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[mclem]

You barbarians don't boil water in the microwave?

We have kettles. An essential component of a nice cuppa.

 

[lastplayed]

Hell, they should count themselves lucky that I know their subnational entities that they call ridiculously call "nations."

You mean countries. They call them countries because that's what they are.

 

[Verdre]

Also calling Jam, Jelly, no, jelly is the wobbly stuff kids eat. Jam is the fruit preserve that you spread on bread/toast/crumpets/scones.

We're not calling jam jelly. Jam is jam and jelly is jelly. They're different, though related, things.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

You mean countries. They call them countries because that's what they are.

A) Then don't call them the "Home Nations"
B) It's silly to call them nations or countries.

 

[bomma_man]

I agree that a lot of Americans think of only one British accent. It's the same as them thinking all of us sound like rednecks or that we all have the "general american midwestern accent."

I agree, that annoys me too.

All of em, because hell if I am going to remember what accent Bumblefuckshire has.

Hell, they should count themselves lucky that I know their subnational entities that they call ridiculously call "nations."

But they all sound completely different! It's like saying the continent speaks European or something.

You mean countries. They call them countries because that's what they are.

He's talking about Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland

 

[EleventhDoctor]

We have kettles. An essential component of a nice cuppa.

And that's another obnoxious thing. Along with "Telly". Philo Farnsworth would be ashamed.

 

[lastplayed]

A) Then don't call them the "Home Nations"
B) It's silly to call them nations or countries.

Why is it silly? They've been countries for the better part of a thousand years. Why should they stop now?

 

[OldAsUrSock]

Ironically, British English is changing at a faster rate than American English.

While I was searching to see if this was true I stumbled upon this.

PBS' Do You Speak American? says

The differences between American and British are not due to Americans changing from a British standard. American is not corrupt British plus barbarisms. Rather, both American and British evolved in different ways from a common sixteenth-century ancestral standard. Present-day British is no closer to that earlier form than present-day American is. Indeed, in some ways present-day American is more conservative, that is, closer to the common original standard than is present-day British.

Some examples of American conservatives versus British innovation are these: Americans generally retain the r-sound in words like more and mother, whereas the British have lost it. Americans generally retain the ‘flat a’ of cat in path, calf, class,whereas the British have replaced it with the ‘broad a’ of father. Americans retain a secondary stress on the second syllable from the end of words like secretary and dictionary, whereas the British have lost both the stress and often the vowel, reducing the words to three syllables, ‘secret’ry’. Americans retain an old use of the verb guess to mean ‘think’ or ‘suppose’ (as in Geoffrey Chaucer’s catch-phrase ‘I gesse’). Americans have retained the past participle form gotten beside got, whereas the British have lost the former. (The British often suppose that Americans use only gotten, in fact they use both, but with different meanings: ‘I’ve got a cold’ = ‘I have a cold’ and ‘I’ve gotten a cold’ = ‘I’ve caught a cold’).

 

[Sai-kun]

people other than my roommate boil water in a microwave? the fuck

get a teapot nerds

 

[ConfusingJazz]

Why is it silly? They've been countries for the better part of thousand years. Why should they stop now?

Because Scotland hasn't been in 300 years, and Northern Ireland in 200, and I refuse to recognize Wales as an actual place.

But they all sound completely different! It's like saying the continent speaks European or something.

Not different enough for me to care about regional variations. I am sure they exist, and it's ridiculous that an outsider can't tell the difference, but I really don't care to learn them.

 

[EleventhDoctor]

people other than my roommate boil water in a microwave? the fuck

get a teapot nerds

Yes, and I also walk to the outhouse in the backyard to take a shit.

 

[lastplayed]

Because Scotland hasn't been in 300 years, and Northern Ireland in 200, and I refuse to recognize Wales as an actual place.

Scotland and Wales have their own parliaments. They're probably more of a country than England is. Sure, they aren't sovereign states, but a country doesn't have to be one.

 

[Megalosaro]

I hear in the UK, they call dogs "Walky-barks"

 

[ConfusingJazz]

Scotland and Wales have their own parliaments. They're probably more of a country than England is. Sure, they aren't sovereign states, but a country doesn't have to be one.

