Culture: Two nations divided...

[UKRay]

I have no particular point to make here, other than I really enjoy UK/US cultural differences. A conversation on another thread led me to think about these and I wondered if, maybe, it worked both ways. We Brits see a huge amount of American TV and often see really exciting stuff and hear language that we simply don't understand or recognise. Does this ever happen to you?

For example:

I have absolutely no idea what the difference is between a freeway and a highway although I have travelled on both - we have lanes, roads, streets and motorways over here. We also have alleys but they tend to be for pedestrians and cyclists these days.

You US guys have amazing huge pickup trucks that simply wouldn't fit onto our tiny roads. I even saw a camper that fitted onto the load bed of one of those trucks (in a film with Clint Eastwood) but it was years before I saw one in the UK. I have still only seen a handful over here and they still excite me and I want one so bad it hurts - but I probably couldn't afford to buy one and I have no idea where I could use it as it would probably require a wide load sign and a flashing light on top to make it street legal.

You may be amused to know that when I first read about Hershey bars along with Twinkies and A1 Steak sauce, I put them on my list of very exciting things to see and do as soon as I made a trip to the US - in some instances, reality didn't come anywhere close to matching the expectation. How can anyone eat a whole Twinkie? I still don't know what Oreos and Cheerios taste like but I can't wait to find out!

The 'bathroom' issue is one that is actually making a transatlantic leap as traditionally Brits have tended to use a number of words for the good old 'John' - top contenders are lavatory, toilet and loo. Unfortunately the word you choose often tends to give a clue as to your class; another concept that doesn't seem too prevalent in the US. Bathroom doesn't have any class connotations and so finds favour with those climbing the social ladder. Does class actually exist in the US?

One thing I have noticed is that some Americans can get confused by the concept of Cockneys (people born within the sound of Bow Bells in London - further explanation available on request!). Using rhyming slang is not typical British behaviour. Dick van Dyke did us no favours with his painful portrayal of a cheerful cockney chappie in Mary Poppins and various notable US novelists have ruined otherwise excellent books by misuse of British English. Have you noticed any British writers doing the same to you?

Spelling is another painful source of confusion. We Brits add the letter U to all kinds of words (colour, flavour etc.) not, as it may seem, to irritate Americans, merely because that is the way we have always done it and things take a while to change over here. What else do we do that irritates or entertains?

What differences have you noticed? Are there British films and TV programmes that amuse you? Did you ever see: 'One man and his dog' which was all about working sheep dog trials or 'Last of the Summer Wine' or any Ealing comedy?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/281298.stm

BBC 1 Man & His Dog DVD

The first official footage of 1 Man & His Dog ever to be released by the BBC !! This 2 disc DVD features excerpts of THIRTY years of the best of One Man & His Dog from the very first episode with Phil Drabble to current day, also the 2005 Christmas Special on Disc 2. Fronted by Ben Fogle, also features "The Best Of ... including single, brace and young handler clips", Meet the Presenters, How to Whistle". 189 mins running time, highly recommended.

Thirty years worth of working sheep dogs and instructions on how to whistle? Hmmmmm!

What else do we Brits do, if anything, that makes you laugh or is a complete mystery?

[rdb]

Seems a bit anti-American topic here, but since we whipped your a%#$@s once, we can do it again...ROFL

Seriously though, there are no two nations more close, in all the world, and will continue until the ends of time, I'm sure. The language part is amusing though.

When I first heard in London, "Have you a Swan for my fag?", I was a tad confused, but I smoked it out right quick.

Chicken and Chips, on newspaper, of all things, was another one. (I still like Steak and Kidney pie)

I think we sold partial rights to the letter "u", to help with our deficit, but that's a horse of a different colour.

Freeways are for autos only...no trucks allowed ( sort of redefines "free", doesn't it?). Highways=Motorways. And Expressways are for traffic jams, or temporary parking lots...lol.

"Are You being Served" was about the funniest thing on the telly. And that one with all the crazy hippies in one apartment (can't remember the name of that one). Of course. Fawlty Towers remains iconic. I do like the one where the guy goes around digging holes all over England with a backhoe, , and calling it archealogy, but he was better in the "Worst jobs of all time" series.

London really reminds me of a big Boston. You would feel at home there. The pubs are the way they are supposed to be..family, children, and on every corner.

This should be a fun Topic to watch.

[Johanna]

Highways and freeways are the same. They have designated exits, not turning lanes. Those campers in the bed of a truck are called "fifth wheels". Our family has one. If we can afford the gas, it sleeps 6 comfortably and is cheaper than a motel. Oreos are the best cookies ever, unless they get stale. They just now, after 40 some years, developed a package to keep them fresh. When you rip the sticky opening back, every kid within a block can hear it and comes running. Twinkies are overrated. Putting A-1 on a steak is sacreligious is some parts of the US.

PBS ran some shows like "Waiting for God" and the one with Hyacinth Boo-kay (not bucket!) and we loved them. Anything with Judy Dench is worth watching, too.

Along with the letter "u", Brits do funny things with "s" when a "z" works fine.

In the US, a "bathroom" is in a house and is "private", a "restroom" is public, and you can't take a shower there.

