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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 11/14/2008 11:22:18 AM
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Mrs.X
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From: Newberg, OR
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Yeah, I'd be interested to know if that is really true...if all cars in the UK run on diesel. I remember the whole petrol/car gas/propane/natural gas discussion, but I was under the impression that petrol means exactly the same thing as gasoline.
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 11/14/2008 3:02:36 PM
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margieb711
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From: Eagan MN
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Lexie, like you I knew I was watching "House" too much when I started having dreams about either being in the show or being friends with Hugh Laurie.
I haven't seen any strange McDonald's. I always laughed because there's a McDonald's off the main freeway in southern Minnesota that's called "McStop". It has the Golden Arches and everything, but it doesn't say McDonald's. I've been there a couple of times when I was living in southern MN 15 years ago.
Here's the picture:
http://www.lakevilleliving.com/modules/guide/images/malls/mcstop.gif
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 11/14/2008 5:17:34 PM
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manda59
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From: Hampshire, UK
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Mrs.X
Yeah, I'd be interested to know if that is really true...if all cars in the UK run on diesel.
No. Most cars run on unleaded petrol, some run on diesel, others on weird stuff like biodiesel etc.
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mvic, January 2009
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 11/14/2008 5:26:54 PM
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margieb711
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From: Eagan MN
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We have bio-fuel too. They've been mixing corn with it. Mainly calling it ethanol. Most stations have been selling what they call E85. They've been looking into creating fuel with algae as well. I'm sure that's many years off in becoming a viable fuel alternative.
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 11/14/2008 5:42:08 PM
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margieb711
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From: Eagan MN
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I have a question for the Brits, Aussies, Kiwis (I know you're out there) & Canadians.
In America, the day after Thanksgiving is called "Black Friday". Usually stores will have some insane advertisements in the paper on Thanksgiving day for cheap goods (electronics, mainly) or free items to entice shoppers to come in at 6am or even earlier than that the following day. Since there isn't a holiday similar to Thanksgiving in your respective countries, are there any days prior to Christmas where merchants will do something similar to this?
Here's an article on Black Friday courtesy of wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 11/14/2008 6:05:48 PM
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magdaleine
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Not in Canada. Our "Black Friday" is Boxing Day, the day after Christmas.
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 11/14/2008 6:48:36 PM
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manda59
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From: Hampshire, UK
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quote:
ORIGINAL: magdaleine
Not in Canada. Our "Black Friday" is Boxing Day, the day after Christmas.
Yep, in the UK it's traditional to have sales starting on Boxing Day, ie after Christmas, not before. Some shops do have pre-Christmas sales, but the main ones start on Boxing Day.
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mvic, January 2009
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 11/15/2008 7:23:47 AM
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agapetos
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Manda, did you watch Children In Need? I don't watch it all but tuned in to see Dr Who and then stayed on for the Gok/Corrie thing ~ and then EastEnders.
I'm wondering if she's the Dr's new companion?
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 11/15/2008 8:02:46 AM
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manda59
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What is a numpty? (Guardian article)
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mvic, January 2009
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 11/15/2008 8:44:24 AM
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magdaleine
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quote:
I notice non-Americans don't seem to use as much slang as we do. I think Americans are far more casual in every way than most other nations.
quote:
Do others have an abundance of chain stores too? Why did Wal Mart fail in Germany? (I know what the news said about this, I'm just wondering what personal opinions are.) I think large chain stores in the kind of quantity the US has is unique to the US. Part of that is the vast scale of the US, compared to other places like Britain and Europe. I think the land helps to shape culture and stuff and in North America, you have to drive hours before the landscape changes significantly, but not so on the other side of the Atlantic. Everything there is more compact. Here in Canada we have the large scale too, but much of our land is uninhabitable, and our population is far smaller than yours, which doesn't foster the kinds of large chains you have. We have some, but not the way you all do.
As for Walmart failing in Germany, Walmart is too huge. Germans (and Europeans) prefer smaller stores. For instance, they will go out every single day to buy groceries just for that day. Over here in North America we don't do that, and for most of us it would be impractical to do so because everything is so far apart, we have to drive everywhere. Germans are far more likely to hop on a bicycle and bring home only what fits on the bike. (My son's girlfriend is living in Germany right now and she says there are public bicycles. You find one parked some place, use it, and leave it for the next person to use.) I think there is also a resistance by all of us non-Americans to embracing the American hegemony.
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 11/16/2008 3:56:57 AM
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Roberta_
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Magdalene
quote:
I notice non-Americans don't seem to use as much slang as we do. I think Americans are far more casual in every way than most other nations.
I do not intentionally use slang on the Internet. However, I do occasionally imply that someone has bumped their head.
quote:
Do others have an abundance of chain stores too? Why did Wal  Mart fail in Germany? (I know what the news said about this, I'm just wondering what personal opinions are.)
quote:
I think large chain stores in the kind of quantity the US has is unique to the US. Part of that is the vast scale of the US, compared to other places like Britain and Europe. I think the land helps to shape culture and stuff and in North America, you have to drive hours before the landscape changes significantly, but not so on the other side of the Atlantic. Everything there is more compact. Here in Canada we have the large scale too, but much of our land is uninhabitable, and our population is far smaller than yours, which doesn't foster the kinds of large chains you have. We have some, but not the way you all do.
