Naughts and Zeds: Punnet of Strawberries

Naughts and Zeds is an ongoing series of posts on the differences between language, culture, and everyday items in America and in Britain. For a list of previous posts, go here.

J's school is having a cook-out and each student in his class had to donate a "punnet of strawberries." "Strawberries" I know, but "punnet" is a new and cryptic word to me. Fortunately Google came to the rescue before I had to do anything really embarrassing (like asking one of the other parents!). Punnet is a small container for gathering and selling fruits and veg, especially small berries. I can't tell from the pictures whether it's a pint or a quart, I'm guessing it's closer to a pint.

The origin of the word is uncertain. Some suspect it is a diminutive of "pun," a British dialect word for "pound." Thus it's less than a pound. We've bought what we need to donate:

I did not check with the store clerk to make sure this was the right size

The school cook-out happened on July 5, so don't worry about the expiration date on the package above. They served strawberries and heavy cream (which is a rather thick whipped cream, but that's a term for another post...) along with sausages and burgers and grilled vegetable kebaps (which is a kebab, another term for another post!). They were all delicious.

Cool Stuff from Blogs

Something for the Naughts and Zeds series is this Happy Catholic post on what Brits don't get about Americans and what Americans don't get about Brits.

Captain Dad's book (on the manly art of stay-at-home parenting) is going to be available for (American) Mother's Day and for Father's Day, so if you want to get your shopping done early, check out his post.

If you are going through The Walking Dead TV withdrawals, B-Movie Catechism offers a link to a surprisingly moving zombie short feature.

If you are going through The Walking Dead TV withdrawals, but need more Walking Dead TV, how about the Cold Storage Webisodes available on the show's official web site? I haven't watched these yet, but will soon and will probably post a review.

If you are wondering why Jesus isn't a zombie, check out this post at BustedHalo (which I got from another link at B-Movie Catechism).

And, last but not really a blog, Amazon has premiered the Zombieland pilot episode. I can't watch on Amazon since they've detected that I live outside of the US. I will investigate lovefilmUK!

Naughts and Zeds: Eggs-sell-ent

Naughts and Zeds is an ongoing series of posts on the differences between language, culture, and everyday items in America and in Britain. For a list of previous posts, go here.

Someone linked to this article at the Forbes magazine web site about eggs in American and in England. The title of the article is "Why American Eggs Would Be Illegal In A British Supermarket, And Vice Versa." I had noticed that eggs in British supermarkets are not refrigerated and usually located near the baking aisle. In America, eggs are refrigerated and shelved by dairy products. British eggs are mostly free range--it's hard to find eggs here that aren't. American egg sellers seemingly couldn't care less (perhaps because American consumers don't care either).

The difference in the two systems comes down to legal requirements. American law requires eggs to be washed and sanitized before being sold to consumers. Sounds like that should be better than the British system, right? Except that the washing process removes the cuticle, a natural barrier to bacteria. And if washing water is used for too long there's a risk of contaminating the eggs, which is why Britain and the EU don't require washing. To slow potential bacteria growth, American eggs are refrigerated right after the washing process and all the way to the store. British eggs are kept at room temperature so they will not form condensation if during the trip home, which could lead to bacteria getting onto or into the eggs.

There are lots of more interesting details, go check out the article on the web site. It's a very interesting read.

Naughts and Zeds: Valentine's Day

Naughts and Zeds is an ongoing series of posts on the differences between language, culture, and everyday items in America and in Britain. For a list of previous posts, go here.

In America, Valentine's Day is a big deal. The stores are crowded with cards, candy, and other collectibles that show just how much you care. The shelves are stocked in the UK too, though one item is missing. That's those little Valentine's Day notes for school-age children to give to everyone in their class. I looked in the grocery stores. I looked in the card stores. I looked in the book stores. No one had any in stock. It was surprising to me. We'd had a flurry of cards at Christmas from J's and L's classmates. Sure enough, such Christmas cards were on sale all over the place. Well, for Valentine's Day it's just not available because it's just not done here in Britain.

We sent a note in to J's teachers and they wrote back saying kids don't send Valentines in the UK but we were welcome to if we wanted. J decided against it. L did want to, so we sent in a bunch of notes we had from a previous year with a nice Wizard of Oz theme. She forgot they were in her backpack, so they never got delivered. I should have checked when I picked her up! Whoops.

At home, we did exchange some gifts. I bought my wife some nice chocolates from a fancy local store, Hotel Chocolat. She bought me the first season of Once Upon a Time, which I am excited to watch. Probably while we are eating her chocolates!