You can put gas in your tank, or pass gas and have everyone leave the room, but we have no such thing as "petrol". A boot goes on your foot- we put our groceries in the trunk. "Wally World" is a nickname for WalMart and "Mickey Dees" means McDonalds.

Johanna

[UKRay]

Seems a bit anti-American topic here, but since we whipped your a%#$@s once, we can do it again...ROFL

No anti-anything intended I promise. Just a whole lot of very funny stuff that doesn't get aired anywhere near often enough.

I can see that our use of the word 'fag' would amuse and entertain but what is all this about highways and freeways - are they the same or different?

The letters S & Z can be an issue and we do tend to say 'zed' rather than 'zee'. Complicated isn't it?

I'm delighted to discover restrooms but am disturbed by the idea of chicken and chips on newspaper - fish and chips on newspaper certainly, but chicken and chips in a basket if you please!

That 'backhoe' is a JCB and the archaeology guy's name is Tony Robinson - did anyone see him as Baldrick in Blackadder?

Edited October 12, 2008 by UKRay

[TwinOaks]

We have Grits in the South; Oatmeal, cream of wheat, and hominey are for other places. And thankfully, we DON'T have porridge.

[Crystal]

We also have some Interstate highways that are toll roads and Pennsylvania has a "Turnpike" which is a toll road. I always thought that "freeways" were designed to "free-up" traffic congestion around metropolitain areas. Highway was just a generic term for limited access roads which had at least 2 lanes in both directions. That's just the way I understand them.

We do seem to love our big trucks and SUV's. Have to have them to haul the trailers with the 4 wheelers in tow. There is a new park in PA that is specifically for 4 wheelers - camp sites and miles of trails. I think they also use it for snowmobiles, though we don't seem to get enough snow any more for the "sleds".

Never gave much thought to "bathrooms", but Johanna defined that well. Some call it going to the "can" or using the "head". Could that be a class determination?

Since this is all in fun and I am curious - are we in the US "Dental Obsessed" or is there a difference in dental care or the need/want for dental care? Just about very kid here ends up with braces.

Unless you are in a large city - no one can really walk and get to anything. Can't go for a walk and wind up at a pub, or a market. No one really uses bicycles here (meaning my area) unless you are exercize obsessed or belong to an Old Order Mennonite or Amish religion which prohibits use of autos.

Can't stand Twinkies, although I have seen where you can get them deep fried now. Never tried that. Fairs are also offering deep fried Oreos. I just don't know about that.

Crystal

Edited October 12, 2008 by Crystal

[rdb]

It wasn't the word "fag" that threw me. I do not hold myself better than anyone. Love 'em all. No it was the Swan that threw me, until I realized it was a Trade name for matches.

Yep, 1972, Chicken and chips on newspaper...Earl's Court. Lovely Place...The old Troubador club. It's probably all an ethically different place now, perhaps Indian. Things change, even in Old Merry.

Blackadder...forgot that one., funniest man on earth today...SWABS?? I think. The oldtimer's disease get's in the way of remembering TR's name sometimes.

But enough for me now, I'm sure there's people with more recent memories of GB than mine from 40 years ago. Although I hold them dear.

[CitizenKate]

Having been born in the UK, I've always had a fascination for English culture, especially all the various speech accents from one region to the next. In the States, the regions are pretty large. In the UK, one little village could have it's own particular flavor of English.

I actually don't think of Dick Van Dyke when I think of a Cockney, but rather Jack Wild, the child star of the '60's who played the Artful Dodger in Oliver. I believe Jack actually was a Cockney. And what about the play Pygmalion, or the Broadway version of it, My Fair Lady?

Oh, and please tell my fellow Yanks what a "shooting brake" is. (Don't know if I spelled it correctly...)

Kate

[shirleyz]

What differences have you noticed? Are there British films and TV programmes that amuse you? Did you ever see: 'One man and his dog' which was all about working sheep dog trials or 'Last of the Summer Wine' or any Ealing comedy?

Last of the Summer wine? Are they really ready for Compo? They might think he's typical of the Northern male. What about Nora Batty? Oh my God Ray! Think Man!!!!!!

If anyone should watch Last of the summer wine, I'm from Arkansas.

Shirley

[ClayB]

Seems there are differences in what we call things here in the US too. Out where I live, highways are most any paved road, not limited access and most often just one lane in each direction. Interstates are limited access, two lanes in each direction. We dont have freeways, toll roads, or expressways. And a LOT of our roads are just gravel. We have 8 miles of gravel to get to the nearest highway.

We do like big trucks cuz we have a lot of stuff to haul around. The bigger the box and the cab, the more junk you can pile in there, tools, clothes, etc. It'd take about 15 minutes of cleaning if you wanted to get someone in the back seat of my Chevy.

This was my favorite truck ever.

4 doors, 4 wheel drive (actually 6 since it was a dually) It hauled anything you could hook to it or stack on it. Wish I had a picture of it fully loaded when I ran a fencing crew. I finally decided to get rid of it when gas started going up. It had 225,000 miles on it and got about 3 mpg. Took the money I got from it and bought a Boss sewing machine. I liked the truck a lot better than I like the sewing machine.

The Clint Eastwood movie, Every Which Way But Loose? My favorite Clint movie. He had one of those old slide in the box campers. Had one of those for the old truck too.