British questions
There are so many things in British television and books that are baffling to us who do not live there.
Let's ask the questions.
I will start:
What do the hyphenate surnames mean? Do people with them come from money?
Nearly every British television program prominently features interracial couples. Does this reflect the reality of Britain or is it merely hopeful?
by Anonymous | reply 600 | February 27, 2021 1:17 PM
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In aristocrats, double barrelled surnames often meant two fortunes or dynasties or big wigs of some descriptions merged.
Spencer-Churchills: (from Wikipedia, let's assume it's close to right): In 1817, George Spencer, 5th Duke of Marlborough, obtained permission to assume and bear the additional surname of Churchill in addition to his own surname of Spencer, in order to perpetuate the name of his illustrious great-great-grandfather. At the same time he received Royal Licence to quarter his paternal arms of Spencer with the coat of arms of Churchill.[9] The modern Dukes of Marlborough thus originally bore the surname "Spencer". The double-barrelled surname of "Spencer-Churchill" as used since 1817 has remained in the family to this day, though some members have preferred to style themselves merely "Churchill". The 7th Duke of Marlborough was the paternal grandfather of Sir Winston Churchill (1874–1965), the British prime minister. The latter's widow, Clementine (1885–1977), was created a life peeress in her own right as Baroness Spencer-Churchill in 1965.
The Bowes-Lyons: The Bowes-Lyon family descends from George Bowes of Gibside and Streatlam Castle (1701–1760), a County Durham landowner and politician, through John Bowes, 9th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, chief of the Clan Lyon. Following the marriage in 1767 of the 9th Earl (John Lyon) to rich heiress Mary Eleanor Bowes, the family name was changed to Bowes by Act of Parliament. The 10th Earl changed the name to Lyon-Bowes and the 13th Earl, Claude, changed the order to Bowes-Lyon.[1]
Nowadays hyphenated surnames just represent marriage, so the woman's family name isn't discarded.
The interracial casting is mostly a reflection of the moment, not history.
by Anonymous | reply 1 | February 20, 2021 1:29 PM
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Hyphenated surnames can also indicate a child born out of wedlock, where, usually, a mother wishes to ensure that the father cannot evade child support payments.
by Anonymous | reply 2 | February 20, 2021 1:36 PM
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Given the history, I am surprised that at this moment there are so many interracial relationships in Britain than the US.
I would have thought it was just wishful thinking on the part of TV producers. But if it reflects the reality of British life as R1 suggests, it is very good to hear.
by Anonymous | reply 3 | February 20, 2021 1:37 PM
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[quote]What do the hyphenate surnames mean? Do people with them come from money?
Some double barrelled names are historical but others are just a case of women not wanting to lose their family name. I worked with a woman who had 3 sisters and her father was upset that his name Dickson would be discontinued when his daughters married. So all the sisters became double barrelled when they got married, so there was Annie Dickson-Smith, Brenda Dickson-Jones, Cathy Dickson-Green and Debbie Dickson-Dennis. She was such a twat I used to deliberately misspell her name as Dixon just to fuck her off but that's another story. And is there name more patriarchal than Dixon?
But most double barrelled names now come from unmarried couples, where little Beyonce Jones-Davies is the child of Debbie Jones and Gareth Davies.
by Anonymous | reply 4 | February 20, 2021 1:38 PM
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There are a fair amount of interracial couples in the big cities like London and Birmingham, but the vast majority are white with white marriages.
by Anonymous | reply 5 | February 20, 2021 1:40 PM
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Don't believe everything you see on TV, OP.
by Anonymous | reply 6 | February 20, 2021 1:41 PM
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[Quote] But if it reflects the reality of British life as [R1] suggests, it is very good to hear.
Why is it "very good"? Think critically. R3. What's "very good" about interracial couples? Are they better than intraracial couples?
Jesus, the airhead robots on DL.
by Anonymous | reply 7 | February 20, 2021 1:43 PM
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[quote]What do the hyphenate surnames mean? Do people with them come from money?
They did originally.
by Anonymous | reply 8 | February 20, 2021 1:44 PM
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R4, that is so weird. It is not as if Dickson is such an uncommon or distinctive name. Why would anyone care about a name surviving?
I wonder if he also is concerned about what brand of oatmeal will be available to his great-grandchildren or where the Spanish automotive industry will be in the year 2086.
I mean if he enjoys pointless worrying....?
by Anonymous | reply 9 | February 20, 2021 1:48 PM
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[Quote] Are they better than intraracial couples?
Yes. In a multiracial society interracial marriages are better.
by Anonymous | reply 10 | February 20, 2021 1:48 PM
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R7, it is good because it means people can pair up with whoever they want with less bigotry against them.
My grandparents faced all kinds of shit because they were an interracial couple. And in the US, there is still of a lot of bigotry against interracial pairing.
Maybe R10 and R7 disagree, but I think it should be a non-issue.
by Anonymous | reply 11 | February 20, 2021 1:52 PM
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There's reverse snobbery too, where monied people with hyphenated surnames also cut the hyphen out and just use one surname to make them look like one of us and not so posh.
Don't forget to gay boys getting married too. If Mr Smith and Mr Jones get married, they sometimes both become Mr Smith-Jones or Mr Jones-Smith on marriage.
by Anonymous | reply 12 | February 20, 2021 1:52 PM
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I wouldn't thing twice if I saw a white girl and a black man walking down the high street, hand in hand, on a Saturday afternoon.
I don't think anyone, except extreme right wingers, would think negatively of it nowadays.
by Anonymous | reply 13 | February 20, 2021 1:55 PM
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Mixed race relationships are commonplace in big cities, not so much in smaller towns where the population tends to be majority white. It’s entertaining to hear small minded Daily Mail types who spout their fantasies of a return to a pre- mass immigration society in the 50s. They can’t handle change, and are infuriated that we have a multiethnic society. Good. I have met elderly couples who faced appalling discrimination and violence for daring to be together. They made happy homes and families in spite of this.
As for double-barrelled names, every pair of queens who get married opts for this. It’s lost any sense of superiority. It just looks pretentious.
by Anonymous | reply 14 | February 20, 2021 1:58 PM
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Why does every contemporary drama show a proportion of African/Caribbean-British people that far exceeds their representation in the UK?
They're distracting and almost always smack of tokenism.
Meanwhile, the representation of other minorities is grossly suppressed.
by Anonymous | reply 15 | February 20, 2021 2:01 PM
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The woman's maiden name should not be dropped. I propose both family names for every child. All girls to keep their mothers' name and boys their fathers'. So there are two genealogies.
by Anonymous | reply 16 | February 20, 2021 2:02 PM
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I watch a lot of British TV and there are far too many interracial couples and muslims thrown into each program, far in excess than daily reality. It doesn't bother me at all, but I do find it to be egregious pandering and very forced. Every little remote village seems to be overrun with mixed couples and muslims. It's very hard to believe.
by Anonymous | reply 17 | February 20, 2021 2:06 PM
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[quote]They're distracting and almost always smack of tokenism. Meanwhile, the representation of other minorities is grossly suppressed.
If the presence of dark skinned people in a tv show lessens your enjoyment of it then maybe you should think about not being such a racist?
by Anonymous | reply 19 | February 20, 2021 2:11 PM
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Watching Escape to the Country I’ve learned: British bedrooms don’t have closets, much less his and her walk-ins; that it is a rare British woman who can resist hanging wooden hearts as a decorative element; they like to put rugs on top of wall-to-wall carpet.
by Anonymous | reply 20 | February 20, 2021 2:11 PM
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The interracial couple thing and overrepresentation of minorities is also a think in the US. Even Bumfucke towns in the American Midwest have a lot of minorities in US tv shows and movies now.
by Anonymous | reply 21 | February 20, 2021 2:23 PM
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Closets, omg. Even completely renovated places do not have closets. Also bedrooms are tiny: a “single” = big enough for a twin bed pushed up against the wall. Again, this is a house that has been modernized and they didn’t knock down walls to create larger bedrooms. Sure, they’d “lose” a bedroom but is a prison cell really a bedroom? They certainly devote a lot of time and effort to redesigning the kitchen. The kitchen/diners are usually gorgeous. And the garden. It’s just the bedrooms I have an issue with.
by Anonymous | reply 22 | February 20, 2021 2:29 PM
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So what happens if Agatha Maplethorpe-Jones marries Cecil Parker-Downes?
Does she become Agatha Maplethorpe-Jones-Parker-Downes?
by Anonymous | reply 23 | February 20, 2021 2:33 PM
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By closets R22 do you mean an ensuite bathroom?
Those are only common in new builds. My house was built in 1920 and it has large bedrooms but no ensuite.
by Anonymous | reply 24 | February 20, 2021 2:43 PM
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I come from a rural community, OP and have 16 first cousins in this country. Another two in Canada. Of those four of my cousins married people of other races so even in rural communities these days interracial relationships are not uncommon.
by Anonymous | reply 25 | February 20, 2021 2:48 PM
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I'm in the UK and my white nephew is married to a black woman from Tanzania. The have 3 beautiful children.
by Anonymous | reply 26 | February 20, 2021 2:53 PM
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And why do so many houses have their laundry appliances in the kitchen? I've seen it in some US houses, but it's not common. Most people have them in the garage, the basement, or a laundry room.
by Anonymous | reply 27 | February 20, 2021 2:54 PM
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No, R24. Clothes closets. On Escape to the Country, prosperous fiftysomethings with a £750k budget wouldn’t even blink if they were presented with a master bedroom that can only accommodate a queen size bed and has a bulky wardrobe jutting out of a wall as the only real storage (that they have to share!) provided the room has a nice view. The equivalent North American couple would accept that in a hotel room, but not as a permanent living arrangement.
by Anonymous | reply 28 | February 20, 2021 2:56 PM
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Clothes closets, not water closets. I accept that adding extra bathrooms is difficult so I don’t blame them for not having en suites for every bedroom.
Utility rooms! Another brilliant idea and it’s where the washer/dryer are located. Also like the glass conservatory as an extension.
by Anonymous | reply 29 | February 20, 2021 2:59 PM
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Ahhh I see R28 thank you.
No it's true, some properties done have inbuilt wardrobes. My wardrobes are big and I have a chest of drawers too, but then I have a big bedroom it's about 20' x 20'.
by Anonymous | reply 30 | February 20, 2021 2:59 PM
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Do British homes have basements?
by Anonymous | reply 31 | February 20, 2021 3:01 PM
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What the fuck is a "high street" and why do they use it in figures of speech so often?
Did "bloody" really used to be considered strong language?
Why do urban British gays sound SO fucking queeny?
by Anonymous | reply 32 | February 20, 2021 3:09 PM
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[quote] So what happens if Agatha Maplethorpe-Jones marries Cecil Parker-Downes?
They double fist retarded kids.
by Anonymous | reply 33 | February 20, 2021 3:10 PM
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From British crime shows I assume High Streets are where the are bars and where people smoke weed. It's a street where people go to get high.
by Anonymous | reply 34 | February 20, 2021 3:11 PM
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R31 Yes in some cities. Brighton for example has a lot of homes with basements.
by Anonymous | reply 35 | February 20, 2021 3:17 PM
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R32
[quote] What the fuck is a "high street" and why do they use it in figures of speech so often?
Our High street is the equivalent of you Main Street or Mall or other generic shopping area.
[quote] Did "bloody" really used to be considered strong language?
Yes it did back in the day. You'll often see an old black and white movie where someone apologises for using it. We only really started to use fuck and cunt after the Lady Chatterley's Lover obscenity trial in 1960
[quote] Why do urban British gays sound SO fucking queeny?
As a sweeping generalisation my experience is that urban and rural gays sound pretty much the same.
by Anonymous | reply 36 | February 20, 2021 3:24 PM
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R34
[quote] From British crime shows I assume High Streets are where the are bars and where people smoke weed. It's a street where people go to get high.
Smoking dope in public is an offence. The police officer may have a word with you, issue a fine, or report you to the courts, depending on how serious they think it is.
by Anonymous | reply 37 | February 20, 2021 3:26 PM
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The High Street is the British equivalent of Main Street. The British mostly still live in towns and city neighborhoods where day-to-day shopping and services are on one main commercial drag. I get the sense that High Street is also used as a term to describe things (particularly fashion) that are mass market and geared at the lower middle class: Zara and the Gap would be High Street fashion. Boutiques and Harvey Nichols, obviously not. I don’t know if very cheap fast-fashion stuff like Primark and ASOS are considered “High Street”, I get the feeling they aren’t.
by Anonymous | reply 38 | February 20, 2021 3:32 PM
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Sure r35, I’ve seen all the basement flats in London. But houses elsewhere? In cold climates in the US, basements are necessary to regulate temperature (aside from being where the furnace/water heater/oil tank/washer/dryer are located. )
by Anonymous | reply 39 | February 20, 2021 3:39 PM
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I know people who are from the South who couldn't believe how large basements in houses in the North are when they saw them.
by Anonymous | reply 40 | February 20, 2021 3:57 PM
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Georgian and Victorian houses often have basements. Modern houses less so. Usually found in London, Brighton, Bristol, places like that.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 41 | February 20, 2021 4:22 PM
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Don't know why that pic didn't link.
Basements often have their own entrance from when servants were based there in the 1800s
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 42 | February 20, 2021 4:42 PM
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Since we're competing I live in Scotland and I have a second cousin who is married to an Algerian woman whose parents were Chinese and Peruvian and they have three children of moderate intelligence. She's one ugly woman but he just loves her to bits!
by Anonymous | reply 43 | February 20, 2021 4:46 PM
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[quote]'m in the UK and my white nephew is married to a black woman from Tanzania. The have 3 beautiful children.
Do they throw spears at each other?
by Anonymous | reply 44 | February 20, 2021 4:48 PM
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R44 You're a rascal, sir.
by Anonymous | reply 45 | February 20, 2021 4:49 PM
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Great thread! Continuing the TV questions, growing up in the 70s and 80s we were told you only had one TV channel, BBC, and it wasn’t commercial , but government sponsored like our PBS. This seemed to make sense to us as Brideshead Revisited and Upstairs Downstairs seemed like what our PBS shows were like too. But then you also had Monty Python and then Fawlty Towers, which don't seem like government sponsored type shows that were on it as well?
Then it seems BBC sprouted more channels of itself, when and how did that happen? And now it seems like there are more and a variety of channels too beyond BBC and they are commercial? We also heard talk of something called Sky TV a lot and now people throw around Britbox, but I have no idea what they are referencing?
Your soap operas seemed to also remain sustainable while ours have really died out. Are they all shown at night? And I know Hollyoaks episodes are on nightly, but there’s also some channel that you can see the episodes a day early? How does that work? And as mentioned above it seems really quite diverse for a village in the middle of nowhere, how realistic is that and how do they justify that? Also, the sexualities are extremely fluid there, previously straight characters can basically go gay overnight and switch back and fourth at will. And 50 plus actresses seem to have accidental pregnancies?
Lastly, what we call a season you call a series. So season 14 of Grey’s Anatomy to us is series 14 of Grey’s Anatomy to you. So what do you call a series if that word is already taken?
by Anonymous | reply 46 | February 20, 2021 5:01 PM
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Do they chuck spears? [italic]Christ,[/italic] man, get it straight!
by Anonymous | reply 47 | February 20, 2021 5:02 PM
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[quote]'m in the UK and my white nephew is married to a black woman from Tanzania. The have 3 beautiful children.
So I take it that your nephew has managed not to get eaten by them yet?
by Anonymous | reply 48 | February 20, 2021 5:06 PM
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For anyone interested in how normalised interracial marriage is, Britain's beloved Prime Minister Boris Johnson was married to Marina Wheeler for 25 years and had 4 kids with her, and several kids with other women. Marina is half Indian.
Britain's Home Secretary is Priti Patel, a woman of Indian heritage is married to a white British man. Jeremy Hunt, former Foreign Secretary who Boris Johnson beat to become Prime Minister, has a Chinese wife. Sajid Javid, the former Chancellor, is a British Pakistani married to a British white woman. Dominic Raab, the current Foreign Secretary is the son of a Czech Holocaust survivor and is married to a Brazilian woman. Alok Sharma, who was Business Secretary under Boris now has the same climate change role as John Kerry, was born in India and moved to the UK as a child and is married to a Swedish woman. James Cleverly, foreign office minister, a child of parents from England and Sierra Leone is married to a white British woman. The government's equalities minister Kemi Badenoch is the British born daughter of Nigerian parents and is married to a white English man. Kwasi Kwarteng is the current Business secretary, born to Ghanian parents in London and is married to a white British woman, having previously dated white Tory MPs Liz Truss and Amber Rudd.
Labour's David Lammy and Vaughan Gethin are both black and married to white women.
As for the Scottish Nationalists, they only have one non white elected representative. British Pakistani Humza Yousef was previously married to a white woman and is now married to British Palestinian Nadia El-Nakla. Nadia El-Nakla was previously married to a British Asian but their marriage broke up when she had an affair with a hideously ugly white man.
And for the Liberal Democrats pansexual Palestinian Layla Moran used to be in a relationship with an ugly white man and now she's in a relationship with an ugly white woman.
Britain is really a lot more tolerant than a lot of Americans would like to believe.
by Anonymous | reply 49 | February 20, 2021 5:28 PM
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[quote] Continuing the TV questions, growing up in the 70s and 80s we were told you only had one TV channel, BBC, and it wasn’t commercial , but government sponsored like our PBS.
In the 70s we had 3 channels. BBC1 and BBC2, both non commercial and we had ITV, which was commercial.
Channel 4 didn't arrive until 1982. It too is a publicly run channel, but it shows commercials.
by Anonymous | reply 50 | February 20, 2021 5:31 PM
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R48 You rapscallion, sir!
by Anonymous | reply 51 | February 20, 2021 5:32 PM
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No one is asking the right question.
Do you fucking bastards really drink that much tea?! WTF?!
Dead body in the living room.
'Oh dear. Would you like a cuppa?'
'Yes, please. One lump, ta.'
Steps over corpse.
COME ON!!!!!
by Anonymous | reply 52 | February 20, 2021 5:34 PM
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What really happened to Agatha Christie during those days she went “missing?”
by Anonymous | reply 53 | February 20, 2021 5:36 PM
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Brits, please answer the question at R23.
by Anonymous | reply 54 | February 20, 2021 5:36 PM
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Bukkake party, r53. She wanted to keep it real quiet.
by Anonymous | reply 55 | February 20, 2021 5:37 PM
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R50 Thanks, so what happened to BBC3, did they skip over that or did it launch and fail? And did they see these different BBCs as the same Network, but different channels, or did they all have separate facilities and not really share things like administrators and sound stages and such? Were they in competition with each other or seen as all in the same family?
by Anonymous | reply 56 | February 20, 2021 5:40 PM
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[quote] Your soap operas seemed to also remain sustainable while ours have really died out. Are they all shown at night? And I know Hollyoaks episodes are on nightly, but there’s also some channel that you can see the episodes a day early? How does that work? And as mentioned above it seems really quite diverse for a village in the middle of nowhere, how realistic is that and how do they justify that? Also, the sexualities are extremely fluid there, previously straight characters can basically go gay overnight and switch back and fourth at will. And 50 plus actresses seem to have accidental pregnancies?
Gosh a lot of questions here.
Yes EastEnders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street are shown weekday evenings. Hollyoaks is shown at tea time around 6.30pm. We do have the occasional soap in the afternoon like Doctors and of course we still have the longest continuously running drama on any format that is on at 2pm every afternoon, The Archers on Radio 4. It started in 1950 and is still going today.
Hollyoaks is based on a fictional town near Liverpool. I would say that it is fairly accurate depiction of Britain today, with a little licence. We're living in a more sexually fluid time. I know a few straight guys that have come out. Plus celebrities like Philip Schofield have done it too in real life.
by Anonymous | reply 57 | February 20, 2021 5:40 PM
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[quote] Do you fucking bastards really drink that much tea?! WTF?!
Absolutely yes. I'm on my 6th cup of tea today. Love a cuppa!
by Anonymous | reply 58 | February 20, 2021 5:42 PM
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R23/R54 You're going to need Debretts to answer that question.
There is probably a protocol to take the main name from either party.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 59 | February 20, 2021 5:44 PM
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R57 Thanks, very interesting we don’t have any serials that air every night, though they are reviving Mary Heartman, Mary Heartman, but I don’t think they’ve announced how it’s going to run yet. I hope nightly like the original.
What of this secret channel that you can see shows air a day early? The YouTube channels are always giving away spoilers saying this is going to happen on Hollyoaks tomorrow?
by Anonymous | reply 60 | February 20, 2021 5:45 PM
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[quote] so what happened to BBC3, did they skip over that or did it launch and fail?
[quote] In March 2014, as a result of a planned £100 million budget cut across the BBC, it was proposed that BBC Three be discontinued as an 'open' television service, and be converted to an over-the-top Internet television service with a smaller programming budget and a focus on short-form productions.[4][5] Despite significant public opposition, the proposal was provisionally approved by the BBC Trust in June 2015,[6] with a new consultation open until 30 September of that year. The TV channel ceased operations on 16 February 2016, replaced by an online-only version.[7] A one hour block on linear BBC One has operated since 2019. On 20 May 2020, it was announced within the BBC's annual plan that the corporation is "considering the case" for returning BBC Three to linear television, five years after it was taken off air.[8]
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 61 | February 20, 2021 5:46 PM
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[quote] Thanks, so what happened to BBC3, did they skip over that or did it launch and fail?