A lot of countries have sub national legislatures.

Though Canada probably uses the most correct word by calling them Provinces rather then States.

 

[lastplayed]

Australia and Canada figured out this whole sub national parliament thing.

They have completely different histories. England, Scotland and Wales were different kingdoms that eventually became one. Hardly comparable to Australia or Canada.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

They have completely different histories. England, Scotland and Wales were different kingdoms that eventually became one. Hardly comparable to Australia or Canada.

Look, the Germans, the French, the Spanish, and the Italians all figured it out. You can guys can too.

 

[lastplayed]

Look, the Germans, the French, the Spanish, and the Italians all figured it out. You can guys can too.

What's there to figure out? You seem to be the one who has a problem. Besides I'm not in the UK.

 

[Schrade]

Ironically, British English is changing at a faster rate than American English.

Is this the aytch/haytch thing for "h" ?

Why are people changing it...

 

[Joel Was Right]

A spin off from the cinema thread. It seems to me that there are a ton of crazy/weird things our friends across the ocean are doing, such as:

Boiling water in the microwave
Tipping everyone for any service
Shouting, applauding, and hollering in the theatre

Aside from them mixing up biscuits with whatever, can you guys think of any other weird Americanisms?

Please tell me this is a joke

 

[Dice]

My lawn is about 2 acres big.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

What's there to figure out? You seem to be the one who has a problem. Besides I'm not in the UK.

I have a problem with romanticism, and trust me, I know it's slightly irrational, but less then determining national identity that way

 

[FUBAR McDangles]

Fahrenheit is so much better than celsius when dealing with cold weather.

32 degrees(freezing) is nothing. It just means there's a possibility of snow. The number 32 signifies that. It's just a weird number that doesn't mean much.

Things don't even get cold unless it's actually down to the single digits. And when it gets below zero you know shit is serious and you have to bundle up.

With celsius, you have to go to negative...like 10? negative 15 before it's actually cold? Meh.

 

[ToxicAdam]

What's there to figure out? You seem to be the one who has a problem. Besides I'm not in the UK.

What land is it you are from that takes every post so seriously?

 

[Neki]

Is wearing your shoes inside a house in the U.S actually a thing or is that a manufactured U.S sitcom formality?

(speaking as a Canadian)

 

[strata8]

Fahrenheit is so much better than celsius when dealing with cold weather.

32 degrees(freezing) is nothing. It just means there's a possibility of snow. The number 32 signifies that. It's just a weird number that doesn't mean much.

Things don't even get cold unless it's actually down to the single digits. And when it gets below zero you know shit is serious and you have to bundle up.

With celsius, you have to go to negative...like 10? negative 15 before it's actually cold? Meh.

Your argument doesn't make any sense since both numbers are equally arbitrary.

There's really no ground to argue how Fahrenheit is better than Celcius or vice versa. In the scientific field, sure (but they'd use Kelvin anyway), but in everyday usage it makes absolutely no difference.

At this point though it would benefit the US to switch to Celcius like the rest of the world.

 

[FUBAR McDangles]

Is wearing your shoes inside a house in the U.S actually a thing or is that a manufactured U.S sitcom formality?

(speaking as a Canadian)

I only see it in some places in the south, and I guess it makes sense because they never have to worry about tracking in snow or anything.

That and old people. And old people are weird so it makes sense.

 

[IceCold]

Another one is how Americans consider 1 billion to be 10^9. The British are started to do this too I believe. 1 billion should be 10^12 since it equals (10^6)*(10^6). 10^9 should be called milliard, like in other languages, such as French. Americans screwed it all up.

 

[many places]

Is wearing your shoes inside a house in the U.S actually a thing or is that a manufactured U.S sitcom formality?

(speaking as a Canadian)

It's a thing. I've seen it in the South, Chicago, Northeast, California so it's wide spread.

