BetterMost, Wyoming & Brokeback Mountain Forum
Our BetterMost Community => BetterMost People => Topic started by: Penthesilea on October 23, 2007, 04:32:39 pm
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Hi BetterMostians,
in several threads, one topic continues to come up: small, funny, wondrous and other differences between North America and Europe. I thought this could make a fun thread :D.
I'll start with the shower heads: In Europe, we have this type of shower heads
(http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m47/Penthesilea06/dusche_zs.jpg)
In the US (and in American movies), I saw only this type:
(http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m47/Penthesilea06/Showerhead.jpg)
The European ones are attached to a stake and have a flexible hose. You can position them like you want or take them off the wall. In the US, the shower head is directly fixed to the wall. I was like 'Hey why can't I adjust the shower head?' :laugh: The water sprays directly on your head and you get it into your face all the time. It's far more convenient to put the shower head a little bit down the stake after washing your hair and have the water spray on your shoulders.
Oh, and the washing machines. I didn't know before we discussed it on this board that American washing machines are totally different from European ones. They have the inner basket spinning horizontally!
Fabienne just mentioned ice water on another thread. I had never seen a vending machine offering water and ice cubes for free in a hotel floor before I went to the Denver BBQ this year.
What small, funny, wondrous or other differences have you noticed?
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We do have those types of showers, Chrissi, but typically they are installed as part of a handicapped setup, especially in hotel bathrooms. You might see them more commonly in people's homes. Not mine, though!
Ice machines in hotels are wonderful, wonderful things. That is one thing I do miss when I am in Europe.
Front loading washers: this is a pet peeve. You can buy them in this country (we have one in our house) but the vast majority are top loaders. Top loaders use way much more water than a front loader...something like two-thirds more. And if you want to be environmentally conscious and buy a front loader, they penalize you by tripling the price. Grrrr.....
How about bedding? In Europe you have a duvet and a pillow; cuddle up in the duvet and you are warm and toasty. Here we have sheets, blankets, pillows, comforters...ugh. I like the European style much better.
Public toilets: in Europe they are in little closets, with a proper door that locks. Much more private and again, I like it better!
Let's see...not to be so contrary about the US...we do have bigger refrigerators. And I have to say, I like my big fridge!
Leslie
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You guys cracked me up about the ice thing.
It was one thing my sister groused about in Europe.
I don't particularly care for drinks that are cold - e.g. I'll drink sodas warm - but my sister is a dyed-in-the-wool ice fiend. She likes ice in all her drinks that are not hot.
In London, she grimly noticed that no drink automatically came with ice. She had to continually ask, then when they did arrive with the ice, she'd get a glass with one or two cubes at the bottom of the drink.
She leaned over to me and in stage sotto voce asked, "Are they still on wartime rations here?"
Paris, she was a lot happier with. Many cafes served iced drinks, with a decent amount of ice - though no where near the generous heaping glasses you get if you ask for extra ice in the States.
She couldn't find lemonade in London, but she did in Paris. Though it was the 'make your own' 1/2 filled glass of lemon juice, a carafe of water and a big bottle of sugar at $7.50 American. ;D
The shower-head thing we had in Paris, but not London. In Paris, I managed to spray myself, the wall, the floor and at times, reached the door with accidental aiming. The claw-foot tub in our hotel bathroom did not have a shower curtain. Is that normal for Paris and free standing tubs? Our hotel bathroom in London had a walk in shower with a fixed head and a shower curtain.
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She leaned over to me and in stage sotto voce asked, "Are they still on wartime rations here?"
:laugh:
I like this comment. She would have experienced the same in Germany. Drinks usually come without ice cubes, and if they do have them (sometimes in summer), it's one or two.
Here it's vice versa: when there's more ice in a drink (the only etablissement I can think of is McDonald's), people think they are niggardly with the drink and therefore put so much ice cubes in it. Ice cubes are cheaper than, let's say, Coke. So the more ice cubes, the less Coke you need to put in a glass ::) :laugh:
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Here it's vice versa: when there's more ice in a drink (the only etablissement I can think of is McDonald's), people think they are niggardly with the drink and therefore put so much ice cubes in it. Ice cubes are cheaper than, let's say, Coke. So the more ice cubes, the less Coke you need to put in a glass ::) :laugh:
Yes, but at McDonald's you get free refills. ;)
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Yes, but at McDonald's you get free refills. ;)
:o
Free refills? Not in Germany.
