Oh, you crazy Brits.... I need help understanding our language difference.

[Iruka]

And I didn't even mention yet that the tab water in the UK is apparently infused with chlorine... I mean, how could anybody drink that?

So is the tap water in the US. I found it undrinkable at first, but after two weeks I was kind of used to it.

[Brother Oni]

And I didn't even mention yet that the tab water in the UK is apparently infused with chlorine... I mean, how could anybody drink that?

It's fluoride and it's to help prevent tooth decay.

[factotum]

Actually, I believe chlorine is used as a disinfectant in tap water, but I would imagine they scrub it out before it gets sent to our taps.

[Iruka]

Actually, I believe chlorine is used as a disinfectant in tap water, but I would imagine they scrub it out before it gets sent to our taps.

This information is US specific, but claims that chlorine (after the initial desinfection) is supposed to protect the water on the way to consumer's taps. Although at a reduced concentration, as I understand.

[MrConsideration]

It's fluoride and it's to help prevent tooth decay.

And so the Commies can covertly control your mind.

On the topic of Atlantic relations, Americans seem to have really weird attitudes to distance. I used to work in a museum in York and the sheer number of Americans who would be planning on popping to Edinburgh or London or Dublin that very day and coming back the day after boggled the mind. They seemed to think Britain was really, really tiny, and you had to go everywhere in Britain in about five hours and be in Budapest by tea-time.

They also liked to refer to Britain as being part of 'Europe'. This is both a) a horrendous faux-pas and b) completely true.


The bizarre thing about the Norman Conquest is it was so unlikely. Had, for example, King Cnut the Great 1014-35 (make sure you type this carefully) left a viable dynasty we'd be discussing the pernicious influence of Danish on English. And if William had lost as Hastings, or arrived before Harald Hardradr, or been ousted in the numerous rebellions against the Normans, the French influence would be negligible (although Anglo-Saxon England was basically in awe of the Frankish Empire, and subsequent kingdoms, for most of it's existence - and echoed many of their religious reforms, artistic styles etc).

[Brother Oni]

Actually, I believe chlorine is used as a disinfectant in tap water, but I would imagine they scrub it out before it gets sent to our taps.

Huh, you're right.

Unless there's been work on the pipes or at the treament plant, water typically reaches the tap with a chlorine level less than 1mg/L or 1 part per million, which is pretty insignificant, given that there's probably more chlorine from naturally dissolved salts and minerals (fresh water is defined as having less than 500ppm).

[factotum]

On the topic of Atlantic relations, Americans seem to have really weird attitudes to distance.

There's an old joke about that which goes something like: to a European, 300 miles is a long distance. To an American, 300 years is a long time.

[Iruka]

Unless there's been work on the pipes or at the treament plant, water typically reaches the tap with a chlorine level less than 1mg/L or 1 part per million, which is pretty insignificant, given that there's probably more chlorine from naturally dissolved salts and minerals (fresh water is defined as having less than 500ppm).

I think it is unlikely for molecular chlorine to form from dissolved salts. Chlorine-Ions will be present, sure. They do however act completely different.

There's an old joke about that which goes something like: to a European, 300 miles is a long distance. To an American, 300 years is a long time.

Is is also very true.

[huttj509]

And so the Commies can covertly control your mind.

On the topic of Atlantic relations, Americans seem to have really weird attitudes to distance. I used to work in a museum in York and the sheer number of Americans who would be planning on popping to Edinburgh or London or Dublin that very day and coming back the day after boggled the mind. They seemed to think Britain was really, really tiny, and you had to go everywhere in Britain in about five hours and be in Budapest by tea-time.

York to London is 2 hours by train, ~3-4 hours driving by US estimates (I generally assume an hour per 60 miles (~100 km) on highways, allows for stops). That seems easily "York early afternoon, London by dinner." Though it may not be accurate due to road expectations (I dunno if England has a similar highway setup to what USAns are used to).

To put it in perspective, I'm in the middle of Indiana. That distance is similar to Indianapolis, IN to Columbus, OH (Map here). You can zoom that out and get a sense of perspective how it fits in the US.

The landmass of the UK (not just England) is ~94,000 square miles. The landmass of the state of Oregon is ~98,000 square miles. Similar size, but the UK has 20 times as many people.

And that's one of the West US large states. East US people tend to think "state" and associate it with one of their squinchy little things. Chicago is in the Eastern 1/3 of the continental US (barely). The US landmass is BIG.

For me, a 3 hour drive is not much. I wouldn't go out and back in a day, but out one day, back the next to spend an evening with friends? Not often, but it's no big deal (5 hours to my friends in Detroit is pushing it, by the end of that drive I start frothing at the mouth).

A lot of the US has a lot of open space, so if you're going anywhere, you gotta be ready to drive.

[Brother Oni]

I think it is unlikely for molecular chlorine to form from dissolved salts. Chlorine-Ions will be present, sure. They do however act completely different.

I also find it highly unlikely that the water purification process would attempt to bubble elemental chlorine through water given it can outright react with the water to make hydrochloric and hypochloric acid, and would probably use something like chlorine dioxide, which has a less vigorous but still effective anti-microbial effect.

