Questions FROM the UK and FOR the UK

TByrd1325

I found the portion sizes in American restaurants scary large, and also found it very odd that vegetables are side orders. Here vegetables are generally part of the meal and not ordered separately. I also wonder what you give children to drink other than water, fizzy, juice or milk? We have squash and my kids found the lack of it during our holidays (that's another difference, we call all vacations holidays, it's not just Christmas) very hard, they were not allowed to drink fizzy and so struggled a bit.

I saw this thread yesterday. I've never been out of the country, but England is on my list.

I have to ask, what is squash? I'm guessing you aren't talking about the vegetable?

erikazj

Squash is like cordial, but not as strong. It's normally blackcurrant/orange/fruit based concentrate that you dilute with water. Doesn't taste like fruit juice though.

http://www.britvic.com/Brand.aspx?id=55

Robinson's and Ribena are big brands, but all the supermarkets do their own.

Erika

Simplicity

I live in England and just though I say Little chef does not make me happy either. We call it Little Theif instead based on their prices. The same goes for burger king, it becaomes burger ching. In america when i went it was like 3 dollars a meal. England is ridculously expensive now but I suppose i still love it.

PS. I never understand the meaning of uptown and downtown when you refer to cities. Any americans wanna help me out?
Ben

healthycat31

the french fries/ fries/chips/crisps thing gets me every time

also 'drugstore' & 'chemist'

'zipcode' & 'postcode'

'sneakers' & 'trainers'

'bangs' & 'fringes'

healthycat31

I live in England and just though I say Little chef does not make me happy either. We call it Little Theif instead based on their prices. The same goes for burger king, it becaomes burger ching. In america when i went it was like 3 dollars a meal. England is ridculously expensive now but I suppose i still love it.

PS. I never understand the meaning of uptown and downtown when you refer to cities. Any americans wanna help me out?
Ben

Not American, but I think 'downtown' means the CBD. I remember sightseeing in New York City - In Manhattan, uptown covered Harlem and Central Park, & downtown covered Times Square, the Empire State Building, Chinatown, SoHo...

healthycat31

I live in England and just though I say Little chef does not make me happy either. We call it Little Theif instead based on their prices. The same goes for burger king, it becaomes burger ching. In america when i went it was like 3 dollars a meal. England is ridculously expensive now but I suppose i still love it.

PS. I never understand the meaning of uptown and downtown when you refer to cities. Any americans wanna help me out?
Ben

Not American, but I think 'downtown' means the CBD. I remember sightseeing in New York City - In Manhattan, uptown covered Harlem and Central Park, & downtown covered Times Square, the Empire State Building, Chinatown, SoHo...

wolf23

I have a question about Marmite...does the majority like it? My tastebuds rejected that taste :noway: But I did love the traditional breafast with the tomato and beans :happy:

snookeroo

I'm from the U.S. and am a HUGE fan of "Life On Mars".
I caught it on BBC America and just had to go out and buy the box sets. I'm getting ready to watch season 2.
I'm usually able to translate your English into our English (bin man, mate, git, snooker and flat = trash man, friend, idiot, pool and apartment).
But, I just can't exactly figure out "gov" or "governer". I think it means "boss" or "superior". Can you help me out?

Do you get any American "Tele" shows worth watching? I can't say I do.

Simplicity

governer is as you said a sorta "street" way of meaing superior or in the police force like boss.
And what wrong with Will and Grace, Friends all the NBC classics we get them here in the UK and I get addicted to them. I've heard '24' is good and if you enjoy that take a look at our version 'spooks' I love spooks and am looking into '24' when money permits.
'git' i would refer to somone who irritates you rather than an idiot but then im being pernickety.
Ben UK
And i love marmite in sandwiches with cucumber!!

snookeroo

governer is as you said a sorta "street" way of meaing superior or in the police force like boss.
And what wrong with Will and Grace, Friends all the NBC classics we get them here in the UK and I get addicted to them. I've heard '24' is good and if you enjoy that take a look at our version 'spooks' I love spooks and am looking into '24' when money permits.
'git' i would refer to somone who irritates you rather than an idiot but then im being pernickety.
Ben UK
And i love marmite in sandwiches with cucumber!!

I do watch "How I Met Your Mother", "The Office", "The Big Bang Theory" and "American Idol" (go Chrystal!) as well as Seinfeld reruns...can't go wrong there.
How popular was "Life On Mars" in the UK? It's really one of the best shows I've seen in a long time. The American version of that show wasn't really that good.
I've never heard of "Spooks". I'll look it up.

Over all, I guess I prefer to listen to music. '70's rock-n-roll! But I like so much more.
I noticed your profile. I'll have to check out your music.