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Bidets. We don't have very many of those in the US and many Americans aren't quite sure what we're supposed to do with them. ???
I have a bidet story I could share with you, but I'm not going to do it. :-X
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Ok David you brought it up now fess up... :laugh:
We have that kind of shower in our motorhome.
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tipping barman a dollar a time - weird.
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Bidets. We don't have very many of those in the US and many Americans aren't quite sure what we're supposed to do with them. ???
I think they're mostly common in Fance. In Germany, they're not regular everywhere, but they're widespread enough so people know what they're for :laugh:
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I think they're mostly common in Fance. In Germany, they're not regular everywhere, but they're widespread enough so people know what they're for :laugh:
I remember bidets back in Italy in 1972, but on more recent trips to England, France, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, and Switzerland, I never saw one...so I don't think they are very common, at least not anymore.
Leslie
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How about bedding? In Europe you have a duvet and a pillow; cuddle up in the duvet and you are warm and toasty. Here we have sheets, blankets, pillows, comforters...ugh. I like the European style much better.
I think the American/English style looks prettier, but the European ones are more practical.
As intersting as the bedding is the body of the bed itself. In America (and England), it looks like a bed would exist of two matrasses, one atop of the other, sometimes a valance around the bottom one. They don't seem to have a slatted frame. That was really weird to me the first time I was in England; it felt somehow "fake", like it wouldn't be a "correct" bed, but only two matrasses with a headboard :laugh:
(http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m47/Penthesilea06/Sonstige/Memory-Foam-Bed-250b.jpg) (http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m47/Penthesilea06/Sonstige/betten_matratze_DW__200892a.jpg)
The beds I'm used to look like this:
(http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m47/Penthesilea06/Sonstige/doro_bett.jpg)
Then you put a matrass on it (One's enough! ;D) and that's it.
Let's see...not to be so contrary about the US...we do have bigger refrigerators. And I have to say, I like my big fridge!
Leslie
I think with the big fridges it's the same as with dishwashers: you don't need one, but as soon as you have one, you would never again want to live without it :laugh:
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Remember when I was looking for the hotel in Amersfoort and it advertised that it had a box spring? (That's the bottom mattress, Chrissi. It's not really a mattress.) I said to Fabienne, what's the big deal? and she said, oh, box springs are very unusual in Europe! LOL
L
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Some of the things I found that are different between Germany and America...
Try going to a grocery store on a Saturday evening! In the last two years some of the grocery stores are staying open past 6 p.m. on Saturdays, but you wont find a single one open on a Sunday!
No checks please! Almost all commerce - in Germany, at least, is done via direct bank transfer payments, or what we call ACH payment in the US. I never wrote a check in all the time I was in Germany!
Residence registration: all residents, citizens or visitors, have to register their residence with the local Burgeramt. Because this is unheard of in America, Americans generally overlook this - but if you don't, it is impossible to get a visa.
Satellite tv anyone? In the US and Canada, you have to sign up with a satellite service provider, and get your equipment from them. In Germany, it's all programmed into the equipment, and you simply by the receiver that is preprogrammed.
TV and Radio Tax! While you are registering yourself at the Burgeramt, dont forget to play your TV and Radio tax, for each device you use in your home.
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Remember when I was looking for the hotel in Amersfoort and it advertised that it had a box spring? (That's the bottom mattress, Chrissi. It's not really a mattress.) I said to Fabienne, what's the big deal? and she said, oh, box springs are very unusual in Europe! LOL
L
:laugh:
Box springs are exclusive and very pricy over here. Regular people have beds like the one Chrissi posted (with the one mattress). ;D
Another difference between Belgium and Canada: they drive really big cars over there. And I mean BIG cars! :o Our rental vehicle was a Ford Taurus and I've never driven around in such a huge car. It was nice to drive though. And an automatic, also something we're not used to.
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:o
Free refills? Not in Germany.
Ah, no wonder the hostility toward Mickey Ds. This is an example of how only part of a whole gets translated and you lose the overall affect. Yes, you get less soda with more ice, but in the States, you get free refills. When McDs when to Germany, they got the ice thing, but got cheap with the fountain drinks.
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Ah, no wonder the hostility toward Mickey Ds. This is an example of how only part of a whole gets translated and you lose the overall affect. Yes, you get less soda with more ice, but in the States, you get free refills. When McDs when to Germany, they got the ice thing, but got cheap with the fountain drinks.
And in the Uk and I believe the rest of Europe.