 

[Piecake]

Another one is how Americans consider 1 billion to be 10^9. The British are started to do this too I believe. 1 billion should be 10^12 since it equals (10^6)*(10^6). 10^9 should be called milliard, like in other languages, such as French. Americans screwed it all up.

And thank god for that. Milliardaire just sounds stupid

 

[CronoShot]

Is wearing your shoes inside a house in the U.S actually a thing or is that a manufactured U.S sitcom formality?

(speaking as a Canadian)

It is indeed a thing. I think it makes all the sense in the world to take off your shoes in a house, but in my experience no one really does it unless it's their own house.

 

[rodvik]

Is wearing your shoes inside a house in the U.S actually a thing or is that a manufactured U.S sitcom formality?

(speaking as a Canadian)

My wife does this (California). So yeah, it is a thing. She thinks I am the weird one for going barefoot.

 

[Zissou]

While I was searching to see if this was true I stumbled upon this.

PBS' Do You Speak American? says

The game has changed. What say you, brits?

 

[strata8]

Another one is how Americans consider 1 billion to be 10^9. The British are started to do this too I believe. 1 billion should be 10^12 since it equals (10^6)*(10^6). 10^9 should be called milliard, like in other languages, such as French. Americans screwed it all up.

I'm Australian and the US way makes so much more sense to me.

1 million is a thousand thousand
1 billion is a thousand million
1 trillion is a thousand billion
etc

vs.

1 million is a thousand thousand
1 billion is a million million
1 trillion is a billion billion
etc

I mean, a million million and billion billion? When are you ever going to use those numbers?

 

[Zona]

Is wearing your shoes inside a house in the U.S actually a thing or is that a manufactured U.S sitcom formality?

(speaking as a Canadian)

Enough of a thing that a house rule to take off your shoes when you entered was the exception, not the rule. It's still uncommon for me to run in to people who request shoes be taken off.

 

[IceCold]

I'm Australian and the US way makes so much more sense to me.

1 million is a thousand thousand
1 billion is a thousand million
1 trillion is a thousand billion
etc

vs.

1 million is a thousand thousand
1 billion is a million million
1 trillion is a billion billion
etc

I mean, a million million and billion billion? When are you ever going to use those numbers?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-52AI_ojyQ

Watch this.

 

[Zeliard]

I'm Australian and the US way makes so much more sense to me.

1 million is a thousand thousand
1 billion is a thousand million
1 trillion is a thousand billion
etc

vs.

1 million is a thousand thousand
1 billion is a million million
1 trillion is a billion billion
etc

I mean, a million million and billion billion? When are you ever going to use those numbers?

You start finding those cosmically enormous numbers in astronomy, i.e. when converting light years to miles for the layperson, although that probably doesn't make it any less perplexing.

 

[Megalosaro]

It is indeed a thing. I think it makes all the sense in the world to take off your shoes in a house, but in my experience no one really does it unless it's their own house.

Most of the people I know take their shoes off when they go inside. I take mine off when I go in the door.

One time I was helping someone move. They lived with an elderly asian lady. That shit was frustrating. Everytime we came into the house, we had to take our shoes off, grab the load we wanted to take, and then put our shoes back on.

I'm all for respecting someone's home, but come one. That sort of shit is impractical

 

[ConfusingJazz]

You start finding those cosmically enormous numbers in astronomy, i.e. when converting light years to miles for the layperson, although that probably doesn't make it any less perplexing.

Yeah, but at that point, I would imagine you would just start using scientific notation.

 

[DarkFlow]

I don't know why but American's think that this this gravy:

That sick mass is not gravy. This is gravy:

There's more then one type of gravy. The white stuff is made from flour, some milk and sausage grease and bits.

 

[DrSlek]

Your argument doesn't make any sense since both numbers are equally arbitrary.

There's really no ground to argue how Fahrenheit is better than Celcius or vice versa. In the scientific field, sure (but they'd use Kelvin anyway), but in everyday usage it makes absolutely no difference.

At this point though it would benefit the US to switch to Celcius like the rest of the world.

Everyone should switch to Kelvin

I'm Australian and the US way makes so much more sense to me.