It was launched as a terrestrial channel, then both because the target audience is online now and as a cost cutting measure, it's gone online only now. Breakout shows do now appear on mainstream from it.
by Anonymous | reply 62 | February 20, 2021 5:46 PM
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One of my favorite shows of all time is "Rumpole of the Bailey." I was a British history major in college but I never quite understood the Inns of Court. It is eminently enjoyable as is, and some of the references I just let go over my head because (like many things) it just can't be explained easily. I think I understand the basic differences between solicitor and barrister, though I don't get "instructing solicitor" and the many types of judgeships: recorder, circuit (Rumpole calls them "circus judges"), red, etc.
Like when you're watching a Britcom and the joke will be "And he went all the way to Bristol for scones!" There are just some things I'll never get. Do non-Americans understand a reference to Podunk, Iowa?
by Anonymous | reply 63 | February 20, 2021 5:47 PM
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What is this Royal Ascot thing that Anthony Watson took Dylan Geick to? Is it a Gay thing? Do powerful men usually take their sugar babies regularly to this? And what are the costumes all about? Is it like some upper class Coachella?
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 64 | February 20, 2021 5:51 PM
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[quote] What of this secret channel that you can see shows air a day early?
Hollyoaks is shown on Channel 4 and from memory, they often show the following day's Hollyoaks on More4 on the day before they show it on Channel 4, which is a channel in the same family. They may, I don't know, also show it on the All4 App, which you might be able to watch it on with a VPN over there.
by Anonymous | reply 65 | February 20, 2021 5:51 PM
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Has the discovery of Richard III’s body under the parking lot started a rehabilitation of his image? Is he still looked at as a deformed regicidal pedophile?
by Anonymous | reply 66 | February 20, 2021 5:54 PM
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Another Rumpole fan here, R63. Did you ever watch "Silk"?
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 67 | February 20, 2021 5:56 PM
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Please rank the major cities (excluding London).
by Anonymous | reply 68 | February 20, 2021 5:56 PM
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IMO, American suite-type bedrooms are ridiculous. Yes on the closets, though. Studies show that people don't spend that much time in their bedrooms, yet spend $$$ inordinately to renovate bedrooms.
Washers / dryers in or near kitchens, I've seen in the U.S. as well (apartment). Makes sense in that they all require plumbing. I don't think I'd mind it. Currently, I have to go downstairs into a garage to do laundry and would prefer if the washer / dryer were on my level, even if I lost some living space.
by Anonymous | reply 69 | February 20, 2021 5:57 PM
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R53 - I saw a couple of recent shows about Agatha Christie and supposedly she disappeared to a hotel to get away from her husband who was carrying on with another woman. Sounds like she was in distress over the matter. Someone recognized her at the hotel and the peace and quiet was over. Back to the same problem.
by Anonymous | reply 70 | February 20, 2021 5:59 PM
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I could not have a bedroom without an en suite bathroom and a walk-in closet. Anything else would feel uncivilized.
by Anonymous | reply 71 | February 20, 2021 5:59 PM
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[quote] What is this Royal Ascot thing that Anthony Watson took Dylan Geick to? Is it a Gay thing? Do powerful men usually take their sugar babies regularly to this? And what are the costumes all about? Is it like some upper class Coachella?
One question I can definitely answer as I actually own racehorses. Royal Ascot is a week long racing event that is held in June at Ascot Racecourse. It forms part of the Season, Wimbledon, Trooping The Colour etc. HM The Queen is an avid racehorse owner and so loves attending the races. Often The Queen has a number of racehorses competing in the races. In fact, she owns the racecourse.
Because it is a social occasion and because The Queen is there, there is a strict dress code. A number of areas on the racecourse are delineated The Royal Enclosure, The Queen Anne Enclosure and finally the public enclosure. The details of what you must and must not wear are on the link below. Simply because you may bump into HM The Queen down at the paddock.
Powerful men do I deed take their beau to these events.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 72 | February 20, 2021 6:00 PM
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Television programs do overstate the prevalence of interracial couples. Also as someone else pointed out, the diversity is always just about including Afro-Caribbean Brits. Other minorities like East Asians and South Asians are underrepresented, even though there are more South Asians in the UK than there are Afro-Caribbeans.
by Anonymous | reply 73 | February 20, 2021 6:01 PM
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[quote] Has the discovery of Richard III’s body under the parking lot started a rehabilitation of his image? Is he still looked at as a deformed regicidal pedophile?
Well I actually come from the city where he was found in the car park. There is a museum that explains about the Battle of Bosworth and his life. The Richard III Society certainly campaign to rehabilitate him.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 74 | February 20, 2021 6:02 PM
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[quote] I could not have a bedroom without an en suite bathroom and a walk-in closet. Anything else would feel uncivilized.
R71, I can understand the comfort of having an en suite bathroom. What I think is silly is to have a mini-living room in your bedroom (couch, sitting area, etc.). Especially in a small house, just seems like a waste of space.
by Anonymous | reply 75 | February 20, 2021 6:03 PM
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R68 Wikipedia is your friend.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 76 | February 20, 2021 6:04 PM
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Scallys and Chavs, are they something still going on or were they a period thing like the Punks? Is Triga something that is watched as porn in Great Britain, or is that just some fantasy stuff created for the international market that is otherwise cringey stereotypical stuff? Why is Billy Essex usually the only model prominently named? Is there anywhere that Triga like men are actually getting it on in England, like whole groups of electricians or soccer clubs that have actual orgies? And what are your thoughts on Hung Young Brits?
by Anonymous | reply 77 | February 20, 2021 6:05 PM
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Off for a cuppa tea now, but do keep your questions coming.
by Anonymous | reply 78 | February 20, 2021 6:05 PM
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[quote] And what are your thoughts on Hung Young Brits?
George Mason's flat is near my London home near Oval station. I often see him and the other guys on Grindr looking for a fuck.
by Anonymous | reply 79 | February 20, 2021 6:07 PM
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Does Bridgerton fill you with outrage?
by Anonymous | reply 80 | February 20, 2021 6:09 PM
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Maybe it's like comparing apples and oranges, but IMO coffee is superior to tea.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 81 | February 20, 2021 6:10 PM
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We’ve heard there’s some musical with Henry VIII wives as racially diverse, was that just an attempt to jump on the Hamilton train?
by Anonymous | reply 82 | February 20, 2021 6:11 PM
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How is it that such great theater, actors and directors come out of that abandoned chocolate factory? That sounds quite magical?
by Anonymous | reply 83 | February 20, 2021 6:13 PM
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I hardly ever drink tea. It’s not compulsory.
by Anonymous | reply 84 | February 20, 2021 6:15 PM
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What was the whole reasoning behind folding the anthological museum, I think it was called The Museum of Mankind into the British Museum? It was such a great space with amazing exhibitions that now must just get lost at the British Museum. It was also one of the best places to get coffee before things like Starbucks opened there.
by Anonymous | reply 85 | February 20, 2021 6:15 PM
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R79 George looks great for his age. There’s a very early amateur porn clip floating around when he must have been working as an escort, it sounds like he built an empire despite starting out as an underage homeless street kid.
by Anonymous | reply 86 | February 20, 2021 6:19 PM
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What is it with the British and skyscrapers? You appear to universally loathe them and yet you keep on building the ugliest ones you can manage. I don't think anyone anywhere is expecting the latest multi-story building to resemble the Flatiron, but Jesus Christ, they don't need to look like the content of a Philadelphia dildo store.
Also, what is it with the British and modern architecture in general? We managed to have the Chicago School, California Modern, Expressionism, Art Deco, Bauhaus and the International Style, as well as weird one-off stuff like Bruce Goff and Eero Saarinen and plenty of regional variations from Malibu to Cape Cod. The British seemed to throw the whole load of eggs in the basket marked "Brutalism", which while not ipso facto without merit, is easily the least user-friendly form of Modernism and the most universally loathed - and it is loathed most of all in Britain.
Why don't you just go back to doing fake Ye Olde Tudore? That sucks too, but at least you seem to genuinely enjoy it.
Are you a race of architectural masochists?
by Anonymous | reply 87 | February 20, 2021 6:19 PM
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The first season of Line of Duty had a black man married to a white woman who was having an affair with another white woman. I don’t think that would happen on a U.S. tv show.
by Anonymous | reply 89 | February 20, 2021 6:32 PM
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Interracial and bi-racial are so ugly to the ear and sensibilities.
by Anonymous | reply 90 | February 20, 2021 6:33 PM
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My family is miles ahead of that Bucket woman's.
by Anonymous | reply 91 | February 20, 2021 6:36 PM
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I have noticed that British actors have forked tongues. Do all British people have forked tongues, or do you have to get a fork in your tongue in order to be employed in television?
by Anonymous | reply 92 | February 20, 2021 6:38 PM
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R90 = PrinCESS Michael of Kent stroking her Blackamoor brooch
by Anonymous | reply 93 | February 20, 2021 6:41 PM
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[quote] is it merely hopeful?
What do you mean, OP?
by Anonymous | reply 94 | February 20, 2021 6:51 PM
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R66, he wasn’t a hunchback but did appear to have fairly severe scoliosis which would be fixed by surgery today. They did a facial reconstruction of him but then through dna tests changed his colouring from dark hair and eyes to blonde hair and blue eyes.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 95 | February 20, 2021 6:51 PM
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Silk is great but has a lot of the undecipherable British stuff. Why the hell does anyone care about getting the right to wear silk in a courtroom? Why doesn't someone just wear it without going through whatever they go through?
R82 The musical Six does present the wives of Henry VIII with actresses of all ethnicity. But it also has them in short skirts, so why not?
I thought that early poster was overstating when he said that "in this moment" there are that many interracial couples. I really thought that TV was overstating and now another Brit says R1 was wrong.
With all these small British bedrooms how are you managing in COVID? Most households I know have multiple people working or schooling from home. Without decent sized bedrooms, where would they all work? In the basement? No all of you even have those. And if someone works in the kitchen, what do you do on laundry day?
by Anonymous | reply 96 | February 20, 2021 7:06 PM
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R96, you do the laundry throughout the week and in the utility room.
by Anonymous | reply 97 | February 20, 2021 7:10 PM
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Are British washer and dryers portable?
by Anonymous | reply 98 | February 20, 2021 7:11 PM
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[quote][R96], you do the laundry throughout the week and in the utility room.
Except most people don't have a utility room - in most houses the washing machine is in the kitchen, usually just along from the kitchen sink.
by Anonymous | reply 99 | February 20, 2021 7:12 PM
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Why do British kitchens and bathrooms have ugly wall-mounted water heaters?
Why is Julie Hesmondhalgh a television star?
Why do charming, affluent rural villages have such high homicide rates?
by Anonymous | reply 101 | February 20, 2021 7:44 PM
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R102
Why do British kitchens and bathrooms have ugly wall-mounted water heaters?
The old fashioned water heaters are long gone due to safety concerns. The wall mounted heaters are natural gas boilers.
Why is Julie Hesmondhalgh a television star?
She appeared for many years in Coronation Street.
Why do charming, affluent rural villages have such high homicide rates?
If you think that St Mary Meade is bad, then you should checkout Cabot Cove!
by Anonymous | reply 103 | February 20, 2021 8:02 PM
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R98
Are British washer and dryers portable?
They have small wheels on the bottom, but we don't take them for walks or anything.
by Anonymous | reply 104 | February 20, 2021 8:03 PM
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[quote]George Mason's flat is near my London home near Oval station. I often see him and the other guys on Grindr looking for a fuck.
Wow -- and in America, we named a University after him!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 105 | February 20, 2021 8:04 PM
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If they don't have closets, what do gays Brits come out of?
by Anonymous | reply 106 | February 20, 2021 8:04 PM
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r64 has apparently never seen "My Fair Lady."
by Anonymous | reply 107 | February 20, 2021 8:05 PM
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R96
Silk is great but has a lot of the undecipherable British stuff. Why the hell does anyone care about getting the right to wear silk in a courtroom? Why doesn't someone just wear it without going through whatever they go through?
'Taking Silk' is when a barrister becomes a Queen's Council. Judges of our various courts wear various silks to signify rank and speciality.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 108 | February 20, 2021 8:06 PM
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R106 The fucking wardrobe Rose! The fucking wardrobe!
by Anonymous | reply 109 | February 20, 2021 8:07 PM
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OK, 90% of my knowledge comes from Hollyoaks and it’s only a show, but please tell me that the out of control over the top wallpaper is something some crazy set dressing queen on the show came up with and not what Brits actually have in their houses?
by Anonymous | reply 111 | February 20, 2021 8:10 PM
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R95
There is an interesting connection between Richard III and DNA testing. In that Richard was discovered in a car park in Leicester. Leicester also gave the world DNA testing, when Professor Sir Alec Jeffrey's assisted the police in the very first use of DNA testing to solve a local murder.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 112 | February 20, 2021 8:12 PM
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R111
OK, 90% of my knowledge comes from Hollyoaks and it’s only a show, but please tell me that the out of control over the top wallpaper is something some crazy set dressing queen on the show came up with and not what Brits actually have in their houses?
We have a wide choice of wallpapers in the UK. Some of them are indeed over the top!
by Anonymous | reply 113 | February 20, 2021 8:14 PM
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R112, was it most foul? Richard's body that is.
by Anonymous | reply 114 | February 20, 2021 8:14 PM
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R108, I am not sure I understand that Wikipedia article. A Queens council can be either a prosecutor or for the defense? So they work for the government as either a public defender (to use the American term) or a prosecutor as they are assigned.
If they leave government service, do they get to keep the fancy robe? And since closet space is limited in Britain, where do they keep it?
by Anonymous | reply 115 | February 20, 2021 8:14 PM
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Are British men gentlemen or filthy beasts in the sheets?
by Anonymous | reply 116 | February 20, 2021 8:15 PM
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My great grandparents emigrated from England and insisted the last name not be joined to accommodate the wishes of the immigration clerks on Ellis Island but hyphened. I have noticed when I state my last name when applying for whatever, the tendency is to join.
by Anonymous | reply 117 | February 20, 2021 8:20 PM
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[quote][R108], I am not sure I understand that Wikipedia article. A Queens council can be either a prosecutor or for the defense? So they work for the government as either a public defender (to use the American term) or a prosecutor as they are assigned.
In UK law there are solicitors and barristers. Solicitors do the bulk of the paperwork and barristers put the wigs on and do the dramatic representations and cross examinations. In theory barristers work with a "cab rank" system where they can't turn down work. So a barrister could prosecute a murder case and then defend the accused in the next case.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 118 | February 20, 2021 8:21 PM
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(112) PBS had a documentary on finding Richard's remains and their was a curvature of the spine.
by Anonymous | reply 119 | February 20, 2021 8:23 PM
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[quote]The woman's maiden name should not be dropped. I propose both family names for every child. All girls to keep their mothers' name and boys their fathers'. So there are two genealogies.
In the Spanish-speaking world, most people have two surnames: The first surname is the father's and the second is the mother's. In Portugal and Brazil, the surnames are reversed.
by Anonymous | reply 120 | February 20, 2021 8:26 PM
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R111, my flat's quite old and though I'm not keen on the wallpaper in my bedroom I'm worried it's the only thing holding up the wall. One day I'll get around to taking it down but expect I'll need a plasterer to fix up whatever problems it's hiding.
by Anonymous | reply 121 | February 20, 2021 8:32 PM
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[quote]In the 70s we had 3 channels. BBC1 and BBC2, both non commercial and we had ITV, which was commercial.
ITV wasn't branded as a single network called ITV until around the mid-'90s. Before then it was ITV "under the hood," but what people actually watched were its regional affiliates: Granada, Yorkshire, Thames, London Weekend Television, Anglia, etc.
YouTuber Bob the Fish has a fascinating series about the history of the ITV regions.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 123 | February 20, 2021 8:36 PM
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[quote]In the Spanish-speaking world, most people have two surnames: The first surname is the father's and the second is the mother's. In Portugal and Brazil, the surnames are reversed.
What about Spanishy people who only have one name? Like Evita, Shakira, Xavi and Pele?
by Anonymous | reply 124 | February 20, 2021 8:38 PM
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R114
was it most foul? Richard's body that is.
His curvature of the spine was very pronounced.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 125 | February 20, 2021 8:39 PM
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R115
Yes. A barrister can be the defence on one case and the prosecution on an entirely different case.
by Anonymous | reply 126 | February 20, 2021 8:40 PM
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R116 Are British men gentlemen or filthy beasts in the sheets?
How would you like us to be? 😉
by Anonymous | reply 127 | February 20, 2021 8:41 PM
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(114) I understand Margaret Rutherford was present and uttered those famous words, "Murder Most Foul."
by Anonymous | reply 128 | February 20, 2021 8:42 PM
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The ITV regions used to be distinct enough that not every network carried every major show. For example, [italic]Coronation Street[/italic] didn't air on all of ITV its early years.
by Anonymous | reply 129 | February 20, 2021 8:45 PM
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R123 Is quite right. We were ATV that then became Central TV in 1982.
The land of Crossroads Motel made way for Bullseye and Boon!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 130 | February 20, 2021 8:45 PM
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^ This is another interesting point: The regional networks had to reapply with the ITA (Independent Television Authority) every few years to maintain their licenses, and they sometimes had to compete with new startup networks for a particular region. Thus, Central TV replaced ATV in 1982 as the ITV regional network for the West Midlands.
by Anonymous | reply 131 | February 20, 2021 9:00 PM
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R88, I recognise R87 as the John Wellborn Root Fan of Chicago.
by Anonymous | reply 132 | February 20, 2021 9:05 PM
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What are the perks of becoming Queens Council? If you still have to take any case handed to you.
Also, it is the government who pays? Can't a barrister turn down someone who they think will stiff them?
by Anonymous | reply 133 | February 20, 2021 9:10 PM
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Why’s Edina always going on about Holland Park and Shepard’s Bush, it seems VERY important to her?
by Anonymous | reply 134 | February 20, 2021 9:14 PM
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R133
What are the perks of becoming Queens Council? If you still have to take any case handed to you.
Appointment as QC has been said to be a matter of status and prestige only, with no formal disadvantages
Also, it is the government who pays? Can't a barrister turn down someone who they think will stiff them?
The government pays if it's a prosecution case. A defendant pays if it's a defence case. Not sure about stuffing them. I'm sure an assessment of means is made. Often in the most serious of cases, if a defendant is poor then the Legal Aid system kicks in and that pays the barrister's costs at a set amount.
by Anonymous | reply 135 | February 20, 2021 9:27 PM
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R134 Why’s Edina always going on about Holland Park and Shepard’s Bush, it seems VERY important to her?
Holland Park is a posh part of London where many celebrities live. Think the Beckhams, Rowan Atkinson, people like that.
by Anonymous | reply 136 | February 20, 2021 9:39 PM
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[quote]Is he still looked at as a deformed regicidal pedophile?
Hoping for a friend!
by Anonymous | reply 137 | February 20, 2021 9:42 PM
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Yes R67, Silk is an equally enjoyable show.
by Anonymous | reply 138 | February 20, 2021 10:40 PM
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[quote]Television programs do overstate the prevalence of interracial couples. Also as someone else pointed out, the diversity is always just about including Afro-Caribbean Brits. Other minorities like East Asians and South Asians are underrepresented, even though there are more South Asians in the UK than there are Afro-Caribbeans.
This is true. Watching British TV and sports, one is likely to assume black people represent the largest minority when, in actual fact, Asians (South Asians in the British sense) are, by far, the largest and most ubiquitous minority group. It is easy to make this mistake because, for example, there are currently none represented in the top flights of popular sports like football (soccer) or rugby.
Also, as can be seen from r49, if Britain were to have an Obama moment and elect a non-white prime minister (and that moment could be as close as the next election), they are most likely to be of South Asian (Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi/Sri Lankan) heritage.
by Anonymous | reply 139 | February 20, 2021 11:06 PM
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Watching Silk again and it is hard for non-Brits to get it all.
They have two barristers in the same office (still not sure if it is a government office or a private firm) arguing both sides of the same case. Is that possible in real life? If a barrister can argue either side it seems like an open invitation to corruption and collusion.
What am I missing?
And would an office really be given a name like "Shoe Lane"?
by Anonymous | reply 140 | February 20, 2021 11:20 PM
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R4
Going back ages as a condition for a man marrying an heiress her family insisted on a hyphenated name to keep theirs from dying out.
Until laws were changed (rather recently by historical standards), all a woman had became legal property of her husband (including the woman herself, and any children from the marriage), so it does seem least a man could do.
by Anonymous | reply 141 | February 20, 2021 11:21 PM
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Reading old Fanny Burney novels, I learned that if the wife had more money than the husband in the late 1700, he would be expected to take her name (since he would living on her money).
by Anonymous | reply 142 | February 20, 2021 11:24 PM
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R136
Holland Park is far more upmarket and desirable than Shepherd's Bush.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 143 | February 20, 2021 11:25 PM
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More...
Though these days many will take what they can get in London, Eds did have bragging rights back in 1990's when she went on about her home being in Holland Park proper, not Shepherd's Bush.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 144 | February 20, 2021 11:28 PM
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[quote]We’ve heard there’s some musical with Henry VIII wives as racially diverse, was that just an attempt to jump on the Hamilton train?
That is the case, I'm afraid. Hamilton's influence was huge. As it happens with entertainment phenomena from the US, it elicited great admiration, coupled maybe with a bit of envy. Most, if not all, entertainment trends come from the US. So you'll have, for example, a large swathe of British pop/rock music sang in American accents. They've had a strong black music (soul/r&b/hiphop) and a "blue-eyed soul" scene even though it doesn't come as naturally to them as it does to African-Americans raised in the black church tradition.
