peoples reactions

[dillon]

Well, my kid is telling me she thinks cookies are UK biscuits. Maybe, I don't really know. All I know is ain't neither of them biscuits in this part of the world.

We use biscuit, cracker and, for certain specifics, cookie in the UK. Biscuit is a generic that is used for both sweet and savoury, cracker is specifically for savoury (particularly cheese) and cookie seems to have been imported from you guys; we have a brand named "Maryland Cookies" that led a particular type of sweet biscuit. Our language keeps evolving; sometimes it's difficult to keep up!

For us, a biscuit is a piece of uniquely southern bread, and magnificently delicious!

http://www.food.com/recipe/southern-but ... uits-26110

[Disaffected.citizen]

For us, a biscuit is a piece of uniquely southern bread, and magnificently delicious!

http://www.food.com/recipe/southern-but ... uits-26110

We have those, too, but over here they're called scones. And forgive me this, but biscuit infers something dry and crisp, not moist and doughy! The rich tapestry of two nations, divided by a common language

[dillon]

For us, a biscuit is a piece of uniquely southern bread, and magnificently delicious!

http://www.food.com/recipe/southern-but ... uits-26110

We have those, too, but over here they're called scones. And forgive me this, but biscuit infers something dry and crisp, not moist and doughy! The rich tapestry of two nations, divided by a common language

I've had English scones before. We have another name for those, here, as well. They are called paper mache.

[crfriend]

While riding any public transportation, turn to your friend and ask, " You armed it, right?"

That'd have been funny 25 years ago. Today, it'll get you shot dead and nobody'll ever bother to ask questions. Two words: "Operation Kratos" (a prime reason for me never to visit the UK until they get things right, not that it's any better in the US, mind).

Sanity, please.

But,

Ask people if they're a man or woman. Especially in the men's room. In North Carolina.

For the win!

[Caultron]

While riding any public transportation, turn to your friend and ask, " You armed it, right?"

That'd have been funny 25 years ago. Today, it'll get you shot dead and nobody'll ever bother to ask questions. Two words: "Operation Kratos" (a prime reason for me never to visit the UK until they get things right, not that it's any better in the US, mind).

Sanity, please.

Noted. Again, don't do anything drastic.

[Disaffected.citizen]

While riding any public transportation, turn to your friend and ask, " You armed it, right?"

That'd have been funny 25 years ago. Today, it'll get you shot dead and nobody'll ever bother to ask questions. Two words: "Operation Kratos" (a prime reason for me never to visit the UK until they get things right, not that it's any better in the US, mind).

Sanity, please.

We hear many stories over here about "gung-ho" American Sheriffs and police; and the majority in this quiet little land think our police are nothing like yours. To those who think that way: WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE!

There is a reason we colloquially refer to them as "plod". They rarely dig beneath the surface. Miscarriages of justice are rife and the innocent are not protected or served fairly by them. Time after time we become aware that they've missed vital evidence, or suppressed it!

This week gone, two female police constables were dismissed for failing to protect a vulnerable man; he was murdered by a vigilante in the mistaken belief that he was a paedophile. A male police officer and a male PCSO were imprisoned; it would seem for a similar offence! If so, then even sentencing here is a discriminatory and biased misandrist agenda.

BUT, for all of this little land's faults, please don't let them prevent you visiting. Most of the UK is probably quite similar to most of the USA; just folk trying to get on with their own lives, abiding by generally established laws and customs, but also mostly respectfully tolerant, or oblivious, to quirky differences.

[Fred in Skirts]

We hear many stories over here about "gung-ho" American Sheriffs and police; and the majority in this quiet little land think our police are nothing like yours. To those who think that way: WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE!
There is a reason we colloquially refer to them as "plod". They rarely dig beneath the surface. Miscarriages of justice are rife and the innocent are not protected or served fairly by them. Time after time we become aware that they've missed vital evidence, or suppressed it!

Have you ever watched "Father Brown" on the telly, If your police are still the way they show I feel sorry for you blokes.


Fred

[Disaffected.citizen]

We hear many stories over here about "gung-ho" American Sheriffs and police; and the majority in this quiet little land think our police are nothing like yours. To those who think that way: WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE!
There is a reason we colloquially refer to them as "plod". They rarely dig beneath the surface. Miscarriages of justice are rife and the innocent are not protected or served fairly by them. Time after time we become aware that they've missed vital evidence, or suppressed it!

Have you ever watched "Father Brown" on the telly, If your police are still the way they show I feel sorry for you blokes.