1 million is a thousand thousand
1 billion is a thousand million
1 trillion is a thousand billion
etc

vs.

1 million is a thousand thousand
1 billion is a million million
1 trillion is a billion billion
etc

I mean, a million million and billion billion? When are you ever going to use those numbers?

Wait, what!? Now there's differences in basic math between countries!?

 

[lenovox1]

Another one is how Americans consider 1 billion to be 10^9. The British are started to do this too I believe. 1 billion should be 10^12 since it equals (10^6)*(10^6). 10^9 should be called milliard, like in other languages, such as French. Americans screwed it all up.

The Wiki article on this says that the British officially coverted to the “short scale” in 1974. Anyone using the words in any other way (billion = 10^9) is using antiquated English.

Also according to the incredibly detailed etymological timeline (there are pictures with original text and everything) they've got with the article, the American's simply adopted the French way of doing things before they changed back in the 20th Century. We never changed with them, of course.

The current system makes sense, because we still group digits in 3s. (That's why the French changed the first time.)

 

[Zeliard]

Yeah, but at that point, I would imagine you would just start using scientific notation.

They do, but they try to translate it in the simplest way possible for the average person. When you're dealing with numbers that large, there's no real way to convey it in a way that doesn't sound fairly insane, even if you try to create a real-world comparison as perspective (e.g. the well-known grains of sand/stars comparison). Our brains have a hard time coping with such sizes.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

people other than my roommate boil water in a microwave? the fuck

get a teapot nerds

Teapots are more nerd-ish than using a microwave.

That said I don't think I've ever boiled water in a microwave. When I need a hot drink I just use this:

 

[Zoator]

Your argument doesn't make any sense since both numbers are equally arbitrary.

There's really no ground to argue how Fahrenheit is better than Celcius or vice versa. In the scientific field, sure (but they'd use Kelvin anyway), but in everyday usage it makes absolutely no difference.

At this point though it would benefit the US to switch to Celcius like the rest of the world.

No, he has a valid point. Fahrenheit is more ideally suited for outdoor temperatures than Celsius is for a few reasons. 0-100 Fahrenheit represents a normal range of outdoor temperatures experienced on Earth, where 0 is very cold, and 100 is very hot. In temperate climates, 50 is about the average temperature across the year. The same range would be about -18 to 38 in Celsius. Additionally, Fahrenheit provides for better precision without the need for decimals. Fahrenheit is just cleaner for outdoor temperatures than Celsius is, just like Celsius is cleaner for scientific uses (although as you pointed out, Kelvin is the SI unit for temperature).

 

[dreamcastmaster]

American Keyboards " and @ are mixed up. Why?? It takes ages for me to adjust to that.

 

[weekend_warrior]

American Keyboards " and @ are mixed up. Why?? It takes ages for me to adjust to that.

Your @ is is on the same key as the '? That makes no sense.

 

[lenovox1]

Your @ is is on the same key as the '? That makes no sense.

Exactly. The better question is why in the hell is the quotation mark randomly above the '2'?

 

[Log4Girlz]

So at KFC in the UK you can't have american biscuits?

 

[mavs]

Do you say potassium or potassum? Calcium or calcum? Titanium or titanum? Uranium or Uranum?

...I could go on until I've exhausted the periodic table.

Wow, and I thought the USA failed at science. No wonder you don't have an empire anymore.

 

[strata8]

No, he has a valid point. Fahrenheit is more ideally suited for outdoor temperatures than Celsius is for a few reasons. 0-100 Fahrenheit represents a normal range of outdoor temperatures experienced on Earth, where 0 is very cold, and 100 is very hot. In temperate climates, 50 is about the average temperature across the year. The same range would be about -18 to 38 in Celsius. Additionally, Fahrenheit provides for better precision without the need for decimals. Fahrenheit is just cleaner for outdoor temperatures than Celsius is, just like Celsius is cleaner for scientific uses (although as you pointed out, Kelvin is the SI unit for temperature).

A normal range of temperatures experienced by everyone, or just you specifically? Neither Europe nor Oceania regularly experience temperatures well below 0 degrees Celcius.