So, while the original casting of Hamilton was mostly motivated by the genre of music in the show, it's opened the door for the UK to try something similar.
by Anonymous | reply 145 | February 20, 2021 11:30 PM
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R127 Filthy beasts, please, kind sir.
by Anonymous | reply 146 | February 20, 2021 11:35 PM
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Since we are talking about the hot new musical from three years ago, here is a clip.
Clearly, unlike Hamilton, the casting has nothing to do with the genre of musical. The creators are clearly trying to do a respectful, old-fashioned historic musical while gussying it up with the actresses who are best for the part rather than actresses who are white.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 147 | February 20, 2021 11:41 PM
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R140 They have two barristers in the same office (still not sure if it is a government office or a private firm) arguing both sides of the same case. Is that possible in real life?
It's probably in chambers, so a private office. Yes it's absolutely essential that a barrister can argue both sides of a case.
If a barrister can argue either side it seems like an open invitation to corruption and collusion.
How so? Given that a defence barrister will be opposing a prosecution barrister from different chambers.
What am I missing?
And would an office really be given a name like "Shoe Lane"?
Yes absolutely. The Inns of Court are based in the City of London which has very old, quaint street names. Pudding Lane, Old Bailey, Fleet Street being examples.
by Anonymous | reply 148 | February 20, 2021 11:43 PM
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Is a Chamber like a law firm?
In the program, two barristers arguing a case are from the same chambers. Even if that is a dramatic license, it would seem that arguing for a client that a colleague from the same chambers may be prosecuting a few years later would mean that nothing could be discussed with office staff or co-workers. Or a prosecutor could just look into old files to gain an unfair advantage.
Also, how high is the credibility of barristers if they did not put the case together?
And if I was starting a chamber, I cannot imagine using a street name even if it is customary, if the street name sounds silly. You need some dignity when you go into court, don't you?
by Anonymous | reply 149 | February 20, 2021 11:50 PM
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Why does every room have a door? Keeping Up Appearances. As Time Goes By.
by Anonymous | reply 150 | February 20, 2021 11:54 PM
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What the hell is a TV license? Is that like paying a Comcast cable bill or is it something totally different? This is truly an explain it to me like I am a moron, because I don't get it at all.
Do you also have to have a radio license?
How much does all of this cost? So many questions.
by Anonymous | reply 151 | February 20, 2021 11:58 PM
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Although....with the whole wig thing, maybe the British system is about taking away the dignity of the professionals who speak in court. The wigs certainly do knock them off their pedestal. Maybe these chamber names are a similar attempt to keep barristers from getting too authoritative.
by Anonymous | reply 152 | February 20, 2021 11:59 PM
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On interracial couples, you'd struggle to find an equivalent of the Obamas, Beyonce & Jay Z or even superstar athletes like Steph Curry or Russell Wilson married to black partners in the UK. First, demographics make it such that marrying interracially is more likely than in the US. Black people are only about 2% of the population (3% in England and Wales)
[quote]Amongst the 56 million residents in England and Wales, 86% were White, 8% were Asian/Asian British and 3% were Black/African/Caribbean/Black British. Of the foreign-born population almost half (46%) identified as White, including over a quarter who identified as Other White (28%).
Also, British cities are not as segregated. To this day, my mind boggles at the fact that black and white Americans from the same cities, towns and areas sound different. There is no Black British accent. However, Asian communities tend to be more close-knit.
by Anonymous | reply 153 | February 20, 2021 11:59 PM
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[quote]Black people are only about 2% of the population (3% in England and Wales)
That is astounding if you regularly watch British tv shows. You'd think blacks were about 40% of the population.
I guess the same thing is true of the US. Blacks are overrepresented in media here as well.
by Anonymous | reply 154 | February 21, 2021 12:03 AM
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It seems like there would be so much more opportunity for Black actors in the UK than, but instead we seem to import them to the US to play prominent Americans like Harriet Tubman and MLK?
by Anonymous | reply 155 | February 21, 2021 12:20 AM
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Black actors have long complained about limited prospects in the UK, r155. But that's a topic for another thread.
by Anonymous | reply 156 | February 21, 2021 12:24 AM
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R65 Slight correction: the channel that the "day in advance" Hollyoaks airs on is E4, as opposed to More4. And R60, this day-ahead episode airs each weeknight at 7pm, right after that day's scheduled episode at 6:30pm on Channel 4. A viewer has to watch this day-ahead episode *live*, but yes, one can watch it with a VPN on the E4 live stream as long as you've registered at All4. And once it airs on E4, that episode isn't available again until the next day when it airs for its regular broadcast on Channel 4. After that, it then gets added to All4 website for on-demand streaming.
by Anonymous | reply 157 | February 21, 2021 12:33 AM
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Most shows in Britain and the US take place in large cities where minorities make up a larger part of the population. In NYC blacks make up 25% of the population and even shows shot in NYC do not come near that number.
by Anonymous | reply 158 | February 21, 2021 12:52 AM
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R157 Thank you. My mistake about More 4. I forgot it was E4.
by Anonymous | reply 159 | February 21, 2021 12:56 AM
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r158 most shows set in NYC are about rich people/people in upscale professions. The demographics there are heavily white.
by Anonymous | reply 160 | February 21, 2021 12:57 AM
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R151
What the hell is a TV license?
Every home with a TV is required, by law, to have a TV Licence at a cost of £157.50 per year, per home.
Is that like paying a Comcast cable bill or is it something totally different?
If we have a cable TV provider like SKY or Virgin Media, then that's extra, on top of the £157.50 licence fee.
This is truly an explain it to me like I am a moron, because I don't get it at all.
Do you also have to have a radio license?
No. There is no radio licence. You can listen to the radio for free.
How much does all of this cost? So many questions.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 161 | February 21, 2021 1:02 AM
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[quote]Every home with a TV is required, by law, to have a TV Licence at a cost of £157.50 per year, per home.
Americans would be rioting in the streets.
by Anonymous | reply 162 | February 21, 2021 1:12 AM
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[quote]It seems like there would be so much more opportunity for Black actors in the UK than, but instead we seem to import them to the US to play prominent Americans like Harriet Tubman and MLK?
Damn right.
by Anonymous | reply 163 | February 21, 2021 1:24 AM
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R161 Thanks for the explanation. Holy shit, that's not cheap! I agree with r162
I remember an episode of The Young Ones when the were too broke to pay their license fee and hijinks ensued, but somehow I figured that was now outdated. Obviously, quite wrong.
by Anonymous | reply 164 | February 21, 2021 1:24 AM
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R123 That's interesting. .. The funny thing is, it appears that some UK TV guides still use those regional channel names. I'm looking at digiguide.tv and they show something like 15 broadcasts of the same Emmerdale episode each with a different ITV region name. (I see some of the same region names you've mentioned). And I recall one time when I was having an issue streaming the show on a tablet, the ITV rep's first question was, what region was I in?
by Anonymous | reply 165 | February 21, 2021 1:33 AM
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R165 We still have regional news programs at 6pm on ITV where each area breaks away to its component regions. So here we have Central News for the Midlands. Granada will have there's for Manchester and Liverpool.
The BBC break away to regional news at 6:30pm. We have East Midlands Today here.
by Anonymous | reply 166 | February 21, 2021 1:42 AM
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R164 In fact, things have got more conscious recently as the over 75s used to get a free TV licence, but that ended last year.
The TV licensing are pursuing loads of old grannies to pay up and they're refusing.
by Anonymous | reply 167 | February 21, 2021 1:44 AM
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Harking back to the High Street question, because I don't entirely agree with the explanation. My understanding is that "the high street" is as distinct from "the Mall/Megamall".
The high street is where you walk down the street and you can walk straight into each shop in turn. A department store may be in a high street, and a city high street may even have century-old arcades that join it perpendicularly to the next street, but NOT a mall, where typically none of the shops faces a street.
Hence, high street fashion means it comes from an independent boutique or the shop of its designer, not from the brand-you-see-everywhere store you find in a mall. (Though note: in the case of Kate Middleton it is more often used to describe clothes she has bought from anywhere except a couturier.)
I have a high street butcher and greengrocer, which is useful during the pandemic because I don't have to mix with people going to other shops.
Well designed high streets can make suburbs or sections of a city into villages, whereas malls and supercentres mitigate against any community feel.
I'm not American and I too am appalled by the "closet space" issue in Escape to the Country. Worse still, frequently the master bedroom has no room at all for a wardrobe, because one whole corner is occupied by a fireplace. Nor ever do those cute little rooms they put under the eaves, where you can only stand up in the middle of the room and the husband is always going to hit his head on a characterful beam getting out of bed in the night, and then fall down the incredibly steep stairs while trying to find the toilet with concussion, since they never have a toilet up there either. I always assume that the people who buy those places are couples where the woman wants his superannuation payout.
by Anonymous | reply 168 | February 21, 2021 2:51 AM
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R75
It goes back to concept of private versus public spaces.
Nobles took it from royals, then later it trickled down to upper then middle classes, and now anyone who can afford.
In keeping with old ways a lady or gentleman never appeared in public space (even within their own home) undressed. That includes going downstairs or whatever in a dressing gown.
For ladies in particular whose wardrobes or fashion of dress often involved elaborate and uncomfortable under and over garments, being able to remain in their "boudoir" undressed as it were was relaxing.
Also in homes or whatever full of servants at least in one's personal apartments one was alone to do anything from write personal letters to break wind if mood struck.
Another reason for a couch, comfortable chair, etc... was to give a place for taking maybe a quick nap or to relax without messing up the bed. It is generally considered unsanitary to sit on a bed, plus it takes away from the freshness and neat appearance of one that is well made. Of course if one has the money and servants answer is to have bed made twice per day. Jackie Kennedy did this as First Lady because JFK took naps in the afternoon. So at least linen in master bedroom was changed twice per day; once after rising, then again sometime later in afternoon. Think of the laundry bills.
by Anonymous | reply 169 | February 21, 2021 4:22 AM
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BBC and other British television networks or radio stations are funded by government taxation to some extent. Thus while there is advertising (commercials), you don't have things to extent say of American television or radio broadcasts.
Thanks to this stream of government funding (via taxation) UK television programs no not rely as heavily on advertising (commercial breaks) compared to say USA. ITV may have breaks about every 25 or so minutes, OTOH in USA network television has breaks more like every 10 or even less minutes.
Shows like Keeping Up Appearances work well enough on American PBS stations because they run for 30 minutes, and are taped without gaps for commercial breaks. That just wouldn't work if shown on say network television. Maddening thing about watching shows on MeTV is they not only keep original commercial breaks, but edit programs further to insert more. You can often see results of this bad editing when a scene just fades out or is cut where it obviously shouldn't, and goes to commercial.
Generous funding for BBC, ITV/Granada television gave the British and world via export some of the most wonderful programming. Brideshead Revisited, Jewel in the Crown, I Claudius, etc... Sweeping dramas sadly that largely aren't done any longer in modern era of belt tightening. Downton Abbey relied heavily on sponsorship from outside sources (hence all those cruise line adverts), even though it was a very successful series.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 170 | February 21, 2021 4:44 AM
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Important old distinction between barristers and solicitors is that one was considered in trade, whilst the other not.
Under rules that carried on at least until WWI, those who took money directly for their services were considered "in trade" and thus unacceptable to be presented to monarch or his/her consort. Thus the wife or daughter of a barrister could be presented to at court, but not same of a solicitor.
Historically barristers were usually paid via solicitors who in turn got their money from clients. Being removed (even by only one degree) from actually taking money directly allowed barristers to escape being labelled tradesmen. Now of course with Public Access barristers some are paid directly by clients, but since court pretensions long have ceased that bit of snobbery is gone.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 171 | February 21, 2021 4:54 AM
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#R143, God knows I'd prefer to Park myself up Holland rather than investigate Sheppard's Bush
by Anonymous | reply 172 | February 21, 2021 4:59 AM
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[quote] What do the hyphenate surnames mean? Do people with them come from money?
That’s not just British, child.
by Anonymous | reply 173 | February 21, 2021 5:06 AM
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Vegemite/Marmite. REALLY, Brits? Ewwww.
Also, I hear tell that British versions of chocolate bars (some of which are sold here in the States, even) such as Dairy Milk, Cadbury, etc. are much less sweet and are of better quality than their American counterparts. Is this true? Is British chocolate better? Is everything in America "too sweet?"
by Anonymous | reply 174 | February 21, 2021 5:08 AM
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R155
Africans were in Great Britain by the 1700's thanks to the vast expansion of empire and of course slave trade.
In this famous painting by Hogarth as part of "Harlot's Progress" you can clearly see a darker skinned woman imprisoned in work house with heroine of tale.
While there may have been darker skinned persons in London and other urban areas, most of the television and film work that has come out of Britain historically is all about Jane Austin, monarchs and their courts, nobility, bodice ripping dramas, etc.... You didn't see any darker persons cast in say "Angels and Insects", nor "Gosford Park", nor any of the litany of dramas about Elizabeth I, Mary, Queen of Scots, Jane Grey, Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII etc..
You didn't or don't see blacks in dramas like Upstairs/Downstairs, Keeping Up Appearances, etc.. Though you do in things like East Enders, Call The Midwife, and other dramas that deal with the less toff parts of UK.
Saffy's dad Justin in Ab Fab had a black partner. There was of course that wonderful black nurse who gave Eds good as she got..
Suppose creators, directors and other suits involved in films and television programming would argue where historically approproiate they do cast darker skin people. But chances of a dark person living in Tilling (set of Mapp and Lucia) during period between the wars was nil, so why would we insert one.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 175 | February 21, 2021 5:11 AM
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Presenting Full English Breakfast!
I ask you is there anything more nauseous producing than confronted with a plate of beans, sausages, ham, eggs, tomatoes and God only knows what else first thing in morning?
Oh, and you can add kippers to that as well.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 176 | February 21, 2021 5:15 AM
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R168
Well of course one could use a slop jar (which people did well into 1900's) to avoid having to go outside at night to toilet located in outhouse.
In morning take container downstairs and out back, flush contents down loo, clean and put container back under bed....
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 177 | February 21, 2021 5:28 AM
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But roasted tomatoes are devine!
by Anonymous | reply 178 | February 21, 2021 5:33 AM
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R27
To do laundry you need access to plenty of water (hot and cold), a warm room to dry laundry if things cannot be hung outdoors, and finally something to heat non electric irons for ironing laundry.
Historically in urban areas or smaller homes the one area where all that could be found was kitchen. Between a large solid fuel fired range, a scullery with a copper (for boiling laundry), and area on range for heating irons, everything was right in kitchen. Oh and thanks to that big cast iron range that burned 24/7 all year kitchens were warm so wash could be hung from ceilings on clothes horses, or placed in front of range on racks.
Fully automatic washing machines didn't become common in GB until well after WWII. We're talking well into 1960's or 1970's. By that time British households long had been used to doing wash in kitchen area, so that is where washing machines were and still are usually installed.
Keep in mind again fully automatic washing machines need hot and cold water connections (or at least cold since most front loaders sold in UK heat their own water), and also access to a sink or drain. In many homes indoor plumbing of that sort is largely found in or off kitchens, and maybe bathrooms. Hence these are the two areas you see washing machines not just in UK but many parts of Europe.
by Anonymous | reply 179 | February 21, 2021 5:43 AM
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Isn’t it complicated having the dishwasher and washer and dryer all in the kitchen, that eats up lots of below counter cupboard space?
by Anonymous | reply 180 | February 21, 2021 5:52 AM
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Why don't actors on British TV ever kiss properly? Unlike us, you Brits have nudity on TV, but not tongue kissing. Is there a rule?
by Anonymous | reply 181 | February 21, 2021 6:04 AM
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R181
As with France and many other parts of Europe when it comes to laundry more urban homes (if not in general) own washing machines than dryers.
Washing laundry is viewed as more of a chore than drying, so push comes to shove people will live without a dryer. Things are just hung up in airing cupboards, on racks, etc...
This also has much to do with high utility rates as well.
That being said thanks to ventless (aka) condenser dryers one doesn't necessarily need to have a dryer next to, stacked above or even near washing machine.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 182 | February 21, 2021 6:25 AM
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When done well with built ins things look rather nice.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 183 | February 21, 2021 6:27 AM
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r174, yes choc is better over there. they use ingredients that have a longer shelf life in the USA. also they are stricter on preservatives and artificial coloring. so their cookies, sweets, choc are "healthier". GMO is not allowed in the UK either.
by Anonymous | reply 184 | February 21, 2021 6:28 AM
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British chocolate is better than all but the very best American chocolate.
by Anonymous | reply 185 | February 21, 2021 6:34 AM
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[quote]Things are just hung up in airing cupboards, on racks, etc...
How do you dry bedding after washing?
by Anonymous | reply 186 | February 21, 2021 6:43 AM
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The kitchen is the last place I want my washer and/or dryer. Th kitchen is full of things that will dirty or stain or ruin your laundry. Unless you don't actually use your kitchen or I suppose have servants that keep it immacuate continually.
Kitchens with a small closet where you can put a washer and dryer behind doors can work. But clothes on or near a kitchen counter? No way.
by Anonymous | reply 187 | February 21, 2021 6:51 AM
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r187 you don't leave your clothes in the kitchen. You bring them out, put them in the washer/dryer and then bring them back to the bedroom. Kitchen washers and dryers used to be fairly common in American homes. In the South the washer and dryer is commonly on the back porch, in older houses.
by Anonymous | reply 188 | February 21, 2021 6:55 AM
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[quote]Britain is really a lot more tolerant than a lot of Americans would like to believe.
I was reading how in the second world war the Americans in Britain tried to insist their segregation laws be introduced for their troops in pubs and such. The English were just like: "Ok, sure. Only black Americans are allowed in our pubs then!"
I find it bizarre so many people are harping on about race and interracial couples on British TV. How is it that you are so focused on this? I never really notice it. I think it's because the British don't make a big deal about it. It just is what it is. Whereas American TV cannot let an opportunity pass to point out that characters are different races. And you never really see interracial couples on American TV come to think of it. I'm sorry to say it, but it always seems like Americans have a real problem understanding that not everyone does things the way they do. Who cares about percentages of the population and all that rubbish?
R70, I read her autobiography, and while she doesn't mention specifically what happened, not only was her husband having an affair and wanted a divorce to marry this other woman, but her mother had just died (she was the baby, and they were very close) and she was left cleaning out this giant house all by herself while her husband played away from home and her sister for whatever reason wouldn't come down from the North, and her brother was a huge wastrel (in fact, he may have been dead by then). It's kinda heartbreaking in the autobiography where she talks about just wanting Archie or Madge to come and BE with her during the time. It's pretty heavily implied she had a nervous breakdown and just ran away to avoid everything.
by Anonymous | reply 189 | February 21, 2021 7:17 AM
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R189 watches Foyle's War.
by Anonymous | reply 190 | February 21, 2021 7:19 AM
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Are most of the interracial relationships in the UK either black male / white female or white male / East Asian female couples? Those are the combinations we seem to at least see most often in the cities.
by Anonymous | reply 192 | February 21, 2021 7:26 AM
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R174, American chocolate is awful. I mean, I am sure there are great artisanal chocolatiers, but the mainstream brands are shockingly bad. One of the things I really wanted to try on my first trip to the US was a Hershey bar, as I had seen them so often on US TV shows. What a disappointment! They taste of very little, but dissolve into this weird oily mush in the mouth. So disgusting.
In general, food is one of the big differences between the US and the UK. I’ve had great restaurant meals in the US, but readymade supermarket food seems to be much lower quality, and everything is sweet (which is great for manufacturers, as high-fructose corn syrup is cheap and addictive, and stops food from going off). And people want value for money, but value quantity over quality. One of the big preconceptions Americans seem to have is that UK food is uniformly dreadful, but I think this goes back to the experience of US soldiers arriving in Britain during the war, at a time when Brits were subsisting on rations, Bovril and tinned fish from the colonies!
by Anonymous | reply 193 | February 21, 2021 7:47 AM
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[quote]Are most of the interracial relationships in the UK either black male / white female or white male / East Asian female couples? Those are the combinations we seem to at least see most often in the cities.
Certainly amongst celebrities it feels like there are more cases of black or mixed race men dating white women, but there are a lot more black or mixed race men in the public eye than black or mixed race women. Vanessa Feltz, a Jewish journalist and tv/radio presenter has been in a relationship with singer Ben Ofoedu for about 15 years. There have been some comments about the racial dynamic but more people are fascinated by her being 10 years older than him.
The main eyebrow raising about mixed race marriages is, to be blunt, when a white woman marries a Muslim and converts and changes her lifestyle. Wearing very conservative and religious dress and changing their lifestyle is relatively controversial. But then there are parts of Scotland (the whitest part of the UK) where catholics marrying protestants is frowned upon.
by Anonymous | reply 194 | February 21, 2021 7:52 AM
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[quote]Presenting Full English Breakfast! I ask you is there anything more nauseous producing than confronted with a plate of beans, sausages, ham, eggs, tomatoes and God only knows what else first thing in morning?
When lockdown ends and Britain reopens, my first venture out is going to be my local high street cafe/bar for their deluxe full English - two poached eggs on granary toast, baked beans, sausages, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, hash browns, pass on the black pudding, with a glass of orange juice and a large latte. And lashings of HP sauce.
by Anonymous | reply 195 | February 21, 2021 8:16 AM
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R195 What a pussy. Wetherspoons Large Breakfast and a pint of Kronenbourg at 9am for me.
by Anonymous | reply 196 | February 21, 2021 8:22 AM
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[quote][R195] What a pussy. Wetherspoons Large Breakfast and a pint of Kronenbourg at 9am for me.
