Interesting/annoying things about the USA

[Kate]

No that's just KIRSTY ALSOPP.

I meant a laundry room for the WHOLE BLOCK.

 

[RJN]

Garbage chutes too! I did ONCE live in a block that had those, but we were ground floor so didn't get to use them

We have a garbage chute here! I’ve never seen a laundry chute before though @Ag

In my apartment, we just leave our garbage outside the door every night and people pick it up

 

[GinAg (39)]

We have a garbage chute here! I’ve never seen a laundry chute before though @Ag

In my apartment, we just leave our garbage outside the door every night and people pick it up

EVERY NIGHT!

 

[RJN]

EVERY NIGHT!

not Friday or Saturday night but the other 5

 

[Kate]

Oh our rubbish here gets collected several times a day from bins in the rear stairwells It's marvellous

 

[GinAg (39)]

not Friday or Saturday night but the other 5

In my town, we put our rubbish out (3 bag limit) every fortnight! Recycling on alternative weeks.

I accept that's lousy.

 

[KindaCool]

I really wanna try Sloppy Joe's. And not just because my name and description are in the name.

 

[Ellie]

Garbage chutes too! I did ONCE live in a block that had those, but we were ground floor so didn't get to use them

I lived in a scabby flat in Camberwell for a year that had a rubbish chute. People kept clogging it up with dirty nappies Not to mention dogs pissing in the lifts. It was dirt cheap though with all bills included.

 

[RJN]

@Ag Doesn’t it build up to more than 3 bags? Or maybe I’m just wasteful

 

[Dark Carnival]

'erb

 

[GinAg (39)]

@Ag Doesn’t it build up to more than 3 bags? Or maybe I’m just wasteful

We are forced to recycle very hard.

 

[RJN]

One thing I dislike about America is that certain counties don’t even have access to recycling. I do though (and it is again picked up every night)

 

[Kate]

When I lived in Herts there were two bins AND two boxes! Black bin (rubbish) and black box (paper) one week, green bin (garden/food waste) and blue box (plastic) the next. Dreadful.

 

[Alla]

not Friday or Saturday night but the other 5

We do the same every single night, including weekends.

 

[Alla]

We have the bin for organic food and the bin for non organic garbage, that we take out every day. Then the one for plastic that we take out 4 days a week. There are bins for paper and glass in the streets and not sure how often they do them, once or twice a week, I guess.

 

[Funky]

I suspect Americans tend to use their vocabulary more. There's something in the Irish (and maybe British?) sensibility I think where you don't want to sound like a twat for using big words, whereas my American friends are really well-spoken. It could just be my friends, but I think it's a thing... anyone?

Oh this. But there’s also an element of vocabulary overuse. Having worked with Americans for a long time some of their emails are just WTF

“can we just validate those financials and make sure there are no inaccuracies?”

If by that you want me to check the spreadsheet for mistakes, SURE.

 

[Funky]

Americans saving the world in every action movie.

it’s funny how the aliens from 7 billion light years away always manage to find New York or Los Angeles first.

 

[Ellie]

Oh this. But there’s also an element of vocabulary overuse. Having worked with Americans for a long time some of their emails are just WTF

“can we just validate those financials and make sure there are no inaccuracies?”

If by that you want me to check the spreadsheet for mistakes, SURE.

IS that an American thing? I see emails all the time like that. I don't mind it unless someone is padding out a sentence with several words that all mean the same thing.

 

[RJN]

Slagging off OUR FOOD as if theirs is SO GREAT.

I've been meaning to ask, but do you guys have canned chicken at all? Not a gross thing like this, but something like this:

 

[Funky]

The obsession with size. You might be getting an extra 30% apple for your dollar, but the added chemicals and artificial proteins don’t really add to your 5 a day!

And all visitors must make the mistake of being “hungry” enough for a 3 course meal. By the time they’ve taken away the giant bowl
of 20 chicken tenders with a bucket of salad advertised as a “starter” you don’t even want to look at the main...