Fred

I'd never even heard of it, let alone seen it, until your comment; thank you to you, Google and Wikipedia. The stories are set in the 1950s and I can see your jest from the smilies

I find the fact that many of our television dramas are set in yesteryear quite a disturbing reflection on our culture and society. Then again, I rarely actually "watch" television; mostly it is there for background noise and company, the news, some sports events, special interest programmes, films, or as a monitor for a computer.

[JeffB1959]

Sometimes people have an odd sense of humor that would relate to a subject, but not in the way one would think. My wife and I had a great laugh over the weekend deciding a preference for a favorite tattoo that neither one of us would ever get. I decided that I wouldn't get a dragon tattoo around my wrist while she wouldn't get a Paisley design on her ankle. We weren't laughing at people's tattoos, but at the absurdities of our efforts. We annoyed her kid one day by driving around town admiring strings of unlit Christmas lights. You never know what some oddball is laughing at.

Try emptying a bottle of Windex, rinsing it, refilling it with blue Gatorade, and then drinking it in public.

Mayonnaise jars full of pudding or yogurt can be fun too.

As are Tabasco bottles full of tomato juice.

If you're standing at the front of an elevator, turn around, face the other passengers, raise your arms, and tell them, "Now, don't worry; everything is going to be fine."

Ask someone what year it is and when they tell you, raise your arms, start jumping up and down, and scream, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Get close to someone and when they notice you, raise an eyebrow, look directly into their eyes, and quietly tell them, "I'm Batman."

When you catch someone looking at you, ask them, "Do you always dress like that?" and then after giving them a moment just keep going.

Hmm! Cool ideas all around! I might try a couple, especially the last one myself! Bravo on your cleverness, Caultron!

[skirted_in_SF]

. . . and I'm wondering if I got preferential treatment because I was skirted, . . .

I'm getting more and more convinced that drivers are more likely to stop for me when I'm standing at a crosswalk (zebra crossing for you UK people) when I'm wearing a skirt.

[Sinned]

Dillon, really good scones are certainly not papier mache. Well made, they are moist, crumbly and team up well with real butta and optionally jam, or cream and strawberries. I've been to America - west coast and Florida - and tasted you versions of real English produce, including "genuine" English fish and chips - nothing like. All I can say is that you've never had the genuine article otherwise you wouldn't have been so dismissive. And I will admit that over here I haven't had any English versions of great American products that taste the same as the versions in America. On the subject of fish n chips we always maintain that the taste of this produce eaten at the seaside is completely different to the same thing eaten locally. The salt air and general atmosphere add that certain frisson to the combination.

[Pdxfashionpioneer]

Even the American version of scones, IMHO, do not resemble paper mache.

While we're at it, biscuits are anything but uniquely Southern, they're and loved all over these United States! Especially in this day of Bisquick.

[dillon]

Even the American version of scones, IMHO, do not resemble paper mache.

While we're at it, biscuits are anything but uniquely Southern, they're and loved all over these United States! Especially in this day of Bisquick.

Glad to hear of the ubiquity of the American biscuit. During the times I spent in New England, I never saw one, but that was decades ago. As for scones, perhaps I have not had good ones, but my wife and friends keep showing up with some from various acclaimed trendy bakeries from time to time and raving about them, but to me they just have never been anything I would buy a second time. But we all have foods that don't strike us like they do others. Empanadas, for example, have never turned me on either. Maybe if some were made with really savory ingredients...but, as with scones, it always strikes me that the bakers must be frightened of flavor.

[hoborob]

I have found through experience that no cuisine that is to be had in any area outside of the origin point tastes like it does when gotten from there. For example a popular American Italian dish is of course the Pizza, the American version does not remotely taste like the ones gotten from Italy. I have also found that once you actually get and learn to enjoy the original the copy just doesn't taste as good. Now recognizing that and understanding that each area of the world makes its own version of dishes that originated elsewhere you can get a feel for a particular areas tastes by sampling their versions of a dish. While I prefer the Italian Pizza it is simply not available in the US except in a few very specific restaurants. And that is not to mention that Pizza from the Southern Italian regions is nothing like that from the Northern part of the country as well as differences from the West Coast and the East coasts of the country. To me the big item is whether or not a food item tastes good or not. I have had some wonderful European and Arabian foods while others did nothing for me at all, and I've had some great American cuisine while other foods here leave me flatter than a pancake.

[Fred in Skirts]

Food like everything else is only for the eye and taste of the one having it. I do not like hot spicy foods so many Mexican and western foods are off my menu, but others love it and can't get enough of it. I have had many oriental dishes made from old family recipes at friends homes and love them but the same dish at a restaurant tastes nothing like the home made family dish. It is all subjective to your tastes.

Fred