Brushing up on my chlorine chemistry however, it appears that the chlorine residue from the treatment can still be off-gassed from solution, so I concede the point.

York to London is 2 hours by train, ~3-4 hours driving by US estimates (I generally assume an hour per 60 miles (~100 km) on highways, allows for stops). That seems easily "York early afternoon, London by dinner." Though it may not be accurate due to road expectations (I dunno if England has a similar highway setup to what USAns are used to).

In my opinion, the driving experience is very different in America compared to the UK. Even though motorways are about the same width as a highway, the higher population density makes driving a lot less pleasant due to both congestion and other road users (don't get me started on people who hog the middle lane).

It only gets worse once you get into a town or city or off an A road, since the road layout (if not the road itself) generally isn't intended for motor vehicles. There's the occasional story of people who tried taking a big American style cars around country roads getting stuck or otherwise unable to get their vehicle around the bends. The only place I've been to where the urban roads are narrower than in the UK is in Japan.

[The Fury]

Yeah, that refers to a... slightly different part of the anatomy, over here. Not commonly used though.

I feel compelled to clarify that we don't really use that word much either. The only times I've heard "fanny" used in conversation it was with people over sixty or someone doing an impression of someone over sixty. I'm excluding those "that's a weird word, why do we have that word?" type conversations, because I'm assuming that's kind of a given.

[huttj509]

I feel compelled to clarify that we don't really use that word much either. The only times I've heard "fanny" used in conversation it was with people over sixty or someone doing an impression of someone over sixty. I'm excluding those "that's a weird word, why do we have that word?" type conversations, because I'm assuming that's kind of a given.

I blame Pratchett. Root of a couple of jokes in the series, and suddenly people start wondering "people are acting like that's ruder than it seems...what am I missing."

[Brother Oni]

I blame Pratchett. Root of a couple of jokes in the series, and suddenly people start wondering "people are acting like that's ruder than it seems...what am I missing."

If you're referring to the 'Sweet Fanny Adams' in latin degree joke, that comes from a different source: link.

[huttj509]

If you're referring to the 'Sweet Fanny Adams' in latin degree joke, that comes from a different source: link.

I was thinking of in Snuff. The Wonderful Fanny.

[factotum]

York to London is 2 hours by train, ~3-4 hours driving by US estimates (I generally assume an hour per 60 miles (~100 km) on highways, allows for stops). That seems easily "York early afternoon, London by dinner." Though it may not be accurate due to road expectations (I dunno if England has a similar highway setup to what USAns are used to).

In order to drive from Northampton, where most of my relatives live, to where my mother lives in County Durham is a total journey of about 220 miles, 170 of which is on motorway and almost all the rest is on rural A-roads. It's just about possible to do that in 4 hours (with a brief stop halfway for refreshments) provided it's not too busy and there aren't any roadworks, but the latter two conditions are very difficult to meet--for example, when I drove my mother home from a visit to the family last month, I counted no fewer than 6 sets of roadworks, most of them miles long and with a blanket 50mph speed limit through them--and don't even *think* about speeding through there, because they have a SPECS system set up that will clock your average speed over the journey. You'll also end the journey very tired indeed, because even on the motorway you need a great deal of concentration due to all the traffic--especially if your car has no cruise control, which is still a relatively rare gadget to have in a British car.

[Peelee]

So that's a general thing? Because my host family was Scottish, and I was quite disappointed when they offered me juice and I got squash...

Not only does that sound terrible, but it reminds me of when I went up to New York one time on a family trip.Dropped by some old lady's house, I think an old family friend or long-distant cousin or something, but she asked if I wanted some tea, and I said yes. Served some form of hot beverage that I only drink when I'm sick. Had to remember that even though the correct terms are "tea" and "hot tea," some crazy people insist on saying "iced tea" and "tea," respectively. And I am shocked, shocked, that the wrong terminology is worldwide and ancient.

And so the Commies can covertly control your mind.

On the topic of Atlantic relations, Americans seem to have really weird attitudes to distance. I used to work in a museum in York and the sheer number of Americans who would be planning on popping to Edinburgh or London or Dublin that very day and coming back the day after boggled the mind. They seemed to think Britain was really, really tiny, and you had to go everywhere in Britain in about five hours and be in Budapest by tea-time.

You didn't mention bodily fluids nearly often enough.

Well, Austria, for instance, is roughly similar in size toway smaller than Alabama, so "cross-country" takes on a whole new meaning if we travel. I mean, it's not uncommon for me to take a day trip to go visit my best friend up in Huntsville, and and I don't see it as that big a deal.

Actually, looking more into it, Alabama and England are virtually the same size. That kind of amuses me, honestly. I can't help but think of all historical and mythological tales being told in that context.
And tea-time is all the time.

[Rodin]

Living in Texas has given me a whole new perspective on distance.

I'm just north of Houston, which is ostensibly a coastal city. It still takes me over an hour on the freeway to see ocean. To visit my sister in Austin was 150 miles, or about 3 hours of driving, and I wouldn't enter another city between the two (although I would pass close to some smaller towns).

