Sunday 20 December 2009

7. Washing, Washing up, and Having a Wash

While Americans do the laundry, the English do the washing. The washing up refers to doing the dishes. On occasion, you can still hear a dishwasher referred to as a washing up machine. The same terms apply to the detergents used during each chore. Laundry detergent becomes washing powder or liquid. Dish soap becomes washing up liquid or soap.

As for having a wash, I'm not entirely sure what this refers to as I've never watch anyone have a wash. It does not imply having a bath or a shower. It is frequently done at the end of the day before going out for the evening or before dinner or tea or supper or...that's a whole other post.

Christmas Treats

Shortbread is always readily available in grocery stores in England. But at Christmas, it comes in tins and becomes super cheap.

Among the things England is missing out on are popcorn balls. If I could find the lid to the giant pan I brought with me from Alaska, I'd get right on introducing my own personal English people to them. I'm not convinced that Golden syrup is an appropriate substitution for corn syrup in this case, but it's worth a try.

Wednesday 11 November 2009

Fabulous Things About England #3

Eggs and chips. Or if you prefer Eggs and chunky french fries.

6. Toilet paper

The English call toilet paper toilet roll or loo roll depending on where they come from. Occasionally, you'll hear it referred to as bog roll. Whatever you call the stuff, the super soft stuff you can get in the States simply isn't available here. It's wasteful anyway. But you can still get your loo roll in an array of colors. You'll have no luck explaining to people that that the dyes aren't great for female anatomy; though, the NHS is beginning to catch on.

Tuesday 10 November 2009

Fabulous Things About England #2

Baked beans on toast. The meal for all times of day and seasons.

5. Gas, Wind, and Petrol

In England, the stuff that you fill your car with is petrol. Gas generally refers to natural gas, which is entirely fair as it's a gas. And the bloating you get after Thanksgiving dinner is called wind. When it won't move, it's called trapped wind.

4. Jam, Jelly, Preserves

The English call Jell-o, jelly. Jam is used to describe both what Americans refer to as jelly and jam. Luckily, its easy enough to tell which you're buying through the glass jar.

Fabulous Things About England #1

The NHS.

Tuesday 20 October 2009

3. Temperature

The English use the Celsius scale.

F C
0.....-17
10.. -12
20.. -6
32....0
40....4
50....10
60....15
70....21
80....26
90....32
100..37
250..121
300..148
350..176
375..190
400..204
425..218
450..232
475..246
500..260
525..273

2.

Ovens are called cookers in some parts of England, and stoves are often called hobs.

1.

While Americans ask for a one-way or round-trip ticket, the English ask for a single or return ticket.
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