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I think there's hostility towards Mickey D in Europe because it is bad food.
Anyway, something I wanted to comment. This is something I have seen in Cataluña, especially in Barcelona and in the South of France. Never in Madrid or Greece. Some apartments, houses and even hotel rooms have the toilet in one room, and the bathtub and the sink in a separate one. Sometimes the bathtub and the sink are all the way down at the other end of corridor. So, you use the toilet, and then have to walk all the way down to the other end to wash your hands. WHY? Does this happen in other European countries as well?
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Anyway, something I wanted to comment. This is something I have seen in Cataluña, especially in Barcelona and in the South of France. Never in Madrid or Greece. Some apartments, houses and even hotel rooms have the toilet in one room, and the bathtub and the sink in a separate one. Sometimes the bathtub and the sink are all the way down at the other end of corridor. So, you use the toilet, and then have to walk all the way down to the other end to wash your hands. WHY? Does this happen in other European countries as well?
Yes, it does. Just two weeks ago, we were on vacation in Austria. Our apartment had the toilet and shower+sink in seperate rooms. Makes sense when you're more than one person. The moment I'm stepping into the shower, you can bet your left arm one of the other four members of my family has to use the toilet. Always. It's like a law of nature.
They still have to come into the bathroom where I'm showering to wash their hands afterwards, but I prefer this solution to having everything in one room. Understandable, isn't it? ;D
It would be even better to have a second, small sink in the same room where the toilet is. But you take what you get.
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David had a bidet in his hotel room in rome!!
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I think there's hostility towards Mickey D in Europe because it is bad food.
It's bad food in the States, too. Y'all aren't getting anything special. No need to be mad about it. ;D
Anyway, something I wanted to comment. This is something I have seen in Cataluña, especially in Barcelona and in the South of France. Never in Madrid or Greece. Some apartments, houses and even hotel rooms have the toilet in one room, and the bathtub and the sink in a separate one. Sometimes the bathtub and the sink are all the way down at the other end of corridor. So, you use the toilet, and then have to walk all the way down to the other end to wash your hands. WHY? Does this happen in other European countries as well?
:laugh: :laugh: Makes for unsanitary conditions if you ask me.
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I'll start with the shower heads: In Europe, we have this type of shower heads
(http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m47/Penthesilea06/dusche_zs.jpg)
In the US (and in American movies), I saw only this type:
(http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m47/Penthesilea06/Showerhead.jpg)
The European ones are attached to a stake and have a flexible hose. You can position them like you want or take them off the wall. In the US, the shower head is directly fixed to the wall. I was like 'Hey why can't I adjust the shower head?' :laugh:
Well Chrissi, I went to Oxford in June, and stayed with a friend who had the type of showerhead you like, and i hated it.
He didn't have the hook on the wall, the shower head was laying across a shelf. I grabbed it, turned it on, and proceeded to soak the back wall and floor.
:laugh:
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Bidets. We don't have very many of those in the US and many Americans aren't quite sure what we're supposed to do with them. ???
I've never seen a bidet, much less used one, but I know what they're for, and would like to have one. lmao! :laugh:
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(http://www.cadetstuff.org/images/iace_1970_bidet.jpg)
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(http://www.cadetstuff.org/images/iace_1970_bidet.jpg)
Just never appeared to me that the water pressure is strong enough...
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With my luck, it would be like "old faithful" and shoot me to the ceiling.
:laugh:
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With my luck, it would be like "old faithful" and shoot me to the ceiling.
:laugh:
:o OMG :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
If you ever try it, take your camera whith you ;) ;D
Reading the sentence in preview, I want to add:
Noooo, I'm not interested in any privates, I only want to see you fly :laugh:
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Noooo, I'm not interested in any privates, I only want to see you fly :laugh:
story of my life. :laugh:
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Just never appeared to me that the water pressure is strong enough...
I really miss having a bidet.We had them in all our houses in England.
Another odd thing in America, a lot of kitchen cabinets do not have handles, odd. If you want them they are an add on.
Baths here are like swimming pools, I have given up on baths as I could fall asleep waiting for it to fill. Then I have a problem with the shower as they are fixed and way too high for me.
Beds are realatively cheap, but matresses are stupidly expensive here.
I miss having a duvet, we have a sheet and comforter here, but the only time I tried to wash the comforter it died.Easier in England, just remove the cover, hey presto.
Cell phones here have the incomming calls deducted off your minutes,that really annoys me. I can't control who rings me.