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Naughts and Zeds: Veteran's Day/Remembrance Day 2012

Naughts and Zeds is an ongoing series of posts on the differences between language, culture, and everyday items in America and in Britain. For a list of previous posts, go here.

This year has seen some new things for us when celebrating November 11, known as Armistice Day, Veterans' Day, and Remembrance Day. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the peace treaty was signed ending World War I. The day is remembered world wide in many different ways.

In America, it is Veterans' Day and a federal holiday. Most people have the day off from work and many military ceremonies are held commemorating the sacrifices of those who died in World War I and in other wars and battles in defense of our country. I celebrated on the eve of Veterans' Day by having Wells Bombardier Burning Gold, a nicely patriotic sounding beer. It tasted good too! And we played Memoir '44, a game I received for my birthday. It simulates various battles from World War II, mostly around the D-Day invasion. We fought the battle for Pegasus Bridge, which was won historically by the Brits. They also won when we played. It was fun.

My wife has the day off work on Monday, since we Americans can't be deprived of a holiday if it falls on a Saturday or a Sunday, as this 2012 Veterans' Day does. The children are still in school since the British system doesn't have it as a bank holiday.

In the United Kingdom, the day is more focused on World War I. A minute of silence is held at 11:00 a.m. Many people wear poppies on their clothes as a reminder of the sacrifice made. Jacob even made a poppy at school, where they were also selling poppies to the parents.

Jacob's poppy is on top; the purchased one on the bottom

Poppies are used because of their prominence in the poem "In Flanders Field" by John McCrae. He wrote it in 1915 after the death of a friend in the Second Battle of Ypres. Read more about the origin of the poem here. Here is the text of the poem.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Naughts and Zeds: Britishisms in America

Naughts and Zeds is an ongoing series of posts on the differences between language, culture, and everyday items in America and in Britain. For a list of previous posts, go here.

Ever wonder about the words and phrases attributed to the British and sometimes used in America? I remember being surprised during Mark Kermode's review of The Avengers that he thought Loki used a rather R-rated word at one point. I believe he described it as "a very Anglo-Saxon swear word." When I saw the movie, I didn't notice anything. But it is explained on a web site dedicated to Not One-Off Britishisms. I should warn you that the post does translate it into current R-rated slang.

This is the blog's self-description:

 Over the last decade or so, an alarming number of traditionally British expressions have found their way into the American vocabulary. This page offers a growing list of Britishisms that have been widely adopted in the U.S.–that is, they are not “one-offs.”  Each entry offers a definition/American equivalent, followed by quotes representing the first and most recent American usages I’ve found.

It's another good resource to understand the differences and samenesses of our shared language!

h/t to Happy Catholic who posted about Streets Ahead!

Naughts and Zeds: Cotton-Stickin' Problem

Naughts and Zeds is an ongoing series of posts on the differences between language, culture, and everyday items in America and in Britain. For a list of previous posts, go here.

We finally ran out of the supply of Q-Tips that we brought from America, so I had to go shopping around for them in the local UK stores. Funnily enough, no product called "Q-Tips" was available. It's a brand name, so I started looking for cotton swabs. No swabs in the stores either! I finally came across what I wanted in a local supermarket.

Now I have to admit, the term "swabs" always makes me think of sailors, or at least of Popeye. You know how they swab the deck all the time. To me, "cotton buds" sounds like a plant that hasn't really bloomed yet. "Q-Tips" doesn't make much sense as a name either. I can see how in an abstract way the end might look like a sloppily-written q or Q, but to find out the real story, I started scouring their web site. Here's what I found:

Upon observing his wife applying wads of cotton to toothpicks, Leo Gerstenzang, the original founder of the Q-tips^®  Company, conceived the idea of manufacturing a ready-to-use cotton swab. He founded the Leo Gerstenzang Infant Novelty Co., a firm which marketed baby care accessories.

The product was originally called Baby Gays and in 1926, the labels were changed to read Q-tips^®  Baby Gays. Later, the name Baby Gays was discarded and Q-tips^®  became the identifying mark for cotton swabs. The “Q” in Q-tips^®  stands for quality and the word “tips” describes the cotton swab at the end of the stick.

A "Q" for quality makes sense even if it is not immediately obvious. This information is probably more than anyone needs to know about cotton swabs/buds, but it may come in handy at a cocktail party.

Naughts and Zeds: Spelling

Naughts and Zeds is an ongoing series of posts on the differences between language, culture, and everyday items in America and in Britain. For a list of previous posts, go here.