The way Wetherspoons treat their staff and the all round general awfulness of Tim Martin means I'm no longer able to eat there. For all the talk about Andrew Neil's new tv station brainwashing people they need to look at the crap Wetherspoons puts out in its customer newsletters on Brexit and lockdown.
It's a shame because they are a well run business with generally pleasant staff and decent food - the Tennessee burger is my go to choice - but I won't give the company my money.
by Anonymous | reply 197 | February 21, 2021 8:26 AM
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By the blood of Jesus! Certainly a blasphemy since the beginning of Christianity.
"Bloody," dumbass chav.
by Anonymous | reply 198 | February 21, 2021 8:36 AM
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[quote]Certainly amongst celebrities it feels like there are more cases of black or mixed race men dating white women, but there are a lot more black or mixed race men in the public eye than black or mixed race women.
R194. I notice you distinguish "black" and "mixed race", does this mean half-black people are not considered black in the UK? Would Obama or Halle Berry be considered black in the UK? And does this only apply to black and white mixes? How do white and Asian mixes (I'm assuming there more of these) identify?
by Anonymous | reply 199 | February 21, 2021 9:07 AM
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[quote][R194]. I notice you distinguish "black" and "mixed race", does this mean half-black people are not considered black in the UK? Would Obama or Halle Berry be considered black in the UK? And does this only apply to black and white mixes? How do white and Asian mixes (I'm assuming there more of these) identify?
Black and mixed race people all come under the BAME umbrella and are both subject to similar levels of racism.
Marvin and Rochelle Humes, both mixed race, started out in pop groups then married and are both now established TV presenters. Rochelle was recently announced as the presenter for a programme about higher rates of death during childbirth for black women. There was some confusion because a black woman called Candice Braithwaite, who has done a huge amount of research and work into maternity services had been expected to present it. I only know about it because their names were trending on Twitter, and there was nothing but vitriol directed at Rochelle from mostly far left black people angry that someone with a "pale face" was stealing a job from a dark skinned black woman.
There was a documentary on last year after the George Floyd BLM protests called The Talk where famous black and mixed race people discussed their first encounters with racism. Rochelle talked about how she was told she wasn't allowed to attend a friend's birthday party when she was 7 simply because she was black, and that led to her trying to scrub her skin clean.
There is push from the left wing that certain groups of people are less discriminated against than others. It started with Jews, it's progressed to Indians, Black African kids are doing better than Black West Indian kids in schools and it looks like mixed race people will be added to the list for not being black enough.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 200 | February 21, 2021 9:28 AM
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[quote] The main eyebrow raising about mixed race marriages is, to be blunt, when a white woman marries a Muslim and converts and changes her lifestyle. Wearing very conservative and religious dress and changing their lifestyle is relatively controversial.
Yes.
My sister is engaged to an Egyptian Muslim she met at University, and his family do not accept the relationship wholeheartedly, because they don’t want their eldest son with Western English-speaking Christian-born woman.
The fact that neither their precious son nor their prospective daughter-in-law believe or practise their assigned religions, or that their son wants to assimilate to Western culture and leave the Muslim Arab world behind makes a whit of difference. His father in particular is set against their union; he wouldn’t speak to or look at my sister when they all attended son’s graduation ceremony. It’s considered an insult that my sister even exists.
We have all counselled my sister for her own safety never to move to Egypt or another Arab country just to be with him, and not to convert, either. That doesn’t come from racial intolerance, just the bitter knowing that women are treated worse than dogs by that culture and we don’t want that for her.
by Anonymous | reply 201 | February 21, 2021 9:40 AM
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If they refer to something happening at "half-six" does that mean three, or thirty minutes before or after six, or what?
by Anonymous | reply 202 | February 21, 2021 9:45 AM
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[quote]If they refer to something happening at "half-six" does that mean three, or thirty minutes before or after six, or what?
Half past 6
6:30
by Anonymous | reply 203 | February 21, 2021 9:52 AM
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R200 You're talking about colorism in the black community which exists everywhere. The person you used clearly looks and identifies as black. Are there well-known personalities that are half white and South Asian? How would they identify? Does mixed-race only mean half black and white?
by Anonymous | reply 204 | February 21, 2021 9:54 AM
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R204, they would be mixed race too.
by Anonymous | reply 205 | February 21, 2021 10:07 AM
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[quote][R200] You're talking about colorism in the black community which exists everywhere. The person you used clearly looks and identifies as black. Are there well-known personalities that are half white and South Asian? How would they identify? Does mixed-race only mean half black and white?
Well known mixed race British Asian people are far less prominent. There's Professor Jonathan Van Tam, hockey player Sam Quek, Marina Wheeler, Alexa Chung, Henry Golding, Max Minghella. I remember having a conversation with someone about Ben Kingsley a few years ago and they were outraged that a Jewish actor had "blacked up" to play Ghandi all those years ago. They had no idea Kingsley had an Indian father, had anglicised his name on the advice of his agent because he could pass as white, and is only perceived to be Jewish because he's played lots of famous Jews.
There is a perception that West Indian and African communities integrated more widely than communities from India and Pakistan. Sport, acting and music have played a huge part with making Black Britons more visible than British Indians/Pakistanis.
by Anonymous | reply 206 | February 21, 2021 10:17 AM
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Really interesting questions. I'm not surprised that the issue of race is a reoccurring topic, but I am surprised that it's dominated this thread so far.
I currently live in a city which has a black majority. It's uncommon in the UK that respect. Whilst right-wing groups attempt to sow seeds of racial division, the city, on the whole, gets on with life harmoniously. I live in a suburb, where Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people move out to larger houses, from the Victorian terraced homes they grew up in. It is a majority white area and I have never heard any racial tensions in my community.
by Anonymous | reply 207 | February 21, 2021 10:28 AM
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[quote]I currently live in a city which has a black majority.
That's impossible. Which city in the UK has a black majority?
by Anonymous | reply 208 | February 21, 2021 10:32 AM
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I've noticed that the type of interracial couples also depends on the class. I know of extremely few working class South or East Asians partnered with someone of a different race. A majority of the working class interracial couples seem to be black/white with most of them being a black guy with a white woman.
In middle and upper middle class circles, white/Asian couples seem more common, especially among the academic types.
by Anonymous | reply 209 | February 21, 2021 10:33 AM
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[quote] There is a perception that West Indian and African communities integrated more widely than communities from India and Pakistan. Sport, acting and music have played a huge part with making Black Britons more visible than British Indians/Pakistanis.
But the professional sectors and academia are the exact opposite with Asians (East and South) far outnumbering black people. Of course the Grauniad immediately blames Asians and claims that they face less discrimination than Caribbean Brits. Most hospitals have a large number of Asian doctors, but if you watch any Brit TV show you'd think half the medical staff is Afro-Caribbean.
by Anonymous | reply 210 | February 21, 2021 10:36 AM
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Half-six, seven, five, etc... mean half past hour in UK.
Americans would say 6:30, 5:30, etc....
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 211 | February 21, 2021 10:37 AM
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^^^ Any American would understand half past six to mean 6:30, but half six is ambiguous unless one is familiar with that convention. Now that I know I’ll stop being confused about it. Half six might have meant half past six, but it also might have meant half way to six (from five).
by Anonymous | reply 212 | February 21, 2021 10:47 AM
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Actor Geoffrey Streatfeild was married to Nikki Amuka-Bird for several years, but it didn't last....
by Anonymous | reply 214 | February 21, 2021 11:02 AM
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Getting back to the law courts, what I understood from watching Silk is that the clerk (Billy) controlled everything. He ran the chambers (practice) although he didn’t own it and a good clerk is very well paid. He was the one out there drumming up business, bringing in cases and he had connections everywhere.
Re barristers being obligated to take a case if it was presented to them, I remember on the show it was kind of a dance. He would dangle a few cases in front of them or promise to “save” them a case or if he was angry at them, he’d give them a dog of a case. (It’s been a long time since I watched it so I don’t remember it very clearly)
The really weird part to me was that you could have two barristers, with offices right next to each other, on the same case. One prosecuting and the other defending. That would never happen in the US. Even if the cases were years apart and the law firm had hundreds of partners and covered five floors of a skyscraper, it would be a conflict of interest.
There was another program with Martin Shaw as a QC judge. He seemed to move around the country and judge in different courtrooms because he sometimes stayed in nice guest houses (?) with the other people involved in the case. As a judge he questioned witnesses directly a lot.
It’s so easy for Americans to think that British life is similar to US life just because we speak the same language but in reality, the educational and judicial systems are wildly different.
The question a
by Anonymous | reply 215 | February 21, 2021 11:19 AM
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Nah, R193, British food was still pretty abominable when I was there in the early 1980s, and you were well past rationing then. But it's seen a revolution since. The US, not so much.
by Anonymous | reply 216 | February 21, 2021 11:32 AM
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[quote] Leicester
R213 Your link says the black population of Leicester is 6.24%. Hardly a majority.
by Anonymous | reply 217 | February 21, 2021 11:34 AM
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[quote][R213] Your link says the black population of Leicester is 6.24%. Hardly a majority.
Maybe "Majority Black" means "Majority non white" in this context?!
50.5% of Leicester where white in the 2011 Census, I'm sure it will be lower in this year's.
Poor Leicester East though, represented in Parliament by the crooked Keith Vaz for four decades and now the crank Claudia Webbe. If she's found guilty at her upcoming criminal trial I'm sure there'll be a recall petition to kick her out.
by Anonymous | reply 218 | February 21, 2021 11:50 AM
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R217 Apologies. I should have been clearer. The British white population is in the minority in the city.
by Anonymous | reply 219 | February 21, 2021 12:11 PM
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HA HA! @ R44 I'm so programmed by media that I immediately saw "racial slur" not " rascal, sir"
by Anonymous | reply 220 | February 21, 2021 12:18 PM
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HA HA! @ [R45] I'm so programmed by media that I immediately saw "racial slur" not " rascal, sir"
by Anonymous | reply 221 | February 21, 2021 12:19 PM
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Really interesting that the questions are around race.
I'd expect more about our national sports, our culture, our countryside, our economy, the NHS and our day to day lives.
by Anonymous | reply 223 | February 21, 2021 12:33 PM
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[quote]But the professional sectors and academia are the exact opposite with Asians (East and South) far outnumbering black people.
Nothing remarkable about that. Of course, Asians outnumber black people in professional sectors. The South Asian population is more than double the black. What's interesting is that just 2%-3% dominate the British cultural landscape (especially sports and music) the way the African-Caribbean community does.
I remember watching a panel discussion on the BBC during the England riots of 2011 and by that point, it had been established that the vast majority of rioters and looters were white. Some crusty old bigot had the balls to blame it all on "black youth culture", saying they are prone to violence and tend to glorify lawlessness, as responsible for negatively influencing the mostly law-abiding point. At which point a very offended black panellist shot back with a question: "what does it say about English culture when such a tiny percentage of the population can be blamed for controlling the entire country?" It was so delicious watching that tory fumble for answer.
by Anonymous | reply 224 | February 21, 2021 1:18 PM
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Are basement kitchens common, a la AbFab?
by Anonymous | reply 225 | February 21, 2021 1:25 PM
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[quote]I remember watching a panel discussion on the BBC during the England riots of 2011 and by that point, it had been established that the vast majority of rioters and looters were white. Some crusty old bigot had the balls to blame it all on "black youth culture", saying they are prone to violence and tend to glorify lawlessness, as responsible for negatively influencing the mostly law-abiding point. At which point a very offended black panellist shot back with a question: "what does it say about English culture when such a tiny percentage of the population can be blamed for controlling the entire country?" It was so delicious watching that tory fumble for answer.
Was it David Starkey? The racism that pours out of his mouth is astonishing.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 226 | February 21, 2021 2:17 PM
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Why is Catherine referred to as "Kate Middleton" in the press? Isn't she a Windsor now? Or at least a Windsor-Middleton?
by Anonymous | reply 227 | February 21, 2021 2:30 PM
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I'm going to visit London after the pandemic. When I see people have their tea I rarely see the beautiful sandwiches and desserts touched outside of the biscuits (I think you call them scones).
Are people actually meant to eat the wonderful food displayed or would I look like a fat American whore?
Is there an order to what I eat first? I refuse to watch that YouTube vide with that androgynous etiquette queen and her all white room that DL was gassing up a few weeks ago.
Would a nice high tea establishment get upset if I make a reservation for one? I'm not sure if having tea alone is done but I think this may end up as a solo trip.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 228 | February 21, 2021 2:33 PM
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Adding to r227 why is it not "Cate" instead of "Kate" where the hell did they pick up that random K?
by Anonymous | reply 229 | February 21, 2021 2:34 PM
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Are basement kitchens common, a la AbFab?
Not really as most houses don't have basements.
by Anonymous | reply 230 | February 21, 2021 2:35 PM
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[quote]Why is Catherine referred to as "Kate Middleton" in the press? Isn't she a Windsor now? Or at least a Windsor-Middleton?
Diana was often referred to as Diana Spencer or Lady Di throughout the 80s, and Fergie was often Sarah Ferguson rather than Duchess Of York. If someone said "Countess of Wessex" to me I'd have to think who they meant but with Sophie Rhys Jones I know it's Edward's wife immediately.
by Anonymous | reply 231 | February 21, 2021 2:36 PM
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Why is Catherine referred to as "Kate Middleton" in the press? Isn't she a Windsor now? Or at least a Windsor-Middleton?
Just like Meghan Markle is referred to by her maiden name?
by Anonymous | reply 232 | February 21, 2021 2:36 PM
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R228 British people don't have 'Afternoon Tea' anymore. It's purely for tourists who want to pretend they're in Downton Abbey.
by Anonymous | reply 233 | February 21, 2021 2:37 PM
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Damn r233 so I will look like an idiot being taken for a ride. Well, we do have high tea joints in the States but truth be told I'm more interested in the food over the actual tea. My favorite tea flavor is mint, lol. I'm sure that's probably look down on or something. I'll chop up my overpriced London tea to just an experience like visiting a fancy restaurant or seeing an uninhabited country estate. A when in Rome attitude....
Back to the matter at hand. Is there an order to what is eaten at high tea or just go at the food as I see fit? Where are my fancy Brits sick of talk about Barrister and race?
by Anonymous | reply 234 | February 21, 2021 2:44 PM
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When naming where you are from, why do Brits always include the county (shire)?
by Anonymous | reply 235 | February 21, 2021 2:49 PM
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Why do you Brits pronounce the SCH in school and schedule differently?
by Anonymous | reply 236 | February 21, 2021 2:49 PM
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I am with the person who worries about getting stains on clean clothes if you wash them in the kitchen.
Plus if you do not have a dryer, you have to take them somewhere else to dry them. Even if you air dry, you would not want wet clothes hanging around the kitchen--they could get stained with all that would go on around them in one of the most used and most high-traffic areas of any home.
by Anonymous | reply 237 | February 21, 2021 2:57 PM
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[quote]We have all counselled my sister for her own safety never to move to Egypt or another Arab country just to be with him, and not to convert, either. That doesn’t come from racial intolerance, just the bitter knowing that women are treated worse than dogs by that culture and we don’t want that for her.
Women can so easily get dickmatized and ruin their whole lives because of it. No dick is worth it.
by Anonymous | reply 238 | February 21, 2021 2:57 PM
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When you say Asian are you referring to Indian/Pakistanis or "Oriental" people?
by Anonymous | reply 239 | February 21, 2021 2:59 PM
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R237 Hundreds of millions of people in Europe with washing machines in their kitchens manage to wash and dry their clothes without getting stains on them. It's not difficult.
by Anonymous | reply 240 | February 21, 2021 3:00 PM
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I am sure they do, R240. But I when I cook stuff spatters. I could not do it. And drying anything in the kitchen would end badly.
by Anonymous | reply 241 | February 21, 2021 3:08 PM
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R234 To be completely honest I couldn't tell you. I've only had afternoon tea once and that was for a foreign colleague's retirement "party". I can't think of any British person I know who goes for Afternoon Tea unless they're entertaining a tourist who wants to try it. I've seen it offered at hotels and restaurants and it just makes me wince. It's the biggest rip-off on the planet and it makes me feel a bit embarrassed to see tourists getting so excited about it.
by Anonymous | reply 242 | February 21, 2021 3:11 PM
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[quote] When naming where you are from, why do Brits always include the county (shire)?
R235 There is often more than one place with the same name. ie. Newport, Gwent and Newport, Isle of Wight. St Neots, Cambridgeshire and St Neot, Cornwall.
Just in the same way you'd differentiate Springfield or Washington or Jefferson.
by Anonymous | reply 243 | February 21, 2021 3:15 PM
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[quote] When you say Asian are you referring to Indian/Pakistanis or "Oriental" people?
South Asian from Pakistan and India, South East Asian from Malaysia, Singapore and China.
by Anonymous | reply 244 | February 21, 2021 3:17 PM
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Why do you Brits pronounce the SCH in school and schedule differently?
We prefer the hard C.
Why do you pronounce route as rowt, when we pronounce it root?
by Anonymous | reply 245 | February 21, 2021 3:20 PM
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R228 Make or buy some sandwiches and some cakes from a nice cake shop and go and have a picnic up at Primrose Hill or Hampstead Heath. It will half the cost and twice as nice.
by Anonymous | reply 246 | February 21, 2021 3:23 PM
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Thank you r246. I hope to visit in early September so hopefully the weather will hold up. If not I may go ahead and do my solo trip for the Afternoon Tea. Just as wasteful as my decision to venture into one of Gordon Ramsey's restaurants for dinner. Though a nice spot to sit, read, and enjoy some deserts and sandwiches sounds lovely!! Can't wait to visit.
by Anonymous | reply 247 | February 21, 2021 3:27 PM
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[quote]Why do you pronounce route as rowt, when we pronounce it root?
Both pronunciations are common in the US.
by Anonymous | reply 248 | February 21, 2021 3:33 PM
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What’s wrong with soggy bottoms?
Some of my best friends are soggy bottoms.
by Anonymous | reply 249 | February 21, 2021 3:33 PM
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What (and why) are "elevenses?"
by Anonymous | reply 250 | February 21, 2021 3:33 PM
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Can you provide us with a list of the important absurd pronunciations that the U keep to themselves to trip up the posers?
by Anonymous | reply 251 | February 21, 2021 3:36 PM
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[quote] When naming where you are from, why do Brits always include the county (shire)?
For the same reasons Americans include the state, I imagine.
by Anonymous | reply 252 | February 21, 2021 3:39 PM
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R 247 Go to Fortnums and treat yourself to some nibbles in the delicatessen or one of the deli's in Soho. Then sit in the sun in Regents or Hyde Park.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 253 | February 21, 2021 4:01 PM
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[quote] What (and why) are "elevenses?"
That's for hobbits.
by Anonymous | reply 254 | February 21, 2021 5:01 PM
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R234, I have to disagree with r233. Afternoon tea is not something people would have every day, but it is a treat that people - admittedly mainly women - enjoy very much as a social gathering with friends or on a date.
No-one really minds the order in which you eat, but I think the correct one is tea selection - sandwiches - pastries - cakes. And a glass of champagne at the end is a nice palate cleanser.
If you decide to indulge while in London, Claridges is probably your best bet. There are cheaper places, but Claridges is the one which seems most like a treat. Book ahead, and dress appropriately: there is no need to wear a suit, but no jeans or trainers! It’s a civilised and surprisingly friendly place.
by Anonymous | reply 255 | February 21, 2021 5:04 PM
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[quote] That's for hobbits.
Hobnobs, surely!
by Anonymous | reply 256 | February 21, 2021 5:16 PM
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Where to buy those cool paisley shirts on the telly presenters?
by Anonymous | reply 257 | February 21, 2021 5:18 PM
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Speaking of tea -- why is dinner called "tea"?
by Anonymous | reply 258 | February 21, 2021 5:25 PM
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[quote] The British seemed to throw the whole load of eggs in the basket marked "Brutalism", which while not ipso facto without merit, is easily the least user-friendly form of Modernism and the most universally loathed - and it is loathed most of all in Britain.
Because of the bombings of WW2, the UK needed a lot of ruined buildings replaced right after the war. Moreover, the change to a socialist government under Clement Atlee in 1946 also meant that there were new buildings built that were experiments in "council housing." So the mid-century was a huge time for building in the UK, and Brutalism was the style then.
Most people who live or work in Brutalist housing loathe it, but architects love its experimentation, and so even though it's fallen out of fashion, they often work to get major Brutalist buildings listed so they cannot be taken down.
by Anonymous | reply 259 | February 21, 2021 5:28 PM
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And why is every dessert called “pudding?”
by Anonymous | reply 260 | February 21, 2021 5:30 PM
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[quote] Why do you pronounce route as rowt, when we pronounce it root?
People in the US Midwest also refer to them as "rowts."
There are multiple pronunciations for many words in the English language depending on location--regional pronunciations vary. Linguists would tell you none is more correct than any other.
by Anonymous | reply 261 | February 21, 2021 5:30 PM
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I worked at a hotel that served afternoon tea.
[quote] I'm going to visit London after the pandemic. When I see people have their tea I rarely see the beautiful sandwiches and desserts touched outside of the biscuits (I think you call them scones). Are people actually meant to eat the wonderful food displayed or would I look like a fat American whore?
Yes, you are meant to eat everything. You paid for it, you should eat it.
[quote] Is there an order to what I eat first?
