too much. People who don't know each other and are introduced for the first time hug (like if they are friends of friends). I don't get it and don't practice it

In the UK pasties are things to be eaten; here they are little stick-on nipple covers

Except it's pronounced "past"-y in the UK.

 

[cleckner04]

coldstone is good but have you ladies ever tried maggie moos?! It's just like coldstone style-wise but the ice cream is SO much better.https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/ss09/smiley_drool.gif It's not as well known though and I don't think they have nearly as many of them in the country compared to coldstone.

 

[MizzDeeDee]

coldstone is good but have you ladies ever tried maggie moos?! It's just like coldstone style-wise but the ice cream is SO much better.https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/ss09/smiley_drool.gif It's not as well known though and I don't think they have nearly as many of them in the country compared to coldstone.

Yes yes YES.... I was trying to think of their name too and I couldn't remember it. They are DAMN GOOD too. I like getting the cake batter ice creams mixes.. yum yum yum.

 

[Surprise]

Oh I'm sad I can't eat any dairy because it upsets my LO's tummy

 

[cleckner04]

coldstone is good but have you ladies ever tried maggie moos?! It's just like coldstone style-wise but the ice cream is SO much better.https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/ss09/smiley_drool.gif It's not as well known though and I don't think they have nearly as many of them in the country compared to coldstone.

Yes yes YES.... I was trying to think of their name too and I couldn't remember it. They are DAMN GOOD too. I like getting the cake batter ice creams mixes.. yum yum yum.

Ooo I never thought to mix them!!! I always get the chocolate better batter when we go! We were so excited when we moved here and they actually have one too. Although we've only went once because I'm losing weight atm but totally YUMMMM.

 

[RinnaRoo]

I saw a BBC America commericial, and it said "“We lost our empire. We suck at tennis. Our food is lousy. But our television kicks ass!”
I love British TV! Its so interesting, and the stories are always so engaging! American TV is played out.