American things

Knope is a lezlie in my headcanon tbh. Like I think I have autoreplaced it on hearing, in the moment, on the fly

lol

High-fructose corn syrup

https://www.ohio-put-in-bay.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Barbershop-Quartet.jpg

Wait, so you're saying that in other nations you get your hair cut without corny-ass a capella singing in four-part harmony?

Like what, you just get your hair cut in SILENCE?

Like SAVAGES?

I've seen and heard barbershop quartets in all sorts of places in the U.S. - and sang in one myself for a few months - but have never heard of one in an actual barber shop.

Like what, you just get your hair cut in SILENCE?

Man, I wish!

One of Enoch Powell's most famous quips was prompted by an encounter with the resident House of Commons barber: a notoriously chatty character, who enjoyed treating captive clients to his views on politics and the state of the world. When Powell went in for a trim, the barber asked the standard question: "How should I cut your hair, Sir?" "In silence," was Powell's instant riposte.

Even Powell's political enemies have usually admitted, a bit grudgingly, that this was a rather good joke. But what they haven't realised is that it has a history going back more than 2,000 years. Almost exactly the same gag features in a surviving Roman joke book: the Philogelos (or Laughter Lover), a collection of wisecracks probably compiled in the fourth or fifth century AD. As with most such collections, some of the jokes included were already decidedly old by the time they were anthologised. In fact, we can trace the "chatty barber" gag back to Archelaus, a fifth-century BC king of Macedon. The "how should I cut your hair?" question was standard even then. And Archelaus is supposed to have replied to his own garrulous barber, "In silence."

Row Houses. (Which are terrace houses?)

Yes, they are terraced houses.

But why are they called "rowhouses" when they're in cities but "townhouses" when the same type of structure is in a suburb?

That is answered at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Townhouse

Yeah rowhouses are a specific thing and are (subtly) distinct from townhouses. It's not just about where they are - I have lived in places where both exist in close proximity.

I have spent time in both and can feel the difference, but there is a bit of "I know it when I see it."

The thing is, some urban rowhouses, like these in Washington DC, don't meet the Wikipedia definition of what constitutes a rowhouse rather than a townhouse, even though they look like rowhouses and would likely be called that. I have no idea whether they share a foundation or have double walls between addresses, but they certainly have townhouse-style separate roofs and facades that don't look like your neighbor's. It does seem to me that old/pre-automotive era = rowhouse, newer/larger = townhouse. And usually that correlates with city vs. suburbs.

Now that I think of it, what makes it feel "townhouse" to me is a parking lot out front, and the homes usually being in a development often with a name for each one. Rowhouses don't have parking lots out front (and usually not to the side or rear either), just a one or two lane street with parallel parking (if there's parking at all). But that has nothing to do with the buildings themselves, and again it correlates with city vs. suburbs.

near-random seeming combinations of foods that usually involve melted cheese, bbq sauce, and too many other fat and salt sources combined in one place but are also supposed to sound vaguely creative or sophisticated

"Try our roasted-red-pepper-pesto-ranch bbq chicken and jack cheese flatbread pizza!"

Aka Guy Fieri cuisine

ZEE

there's a moving van I drive past at least once a week in Cambridge called "EEZEE Movers" and it just makes me sad, did they use to be called "EZ Movers" but then had too many people saying "why are you called EE ZED? hur hur"?

dj EZ to thread ("dj ee-zed")

QRS!
TUV!
W, X, Y AND
......
zed

will note that I have seen verified English people referring to their birthday as a "b-day" recently, which spins my brain around something rotten, maybe they just haven't heard of bidets? no other explanation comes to mind.

in China the alphabet song goes

A B C D E F G
H I J K L M N
O P Q R S T U V
W X Y and Z

which is wrong

b-day rhymes with DJ, not g'day.

UK vs US pronounciation of bidet

So does bidet? Unless that's another American thing?

(xp) LOL

I'm usually up on US/UK English usage and pronunciation differences, but didn't know about BEEday. Note to self: don't contract "birthday" when i'm in the UK.

Conversely, if you travel to the US don't say to your hosts "I gotta use the toilet" - sounds a bit crude to Americans where a toilet is only the commode itself, not the room its in.

"Where's the bog?"

That'll work in America; not sure about Australia...

“Where’s Rob?”

“He’s in the toilet”

American thing: flying to Dallas because you heard on Facebook that JFK Jr will miraculously come to life make an important announcement at the AT&T Discovery Plaza.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/joe-biden-mispronounces-glasgow-glass-25355010

That's J.B. for ya... Dunkin' on your big Glasgow and then getting out of there.

First the farting and now this, is there going to be a war?

Thinking that Tom Holland can't pronounce croissant.

"In back of".

Hanging out in back of.

“Where’s Rob?”

“He’s in the toilet”

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, November 2, 2021 2:57 PM (two months ago)

creepy

83. “thank you for your service”

― rove mcmanus island (Autumn Almanac), Sunday, 11 February 2018 09:28 (four years ago) link

I don’t think I’ll ever get over realising that this frankly demented practice is widespread over there and not just something Fox News weirdos do

I need to start saying this to customer-facing retail people. They get shit on worse than anybody.

"thank you for your service"

"and also with you"

"let us pray"

Well, they have a type

83. “thank you for your service”

― rove mcmanus island (Autumn Almanac), Sunday, 11 February 2018 09:28 (four years ago) link

I don’t think I’ll ever get over realising that this frankly demented practice is widespread over there and not just something Fox News weirdos do

xp to Chris yeah, or like when you meet a librarian or something. Someone who makes a positive contribution to the world

I mean it would still be slightly weird

letting active service military first on planes! Fuck that Prussian shit.

to me, this is a cheap gesture of gratitude. after all, the modern US military is a bunch of poor kids who volunteered to be cannon fodder, just so that middle class kids don't have to be conscripted and shot at. this frees up the US war machine to pursue global domination with much less political blowback. a win-win-win, all around!

does anyone outside of America say "have a blessed day" because that is super common.

OMG no!

I've only ever heard that from older Black ladies, although I could imagine evangelicals using it.

people say it all the time. like at the checkout counter. it’s creepy as fuck.