I would probably eat the scones & sandwiches first (any order between these 2 items). At the end, I'd eat the desserts (cakes).
[quote] Would a nice high tea establishment get upset if I make a reservation for one? I'm not sure if having tea alone is done but I think this may end up as a solo trip.
Probably would not get upset. But who cares? You're traveling and will never see these people again.
by Anonymous | reply 262 | February 21, 2021 5:43 PM
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[quote] Why is Catherine referred to as "Kate Middleton" in the press? Isn't she a Windsor now? Or at least a Windsor-Middleton?
People get used to knowing the wives of the royals by how their name first appears in the press when they're dating the royal prince. For many people it becomes hard to get used to their new titles, so they go back to the first names they knew them by.
Kate Middleton will likely go from being the Duchess of Cambridge to the Princess of Wales to the Queen in the next 25 years--it will be very confusing for a lot of people. So she's mostly just referred to in the press as "Kate."
Incidentally, no one (except maybe a very few members of her birth family) ever calls her "Kate"--the members of the royal family and her friends all call her "Catherine," and that's been true since she first started dating William. But the tabloids needed to shorten her name to fit headlines (which is also why they invented calling Madonna "Madge" and Michael Jackson "Jacko"--although they also liked the cheekiness of it).
Sarah Ferguson's friends before her marriage (which included Diana) all called her "Fergie," which is why the press called her that (they thought it was cute). Her parents hated it as a nickname for her and were very upset that that was how she was known by the public. her family members (both Fergusons and Windsor-Mountbattens) call her "Sarah," and that's how she refers to herself (since she is pretty informal, especially when she comes to the US), but she'll never get rid of "Fergie."
by Anonymous | reply 263 | February 21, 2021 5:44 PM
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R258, dinner is only called tea in areas where lunch is called dinner.
by Anonymous | reply 264 | February 21, 2021 5:47 PM
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[quote]I would probably eat the scones & sandwiches first (any order between these 2 items). At the end, I'd eat the desserts (cakes).
A scone is a dessert!! It certainly counts as afters.
There are two big British debates around scones. The first is whether they are pronounced scone as in Rome or scone as in John. And tben there's the debate about whether you put the cream or the jam on first.
I'm a southerner so I say Scone as in Rome and put the jam on first.
by Anonymous | reply 265 | February 21, 2021 5:48 PM
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R265, I thought of scones being sweet. However, I think scones are not considered desserts or "afters." Hence, I'd eat them first, along with the sandwiches.
Also, scones with clotted or Devonshire cream are about the best things you will get at an afternoon tea. IME, none of the pastries or sandwiches will be as good as the scones & cream. Hence, I'd eat the scones first, along with the sandwiches, before I get too full / stuffed.
This is based on my experience at serving afternoon tea at the hotel.
by Anonymous | reply 266 | February 21, 2021 5:53 PM
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[quote] And why is every dessert called “pudding?”
Because pudding means dessert, and custard means pudding.
by Anonymous | reply 267 | February 21, 2021 6:09 PM
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R186 I fold my bed sheets and put them over a "Clother airer" in the bathroom. When it's dry I fold my airer and hid it against the wall of my bedroom.
You can look up everything about british appliance by checking argos.co.uk . they sell pretty much everything British need, including kettles, a must have for tea. I got one made with white pastic instead of the fancy stainless metal, this way I don't loose bit of skins each time I touch it when it's hot.
by Anonymous | reply 268 | February 21, 2021 6:10 PM
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[quote] Nothing remarkable about that. Of course, Asians outnumber black people in professional sectors. The South Asian population is more than double the black.
Yes, and the representation of those sectors in films or TV doesn't reflect that. You watch an average show about doctors and the cast is more likely to have black doctors than any Asians. Asians are very underrepresented in the media here even when the stories are set in areas or fields where you would expect to see them more than than you would Afro-Caribbeans. Given the percentage of the population black Britons are over-represented in British media.
by Anonymous | reply 269 | February 21, 2021 6:14 PM
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The bafflement over the logistics of washing machine placement is pretty funny. Surely American kitchens have wipeable surfaces which can be wiped clean of debris so that you can put laundry on it?
However, French and German people I have met have been equally confused about it. In both of those countries, the washing machine is generally located in the bathroom.
by Anonymous | reply 270 | February 21, 2021 6:18 PM
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R270 The bathroom????? Don't you get toothpaste on all your clothes??????
by Anonymous | reply 271 | February 21, 2021 6:20 PM
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Thank you, thank you, thank you, r262! I know High Tea may be as foolish as a trip to Disney World, but like you said I'm on a vacation so why not. I appreciate your response.
by Anonymous | reply 272 | February 21, 2021 6:21 PM
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[quote]Yes, and the representation of those sectors in films or TV doesn't reflect that. You watch an average show about doctors and the cast is more likely to have black doctors than any Asians. Asians are very underrepresented in the media here even when the stories are set in areas or fields where you would expect to see them more than than you would Afro-Caribbeans. Given the percentage of the population black Britons are over-represented in British media.
What TV shows do you regularly watch where this racial disparity aggravates you so much?
by Anonymous | reply 273 | February 21, 2021 6:24 PM
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R270 my building is only 3 years old, and the plumbing for the washing machine is in the kitchen, I asked if I could move it to the bathroom, somebody in the neighbours did it but it was complicated.
by Anonymous | reply 274 | February 21, 2021 6:24 PM
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R261 We get our British pronunciation from the French, as in autoroute, I just wondered how it had become rowt, that was all.
by Anonymous | reply 275 | February 21, 2021 6:29 PM
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A lot of modern build flats have an open plan kitchen/diner/lounge living area, where only the bedrooms and bathroom have doors.
Trying to dry clothes in the same area where your cooking smell lingers is not idea.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 276 | February 21, 2021 6:40 PM
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R143
Holland Park! Holland Park! It's not on the outskirts, either. It's not the edge of Holland Park. This is the rich heartland of Holland Park here.
by Anonymous | reply 277 | February 21, 2021 6:41 PM
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[quote] Thank you, thank you, thank you, [R262]! I know High Tea may be as foolish as a trip to Disney World, but like you said I'm on a vacation so why not. I appreciate your response.
You're so welcome, R272. Remember, though, you'll be having afternoon tea. High tea is something different.
by Anonymous | reply 278 | February 21, 2021 6:45 PM
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[quote] High tea is something different.
Soon to be legal in New Jersey!
by Anonymous | reply 279 | February 21, 2021 6:52 PM
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why is your cereal so plain and boring?
by Anonymous | reply 280 | February 21, 2021 6:58 PM
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R280 because we don't need to eat a kilo of sugar and additives for breakfast.
by Anonymous | reply 281 | February 21, 2021 7:03 PM
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[quote] [R237] Hundreds of millions of people in Europe with washing machines in their kitchens manage to wash and dry their clothes without getting stains on them. It's not difficult.
These people are either anal about their kitchens or they have big kitchens.
I have bottles of oil and other things on my counters. I don't always wash my dishes right away. I'm not always sure I clean my counters and counter sides and cannisters and stove and fridge and the hardware perfectly clean. I cook and bake all the time and I would hate to risk my laundry in the same room. And who ARE these people who immediately put their laundry away? I live in the real world. I still have clean laundry from this past week I haven't put away yet. But they're not getting any cooking smells or stains in them. LOL!
These Europeans sound poor. Get a laundry or utility room. At least a closet.
by Anonymous | reply 282 | February 21, 2021 7:05 PM
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Americans in cities (e.g., San Francisco) would feel grateful to have a washer / dryer in or next to the kitchen area. (Because you usually don't get a W/D in your unit or even in your building; you go to the laundromat.)
However, if you grew up in a situation where you have a dedicated laundry room set apart from your kitchen, then I guess it would seem shocking to do your laundry in close proximity to your kitchen.
by Anonymous | reply 284 | February 21, 2021 7:21 PM
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One thing that would completely flummox me: the Aga. People seem to love them but they sound very complicated. Like one-step up from a wood stove.
by Anonymous | reply 285 | February 21, 2021 7:21 PM
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Where do the British normally place the gift wrapping room?
by Anonymous | reply 286 | February 21, 2021 7:23 PM
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R282, no offence, but you make your home sound rather dirty. I’m sure it isn’t, and that you would be able to find a clean surface to place something if you really wanted to.
It’s not difficult. UK washing machines tend to be front loaders, so they can be installed underneath a work surface in line with other appliances, like a freezer or a dishwasher. When the washing cycle finishes, you place a basket/washbowl on the surface above the washing machine, open the door and empty the contents of the machine into the basket, then carry the basket to a different room to hang up the laundry or place it in the drier.
by Anonymous | reply 287 | February 21, 2021 7:25 PM
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Is it true they don't rinse the soap off their dishes?
by Anonymous | reply 288 | February 21, 2021 7:30 PM
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Where the fuck are the paisley shirt answers????!!!!!
by Anonymous | reply 289 | February 21, 2021 7:32 PM
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Washer and driers in the bathroom make more sense.
If it is in the kitchen you have to avoid doing laundry at times you are preparing food. That just feels like it would get old.
by Anonymous | reply 290 | February 21, 2021 7:35 PM
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No, r288, we rinse our dishes like everyone else. However, UK studio stages don’t usually have plumbed-in sets, so you very rarely see running water. If you do, it’s usually some in the pipe which will only be enough to give the illusion of filling a kettle.
by Anonymous | reply 291 | February 21, 2021 7:35 PM
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R289, the Paisley pattern is a Protected Heritage Product, only available from stores located in the town of Paisley (on the outskirts of Glasgow).
by Anonymous | reply 292 | February 21, 2021 7:38 PM
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[quote]Washer and driers in the bathroom make more sense.7
Yes! Putting large electrical devices in bathrooms is a great idea.
by Anonymous | reply 293 | February 21, 2021 7:42 PM
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I'm 1/4 Scot, MacDonald. Gimme some sources!
by Anonymous | reply 294 | February 21, 2021 7:42 PM
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[quote] [R280] because we don't need to eat a kilo of sugar and additives for breakfast.
Right, you just pour two liters of alcohol through your liver.
Choose your toxin.
by Anonymous | reply 295 | February 21, 2021 7:45 PM
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That TV license bill at R170 shows "Licence type: Colour TV Licence." Do they really still have a separate license for non-color TVs? Do they even MAKE non-color TVs?
by Anonymous | reply 296 | February 21, 2021 7:45 PM
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If having a W/D in your kitchen or bathroom area is too much to handle, you've probably never lived in a foreign country or very far from your hometown. There are a lot more culture clashes that are way harder to deal with than the W/D "issue."
by Anonymous | reply 297 | February 21, 2021 7:46 PM
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I know, R293. If a washing machine should fall into a bathtub. Or if you mop near the washer and spill the bucket. The disaster scenarios just pop into your head.
by Anonymous | reply 298 | February 21, 2021 7:47 PM
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I rented a small furnished apartment in a fairly new apartment building in the DC area a few years ago. It had a stackable washer/dryer set in a closet adjacent to the kitchen.
by Anonymous | reply 299 | February 21, 2021 7:48 PM
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I wonder how many UK residents can remember being the subjects of a King. Probably not too many.
by Anonymous | reply 300 | February 21, 2021 7:49 PM
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[quote] I rented a small furnished apartment in a fairly new apartment building in the DC area a few years ago. It had a stackable washer/dryer set in a closet adjacent to the kitchen.
Yes, I've seen that set-up before. Somehow, people survive.
by Anonymous | reply 301 | February 21, 2021 7:52 PM
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Just to say afternoon tea and high tea are different things and probably where the dinner being called tea thing comes from. High tea would have been eaten at a high table and would have been a fairly substantial meal. I have heard an early evening meal still called high tea in some parts of Ireland.
by Anonymous | reply 302 | February 21, 2021 7:58 PM
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[quote]I know, [R293]. If a washing machine should fall into a bathtub. Or if you mop near the washer and spill the bucket. The disaster scenarios just pop into your head.
There are strict building regulations in the UK around having electrical sockets in bathrooms.
I can't remember the science behind it but apparently there's some kind of chemical reaction that means putting metallic electrical appliances in rooms with a lot of steam is not advisable.
by Anonymous | reply 303 | February 21, 2021 8:07 PM
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To be honest, R303, you wouldn't think that needs much of an explanation.
by Anonymous | reply 304 | February 21, 2021 8:09 PM
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I live in Florida and every apartment building I have lived in has had the washer and dryers outdoors. So this squeamishness about having them around moisture seems a bit excessive.
by Anonymous | reply 305 | February 21, 2021 8:14 PM
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R181 Somewhat related, there appears to be a bunch of Brits protesting the current Cadbury's ad. The two guys are a real-life couple, and their lips barely touch. Petition news from just a couple of days ago.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 306 | February 21, 2021 8:15 PM
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I have my tea at 6pm. I eat lunch at 1pm, so tea is usually a light meal. Beans on toast, Spaghetti Bolognese, Soup, or Fish and Chips.
Sometimes I will eat out for dinner around 7:30-8.00pm, but I usually have a lighter meal at lunchtime.
by Anonymous | reply 307 | February 21, 2021 8:43 PM
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Are semi-detached houses the most common kind of homes in the suburban UK? Are they mostly owned or rented? Are they considered very working class? Or are some posher than that? What if you don't get along with your semi-detached neighbor?
by Anonymous | reply 308 | February 21, 2021 8:43 PM
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In Victorian and Edwardian novels, what is meant when they say someone has been given an income (not earned) of a particular amount of money every year? It sounds like it's from an inheritance yet it's seems like it's being doled out, like an allowance, every year. Who controls the money? A bank as per a will? In novels, it seems like this could be for very wealthy people down to the middle classes.
by Anonymous | reply 309 | February 21, 2021 8:47 PM
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[quote] Are semi-detached houses the most common kind of homes in the suburban UK? Are they mostly owned or rented? Are they considered very working class? Or are some posher than that? What if you don't get along with your semi-detached neighbor?
Generally they are, although ranges of both detached, and terraced housing are equally common. It's just dependent on how old the houses are in an area and what the local councils permit in order to meet the density of housing on a particular new development.
A large number of properties are owned. With increasing house prices, particularly in the South East of England and popular rural areas becoming unaffordable, renting is more common.
A semi-detached house in the South East of England can cost a significant amount of money. Neighbour disputes do happen and both the council and the courts would intervene if these were issues of noise or land encroachment.
by Anonymous | reply 310 | February 21, 2021 8:56 PM
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[quote] In Victorian and Edwardian novels, what is meant when they say someone has been given an income (not earned) of a particular amount of money every year? It sounds like it's from an inheritance yet it's seems like it's being doled out, like an allowance, every year. Who controls the money? A bank as per a will? In novels, it seems like this could be for very wealthy people down to the middle classes.
I think they mean an income derived from money held in trust. That could be a large sum held at a bank, where the person lives off the interest, or rent from property, or dividends from a shareholding.
by Anonymous | reply 311 | February 21, 2021 8:58 PM
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[quote] I have my tea at 6pm. I eat lunch at 1pm, so tea is usually a light meal. Beans on toast, Spaghetti Bolognese . . .
Spaghetti Bolognese? Light? One of my favorite meals ever but I'd never consider it light.
Smart to eat lighter int he evening. I wish I did.
by Anonymous | reply 312 | February 21, 2021 8:59 PM
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[quote] I have my tea at 6pm. I eat lunch at 1pm, so tea is usually a light meal. Beans on toast, Spaghetti Bolognese, Soup, or Fish and Chips.
R307, do you say "spag Bol"? Actually, aside from soup, not of that sounds "light."
by Anonymous | reply 313 | February 21, 2021 9:01 PM
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[quote] It had a stackable washer/dryer set in a closet adjacent to the kitchen.
That makes sense. But it's not in the kitchen and it's behind a door.
by Anonymous | reply 314 | February 21, 2021 9:01 PM
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[quite] do you say "spag Bol"? Actually, aside from soup, not of that sounds "light."
Yes, I say Spag Bol!
Beans on toast is pretty light. It just depends on the time of year too. Sometimes I'll have cooked meat with salad in the summer. If it's winter time I might have a microwave ready meal. Just depends how hungry I am.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 315 | February 21, 2021 9:07 PM
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There's a YouTube channel called 'Whats for Tea' that has a number of recipes.
There's a link to a video showing you a typical range of meals that one lady serves her family for tea.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 316 | February 21, 2021 9:11 PM
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So do you really all go get drunk, then after the bars close, head over to nearest kebab shop, so you know what you'll be sick on in the morning?
by Anonymous | reply 317 | February 21, 2021 9:13 PM
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[quote] So do you really all go get drunk, then after the bars close, head over to nearest kebab shop, so you know what you'll be sick on in the morning?
Not everyone, but many do. I've finished up at the Market Diner in Brighton at 4am and have enjoyed a Gutbuster Breakfast after clubbing.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 318 | February 21, 2021 9:18 PM
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What's better - the Tennessee burger or the Gutbuster Breakfast?
by Anonymous | reply 319 | February 21, 2021 9:20 PM
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Gutbuster. Lines the stomach after consuming 12 pints. 🤣
by Anonymous | reply 320 | February 21, 2021 9:22 PM
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Do any Brits pronounce scone like "skoon" as in "Stone of Scone"?
by Anonymous | reply 321 | February 21, 2021 9:59 PM
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R321 In Scotland they might.
The humble Scone is the source of much trouble. Pronunciation first of all. The heated debate of whether to pronounce it a Scon or a Scune.
Once that's out of the way, then it's the perennial question of which goes first, jam or cream in it. Cornish Cream Tea or Devon Cream Tea is a hotly debated subject in the south west.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 322 | February 21, 2021 10:08 PM
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When did coin-operated heating devices go out of fashion? Or are they still being used somewhere in the UK? How was the money collected and how often?
by Anonymous | reply 323 | February 21, 2021 11:10 PM
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Did most of the pubs in England originally have rooms above to rent for the night? Do many of them still have that feature , at least those outside of London?
by Anonymous | reply 324 | February 21, 2021 11:13 PM
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Do you all ever worry about mold from the carpets in the bathrooms?
by Anonymous | reply 325 | February 21, 2021 11:41 PM
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I'm curious about what a British concept of a "Tennessee burger" (something that doesn't exist on our side of the pond) is. Does it have Jack Daniel's on it? Memphis barbecue sauce?
by Anonymous | reply 326 | February 22, 2021 12:05 AM
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What exactly is "semi-detached"? Something has to be either attached or not attached-- right? Does semi-detached mean "hanging by a thread?"
I live in a townhouse in California -- there are five two-story ATTACHED units in my row. I have an end unit, and even though I only have one common wall, it's still attached.
I used to live in a townhouse in Virginia -- same thing (except they were three-story with a basement.)
by Anonymous | reply 327 | February 22, 2021 12:06 AM
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[quote] I'm curious about what a British concept of a "Tennessee burger" (something that doesn't exist on our side of the pond) is. Does it have Jack Daniel's on it? Memphis barbecue sauce?
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 328 | February 22, 2021 12:09 AM
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[quote] What exactly is "semi-detached"?
Sharing a common wall only on one side rather than two. Terraced has common walls on both sides.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 329 | February 22, 2021 12:10 AM
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Do American accents make any of you horny the way British accents can turn people on in the states?
Also, what's with this love affair I keep hearing from Europeans with Texas. It's so random but a lot of people seem to throw Texas into their tentative plans for trips to America. I don't know how many stop off in Texas but it seems to be more and more popular as a place of passing interests with Europeans. Any thoughts?
by Anonymous | reply 330 | February 22, 2021 12:53 AM
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[quote]Sharing a common wall only on one side rather than two. Terraced has common walls on both sides.
So a duplex would be semi-detached, as would an end unit in a row of townhouses?
by Anonymous | reply 332 | February 22, 2021 1:19 AM
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[quote] When did coin-operated heating devices go out of fashion? Or are they still being used somewhere in the UK? How was the money collected and how often?
Electricity and gas prepayment meters with a rechargeable key instead of a money slot, have been pretty standard for a number of years here. You take the key to a corner shop or garage, pay however much you want to charge the key up and then insert the key into the meter to charge it up.
I'm not sure if any of the old fashioned ones where you insert a coin are around still in say holiday rental properties. There may be, but I haven't seen one in over 30 years. The utility company would send a guy around periodically to empty the meter.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 333 | February 22, 2021 5:20 AM
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[quote] Did most of the pubs in England originally have rooms above to rent for the night? Do many of them still have that feature , at least those outside of London?
The origin of the pub goes back to Roman times in the 1st century AD. We get the word tavern from that time. A tavern generally just offers drink and food but not accomodation.
Inns established themselves after the Romans built there roads for travellers to spend the night before moving on. Some are very old. Most offered not only a bed for the night but stabling for horses and coaches. Some developed into hotels, hence the origin of Holiday Inn.
In the 19th century Britain and France were were at war with each other, the government wished to see brandy imports restricted. So gin became more readily available, to such an extent that the government decided to then restrict gin sales, by licensing ale houses. These were small pubs just serving beers. These grew very quickly outnumbering the existing taverns and inns, essentially creating the pubs we know today, that don't have accomodation for travellers.
Nowadays, most modern hotels have a bar, so although there are inns still operating, they tend to be in rural locations.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 334 | February 22, 2021 5:43 AM
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[quote] Do you all ever worry about mold from the carpets in the bathrooms?
No because the Building Regulations mandate the ventilation required for bathrooms in particular. Floor tiling and laminated flooring is often present in bathrooms instead of carpet.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 335 | February 22, 2021 5:50 AM
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[quote] What exactly is "semi-detached"?