Love the big fridges.
Hate having to pay a premium for a front loading washer. Top loader is no good for me,I would need a step ladder.
Love A/C as opposed to central heating and radiators everywhere.
No where near as much choice in supermarkets here.
Love much cheaper gas
Love friendly assistants as opposed to very rude ones in England.
T.V really miss English T.V sorry I guess at my age I am just attuned to the English comedy and drama.
Love drive through pharmacy, bank, starbucks etc
Love much much cheaper clothes, alcohol,eating out,
Hate stupidly expensive prescriptions.
Turn right on red, is just the best thing ever !!!!
O.K that's enough for now
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Another odd thing in America, a lot of kitchen cabinets do not have handles, odd. If you want them they are an add on.
When I remodelled my kitchen a few years ago, the cabinetry came without handles. That didn't strike me as odd at the time--it just allowed you to customize and pick the hardware that you want. Now, however, I wonder whether the makers of the hardware get kickbacks from the makers of the cabinetry, or if there is some other sort of conspiracy going on. ;D
I miss having a duvet, we have a sheet and comforter here, but the only time I tried to wash the comforter it died. Easier in England, just remove the cover, hey presto.
We must have duvets available here in the U.S. I remember they made jokes about them on Frasier. ;D Try taking the comforter to a laundry where they have really large washing machines.
Love the big fridges.
Why is that English kitchens have tiny little under-the-counter refrigerators? Is it from the habit of shopping for food every day? In a couple of the "Britcoms" that I watch regularly, they have nice, large kitchens, with automatic dishwashers, even, but only these tiny little refrigerators. ???
T.V really miss English T.V sorry I guess at my age I am just attuned to the English comedy and drama.
Doesn't your local PBS station carry British comedies? Ours shows one every evening at 7:30. :)
"It's the Bou-KAY residence! The lady of the house speaking!" ;D
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T.V really miss English T.V sorry I guess at my age I am just attuned to the English comedy and drama.
Darling, there are stations here that carry that type of broadcasting, sweetie. By the way, what are you wearing? Is that a "La Croix", sweetie? Fabulous!
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Darling, there are stations here that carry that type of broadcasting, sweetie. By the way, what are you wearing? Is that a "La Croix", sweetie? Fabulous!
How's your pussy, Mrs. Slocumbe? ;D
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Yeah you should get bbc america - I noticed that Gavin and Stacey started on that a few weeks ago - and that's HILARIOUS! Very British!!
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How's your pussy, Mrs. Slocumbe? ;D
the old man from upstairs is coming to peek at my pussy! :laugh:
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the old man from upstairs is coming to peek at my pussy! :laugh:
(Deep voice) "Menswear?" :laugh: :laugh:
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(Deep voice) "Menswear?" :laugh: :laugh:
Are you free?
*looks to left, looks to right*
yes, I'm free.
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Oh dear, this HAS gone off on a tangent!
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Are you free?
*looks to left, looks to right*
yes, I'm free.
Take an inner leg, Mr. Humphries. :laugh:
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We do get BBC america,but are you being served is about 25 years old.Abfab and the vicar of dibley are very old now too.I have not seen some of the top gear programmes and also some episodes of coupling.
Oh ignore me.I am just being a moany pants.There are more things I do like than dont and if I am really desperate for Brit. T.V I can get most of it albeit in small segments on You tube.
You are right about the small fridges, but the larger ones are starting to appear now.
Sure don't miss the weather,and if truth be told I am outside so much here.I dont watch much T.V .
As I said in the post it is worth it just to be able to turn right on red.I really love that.I also like the fact that your unmarked police cars are fairly obvious.
Forgot one thing. enormous beds, heaven, Can fit hubby me 3dogs and 2 cats and still stretch my legs.!!!!!
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Oh ignore me.I am just being a moany pants.
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
I don't mean to laugh, but I've never heard that expression before. I love it!
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:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
I don't mean to laugh, but I've never heard that expression before. I love it!
Glad to have cheered up your day.I keep forgetting and using English expressions.My kids go nuts with me about it.
Here are a few more you may not have come across.
Don't get your knickers in a twist. stop worrying
Falling arse over tit. falling over
shut your gob/cake hole /pie hole. shut up.
Pissed as a newt/fart.
drunk.
Manky, hanging, minging, implies something someone is less than lovely. They are very north England sayings.
Nice buns, is nice cakes not behinds as it is here.