 

[Funky]

I've been meaning to ask, but do you guys have canned chicken at all? Not a gross thing like this, but something like this:

THAT IS DISGUSTING

 

[Funky]

IS that an American thing? I see emails all the time like that. I don't mind it unless someone is padding out a sentence with several words that all mean the same thing.

i think anywhere else vocabulary overuse is insecurity and compensation but in America it’s very normal.

 

[RJN]

The obsession with size. You might be getting an extra 30% apple for your dollar, but the added chemicals and artificial proteins don’t really add to your 5 a day!

And all visitors must make the mistake of being “hungry” enough for a 3 course meal. By the time they’ve taken away the giant bowl
of 20 chicken tenders with a bucket of salad advertised as a “starter” you don’t even want to look at the main...

Maybe next time don't eat at the Cheesecake Factory/Applebees!

 

[Funky]

Maybe next time don't eat at the Cheesecake Factory/Applebees!

I think it was TGIs

We don’t have anywhere near as many fast food chains as you do. Mind you I don’t think America counts those big chain restaurants as fast food, but they are really.

 

[Dark Carnival]

WHITE chicken? As opposed to WHAT?

 

[RJN]

I think it was TGIs

We don’t have anywhere near as many fast food chains as you do. Mind you I don’t think America counts those big chain restaurants as fast food, but they are really.

They're "fast casual". They're gross, not even cheap, and unhealthy. I wouldn't eat there.

We have good restaurants, just not those.

THAT IS DISGUSTING

It is gross but is unfortunately common

 

[RJN]

WHITE chicken? As opposed to WHAT?

White meat = breast
Dark meat = wings and thighs

 

[Dark Carnival]

OH

 

[KindaCool]

Some American expressions are still very bizarre to me.

Like when you wanna buy something from the store and the salesman says "Let me RING that up for you." Like what are you "ringing"? Do they mean SCANNING?

 

[KindaCool]

One of my absolute favorite YouTube channels though is the Southern Women Channel. The women are gorgeous, the accents are gorgeous, the stories are amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/user/SouthernWomenChannel

 

[Kate]

I've been meaning to ask, but do you guys have canned chicken at all? Not a gross thing like this, but something like this:

I don’t think so! Just fish and ham. Oh and corned beef.

 

[Kate]

Some American expressions are still very bizarre to me.

Like when you wanna buy something from the store and the salesman says "Let me RING that up for you." Like what are you "ringing"? Do they mean SCANNING?

Is that cos old tills used to go DING and open the money drawer?

 

[Alla]

I have never seen canned chicken, but we have canned partridge, my father likes it.

 

[KindaCool]

Is that cos old tills used to go DING and open the money drawer?

Even then, they're clearly using the wrong ONOMATOPOEIA.

 

[vespertine]

I feel like when you move there you become an American. Canada and the US are the only two places I can think of in the world like that.

I could move to Sweden tomorrow but I would never truly be considered Swedish. My kids sure, but not me.

 

[GNL]

We have a garbage chute here! I’ve never seen a laundry chute before though @Ag

In my apartment, we just leave our garbage outside the door every night and people pick it up

'People'.

It's two raccoons in a trench coat and you're playing right into their LITTLE HANDS.

WAKE UP AMERICA!

 

[jivafox]

ALL THE NONSENSE ALCOHOL LAWS.

 

[RJN]

'People'.

It's two raccoons in a trench coat and you're playing right into their LITTLE HANDS.

WAKE UP AMERICA!

The company is called “Trash Fairies” so could be!

 

[RJN]

ALL THE NONSENSE ALCOHOL LAWS.

Up until a few years ago, you couldn’t buy alcohol on Sundays in Georgia

now you can but only after noon

 

[jivafox]

Up until a few years ago, you couldn’t buy alcohol on Sundays in Georgia

now you can but only after noon

Couldn’t FATHOM!

I learned recently that parts of Dallas are “DRY” so they don’t sell alcohol anywhere in those areas!