A house with 1 connecting wall.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 336 | February 22, 2021 5:53 AM
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[quote] Do American accents make any of you horny the way British accents can turn people on in the states?
It's individual personal preference. Like the UK, you have many, many accents, so it's hard to answer that question. "You like that big cock, doncha?" Can and cannot be a turn on. I guess if we heard a Brummie (someone from from Birmingham, England, ie Dame Julie Walters) say that, we'd probably laugh our socks off as they have a strong accent here.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 337 | February 22, 2021 6:01 AM
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[quote] Also, what's with this love affair I keep hearing from Europeans with Texas. It's so random but a lot of people seem to throw Texas into their tentative plans for trips to America. I don't know how many stop off in Texas but it seems to be more and more popular as a place of passing interests with Europeans. Any thoughts?
No idea on this one. 4.5m Brits visit the US each year I would have thought that New York City, Florida, California, New Orleans, New England in the Fall and Las Vegas were hot spots for British tourists rather than Texas, but who knows?
by Anonymous | reply 338 | February 22, 2021 6:07 AM
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I haven't seen a carpeted bathroom in decades.
by Anonymous | reply 339 | February 22, 2021 6:08 AM
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Maybe there’s a fascination with Texas, the size of the state, the western gear, southern accents, even JR Ewing.
by Anonymous | reply 340 | February 22, 2021 6:22 AM
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R318 Britain sounds very violent. Do you club each other often?
by Anonymous | reply 341 | February 22, 2021 6:43 AM
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R340 Or people who work in the oil industry, combining a business trip with a leisure break?
by Anonymous | reply 342 | February 22, 2021 6:47 AM
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[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 343 | February 22, 2021 6:48 AM
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Britain sounds very violent. Do you club each other often?
R341 We didn't have the biggest Empire that the world has ever seen by being nice to people. The Brits love a good fight, be it verbal or physical. A typical High Street on a Saturday night after the pubs have shut is a sight to behold. Young lads, with a few pints in them, scrapping over some girl has a primitive nature to it.
by Anonymous | reply 344 | February 22, 2021 6:51 AM
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R343 We enjoy nothing more than exploring the majesty and grandeur of foreign lands. Soaking up their culture and cuisine.
Sod it! We just go on holiday and get pissed up!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 345 | February 22, 2021 6:57 AM
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they are shit at fighting, the scene in Bridget Jones's diary is a good example, except maybe for the window smashing , that's a bit over the top. And there is usually more alcool involve.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 346 | February 22, 2021 7:02 AM
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This is one of the most iconic photos of a city centre when the pubs have closed.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 347 | February 22, 2021 8:20 AM
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Love the guy on the left R347 still with his pint, unspoiled, to hand!
by Anonymous | reply 348 | February 22, 2021 8:36 AM
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The man with the pint became a bit of a meme
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 349 | February 22, 2021 9:00 AM
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R349 Haha! I've not seen that before.
Brilliant!
by Anonymous | reply 350 | February 22, 2021 9:14 AM
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[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 351 | February 22, 2021 10:40 AM
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R332 the end house in a row of terraced houses would be called 'end-of-terrace'.
I suppose technically it isn't really different from semi-detached, but would never be described as semi-detached.
by Anonymous | reply 352 | February 22, 2021 11:10 AM
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[quote]Was it David Starkey? The racism that pours out of his mouth is astonishing.
Yes, that's exactly him, r226. He showed up on several panel shows spewing that same garbage. The one I watched, he was confronted by a British writer of Jamaican descent.
by Anonymous | reply 353 | February 22, 2021 11:10 AM
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R322 no one calls them 'Scunes' it's either 'SCON' or 'SCOWN' (rhymes with OWN not GOWN)
by Anonymous | reply 354 | February 22, 2021 11:13 AM
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R308 said: [quote] Are semi-detached houses the most common kind of homes in the suburban UK? Are they mostly owned or rented? Are they considered very working class? Or are some posher than that? What if you don't get along with your semi-detached neighbor?
Not sure if semi-detached or terraced is more common to be honest - generally the housing hierarchy goes terrace > end-of-terrace > semi-detached > detached (that is very general because obviously you could have a shitty detached house that is much worse than a fantastic semi).
There's also bungalows (single story) which are usually detached and they usually also have a fairly large plot due to being all one level so tend to be more expensive than a semi.
I think it's about a 2/3 owned to rented split according to something from gov.uk I just Googled. Definitely home ownership is still one of the pinnacles of UK aspiration, so there is always a lot of news about millennials and younger generations not being able to afford to get onto the housing ladder at all because house prices are too high and rent is high too meaning they can't save for a deposit the poor dears (I'm being cunty here really, it is a big problem).
Working class people are probably more likely to live in a terrace or renting than owning a semi, as the average UK house price is about £235k (that's actually way way cheaper than my area) and a working class salary would probably be under 20k a year so without substantial savings for a hefty deposit, working class people are not likely to be able to afford to buy a semi. They are probably more likely to be in council housing.
If you don't get along with your semi-detached neighbour there's not really anything you can do unless they are actively breaking the law/harassing you etc. A lot of people have fence disputes! Often in a semi-detached you will share a fence in your back garden with the house you are attached to and the house next to you that you are not attached to - I think the responsibility for the upkeep of the fence is based on if it's on the right side of your garden, it's your responsibility.
by Anonymous | reply 355 | February 22, 2021 11:23 AM
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R354 doesn't get to Scotland very often.
by Anonymous | reply 356 | February 22, 2021 11:23 AM
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[quote]Given the percentage of the population black Britons are over-represented in British media.
Many of these shows are set in metropolitan areas with large minority populations. As for sport, you have to ask the Premier League why they don't have a single Asian player in their teams.
by Anonymous | reply 357 | February 22, 2021 11:26 AM
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R356 - I've been about 4 times, and had a Scottish grandparent, and never heard it said like that, but if that's how Scottish people say it then perhaps that should have been clarified. It's never said like that in anywhere else in the UK to my knowledge.
by Anonymous | reply 358 | February 22, 2021 12:13 PM
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Are "public" schools what we in the US would call private schools (high fees are involved)? What are schools in the UK called that are free to the country's population?
And can anyone give us a brief explanation of A levels and O levels?
by Anonymous | reply 360 | February 22, 2021 12:32 PM
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I don’t think they would call the last unit in a row of townhouses semi-detached. I think it would just be described as the end unit of a terrace.
by Anonymous | reply 361 | February 22, 2021 12:35 PM
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[quote]Are "public" schools what we in the US would call private schools (high fees are involved)? What are schools in the UK called that are free to the country's population? And can anyone give us a brief explanation of A levels and O levels?
State schools/comprehensives/academies are free to attend and attendance is based on where you live, known as the catchment area. Houses in certain catchment areas can be significantly higher in value than other areas, depending how highly the school is rated. A small number of areas have grammar schools, which take academically gifted children with the rest going to an ordinary school.
No one really used the term public school in Britain - private or fee paying schools.
O levels haven't existed for around 30 or so years - children take GCSEs in around 10 subjects when they are 16 and if they choose to continue in school they take A Levels at 18. University admission is often based on A level grades. Some schools are offering an alternative to A Levels, a more modular based approach rather than exam based.
by Anonymous | reply 362 | February 22, 2021 12:39 PM
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R360, taxpayer-funded schools are state schools.
Schools which parents pay to send their kids to are traditionally called public schools. If you used the term “private education”, people would assume you were talking about education at a public school.
by Anonymous | reply 363 | February 22, 2021 12:40 PM
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That's interesting, r363, as public schools mean exactly the opposite in the US. Public schools here are free to the public.
by Anonymous | reply 364 | February 22, 2021 1:03 PM
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Why do British Aristocrats cling so tenaciously to their titles?
Perhaps titles should have phased out after World War One.
by Anonymous | reply 365 | February 22, 2021 1:30 PM
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R365, I suppose the titles are retained because they are an inheritance from your family. If you inherit the title given to your great-great-great-grandfather, it might seem sad to be the one to stop that tradition. However, it is actually possible to renounce your titles. Several politicians (both leftwing and rightwing) and have renounced their inherited peerages in order to continue their political careers in the House of Commons.
Phasing out aristocratic titles after WW1 may well have had unpleasant connotations for the Royal Family, which worked hard to maintain popularity at the time when crowned heads were rolling across Europe!
by Anonymous | reply 366 | February 22, 2021 1:37 PM
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Why do British Aristocrats cling so tenaciously to their titles?
Perhaps titles should have phased out after World War One.
They are hereditary. So whilst it's possible to disclaim a peerage, someone else in the family then is able to claim it.
So imagine R385 that you're my son. I disclaim my peerage as Earl of Ambridge. I am then free to be elected an MP for Borsetshire as Mr Ambridge. Now when I die, you inherit the title and you become the Earl of Ambridge, and so it goes on.
by Anonymous | reply 367 | February 22, 2021 1:39 PM
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R385 You have to remember that some of the titles of peers go back many centuries.
The Duke of Norfolk is one of the oldest,. Stretching back to 1397.
Britain is still a hereditary monarchy. If we had done away with hereditary lords and ladies in 1917, then the arguement could be made, Why stop there? And go the whole hog and abolish the hereditary monarch.
by Anonymous | reply 368 | February 22, 2021 1:44 PM
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Do people look down on those from the north?
by Anonymous | reply 369 | February 22, 2021 2:07 PM
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If I remember correctly there were only something like five private schools in Britain which were classed as public back in the day. I think it has changed now. They were Elton, Harrow, Rugby and a couple of others. I think Dulwich college might have been one of the others. They were called public as pupils could attend from anywhere in the country so long as the parents could pay the fees and had a good enough social standing. I suspect some of the sons of those who acquired wealth through industry might not have been terribly welcome.
by Anonymous | reply 370 | February 22, 2021 2:28 PM
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[quote]That's interesting, [R363], as public schools mean exactly the opposite in the US. Public schools here are free to the public.
It's rare you'll find people using the term "public school" in Britain. When the far left campaign group Momentum was campaigning to abolish non-state education their campaign group was called "Labour Against Private Schools" and they used the hashtag #abolisheton.
It's funny because well known millionaire socialist Charlotte Church set up a private school in her house for very unique talented children who are too unique and talented to be educated in the state system alongside average normal unremarkable children.
This explainer might be helpful
[quote]Independent schools and private schools: These terms tend to be interchangeable for schools which aren't state-funded. All schools that are not funded by the state but by tuition fees, gifts and endowments
[quote]Public schools: Historically the most exclusive – and expensive – of boys’ private (mainly boarding) schools. But the term is used with greater flexibility these days.
[quote]Boarding schools: Schools with facilities for pupils to have a home from home on a termly, weekly or flexible basis, often with superb facilities and a multitude of extracurricular activities. These days, most accept a proportion of day pupils who can benefit from everything on offer but go home to sleep in their own beds.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 371 | February 22, 2021 2:30 PM
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R370 here. It was nine public schools and Dulwich wasn’t one of them.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 372 | February 22, 2021 2:31 PM
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R267 Hereditary peers have been permitted to stand for election to the Commons since they were removed from the Lords in 1999.
by Anonymous | reply 373 | February 22, 2021 2:49 PM
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"Public school" may not be a term used much in the UK today, but it's a term littered throughout Victorian, Edwardian and post-WWI British literature . I think it was even commonly used well into the mid-20th century.
by Anonymous | reply 374 | February 22, 2021 2:53 PM
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Thanks for the update R373
by Anonymous | reply 375 | February 22, 2021 3:05 PM
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[quote] Do people look down on those from the north?
I don't. There is a lot of debate about 'levelling up' the country, given that large areas of northern towns were formerly manufacturing and mining areas. There is a perception that infrastructure investment goes to London and the South East where there is growth. An example of that would be trains. The north have trains that are essentially buses in wheels. They are not compliant with access for disabled persons. Whereas in the south new trains and carriages run in the tracks.
East to West connections across the Pennine Hills which go up the centre of England are slow. There is a perception of being left behind. Political pressure on the Conservative government to level up the economy, comes from many of those industrial areas voting Conservative at the last election. Some of these areas have voted Labour for many, many, many years.
So no. I don't look down on the north. The people, countryside, cities and food up there is second to none.
by Anonymous | reply 376 | February 22, 2021 3:13 PM
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Whatever happened to that poster who went by the handle Angry Young Brit?
by Anonymous | reply 377 | February 22, 2021 3:37 PM
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Britain is characterised by a number of semi-serious, mostly good-natured rivalries. Scotland versus England. Soft Southern England versus Blunt Northerners (i.e. north of England), London versus the English provinces. The posh Home Counties against everywhere else. Teuchters (Scottish highlanders) versus the (Scottish) Lowlanders. Glasgow versus Edinburgh (even though they are only 50 miles apart).
These tend to be based on nothing more than slight perceived class/cultural differences, with the exception of the Scotland/England spats which has become more acute over the past decade as Scottish independence becomes a bigger issue. Many feel aggrieved (as many in the North of England do) about the comparative lack of opportunities and economic investment in those areas, especially given the oil boom from oil in the North Sea off the Scottish coast. On the other hand many in England feel aggrieved that government spending in Scotland is higher per capita. The truth of this economic issue would only become apparent if Scotland becomes independent, I think.
by Anonymous | reply 378 | February 22, 2021 3:45 PM
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[quote]Do people look down on those from the north?
The worst kind of people who look down on the north are the left wingers who come from money and privilege who think working class people need to be saved from their humdrum lives. The way that the Labour Party fetishises the mining communities is ridiculous. So much of Labour's focus was on student debt and house prices in London they don't realise that in a lot of "the north" you can get a job in a non academic profession and have a decent quality of life. It's mainly Oxford private school poshos who are obsessed with a class struggle.
All regions of the country have poverty and deprivation, and you'll often find it in the heart of big cities, often in the shadows of the most affluent areas - Grenfell Tower is the best example of this. In Wales there's a feeling that Cardiff and the south gets all the investment and the north and west of Wales is ignored. In Scotland there's resentment that Edinburgh and Glasgow get the investment and the other areas are just left to get on with it.
by Anonymous | reply 379 | February 22, 2021 3:49 PM
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In the United States the term Independent Schools is used for private schools almost exclusively within those environments, but outside them, especially in the press and government, they are referenced as “private schools” and it is still used with an heir of elitism.
by Anonymous | reply 380 | February 22, 2021 4:11 PM
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Do these titles every seem plain silly to you?
Dame Maggie Smith.
Sir Elton John.
To an American, they seem like honorary Ph.D.s given to high school graduates.
by Anonymous | reply 381 | February 22, 2021 5:07 PM
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Do these titles every seem plain silly to you?
Dame Maggie Smith.
Sir Elton John.
Erm...not really silly, because they're given to people who have achieved greatness in their field. I think it's sweet that is done.
by Anonymous | reply 382 | February 22, 2021 5:22 PM
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[quote] Erm...not really silly, because they're given to people who have achieved greatness in their field. I think it's sweet that is done.
What about actually having to call someone "Sir Elton John," etc. Does that seem silly?
by Anonymous | reply 383 | February 22, 2021 5:32 PM
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I’m surprised that the title’s not attached only to their real name, not one made up.
by Anonymous | reply 384 | February 22, 2021 5:36 PM
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In America, R382, it is people who have achieved greatness in their field who get honorary PhDs.
But unless they are Maya Angelou, you usually do not have to call them by any silly title.
by Anonymous | reply 385 | February 22, 2021 6:11 PM
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Why (at least in TV series set in the past) are physician's offices called "surgeries?" And why are surgeons not called "Dr.," but rather "Mr." (or "Ms.")?
And why do you use the metric system for many things (liters, meters, grams), but still use miles, stone, and other archaic measurement systems (like we idiots on the other side of the pond use for everything)?
by Anonymous | reply 386 | February 22, 2021 7:58 PM
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[quote] And why are surgeons not called "Dr.," but rather "Mr." (or "Ms.")?
I'm guessing it's because being a doctor was or is middle-class in England. In the U.S., physicians (M.D.s) are held in much higher regard, so, you call them "Dr. _____."
by Anonymous | reply 387 | February 22, 2021 8:03 PM
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What part of England is roughly equivalent to the American South? The South West/Dorset?
by Anonymous | reply 388 | February 22, 2021 8:04 PM
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[quote]Why (at least in TV series set in the past) are physician's offices called "surgeries?" And why are surgeons not called "Dr.," but rather "Mr." (or "Ms.")?
If you cut into patients, i.e. operate on them, then you progress from being Dr to Mr or Mrs.
As for the name of surgeries, members of Parliament also hold surgeries. You go along, sit down and wait to be seen.
by Anonymous | reply 389 | February 22, 2021 8:05 PM
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The Assurance instead of Insurance confused me.
by Anonymous | reply 390 | February 22, 2021 8:10 PM
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[quote]As for the name of surgeries, members of Parliament also hold surgeries. You go along, sit down and wait to be seen.
Btw the way the NHS works is that unless you have an emergency you will make an appointment at your local surgery/health centre to discuss it with your general practitioner (GP). This is called Primary Care and they can prescribe medication or if required refer you on to a hospital for a specialist department which will be Secondary Care.
Most hospitals will provide a range of secondary care services but in some big cities you might have different hospitals covering different specialities, e.g, dermatology in the north of the city, cardiac services in the east, orthopaedics in the south and neurosurgery in the west. A lot of people gripe about having to travel for care but are ultimately grateful. Over the last 10 years there has been a real political problem in North Wales where there are no big cities and no obvious place to run a specialist unit with highly trained staff, so mothers and babies are sent over the border into England to Liverpool hospitals.
Tertiary care, the most highly specialist care is located in the big cities. Great Ormond Street Hospital in London is a highly specialist tertiary service for children.
by Anonymous | reply 392 | February 22, 2021 8:21 PM
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Is consciousness of class and class distinctions really that important in your culture?
by Anonymous | reply 393 | February 22, 2021 8:30 PM
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R393 I don't think it is too much these days. Just like any culture, we have markers that will show where we come from or how well educated we are, but it's nothing like as bad as people seem to think it is. I genuinely think Americans are more obsessed with our aristocracy than any Brit, for example.
by Anonymous | reply 394 | February 22, 2021 8:42 PM
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Don't equate the obsession displayed about the aristocracy on DL compared to the real US; very few people in the United States care anything about it.
by Anonymous | reply 395 | February 22, 2021 8:51 PM
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Are most British people alcoholics by other countries' standard?
by Anonymous | reply 396 | February 22, 2021 8:57 PM
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Why is there no British cuisine that is known / loved worldwide?
by Anonymous | reply 397 | February 22, 2021 9:07 PM
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Are most British people alcoholics by other countries' standard?
We're 25th, behind the French and Australians.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 399 | February 22, 2021 9:21 PM
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Why is there no British cuisine that is known / loved worldwide?
Ask the French what they call is Brits.
by Anonymous | reply 400 | February 22, 2021 9:21 PM
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R397 The sandwich perhaps?
by Anonymous | reply 401 | February 22, 2021 9:22 PM
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The British invented biscuits, pies, crisps and chocolate bars.
WE INVENTED JUNK FOOD!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 402 | February 22, 2021 9:22 PM
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What part of England is roughly equivalent to the American South? The South West/Dorset?
Norfolk.
by Anonymous | reply 403 | February 22, 2021 9:23 PM
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The information about types of schools is not correct.
The UK has three different categories of school: State, Private, and Public.
State schools are free (what America calls “public schools”).
Private schools are fee-paying schools. They are most commonly known as Independent schools.
Public schools are a specific subset of fee-paying school that are elite and ancient. Technically all public schools are private schools. But the vast majority of private schools are not public schools.
To put it in context, there are 26000 private schools in the UK. There are fewer than 500 public schools and that’s using the most generous description.
I’m not sure where the info about the phrase “public school” not being used any more comes from, because it’s still in very very common usage where I am. (London arts/political world.)
by Anonymous | reply 404 | February 22, 2021 9:27 PM
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[quote] Is consciousness of class and class distinctions really that important in your culture?
In a word, yes.
by Anonymous | reply 405 | February 22, 2021 9:31 PM
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Why is there no British cuisine that is known / loved worldwide?
The sandwich.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Apple Pie
Christmas Pudding
Haggis
by Anonymous | reply 406 | February 22, 2021 9:32 PM
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[quote] Why is there no British cuisine that is known / loved worldwide?
[quote] There are in England sixty different religions and only one sauce.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 407 | February 22, 2021 9:35 PM
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[quote]I’m not sure where the info about the phrase “public school” not being used any more comes from, because it’s still in very very common usage where I am. (London arts/political world.)
No doubt those in your little elitist bubble differentiate between Eton/Harrow/Westminster/Godolphin and Latymer and know exactly who attended which one and how much they cost per term, just like which college in Oxford University someone studied at, or whether they slummed it at somewhere terrible like Leeds or Bristol.
For most people it's "did their parents pay for them to opt out of the state system" and "did they go to Oxbridge"
by Anonymous | reply 408 | February 22, 2021 9:36 PM
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To elaborate on my last point, no one cares whether the private school Rishi Sunak went to is a private/public school. They just know he didn't go the local comp.
No one cares whether the school Diane Abbott sent her son to is a private or public school they just know she made the decision to send him there, and now supports the abolition of private/public schools.
by Anonymous | reply 410 | February 22, 2021 9:39 PM
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[quote]^^^^^ went to Bristol
Nah, I didn't go to university. I left school at 16 and have worked mostly in the public sector.
by Anonymous | reply 411 | February 22, 2021 9:41 PM
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Speaking of Oxbridge, just how difficult is it to get into Oxford or Cambridge these days? Would a lot depend on what one's major is and is that called "reading" instead of majoring? Does anyone know how large a typical first year (freshman?) class at those 2 universities is now?