Simplicity

I do watch "How I Met Your Mother", "The Office", "The Big Bang Theory" and "American Idol" (go Chrystal!) as well as Seinfeld reruns...can't go wrong there.
How popular was "Life On Mars" in the UK? It's really one of the best shows I've seen in a long time. The American version of that show wasn't really that good.
I've never heard of "Spooks". I'll look it up.

Over all, I guess I prefer to listen to music. '70's rock-n-roll! But I like so much more.
I noticed your profile. I'll have to check out your music.

Life on mars was pretty popular as I remeber but it wasn't my sort of thing so have never watched it. There was a lot of hype though when it was first released.
I love all types of music from everywhere around the world. favourites from america has got to be seattle area where all the grunge came out. Pearl Jam being somewhere near the top of my list but not a massive fan of 70's rock n roll but each to their own.

karenjoy

Loved LOVED Life on Mars, and also love Marmite. In my house it's a male female split on Marmite, us ladies love it, my son doesn't like it although he was raised on it and my Canadian husband really doesn't get it at all. It's lovely on warm buttered toast....and with cheddar cheese in a nice white bread sandwich...yum yum.

I have noticed that on many things I see from the states they have subtitles for people from different parts of the UK, Do you really find the various regional accent that hard to understand or is it just assumed you won't understand? I find some US accents very difficult indeed, but we don't get subtitles.

Did you get offended that the names of books and films etc are changed for the US market in the purported assumption that people won't understand? ie Over here the book and film was 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' but it was the Sorcerers stone in the US?

TheMaidOfAstolat

Loved LOVED Life on Mars, and also love Marmite. In my house it's a male female split on Marmite, us ladies love it, my son doesn't like it although he was raised on it and my Canadian husband really doesn't get it at all. It's lovely on warm buttered toast....and with cheddar cheese in a nice white bread sandwich...yum yum.

I have noticed that on many things I see from the states they have subtitles for people from different parts of the UK, Do you really find the various regional accent that hard to understand or is it just assumed you won't understand? I find some US accents very difficult indeed, but we don't get subtitles.

Did you get offended that the names of books and films etc are changed for the US market in the purported assumption that people won't understand? ie Over here the book and film was 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' but it was the Sorcerers stone in the US?

I hate when they subtitle stuff (if I can understand Jamie Oliver and the weird cockney accent-I think I can understand any Brit speak).
Also, as for HP-not only did they change the title, many of the words as well-jumper/sweater, rubbish bin/trash can...ect (I guess they thought that kids can't work out the 'translation' over time (at least the first book, the rest of them stayed true to the Brit versions).
Also, I must say that I love Are You Being Served and Keeping Up Appearances (yep, I know they're old..but they are hilarious). I would also have to say that the best actors and actresses come out of the UK (and they don't seem to get sucked into the Hollywood crap)-love Alan Rickman! :blushing: :bigsmile:

snookeroo

As far as I've notice, we don't get subtitles on UK shows.
But I guess they've always been giving us different versions of what was originally released over there.
The Beatle albums released here were always a couple of songs short from what was realeased in the UK. That way, after a few album releases, they always had an extra album/ L.P. to sell us with those tracks that were left off.

karenjoy

I have met Alan Rickman, he is a bit up himself to be honest, but we were at a special charity film screening of 'Truly Madly Deeply' which starred Alan and Juliet Stevenson and a less well known actor Michael Maloney, my husband and I spent a good part of the party before the film with the very lovely Michael (he is mainly a Shakespearean actor, but is in films and TV) Alan was being mobbed by people and looked as if he hated every moment of it, but he did spend a good deal of time talking to a disabled lady and I did talk to him for a bit, he was very polite but not especially friendly. I would like to have met Jude Law, as my friend did, apparently he is lovely.

karenjoy

Oh and Jamie has an essex accent and not a cockney one :-)

TheMaidOfAstolat

Oh and Jamie has an essex accent and not a cockney one :-)

Didn't know that...thanks.

toots99

How funny! As I'm reading this, I see a clip of an English TV show called "Man Stroke Woman", and Nick Frost was saying how he dialed "999". At first I didn't get it, until I heard the sirens in the background of the show. In the US, we dial 911. :laugh:

erikazj

Marmite is the most disgusting substance known to man...IMHO!

I'm completely addicted to American TV - CSI, Criminal Minds, Fringe, House (MD), Bones, NCIS, Trueblood, Medium etc!

Erika

toots99

Marmite is the most disgusting substance known to man...IMHO!

I'm completely addicted to American TV - CSI, Criminal Minds, Fringe, House (MD), Bones, NCIS, Trueblood, Medium etc!

Erika

I looooooove True Blood!!