Brits: Need some advice on living in the UK (1 Viewer)

[Seth Paxton]

I disagree with Ike on the "2 fisted" or "double fisting" American meaning. This always means loading up on drinks (usually beer, but sometimes liquor - or soda if joking). 1 beer in each hand as far as I can tell.
My experience is from Indy, Houston, Seattle and a buddy from NY. I've rarely run into someone who didn't know what you meant, and never someone who thought sex rather than drinking.
2 Fisted is the manly way to drink for chrissake!
BTW, expect restaurant help to SUCK and usually be rude. Although while in London we enjoyed the service at an Italian restaurant (food was great).
Also at a KFC a guy (not British) had no idea what I meant by "corn on the cob". Not sure what that was about.
Overall though, England rocks. Sarah and I love the place, especially London, and look forward to coming back some more. I love the trains and tubes, so easy to use and pretty convenient IMHO.

 

[andrew markworthy]

Service in Brit restaurants varies enormously, and price is usually no guide. It's rarely as obviously friendly as in America, but in part this is a cultural thing - Brits generally expect service to be unobtrustive. Incidentally, Josh, I'm due to be visiting Oxford for a college reunion in March, and will be sampling the restaurants, etc, then. I shall try to give you an up to date field report on my return.

I should stress that Barrow is an exception, and is *not* typical of British towns in the same way that Deliverance couldn't be said to be an accurate picture of tourism in America. Even within Barrow it's one part of the town that's like this. The nicer people there (who, like my parents, stick around largely because of the Lake District which is only a few miles away) tend to meet up at clubs and societies outside the town centre or go to pubs in the nearby villages (which generally are very nice).

 

[TheoGB]

Sod it, unless someone's living in a utopia out there, every country's got its share of ignorant fuckwits who drag everyone down. Football hooligans certainly haven't done us any favours, though. :frowning:

 

[Eric Kahn]

you said it just right TheoGB

 

[Iain Lambert]

Well, the place is famous for one good thing at least though - "Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, Chewits are even chewier than Barrow In Furness Bus Depot!"

As for restaurants, I highly recommend Cafe CoCo on the Cowley Road - great pizza, even greater cocktails.

 

[Josh Dial]

I'm especially looking forward to learning a new language
I've played football for over 14 years now, though I suspect i'm not as good as a brit with the same experience (Canadians aren't exactly world cup contenders )
No matter what happens, i'm sure i'll have a good time though.
cheers!
Josh

 

[Grant B]

You shouldn't have too hard of time in Oxford...up North it can get rather tricky.My girlfriend (now wife ) had no clue what people were saying..I had to translate from Barrovian to Human Being... sounded like trying to clear your throat and accidently bringing something up.
Practice listening to Brad Pitt in Snatch...it might help
Keep an open mind and always look both ways... in London there are reminders but nowhere else

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Also at a KFC a guy (not British) had no idea what I meant by "corn on the cob".

IIRC "corn" in the UK is what Americans call wheat and "maize" in the UK is what Americans call corn. Or am I confused again???

 

[BrianB]

Kinda.

Brits call "corn" sweetcorn.

 

[TheoGB]

Yeah, but corn on the cob is a standard meal over here. I've never heard of it in KFC but then it is KFC. I once order a cup of tea there. In true Douglas Adams fashion it was almost, but not exactly, unlike tea!

 

[Grant B]

Theo

Corn on the cob is standard at American KFCs. Americans that go to American (Or in the case of Burger King-British) FAst food restaurants in different countries falsely believe they are idenitcal to those in the US. I always liked ordering beer at a McDonalds in Germany, or wine at one in France...just for that (sort-of) perverse reason.

There was a pizza place that no matter what you ordered, they would also put corn on the pizza. I found this disgusting...and ordered the pizza with NO CORN!!!!....they still dumped corn on it 50% of the time.

 

[Iain Lambert]

eeeww! Sweetcorn on pizza is indeed an evil practice.

Funny you should mention Burger King. In the UK they do a gorgeous Spicy Beanburger, which I used to regularly eat even before I became vegetarian. Boy, was I disappointed the first time I stepped into a US branch in search of one. It does seem that Americans have almost as far as the French do in grasping the concept of vegetables.

 

[Grant B]

Well Fast Food is a whole different beast. When I lived in the north of England, veggies were expensive and awful. In the US midwest...they were corn and potatoes. When I came to california there were vegtables i had no idea that they were edible ...1st time I saw an artichoke I wonder what the hell to do with it...

Food can vary quite a bit in the US, just like it can in the UK

My wife almost got thrown into prison by smuggling Hagis into the US .....no comment

 

[Darren Lewis]

When I was in New Zealand they put beetroot on their Big Macs

 

[BrianB]

Iain, it's been a bugbear of mine since I moved here that Burger King over here don't sell spicy beanburgers. I love them *so* much, and the fastfood places have zero decent alternatives like that.

I'm not a vegetarian - I just love spicy beanburgers. They're even hard to find in supermarkets.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

I'm not sure if this expression is still in use, but I was surprised, to say the least, the first time I heard a Brit mention that he was going to "knock me up" at 7 in the morning. Fortunately, he just came calling and had no intention of impregnating me.
The eternal knickers-pants-trousers confusion is a source of much comedy as well.
Regards,

 

[Marvin]

Also remember to drive on the wrong, er, left side of the road, by jove.

 

[Grant B]

Friend of mine came and visited me in the UK...her name was Fanny

Should have seen the red faces

Took my LH Drive with me too,driving wasn't too strange (easier than shifting with the other hand). Never even dawned on me what would be impossible...parking garages! People wondered why I made them come along until we got there...ticket window etc was on the other side. What a Pain.

No such thing as a drive thru window in England, thank god!

 

[Michael_UK]

WE drive on the left and do have roundabouts so they may take a bit of getting used to if you are driving.

Petrol is quite expencive here.

I do recommend you do travel about in england a bit there are places very very differnt to london.

I personly find London quite busy and you can tell air quality outside of London is much better.

I live in a small village about 40 miles north of London.

 

[Andrew Pratt]

Having spent the first 10 years of my life in England this thread has been a blast to read.