As an American having visited both campuses in recent years, I much preferred Oxford. Cambridge's campus is much prettier but it feels very isolated next to that modern shopping mall. I love the way Oxford University's buildings are dispersed throughout the town. How do the smart young Brits feel about both schools?
by Anonymous | reply 412 | February 22, 2021 10:18 PM
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Uh, I left school at 14 and my family are from Yorkshire, so watch who you’re calling elitist.
I have no idea what any of those schools cost or who went to them.
Doesn’t change the fact the term “public school” is still in extremely common usage in the UK - and it’s used just as often as a put down by people who went to state school, as by elitists. So don’t get defensive just because your info is wrong, sweetheart.
by Anonymous | reply 413 | February 23, 2021 3:10 AM
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Agreed with R413. To say:
[quote]It's rare you'll find people using the term "public school" in Britain
is simply wrong.
by Anonymous | reply 414 | February 23, 2021 3:19 AM
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Do they use the phrase "smelling biscuits" for "smelling cookies"?
by Anonymous | reply 415 | February 23, 2021 6:46 AM
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[quote]Doesn’t change the fact the term “public school” is still in extremely common usage in the UK - and it’s used just as often as a put down by people who went to state school, as by elitists. So don’t get defensive just because your info is wrong, sweetheart.
Private school/private education is now the go-to term to describe fee paying schools outside of state control.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 416 | February 23, 2021 9:10 AM
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The only reference to public school here is to describe the photo - private school is mentioned throughout.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 417 | February 23, 2021 9:11 AM
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Again, private schools referenced throughout.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 418 | February 23, 2021 9:12 AM
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R417, I grew up in the West Country and went to the local comp. I would also refer to many private schools as Public schools especially those like Eton and Harrow. It might not be written in articles but like others have mentioned it is still very much in the general vernacular.
by Anonymous | reply 419 | February 23, 2021 9:15 AM
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A rare reference to public school in a headline, found in The Guardian's section of Private School stories.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 420 | February 23, 2021 9:18 AM
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I am probably missing your point, r420. All I, and others, are saying is that people still often refer to the more elite private schools as public schools.
by Anonymous | reply 421 | February 23, 2021 9:24 AM
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Doesn't the term 'public school' refer specifically to those very old schools that were originally centres of religious learning attached to monasteries/cathedrals and exclusive to those in religious training? They were called 'public' as they become open to people who weren't part of the clergy.
There's a slight difference these days if someone is described as 'private-school educated' and 'public-school educated'. If it's the latter it means they went to Harrow/Eton/Westminster etc. The former could be any private school.
by Anonymous | reply 422 | February 23, 2021 9:26 AM
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What's with the bleeding heart Labour types like Dianne Abbott and Shami Chakraborty constantly speaking out against the privilege of private schools while choosing to send their own kids to private schools? How hypocritical can they get? And why do they defend their personal choices while denying other parents the same choice?
by Anonymous | reply 423 | February 23, 2021 9:44 AM
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[quote]What's with the bleeding heart Labour types like Dianne Abbott and Shami Chakraborty constantly speaking out against the privilege of private schools while choosing to send their own kids to private schools? How hypocritical can they get? And why do they defend their personal choices while denying other parents the same choice?
Diane Abbott's defence was that the local schools weren't good enough and her son would have ended up in a gang if she'd sent him to the local comp. The timing was especially unfortunate because she'd been the most vocal critic of Harriet Harman and Tony Blair sending their children to a selective state schools. With recent events I wondered if Abbott's choice was also related to her son being gay. Being a soft gay black boy in a rough school would not have been an easy experience. When Labour conference voted to abolish private schools and redistribute all their assets back to the state, Abbott's comment was that schools in her area had since improved from when she made her decision.
As for Baroness Chakrabarti of Kennington, she never said it in public but it was widely briefed to journalists that it wasn't her choice to send her son to Dulwich school, but that of her ex husband. No one was really surprised by the hypocrisy, she was already a totally discredited figure after accepting a peerage and shadow cabinet role in exchange for her "independent" investigation into Labour's major problem with anti Jewish racism.
by Anonymous | reply 424 | February 23, 2021 11:34 AM
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As an American, I find it interesting that public schools were first given that nomenclature in England while we here took it up to refer to exactly the opposite kind of education.
by Anonymous | reply 425 | February 23, 2021 1:03 PM
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R417 Public school refers to the most elite kind of private school. That's why they use the term "public" in the photo referring to the Etonians. It's a term still commonly used in the UK.
by Anonymous | reply 426 | February 23, 2021 1:20 PM
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So lunch today was Cullen Skink, which is a Scottish soup made with Smoked Haddock, leeks, cream and potato.
It was delicious.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 427 | February 23, 2021 1:45 PM
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Explain spotted dick. Were all other possible words taken when you named this dish?
by Anonymous | reply 428 | February 23, 2021 2:07 PM
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[quote] Explain spotted dick. Were all other possible words taken when you named this dish?
Spotted - sultanas and raisins
Dick - dough
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 429 | February 23, 2021 2:25 PM
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Is "sultana" a British term or is it also used in the US?
by Anonymous | reply 430 | February 23, 2021 2:45 PM
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R430 A sultana is a large raisin made from a specific grape. I think in the US you just call them large raisins.
by Anonymous | reply 431 | February 23, 2021 2:50 PM
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If someone had mentioned eating cullen skink for lunch I would have assumed it was something cooked with lizard meat.
by Anonymous | reply 432 | February 23, 2021 2:59 PM
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Do people really eat kedgeree on a regular basis? It’s a dish that looks appealing to me.
by Anonymous | reply 433 | February 23, 2021 3:10 PM
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R433 Why not just make it? It's not difficult. It's not hugely popular here - you might see it on more traditional hotel or restaurant menus but you're unlikely to see it on a pub or café menu really. It's a breakfast dish.
by Anonymous | reply 434 | February 23, 2021 3:21 PM
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Thanks, R434, I saw it on Downton Abbey and it looked really good. Maybe I'll just make it.
by Anonymous | reply 435 | February 23, 2021 3:49 PM
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Kedgeree is the dish Margaret Thatcher cooked for her Cabinet dinner (not breakfast) meeting on The Crown.
by Anonymous | reply 436 | February 23, 2021 7:16 PM
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How many people in the UK really care about football?
by Anonymous | reply 438 | February 23, 2021 7:24 PM
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American football or soccer?
by Anonymous | reply 439 | February 23, 2021 7:28 PM
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R438 Pretty much everyone. It's unavoidable. If you don't like football and can't even pretend to have a team you support you're viewed with deep suspicion.
by Anonymous | reply 440 | February 23, 2021 7:31 PM
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R439 You could probably count the number of people in the UK who know anything about American football on one hand. We just have no concept of it.
by Anonymous | reply 441 | February 23, 2021 7:32 PM
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Have you or anyone you know used the word “ticketyboo?”
by Anonymous | reply 442 | February 23, 2021 9:20 PM
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I can see how American football would seem very boring for those outside the U.S.
by Anonymous | reply 443 | February 23, 2021 9:21 PM
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I think they broadcast the Super Bowl on BBC1 simply because of the half-time show...lol.
by Anonymous | reply 444 | February 23, 2021 10:48 PM
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Why are housing projects called estates?
by Anonymous | reply 445 | February 23, 2021 10:53 PM
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About 300,000 people watch NFL games in the UK, so there's some fanbase there, and it's not like there's much else on at 1am in the morning that they're moving stuff in the schedules to accommodate it.
by Anonymous | reply 446 | February 23, 2021 11:11 PM
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How homophobic are people outside of cities like London, Brighton, Manchesterand and Liverpool?
by Anonymous | reply 447 | February 23, 2021 11:25 PM
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Are barley sweets still a thing? They're always referring to them on "Call the Midwife."
by Anonymous | reply 448 | February 23, 2021 11:28 PM
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Not terribly, R447. You might be given a wide berth for your homosexuality in the very rural places, or teased a bit by the friendlier locals, but you aren’t likely to get bashed for it.
by Anonymous | reply 449 | February 23, 2021 11:28 PM
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Why do the British prefer the aga over a regular stove? Is it a class thing?
by Anonymous | reply 450 | February 23, 2021 11:33 PM
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When I lived in London, I told a co-worker that I was of Scottish ancestry and he said, "Oh, so you're a Jock?" And then he began calling me "Jock". I still have no idea what that was about.
by Anonymous | reply 451 | February 23, 2021 11:39 PM
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Who is Gordon Bennett and why are people always using his name like a curse word?
by Anonymous | reply 452 | February 23, 2021 11:49 PM
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R452 Long story short ... and skipping to the to the third paragraph from the end:
[quote] The expletive Gordon Bennett appears to be a minced oath. It is a version of Gor blimey, which is itself a euphemistic version of God blind me. That, combined with Bennett's famously outrageous lifestyle and newsworthy stunts, is sufficient to explain why his name was picked out.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 453 | February 23, 2021 11:57 PM
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What is barley water?
What is lemon squash?
What is a pint of bitters?
What is the preferred blend of tea and is there a preferred brand of tea in the UK now?
And do digestive biscuits really help digestion?
by Anonymous | reply 454 | February 24, 2021 2:42 AM
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Why do British homes have separate faucets for hot and cold water. What if you desire warm water?
Also, is the chip butty (French fries sandwich with ketchup and butter) really a popular snack? It sounds repulsive, not gonna lie.
by Anonymous | reply 455 | February 24, 2021 3:11 AM
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R455 Cold water used to come directly from the mains and was suitable to drink, whereas hot water came via the boiler, and in old systems hot water would sit in a big tank in the attic, so was not suitable to drink. If the two connected, the different pressures could cause one stream to enter the other and contaminate it. So they had to be separate by law, until more modern systems were introduced.
And yes, a chip butty is glorious. With thick-cut fries though - not sure what the term is for them in America.
by Anonymous | reply 456 | February 24, 2021 4:33 AM
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[quote] How many people in the UK really care about football?
Lots. Given that we've been playing some form of football since time immemorial, we invented the modern rules, we have the oldest competitive trophy and have, arguably, the best league in the world, it's not surprising. You'll probably find a kid kicking a football in a Manchester United or Liverpool shirt almost everywhere around the globe, except for the US. Get on a plane at Bangkok airport and you'll see Leicester City's kit for sale.
From ancient beginnings, play in public schools, the advent of the railways, codification, competitions and the expanse of Empire, association football has gone around the world. Culminating in the World Cup.
It's on every evening, features large in our cultural psyche. It's the source of great pride and rivalry. Asking, "Who do you support?" Can lead to great conversations.
Yes, it huge.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 457 | February 24, 2021 5:21 AM
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[quote] Have you or anyone you know used the word “ticketyboo?”
Scarily, yes I have. Is everything tickety boo with you?
by Anonymous | reply 458 | February 24, 2021 5:23 AM
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[quote] Why are housing projects called estates?
It's thought that it originates from the first public house being built on land that was owned by landowners who had large land holding often called a country estate. Estate homes would be built to accommodate staff, like in Downtown. When councils began building public housing on a large scale the term stuck.
by Anonymous | reply 459 | February 24, 2021 5:28 AM
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I recently learned that toast sandwiches are also a thing. That sounds like the most unimaginative sandwich ever.
by Anonymous | reply 460 | February 24, 2021 5:31 AM
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[quote] How homophobic are people outside of cities like London, Brighton, Manchesterand and Liverpool?
Not really. I've lived in cities and villages and it's not been a problem to me, but that's just been my experience. Of course homophobic slurs do happen, just as trans and racial ones do, but my personal experience has been good and I've not been called a "poof" or anything worse in over 25 years.
by Anonymous | reply 461 | February 24, 2021 5:33 AM
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[quote] Why do the British prefer the aga over a regular stove? Is it a class thing?
We don't. Most people have a regular electric or gas stove. Only people in the Cotswolds, like David Cameron, and my aunt have an Aga cooker. They're big, expensive and bloody heavy for anything other than a big house with a big kitchen in the country.
by Anonymous | reply 462 | February 24, 2021 5:36 AM
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[quote] When I lived in London, I told a co-worker that I was of Scottish ancestry and he said, "Oh, so you're a Jock?" And then he began calling me "Jock". I still have no idea what that was about.
We have terms for all the nations. Whether they are endearing, pejorative or slurs, I leave to the reader.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 463 | February 24, 2021 5:44 AM
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[quote] What is barley water? What is lemon squash?
Fruit cordial that you add water to, to dilute the very strong concentrated flavour to make a refreshing drink. Always seen at Wimbledon.
[quote] What is a pint of bitters?
I've not heard of this. Do you mean a pint of Bitter? Bitter is a style of beer, very popular in the UK.
[quote] What is the preferred blend of tea and is there a preferred brand of tea in the UK now?
There are lots of brands of tea. PG Tips, Typhoo, Tetley, Yorkshire, Supermarket own brand. People find a flavour they enjoy and stick with that usually.
And do digestive biscuits really help digestion?
They used to, but not anymore. A chocolate digestive is one of my favourite biscuits.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 464 | February 24, 2021 5:52 AM
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[quote] I recently learned that toast sandwiches are also a thing. That sounds like the most unimaginative sandwich ever.
Toasties can be quick and easy to make with a variety of fillings to suit personal preferences. I've not owned a toastie maker for years now.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 465 | February 24, 2021 5:57 AM
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[quote] How homophobic are people outside of cities like London, Brighton, Manchesterand and Liverpool?
R447, the only outright homophobia I've noticed and experienced was actually in London. In the smaller towns and the countryside there might be the odd joke or two but nothing that ever became threatening. In London on the other hand, my friends and I were actually a bit worried when we came face to face with the open bigotry and hatred.
by Anonymous | reply 466 | February 24, 2021 6:06 AM
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R446 There are that many American citizens living in the UK so that's no surprise. If you were to ask even the biggest British sports fan to explain the rules or even the scoring system in American football, or to name any teams other than a couple of the biggest, they'd struggle.
by Anonymous | reply 467 | February 24, 2021 6:19 AM
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I like sport, but I struggle with NFL, even though a number of games have been played over here.
I do know that Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl, but that's about it.
How do you guys get through watching a game with so many ad breaks and sponsorship messages?
by Anonymous | reply 468 | February 24, 2021 6:28 AM
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Is there really only one gay in each village?
by Anonymous | reply 469 | February 24, 2021 6:47 AM
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What possible reason could there be for this thread to be struck out and greyed?
by Anonymous | reply 470 | February 24, 2021 6:48 AM
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Do you really use linen water and not spray starch?
by Anonymous | reply 471 | February 24, 2021 6:49 AM
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[quote] Is there really only one gay in each village
1.5
by Anonymous | reply 472 | February 24, 2021 7:56 AM
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[quote] What possible reason could there be for this thread to be struck out and greyed?
Muriel is French. We've been at war for 1,000 years. It's her way of getting back at us, because there's no "French questions" thread.
by Anonymous | reply 473 | February 24, 2021 7:59 AM
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[quote] Do you really use linen water and not spray starch?
I've not ironed since 1997. I do give my pelmets and headboard the occasional squirt of Fabreze though.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 474 | February 24, 2021 8:02 AM
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[quote]Toasties can be quick and easy to make with a variety of fillings to suit personal preferences. I've not owned a toastie maker for years now.
A toasted sandwich can be pure heaven.
Salami, cheddar and pineapple.
Pastrami, gherkin, red leicester and mustard.
Bacon, brie and cranberry.
Goats cheese and red cabbage.
The trick is to put butter on the outside of the toastie, rather than the inside.
by Anonymous | reply 475 | February 24, 2021 11:11 AM
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From what I've read, a toast sandwich is a toasted slice of bread with butter, salt & pepper betwixt two pieces of bread. I've never heard anything about meats and cheeses being included.
by Anonymous | reply 477 | February 24, 2021 11:50 AM
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R477 Wtf? I think someone was taking the piss out of you. That isn't a thing at all.
Toasted sandwiches using a Breville machine are still kind of popular though I think they were more a 70s/80s thing. A piece of bread between two slices of toast sounds like something a resident in a care home for special needs children might make.
by Anonymous | reply 478 | February 24, 2021 12:03 PM
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R477, I have heard of a fried bread sandwich which sounds slightly more believable but I have never heard of anyone actually making or eating one. I do believe it is very likely, as r478 said, that someone was taking the piss.
by Anonymous | reply 479 | February 24, 2021 12:22 PM
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Okay wtf!? Have people never heard of grilled cheese sandwiches?
No fancy special equipment needed and, yes, butter on outside. SMDH.
BTW I hear you just invented sex.
by Anonymous | reply 480 | February 24, 2021 12:25 PM
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The Wiki page says it's just "a piece of toast sandwiched between two pieces of bread."
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 481 | February 24, 2021 12:28 PM
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I've never heard of a toast sandwich as per the Wiki page, but I do like a nice toastie. I use my George Forman grill to do them.
by Anonymous | reply 482 | February 24, 2021 12:32 PM
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Have these toast sandwiches succeeded pastys (pasties?) as the favorite labourer's lunch?
Are pork pies still popular?
by Anonymous | reply 483 | February 24, 2021 1:38 PM
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[quote] Have these toast sandwiches succeeded pastys (pasties?) as the favorite labourer's lunch?
It's all down to personal preference. Both are acceptable socially. Cheese and Ham toastie is just as acceptable as a Cornish Pastie.
[quote] Are pork pies still popular?
Good afternoon from Melton Mowbray. The pork pie capital of Britain. The only place in Britain where you may make a Melton Mowbray Pork Pie. Simply the best. In fact, I had one delivered today in my Amazon Prime Now delivery. Going to have a slice with some red onion chutney, some Stilton and Red Leicester cheese later.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 484 | February 24, 2021 2:01 PM
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[quote]And why do so many houses have their laundry appliances in the kitchen? I've seen it in some US houses, but it's not common. Most people have them in the garage, the basement, or a laundry room.
Because the UK is a tiny, densely populated country for the most part. Houses are correspondingly smaller and more expensive than what many Americans would be used to and the kitchen is the obvious place for a washing machine because of access to plumbing. Many houses have no garages or basements or anywhere else where you could put a washing machine. It isn't even feasible to extend the houses to create more useful living space.
I grew up in a mid-Victorian terrace house. Bathrooms and washing machines weren't even a thing when those were built. Newer buildings will most likely have a small utility area not far from the kitchen but not always. The house I live in now was built at the tail end of the 1960s but still had no other area for a washing machine. The previous owner added a conservatory of sorts off the kitchen to house the washing machine.
by Anonymous | reply 485 | February 24, 2021 2:02 PM
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I have my washing machine in the Conservatory too R485, along with my fridge as my kitchen is quite small.
by Anonymous | reply 486 | February 24, 2021 2:04 PM
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What’s with the wrapping of fish and chips in old newspaper, that sounds dirty and unhygienic, our health codes would never allow that?
by Anonymous | reply 487 | February 24, 2021 2:12 PM
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Fresh newspapers were always considered (believe it or not!) highly hygienic because until they were opened they were untouched by human hands.
Weren't there incidents of women giving birth outside of hospitals and nursing care where fresh unopened newspapers were used as a mat for the mother to lie on?
by Anonymous | reply 488 | February 24, 2021 2:19 PM
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In regard to the lack of closets in homes, Americans should be aware that they weren't in American homes until the early 20th century. Clothes were all hung and stored in large pieces of furniture made for that purpose called armoires. Closets were vulgar!
by Anonymous | reply 489 | February 24, 2021 2:21 PM
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[quote]What’s with the wrapping of fish and chips in old newspaper, that sounds dirty and unhygienic, our health codes would never allow that?
That hasn't happened for decades. Some novelty chip shops in tourist areas buy printed paper to use as a second wrapper on chips. Or you might get a specially printed cone for your chips.
I used to love a cone of chips at the beach. Loads of salt and vinegar and when you'd finish the chips you could gulp down the salty malty goodness at the bottom.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 490 | February 24, 2021 2:22 PM
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R487 Fish and chips haven't been wrapped in newspaper in living memory. The actual food would be wrapped in plain paper (the same kind used to print newspapers on) and this could then, possibly, be wrapped in old newspaper for insulation.
But actually wrapping the actual food in newspaper hasn't happened since Victorian times except maybe for a brief period during the war.
by Anonymous | reply 491 | February 24, 2021 2:23 PM
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[quote]Fish and chips haven't been wrapped in newspaper in living memory.
Thanks.. I was born in the 60s and my local chippie, (Weaver and Hollins, Witton, Birmingham) run by two old women, always wrapped the chips in newspaper. To be fair, there was an underlay of a greaseproof paper bag to house the chips but it was never quite enough for the fish on top and the novelty wore off when I could read yesterdays football results imprinted on the fish batter.
by Anonymous | reply 492 | February 24, 2021 2:38 PM
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I thought I could remember newspaper still being used in the early 70s, but I could be wrong.
Certainly all of the food hygiene regulations will have ruled newspaper use out by the 80s or 90s?
by Anonymous | reply 493 | February 24, 2021 2:45 PM
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[QUOTE]I thought I could remember newspaper still being used in the early 70s, but I could be wrong.
I have a vague memory of a chip shop having newspapers on the counter and people taking sheets to wrap their already wrapped up fish and chips in them, maybe to keep them warm on the way home.