Going out for a few jars tonight. off to have a few alcoholic beverages.
Heres one you may take offence at, but it is not meant to upset anyone. If you call some one a cowboy in England, it means they are a very poor workman.
I eneded up in deep do dahs here when the A/C man arrived to fix our units. I told him the person who had fitted it must have been a right cowboy!!!
That conversation went off into the realms of the ridiculous, but was along the lines of, they let horses in here!!! well no.
So do you all ride? wel only if he is good looking !!!
The rest is not printable in public but was decidely surreal.I am not sure the poor guy will ever recover.Talk about a mix up.
You made a right cock up of that. You made areal mess. Again that has landed me in some trouble in the early days.
At the store to one of our meat cutters, pass me a rubber will you. Poor guy nearly passed out,it is eraser here.
SOD off . go away, ditto piss off.
I could go on ad infinitum but I will leave you with just a few more.
I am feeling rough as a bears arse this morning. I have felt better.
You toffee nosed git. You stuck up ididot.
Finally and these are not for the delicate, she's had more men in her than the Mersey tunnel(a large tunnel in Liverpool) self explanatory I think.
He/she would shag a sheep. would have sex with anyone .
Hope I have raised a few more smiles and not offended anyone.
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"The Bill" is one of my favourite TV programs, Fiona, so I'm familiar with a lot of those English expressions. And many are also used here in Oz. Speaking of "The Bill," I'm presently reading "Too Many Mothers," the autobiography of Roberta Taylor, the actress who plays the part of Gina Gold in "The Bill." The dust jacket blurb advises it's, "A memoir of an East End childhood." It's had me in stitches. Strongly recommended. :D
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I could go on ad infinitum but I will leave you with just a few more.
Thanks! Some of those were familiar, thanks to television. :)
May I ask about one I heard on one of the Britcoms? "Knackered"? I'm not sure of the spelling, of course, but are you familiar with that one?
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Glad to have cheered up your day.I keep forgetting and using English expressions.My kids go nuts with me about it.
Here are a few more you may not have come across.
Don't get your knickers in a twist. stop worrying
Falling arse over tit. falling over
shut your gob/cake hole /pie hole. shut up.
Pissed as a newt/fart.
drunk.
Manky, hanging, minging, implies something someone is less than lovely. They are very north England sayings.
Nice buns, is nice cakes not behinds as it is here.
Going out for a few jars tonight. off to have a few alcoholic beverages.
Heres one you may take offence at, but it is not meant to upset anyone. If you call some one a cowboy in England, it means they are a very poor workman.
I eneded up in deep do dahs here when the A/C man arrived to fix our units. I told him the person who had fitted it must have been a right cowboy!!!
That conversation went off into the realms of the ridiculous, but was along the lines of, they let horses in here!!! well no.
So do you all ride? wel only if he is good looking !!!
The rest is not printable in public but was decidely surreal.I am not sure the poor guy will ever recover.Talk about a mix up.
You made a right cock up of that. You made areal mess. Again that has landed me in some trouble in the early days.
At the store to one of our meat cutters, pass me a rubber will you. Poor guy nearly passed out,it is eraser here.
SOD off . go away, ditto piss off.
I could go on ad infinitum but I will leave you with just a few more.
I am feeling rough as a bears arse this morning. I have felt better.
You toffee nosed git. You stuck up ididot.
Finally and these are not for the delicate, she's had more men in her than the Mersey tunnel(a large tunnel in Liverpool) self explanatory I think.
He/she would shag a sheep. would have sex with anyone .
Hope I have raised a few more smiles and not offended anyone.
bwahahaha...:D
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aye those once are good ones all right - so many scottish sayings i could put here too but not in the right frame of mind at the mo!!
Have a look at this - http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php/topic,20509.0.html
Gavin and Stacey is new and is also definitely on on BBC America... you can video it if its on odd time.. or should I say tivo it!?
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Thanks! Some of those were familiar, thanks to television. :)
May I ask about one I heard on one of the Britcoms? "Knackered"? I'm not sure of the spelling, of course, but are you familiar with that one?
Spelling is spot on and it means very tired,another one is shagged.The latter is a little more coarse !!!
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aye those once are good ones all right - so many scottish sayings i could put here too but not in the right frame of mind at the mo!!
Have a look at this - http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php/topic,20509.0.html
Gavin and Stacey is new and is also definitely on on BBC America... you can video it if its on odd time.. or should I say tivo it!?