As for Walmart failing in Germany, Walmart is too huge. Germans (and Europeans) prefer smaller stores. For instance, they will go out every single day to buy groceries just for that day. Over here in North America we don't do that, and for most of us it would be impractical to do so because everything is so far apart, we have to drive everywhere. Germans are far more likely to hop on a bicycle and bring home only what fits on the bike. (My son's girlfriend is living in Germany right now and she says there are public bicycles. You find one parked some place, use it, and leave it for the next person to use.) I think there is also a resistance by all of us non-Americans to embracing the American hegemony.
We Americans love to drive. We we will spent $5 in gas to save a buck fifty on Hanes.
I've often wondered if that could be a part of the reason that the chain stores don't do well in other countries.
Aldi's seems to do fairly well in other countries, but I think it struggles here in the US.
BTW- if y'all don't want McD, I'll be glad to let you have all of the other fat-food places we have. 
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 11/16/2008 8:49:19 AM
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lexie
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From: Toronto
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quote:
I've often wondered if that could be a part of the reason that the chain stores don't do well in other countries.
Another reason could also be that countries already have stores like the ones the US are bringing in and people would rather continue shopping at their store. I don't shop at Walmart here because we have Zellers. While it's not as big, I can still get everything I need. And if Walmart has a good sale on, then Zellers will price match it for me. Food Basics is an American grocery store chain we have here, I'd rather drive a little extra to go to the Canadian grocery store chain. For me it's about supporting the local economy first.
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 11/16/2008 5:43:57 PM
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Roberta_
Posts: 7416
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From: East Bay Area
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quote:
ORIGINAL: lexie
quote:
I've often wondered if that could be a part of the reason that the chain stores don't do well in other countries.
Another reason could also be that countries already have stores like the ones the US are bringing in and people would rather continue shopping at their store. I don't shop at Walmart here because we have Zellers. While it's not as big, I can still get everything I need. And if Walmart has a good sale on, then Zellers will price match it for me. Food Basics is an American grocery store chain we have here, I'd rather drive a little extra to go to the Canadian grocery store chain. For me it's about supporting the local economy first.
I think it's very important to support your local economy.
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 11/16/2008 7:44:11 PM
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manda59
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From: Hampshire, UK
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quote:
ORIGINAL: agapetos
Manda, did you watch Children In Need? I don't watch it all but tuned in to see Dr Who and then stayed on for the Gok/Corrie thing ~ and then EastEnders.
I watched about the same as you did!
quote:
I'm wondering if she's the Dr's new companion?
Hmmm, not sure about that! Guess we will have to wait till Christmas!
Did you see any of Charles' 60th birthday bash?
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mvic, January 2009
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 11/16/2008 7:51:59 PM
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manda59
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From: Hampshire, UK
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Roberta_
I try to never post slang because I remember the old days of the 'net and having people's toes get stepped on because an American said something offensive to them.
The old days? What, longer than 10 years ago? (which is how long I've been posting on internet message boards!) Where I've been, it's usually been the Yanks who've been offended by things Brits have said, and not vice versa. I cannot recall any American slang ever that's been offensive.
quote:
On behalf of my fellow Americans, I extend a very heartfelt apology.
No need at all! Asda is wonderful and has an especially reasonable quality range of mens, womens and childrens clothes. I've bought several things there for my dd. I don't do my food shopping there as it's not close by (it's 20 mins drive away), I prefer to do that at one of the supermarkets in my home town (less than 5 mins drive).
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mvic, January 2009
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 11/16/2008 7:54:45 PM
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Roberta_
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From: East Bay Area
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quote:
ORIGINAL: manda59
quote:
ORIGINAL: Roberta_
I try to never post slang because I remember the old days of the 'net and having people's toes get stepped on because an American said something offensive to them.
The old days? What, longer than 10 years ago? (which is how long I've been posting on internet message boards!) Where I've been, it's usually been the Yanks who've been offended by things Brits have said, and not vice versa. I cannot recall any American slang ever that's been offensive.
Actually, I offended a very sweet lady from New Zealand about seven years ago. I was just cheering for my San Francisco Giants.
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 11/16/2008 9:32:14 PM
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manda59
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From: Hampshire, UK
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Roberta_
Actually, I offended a very sweet lady from New Zealand about seven years ago. I was just cheering for my San Francisco Giants.
How silly for her to have been offended, just because some Antipodeans chose to take an ordinary, commonly-used word like "rooting", and attach some sexual meaning to it. You could end up excluding loads of perfectly good words if you followed that reasoning through (oh dear! follow through is a euphemism for soiling oneself, should I beat myself up over that and not say it? )
"Rooting" is in common use all over the world with relation to sport - quite a major overreaction on her part IMO to have chosen to get offended over that, especially knowing that you're a Yank and wouldn't have meant it in an inappropriate way.
Don't let that one silly incident restrict you in expressing yourself, just say what you want to, in the way you want to, without tiptoeing around. Come on Roberta, I'm rooting for ya!!  
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mvic, January 2009
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 11/16/2008 11:25:55 PM
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Roberta_
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From: East Bay Area
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Everyone knows exactly what word I was talking about and no one get offended. It makes me wonder if most English speaking countries have such similar slang that we just don't notice it? What made me wonder about this is my dd. She has really enjoyed taking Spanish and she says that it's very different when she has a casual conversation with her teacher from this year vs. her teacher from last year. This year's teacher is a man from Spain and last year's teacher was a woman from Mexico.
I'm not sure exactly when it was that I was rootin for the Giants. I know it was the WS against the Angels. I wound up rootin for the loosing team anyway.
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if I did know the meaning? 