My local Chinese takeaway always had days old tabloids on the counter you could read while you were waiting.
by Anonymous | reply 494 | February 24, 2021 2:50 PM
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Newspaper might have been used as outer wrapping for insulation, but actually placing the fish and chips onto old newspaper would have got them shut down.
by Anonymous | reply 495 | February 24, 2021 2:51 PM
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Do any American chain restaurants do real British Fish and Chips?
by Anonymous | reply 496 | February 24, 2021 2:51 PM
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R496 NYC did, but who knows what exists anymore?
by Anonymous | reply 497 | February 24, 2021 2:54 PM
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So, the whole foggy day in Londontown was just about the burning of coal and not weather related right, kind of like Pittsburgh at the height of the steel industry?
by Anonymous | reply 498 | February 24, 2021 2:55 PM
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What of the pantos that y’all trot out at Christmas, why are they so big there, but never caught on anywhere else?
by Anonymous | reply 499 | February 24, 2021 2:57 PM
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Do you think the British are more tolerant and accepting of the wildly eccentric type then in other places in the world? I know it’s ironic that the best example I can think of is Quentin Crisp, who actual left, but maybe Annie Lennox and Tilda Swinton fit the bill as well?
by Anonymous | reply 500 | February 24, 2021 3:00 PM
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R455 said [quote] Why do British homes have separate faucets for hot and cold water. What if you desire warm water?
Also, is the chip butty (French fries sandwich with ketchup and butter) really a popular snack? It sounds repulsive, not gonna lie.
Mixer taps are very common now too, for example my kitchen sink has a mixer, my bath has separate taps (more of a design choice) and bathroom sink has a mixer.
Chip butties are not repulsive - I'm not sure if I would describe it as a REALLY popular snack, it's probably more common/popular in northern/deprived areas. Oh and it's thick cut chips (I think US folk call them 'home fries') rather than French fries, it would be unusual to have a French fry butty.
by Anonymous | reply 501 | February 24, 2021 3:04 PM
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Even nicer than a chip butty is a crisp butty with a mix of salt and vinegar and cheese and onion
by Anonymous | reply 502 | February 24, 2021 3:05 PM
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A curry pasty is the most wonderful thing in the universe.
by Anonymous | reply 503 | February 24, 2021 3:07 PM
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[quote]Also, is the chip butty (French fries sandwich with ketchup and butter) really a popular snack? It sounds repulsive, not gonna lie.
My (very non-British) aunt taught me how to make potato sandwiches, which sound similar--sliced potatoes, fried, then put between two slices of the worst possible white bread (e.g., Wonder Bread) with lots of butter, salt and pepper. Delicious.
by Anonymous | reply 504 | February 24, 2021 3:15 PM
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[quote]And yes, a chip butty is glorious. With thick-cut fries though - not sure what the term is for them in America.
If they're cut like fries -- i.e., long and narrow -- they're usually called "steak fries."
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 505 | February 24, 2021 3:16 PM
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In recipes, it's often specified you can use graham crackers as a substitute for digestive biscuits, and vice versa. But do graham crackers exist in the UK? I don't think the two products are identical.
by Anonymous | reply 506 | February 24, 2021 3:17 PM
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R485, until reading this thread I would have thought "terrace house" was some kind of spacious home with a large outdoor terrace and yard (or garden).
I remember reading about estate flats and similarly imagining it some kind of luxury housing.
by Anonymous | reply 507 | February 24, 2021 3:21 PM
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Graham crackers were part of a very early American health food craze similar to the invention of corn flakes.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 508 | February 24, 2021 3:22 PM
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R506 Graham crackers don't exist in the UK but I think digestives would be the nearest thing to them we have. Digestives are used as a base for cheesecakes like graham crackers are, so I suppose they can't be that different.
by Anonymous | reply 509 | February 24, 2021 3:22 PM
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So you can make s'mores with digestives?
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 510 | February 24, 2021 3:25 PM
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R510 S'mores don't exist in the UK either.
by Anonymous | reply 511 | February 24, 2021 3:36 PM
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Would you like a chain of Harry Ramsden's Fish and Chip shops America?
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 512 | February 24, 2021 4:31 PM
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R512 Aw come on now. That's not fair. America has done a lot of bad but they don't deserve that.
by Anonymous | reply 513 | February 24, 2021 4:32 PM
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All this talk of fish and chips made me peckish, so Ive just had cod, chips and mushy peas for my tea.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 515 | February 24, 2021 5:23 PM
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Like the lack of closets, separate taps for hot and cold water wasn't particularly a British thing. It was how everything was done in all of the western world's most civilized countries, including the US, until the early 20th century. I lived in a college dorm in Boston in the early 1970s (Myles Standish Hall at BU) that was formerly a hotel that still had two taps on each bathroom sink. The sink had a rubber cork on a chain that you were supposed to use to fill up the sink with a mixture of hot and cold water to wash your face and shave. Hated it, but just got used to it.
by Anonymous | reply 516 | February 24, 2021 5:50 PM
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I don’t like Graham crackers but I love digestive biscuits. They are similar but not exactly.
by Anonymous | reply 517 | February 24, 2021 5:50 PM
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I don't know anyone who's ever eaten a pickled egg.
by Anonymous | reply 519 | February 24, 2021 5:58 PM
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I have.
They, like Ben, are very tasty.
by Anonymous | reply 520 | February 24, 2021 6:03 PM
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R519 Aren't they available in every chippy? And used to be available in almost every pub.
by Anonymous | reply 521 | February 24, 2021 6:08 PM
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Absolutely seen them in every chippy I've been in.
by Anonymous | reply 522 | February 24, 2021 6:19 PM
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I make my own pickled eggs. Peeled hard-boiled eggs in a jar of pickle juice (the juice left behind when you finish a jar of pickles—I like kosher dill deli-style) for two-plus weeks in the fridge and Bob’s your uncle. Add beet juice for pretty, pink eggs.
by Anonymous | reply 523 | February 24, 2021 6:42 PM
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R521 Yes, which is why the fact I've never met anyone who's eaten one is all the odder.
R520 Really? I have to admit, not a huge fan of boiled eggs in general, but I just can't imagine the addition of vinegar helps.
by Anonymous | reply 524 | February 24, 2021 6:42 PM
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why are hot dogs in cans?
by Anonymous | reply 525 | February 24, 2021 8:17 PM
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Now, why has the OP post been crossed out on this thread? It doesn't make any sense to me.
by Anonymous | reply 526 | February 24, 2021 8:40 PM
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R523 That sounds nice. I have some Polish gherkins I've nearly finished eating. I'll try and put some boiled eggs in the left over liquor and report back.
by Anonymous | reply 527 | February 24, 2021 9:01 PM
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[quote] why are hot dogs in cans?
They come in cans, bottles and sealed plastic. Most come from The Netherlands, Germany and Denmark, so I guess it's easy to transport and export.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 528 | February 24, 2021 9:05 PM
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R526 Who crosses threads out?
by Anonymous | reply 529 | February 24, 2021 9:05 PM
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R529 - Muriel? I'm told after it gets FF'd enough. But that's what I don't understand - why would a thread like this get lots of FF votes?
by Anonymous | reply 530 | February 24, 2021 9:09 PM
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No idea. R530.
Oh well let's see how Part 2 goes in a bit.
by Anonymous | reply 531 | February 24, 2021 9:22 PM
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I grew up with pickled eggs. Beats and vinegar. Truly delicious.
Also, Korean markets sometimes have tea eggs--hard boiled eggs left in tea and spice for a few days. yum
by Anonymous | reply 532 | February 24, 2021 9:36 PM
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I don't see OP crossed out. But I am OP.
by Anonymous | reply 533 | February 24, 2021 9:52 PM
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That's sounds interesting R532
Yes the first post is struck through R533
by Anonymous | reply 534 | February 24, 2021 9:55 PM
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I think if enough posters F/F a thread it it goes grey.
by Anonymous | reply 535 | February 24, 2021 10:14 PM
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I can only think that possibly enough posters had previously FFed the OP in the past on other threads. Why would anyone FF this thread?
by Anonymous | reply 536 | February 24, 2021 10:47 PM
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There are quite a few posters here who hate anything British, for whatever reason. So maybe there's enough of them to get the necessary number of FFs?
by Anonymous | reply 537 | February 24, 2021 11:51 PM
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Maybe.
Still, keep those questions coming.
by Anonymous | reply 538 | February 24, 2021 11:52 PM
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R536 If that were the case, then I think the topic would have been grey from the get-go, and/or OP would have been identified with a troll name (in red) given by DL.
by Anonymous | reply 539 | February 24, 2021 11:59 PM
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Can you really drive across the UK in one day?
by Anonymous | reply 540 | February 25, 2021 9:52 AM
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Yes, r540. The distance from the farthest South West Point and the most northerly point on mainland Britain is 837 miles and would take between 14 and 15 hours to drive. Obviously, you couldn’t get to all the smaller islands.
by Anonymous | reply 542 | February 25, 2021 10:24 AM
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Should have added, R540, I think you meant Britain rather than the UK as you need a ferry to get to N. Ireland. The UK is Great Britain and N. Ireland. (Great) Britain is the island of England, Scotland and Wales.
by Anonymous | reply 543 | February 25, 2021 10:28 AM
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You can do east coast of England to west coast of Ireland including the ferry crossing too.
by Anonymous | reply 544 | February 25, 2021 10:31 AM
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R544, I suppose it depends where you start.
by Anonymous | reply 545 | February 25, 2021 10:34 AM
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R545 We used to do London to Galway via Holyhead every year when I was a kid. I hated it.
by Anonymous | reply 546 | February 25, 2021 10:36 AM
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R546, we used to do the Liverpool ferry to Belfast starting in the South West. That was quite a trek as the ferry was 8 hours. Still is. The road to Galway used to be a nightmare. Much improved in recent years but still a trek. If we need to take the ferry we tend to use the Scottish crossings as they are shorter.
by Anonymous | reply 547 | February 25, 2021 10:41 AM
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R488
Anyone who has watched episodes of "Call The Midwife" will notice the nurses prepare beds for home births by laying down thick layer of newspapers. One can only assume those advising the show gave them that bit.
by Anonymous | reply 548 | February 25, 2021 11:44 AM
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Don't know where some of you American gays on DL live or have lived, but plenty of homes and apartments have bathrooms, kitchens and other plumbing with separate hot and cold water taps. We're talking about things built late as 1960's or so.
by Anonymous | reply 549 | February 25, 2021 11:48 AM
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I’m going to make pickled hard boiled eggs.
by Anonymous | reply 550 | February 25, 2021 11:48 AM
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What about "High Church" vs "Low Church"? Is there still a big distinction in the UK? Can all of the church ministers, vicars, chaplains, bishops, etc. marry? Or all churches tolerant of homosexuality by now?
by Anonymous | reply 551 | February 25, 2021 12:19 PM
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It's fascinating what non-Brits pick up on! My early 1800s cottage wouldn't have been built with a bathroom, just two upstairs bedrooms. (The loo would have been in the garden outhouse, I guess, but that's now a study.) One bedroom was converted into a spacious bathroom (with washing machine and tumble dryer facilities!) years before I bought it. I don't have separate taps, either, they would have gone with the remodel.
by Anonymous | reply 552 | February 25, 2021 12:51 PM
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R552 I bought an old cottage in the 1990s. It had a lounge with an Inglewood fireplace and two bedrooms. The kitchen and bathroom had been added to the gable end in the 1950s as an extension before planning rules were a lot stronger.
by Anonymous | reply 553 | February 25, 2021 3:11 PM
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[quote]why are hot dogs in cans?
We have Vienna sausages in cans.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 554 | February 25, 2021 3:39 PM
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Re: separate faucets for hot and cold water in the U.S.
I lived in an Edwardian style apartment in San Francisco. The bathroom had a sink with the two separate faucets. You were supposed to (I guess) plug the drain, mix the water in the sink bowl, then wash your face / hands.
I prefer a single faucet.
by Anonymous | reply 555 | February 25, 2021 3:51 PM
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Why do Brits have a love-hate relationship with Americans? They embrace American culture but seem to resent it at the same time. I felt so unwelcomed when I visited the UK several years ago. On the other hand, Brits are often met with open arms when they come here.
by Anonymous | reply 556 | February 25, 2021 9:00 PM
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[quote] Why do Brits have a love-hate relationship with Americans? They embrace American culture but seem to resent it at the same time. I felt so unwelcomed when I visited the UK several years ago. On the other hand, Brits are often met with open arms when they come here.
Firstly, on the whole, we love American TV, film and theatre. You've produced some of the greatest TV, films and theatre known to man.
Secondly, I'm sorry that you felt unwelcome. Care to share, how the reality of your visit didn't match up with your expectations?
As for being welcomed with open arms in the States, yes you're a friendly bunch.
by Anonymous | reply 557 | February 25, 2021 9:22 PM
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Maybe you're just an asshole, R556
by Anonymous | reply 558 | February 25, 2021 9:41 PM
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How pissed were you that Americans renamed books like The Golden Compass and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone?
by Anonymous | reply 560 | February 26, 2021 8:16 AM
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R560 It is a matter of deep national resentment and something we were very close to declaring war over. There isn't a day that goes by every Brit pulls out clumps of our own hair about it.
by Anonymous | reply 561 | February 26, 2021 8:37 AM
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[quote] How pissed were you that Americans renamed books like The Golden Compass and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone?
We're used to you rebranding our best products R560!
I enjoyed that R561
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 562 | February 26, 2021 8:47 AM
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You must have had a very good chuckle of our renaming The Madness of King George, removing the III because we worried people would think they missed the first two films in a series.
by Anonymous | reply 563 | February 26, 2021 10:08 AM
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There are American actors you must despise like Gwyneth Paltrow for her abominations like Emma, Sliding Doors and Shakespeare in Love and Renee for the Brigit Jones shenanigans, but are there any you think highly of who have played British? I personally resent the British actors who have come here and played MLK Jr. and Harriet Tubman.
by Anonymous | reply 565 | February 26, 2021 10:19 AM
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For lunch today I'm doing liver and onions with mash.
Tonight for tea I'm going to do salmon, new potatoes and peas
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 566 | February 26, 2021 10:21 AM
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[quote] There are American actors you must despise like Gwyneth Paltrow for her abominations like Emma, Sliding Doors and Shakespeare in Love and Renee for the Brigit Jones shenanigans, but are there any you think highly of who have played British? I personally resent the British actors who have come here and played MLK Jr. and Harriet Tubman.
Actors play a role, I don't despise any of them to be honest. The most obvious examples are two actresses that I think played the same person very well in their own way. That person was Margaret Thatcher and the two actresses, Gillian Anderson and Meryl Street. Both were good IMHO.
by Anonymous | reply 567 | February 26, 2021 10:24 AM
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R565 Renée was very good as Bridget Jones and I've never heard of anyone resenting her. It all comes down to how good their accent is. RZ's was almost flawless (though there's always a slight 'tell' to British ears). Another one who was very impressive with his Estuary English accent recent was Michael C Hall in Safe. That's a tricky accent to nail for non-British people.
Another one who was very impressive was Bridget Fonda in Scandal. If her surname wasn't a massive giveaway, I'd have been convinced she was English. Also had no idea Jennifer Ehle was American for years.
If they're good at it, we like them.
by Anonymous | reply 569 | February 26, 2021 10:31 AM
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Be honest, you sent us Emily Blunt because you wanted rid of her.
by Anonymous | reply 570 | February 26, 2021 10:39 AM
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The thread title is “British Questions.” Do you prefer to be called British or English?
by Anonymous | reply 572 | February 26, 2021 11:00 AM
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R572 that's a whole new can of worms.
They're not the same thing and it's far too complicated to get into in terms of national identity etc. I often find Americans will use the term 'English' when they mean 'British' and that annoys us. Call anyone from Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland 'English' and you'll probably get a smack in the mouth or at least an earful of expletives. Call someone from England whose parent/s aren't British, 'English' and they'll say they're British, not English.
I, for example, was born in London to two foreign parents and grew up here for the most part. I'm very happy and proud to call myself British, but would never call myself English. It's a bit of a minefield.
by Anonymous | reply 573 | February 26, 2021 11:30 AM
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Having read through all this thread I'm beginning to wonder if I'm actually British at all.
I couldn't give a fuck about the royal family, football, Agas, tea (never drunk it in my life).
I do however find it fascinating how others see us.
I'd high recommend the book Watching The English by Kate Fox, which explains at lot of things we actually do, things that are not represented on Downton Abbey or Keeping Up Appearances or whatever programme it is people get their curious ideas from.
by Anonymous | reply 574 | February 26, 2021 11:38 AM
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*highly recommend before someone oh, dears me.
by Anonymous | reply 575 | February 26, 2021 11:39 AM
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What do you think of the Harries twins, Jack and Finn?
by Anonymous | reply 576 | February 26, 2021 11:54 AM
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And the Kray twins, Ronnie and Reggie??
by Anonymous | reply 577 | February 26, 2021 12:11 PM
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R576 until I read your post I'd literally never heard of them.
R577 - over sentimentalised thugs. Not much else to say really.
by Anonymous | reply 578 | February 26, 2021 12:54 PM
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R578 They are the grandsons of one of your greatest playwrights and authors.
by Anonymous | reply 579 | February 26, 2021 1:02 PM
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R579 So what? They are complete nobodies.
by Anonymous | reply 580 | February 26, 2021 1:07 PM
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My Mum has a gas-fired AGA; it really is the heart of the home - everyone wants to lean up against it to chat when they visit. (Or used to, before coronavirus.)
Any American actor who can do a good British accent is OK in my book. That rules Anne Hathaway out - her British accent attempts have all been awful. Renée Zellweger's is so fabulous, I find her real accent disconcerting.
by Anonymous | reply 581 | February 26, 2021 7:26 PM
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[quote]Renée was very good as Bridget Jones and I've never heard of anyone resenting her.
Toni Collette did because she thought she should play Bridget Jones.
by Anonymous | reply 582 | February 26, 2021 7:42 PM
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Do Brits eat English Muffins?
The article at wiki seems to indicate they're more of an American and Australian thing.
by Anonymous | reply 583 | February 26, 2021 8:17 PM
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Are the Egg McMuffins from McDonald’s in Britain made with English muffins like the ones in the USA?
by Anonymous | reply 584 | February 26, 2021 8:32 PM
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Are "dodgy kebabs" as prevalent as they appear to be on British soap operas?
by Anonymous | reply 585 | February 26, 2021 9:23 PM
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[quote] Do Brits eat English Muffins?
Yep. We have them buttered with jam or with Eggs Benedict. 65c for 4.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 587 | February 26, 2021 10:25 PM
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[quote] Are the Egg McMuffins from McDonald’s in Britain made with English muffins like the ones in the USA?
Yep.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 588 | February 26, 2021 10:27 PM
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[quote] Are "dodgy kebabs" as prevalent as they appear to be on British soap operas?
Yes. Absolutely. Staple diet after sinking a few pints. Top cuisine!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 589 | February 26, 2021 10:32 PM
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How does one pronounce Marylebone?
I enjoy strolling through that neighborhood when I visit England....is it as chic (or would hip be a better word?) as it appears to be?
by Anonymous | reply 590 | February 27, 2021 12:49 AM
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Ordinary people like me pronounce it Marylebon.
Would be posh folk pronounce it Marlybone.
That is where Prince Philip is in hospital so I wonder how he would pronounce it, if he has heard of it.
by Anonymous | reply 591 | February 27, 2021 12:52 AM
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[quote] How does one pronounce Marylebone?
Marry-lee-bone is how I say it.
The only thing I think about in that area of London is Madame Tussaud's, the railway station and Lords Cricket Ground.
by Anonymous | reply 592 | February 27, 2021 2:49 AM
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Do Brits get on down to Lambeth Way to do the Lambeth Walk?
by Anonymous | reply 593 | February 27, 2021 8:53 AM
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[quote] Do Brits get on down to Lambeth Way to do the Lambeth Walk?
Any evening, any day. You'll find us all. Doin' the Lambeth walk.
by Anonymous | reply 594 | February 27, 2021 10:36 AM
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[quote] Also had no idea Jennifer Ehle was American for years.
Throughout the 1990s every role she had was performed in the same plummy English accent. The Camomile Lawn, Pride & Prejudice, Wilde, Melissa, Paradise Road, Bedrooms & Hallways, This Year's Love. The only time she attempted a different accent was as Cynthia Lennon in Backbeat. All the same accent as she has during this Rosie interview. Her 2000 Tony speech is also in her English accent.
And on another note, why hasn't anyone cast her as Meryl Streep's daughter in something?
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 595 | February 27, 2021 12:13 PM
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Jennifer Ehle is the daughter of stage luminary Rosemary Harris. and too old to be Meryl's daughter. Well, she's 51 and Meryl is 71 so I suppose it's possible.
by Anonymous | reply 596 | February 27, 2021 12:28 PM
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Marylebone is the home of Conran's, the wonderful Daunt Book Store, a small Paul Smith boutique and the very hip Firehouse Restaurant.
by Anonymous | reply 597 | February 27, 2021 12:33 PM
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R597 On no planet is Marylebone "hip".
by Anonymous | reply 598 | February 27, 2021 12:40 PM
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Was Marylebone where Gwyneth Cuntrow lived when she was with Chrissy Martin?
by Anonymous | reply 599 | February 27, 2021 12:43 PM
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I've never heard anyone call Marylebone mary-le-bone. (I'm not saying it doesn't happen, just that I've not encountered it!) I pronounce it mar-lee-bon. Southwark is also often mispronounced - it's suzth-ark, not south-walk.
by Anonymous | reply 600 | February 27, 2021 1:17 PM
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