It is possible for me to start driving at 7 AM in the morning and quit at 8-9 PM at night and still not have left the state.

Last time I was in England, we went for dinner at my aunt's house straight from the airport. I arrived on one side of the country, my aunt's house was in the middle, and the final destination was on the far side of the country.

I assumed we would be staying the night. Hah! Two hour and a half drives separated by a Sunday roast dinner.

It's hard to comprehend just how sparsely populated much of the U.S is until you go somewhere with actual population density.

[factotum]

It's hard to comprehend just how sparsely populated much of the U.S is until you go somewhere with actual population density.

Australia has both of us beat in that regard. I just love that if you ask Bing or Google to plot you driving directions between Perth and Melbourne, one of the directions will be something like:

745.1 miles
At roundabout, take 2nd exit.

So, basically a 745 mile journey down a highway with no turning off or changing direction...and that's only about a quarter of the whole trip!

[Rodin]

Australia has both of us beat in that regard. I just love that if you ask Bing or Google to plot you driving directions between Perth and Melbourne, one of the directions will be something like:

745.1 miles
At roundabout, take 2nd exit.

So, basically a 745 mile journey down a highway with no turning off or changing direction...and that's only about a quarter of the whole trip!

Actually driven one like that (had an Uncle who used to work at a coal mine in the middle of the Bush). His instructions were exactly that - total of a 10 hour drive, with one of the directions being 4 hours and he would meet us at the first gas station to guide us the rest of the way. Unbelievable.

And that was on the POPULATED side of the country. I can't even imagine what the Outback is like.

[comicshorse]

It is possible for me to start driving at 7 AM in the morning and quit at 8-9 PM at night and still not have left the state.

I used to own a piece of **** car like that to

[Peelee]

I used to own a piece of **** car like that to

Gotta say, I got a better laugh out of that than anything else in the thread.

Also, great googly moogly Australia sounds awesome!

[Rodin]

Gotta say, I got a better laugh out of that than anything else in the thread.

Also, great googly moogly Australia sounds awesome!

It really is. The two tough barriers to overcome in going (beyond having the cash to do so) are the absurdly long flight and having enough time to make the trip worthwhile. If you're going to go, you pretty much need to blow all of that year's vacation on it and go for 3-4 weeks.

If time isn't an impediment, I highly recommend doing a Hawaii stopover. It cuts the flights in half and gives you a few days in Hawaii.

I've only gotten to do it once when I was a kid, but if I could scrape together enough vacation I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Best summer vacation ever.

[comicshorse]

Highly agreed. I love Australia but the full flight to it is a special kind of hell, much better to cut the journey in two and spend a few days somewhere lovely

[Peelee]

My mom is from Austria, and my mother-in-law is from Korea. I am no stranger to ridiculously long flights. I don't mind 'em much, honestly.

[BWR]

My sister spent a year in France (Poitiers) and met some lovely Irish lads and a couple of American girls. When St. Patrick's Day rolled around the girls mentioned one of their male friends had shamrock suspenders (because many Americans, for unknown reasons, blow Paddy's Day all out of proportion with stuff like that and green beer). The lads were kind of nonplussed at that revelation and managed to utter some polite phrases. The girls then said they'd go get pictures.
"no no, there's really no need..." the hapless boys tried to assure them but it availed them naught, as the girls left to get the pictures and the guys sat looking uncomfortably at each other.
My sister, knowing the joke, sat giggling in the corner.
The relief was palpable when the misunderstanding was cleared up.

[Peelee]

That's.... one helluva difference.

Also, Americans blow St. Patrick's Day completely out of proportion because it's the closest thing we have to a state-sanctioned National Drinking Holiday.

So since the British "holiday" is the American "vacation," what is the British word for the American "holiday?"

[Archonic Energy]

That's.... one helluva difference.

Also, Americans blow St. Patrick's Day completely out of proportion because it's the closest thing we have to a state-sanctioned National Drinking Holiday.

So since the British "holiday" is the American "vacation," what is the British word for the American "holiday?"

define Holiday then?
preferably without use of the word holiday.

[Brother Oni]

define Holiday then?
preferably without use of the word holiday.

I believe an American holiday is equivalent to one of our bank holidays, ie a state sanctioned day where normal work is suspended or reduced.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

That's.... one helluva difference.

I feel a little funny knowing that the only reason I know this difference is due to Monty Python's Lumberjack Song.

[golentan]

I believe an American holiday is equivalent to one of our bank holidays, ie a state sanctioned day where normal work is suspended or reduced.

In theory. Though if you work a cash register or otherwise do unskilled labor, good luck getting even a symbolically important holiday to yourself and your family without getting fired... I had to drop everything and run right after thanksgiving dinner unless I was willing to be shown the door working in retail, because obviously black friday shoppers need to be tended to right at the stroke of midnight, or maybe even 8 o'clock the day of thanksgiving.

Because the holidays aren't about family. They're about corporate profit margins and trampling people to death over sales.