Just started to watch that,and was laughing my head off.I suddenly remembered it from your thread and youtube posts.Not sure how it will translate into an American version though.
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Well the offixe worked so you never know!
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Heres a link for Mrs Slocombe
Thanks! Some of those were familiar, thanks to television. :)
May I ask about one I heard on one of the Britcoms? "Knackered"? I'm not sure of the spelling, of course, but are you familiar with that one?
Well spelt and I'd just say say its tired rather than shagged, well at least thats a kiwi explanation.
You know what, I was chatting to this guy on a dating site, and to be honest I do use the term knackered infrequently, any way I was trying to be real smart and thought knackered was spelt shall we say somewhat differently, oh heck so here I am pm'ing this potential date saying that I am absolutely naked at the moment :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
PS I did get the date :laugh: :laugh:
I had no idea that you don't have duvets in the US?? Gee it must take you ages to make the bed in the morning!!
Sorry but here we would never have biscuits and gravy, biscuits are the same as cookies.
Other difference is we never ever tip here. So its always a puzzle when I am away how much to give. The Travel Agency I used to work for had a little card which we would include with tickets to give our clients an idea how much they should tip
Love the fridges in the US with ice making part. Cool idea - no pun intended
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Other difference is we never ever tip here. So its always a puzzle when I am away how much to give. The Travel Agency I used to work for had a little card which we would include with tickets to give our clients an idea how much they should tip.
I think Americans are a tad bit tip crazy.
There's a parking garage I use when I go to NYC. I always use this one, because you park the car yourself, your keys never leave you, and there's no waiting for an attendant/valet to bring you your car.
You pay the cashier, and then get your car, and slide your validated ticket into the machine to raise the gate.
In the last year, a "tip jar" has appeared by the cashier. When I saw that, I wanted to say "Why should I tip you? I pulled the car in myself, took my own ticket, parked it myself, and will leave on my own.....the only thing you are doing is validating my ticket."
I refuse to tip you just because you are there.
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Hey Matt, love the "knackered/nakered" story. Hmm, either could have been the end result of a date...
BTW, this American has a duvet! Bed's made in seconds!
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Hey Matt, love the "knackered/nakered" story. Hmm, either could have been the end result of a date...
I plead the 5th ;D
BTW, this American has a duvet! Bed's made in seconds!
Yay, sorry but I really like my duvet, I spend on average 8 - 9 nights in ahotel a month and they always have blankets, thank Goodness for house keeping. And no we never leave tips, though I did buy my favourite housekeeper a Christmas present.
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Chrissi's kind of shower head IS great. In America, when the shower head does come off and can be held in the hand, it usually doesn't have a pole to adjust the height. You just put it back up high when you're done holding it.
I like that even in simple, quick food type places in Europe, the food is probably freshly made, with real vegetables and fruit. Not out of a drum or packet.
At our house, we have a smaller bathtub, not one of them big fancy things. We have a front-loading washing machine (that sits under the dryer), and we only use duvets (from IKEA) on all four beds. Two of our beds have box springs, two don't. We don't make ice in our freezer because it takes up too much room, and it's rare that guests ask for it. We have no handles on the kitchen cabinets, and I like it. I don't go to McDonald's, so can't tell you what that's like.
We have four very large grocery stores that never close each half a mile from our house, in different directions. Several more within two miles. I love the small drive thru coffee place nearby. Starbucks won't let you add a tip, if you pay by card, which I think is unfair to the baristas. On the other hand, the baristas there get health insurance if they work at least 20 hours a week. (Of course in France and some other countries, everyone gets health coverage).
We have no air conditioning of any kind in our house, but we live in Seattle, where there are very few very hot days a year.
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thanks for bumping this thread again Clarissa!
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Don't know if we discussed this in this thread, why is it that bidets haven't caught on in America?
I've never used one, but I'll admit they look like they serve a useful purpose.
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We don't have bidets over here in Belgium. In Italy, where we go on holiday, they're a standard fixture in the bathroom. My kids use them to rinse and dry their bikinis after spending a day in the swimming pool. :laugh:
Funny things, bidets.
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We don't have bidets over here in Belgium. In Italy, where we go on holiday, they're a standard fixture in the bathroom. My kids use them to rinse and dry their bikinis after spending a day in the swimming pool. :laugh:
Funny things, bidets.
Heh we do that too Fabienne! Yup they never caught on in the UK too much either..
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bumping some old threads