Ever wonder why Americans have dropped the "u" out of "honour" and "colour" and other similar words? How "realise" became "realize" in the United States? These questions and more are answered in the latest podcast by one of my favorite podcasters, Grammar Girl. Check out the episode here. You can listen to the episode or read the transcript. Also, she has an episode on numbers that provide some background on how the US wound up with "math" while the UK has "maths."
 

Naughts and Zeds: Peek-a-What?!?

Naughts and Zeds is an ongoing series of posts on the differences between language, culture, and everyday items in America and in Britain. For a list of previous posts, go here.

The other day I was at the local library in the children's section and saw a book we have at home. Except the title is different! I wondered what was going on here. I looked through the whole book, and sure enough, the only difference was wherever the title word appeared.

In America it's called Peek-a-boo! In the UK it's called Peepo!

I tried searching the internet for the term "peepo" with no satisfactory results. The internet dictionaries failed me. Google Search failed me. All the search engines failed to provide any sort of context or explanation. So I did what any contestant on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire would do, I phoned a friend.

Actually, I emailed a friend, the most excellent Sean McCarney from Just A Catholic Dad podcast. In Episode 85, he replied that he did indeed play the game of hiding his eyes with his hands and occasionally looking out and he does call it Peepo. I take that as confirmation, and I hope internet search engines start pointing to this blog post!

Peepo! is available from here at Amazon.co.uk.

Clicking won't work, sorry!

Peek-a-boo! is available from Amazon.com at the link below.

BBC on Naughts and Zeds

BBC News Magazine has posted a guide to the quirks and characteristics of the British Isles. It's supposed to help out visitors during the Olympics to follow proper etiquette or to understand various discussions or faux pas they might make. Each of the twelve descriptions is 212 words long, presumably a contraction of 2012. It's pretty entertaining reading and definitely seems pinched from my naughts and zeds concept. Check it out here.

Naughts and Zeds: Is That Really English?

Naughts and Zeds is an ongoing series of posts on the differences between language, culture, and everyday items in America and in Britain. For a list of previous posts, go here.

There are plenty of products in America that have the "English" moniker stuck on them. Thomas's English Muffins are a popular breakfast treat with many knock-off brands sold as plain old "English muffins." English toffee is a popular dessert treat or topping. English Breakfast Tea is available just about everywhere in America, even in coffee shops. But are all these "English" things found in England? Do they call them "English?"

First, let's look at the mouth-watering muffins that I treasured in my youth and still treasure today. The other day I was in the grocery store and found these:

Yes, these are definitely what in America are called "English muffins" and here are just called "muffins."

We did try making our own muffins following a recipe from the Stainsby Mill. It was a bit of work and we didn't quite have the knack for cooking them properly. The heat level is pretty vague in the recipe ("Warm a griddle gently and grease lightly with lard or oil then place the muffins [i.e. uncooked dough] carefully on the griddle and cook for 8 to 10 minutes on a moderate heat until golden brown underneath"). They turned out not quite so well. We may stick with the store-bought brands.

As for English toffee, we have found plenty of toffee here in England. It is definitely more popular than in America. But nowhere is it called "English toffee." Sure, there's sticky toffee pudding (which is the greatest dessert ever) and I've had a drink called hot toffee that is basically hot chocolate but with toffee instead. These cookies are pretty awesome:

Yes, these are just like Doctor Who's favorites without the jammie

As for English Breakfast Tea, that is indeed found here and is also called by the same name. Presumably to distinguish it from Irish and Scottish breakfast tea (why is there no Welsh breakfast tea?). All the larger tea makers make a version of this tea.

Local popular drinks

It is just as delicious here as it is in the States. Though I haven't found Irish breakfast tea like I have back home. Maybe when we go to the Emerald Isle we won't find English breakfast tea!

Naughts and Zeds: Mother's and Father's Days

Naughts and Zeds is an ongoing series of posts on the differences between language, culture, and everyday items in America and in Britain. For a list of previous posts, go here.

Now that Father's Day is here in the United States and the United Kingdom, I'd like to note the different celebrations of Mother's Day in both countries.

In the UK, Mother's Day is known as Mothering Sunday. It's celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, so this year (2012) it was celebrated on March 18. The tradition dates back to 16th century England, when young apprentices would return to their mother church (i.e. the parish where they were born) and, presumably, get to visit their own moms back home. The celebration petered out but was revived during World War II when American soldiers in England celebrated Mother's Day. The two holidays, the Anglican Mothering Sunday and the American Mother's Day, merged. The Anglican date remained. We were on our US trip when Mothering Sunday happened this year, so we wound up celebrating the US Mother's Day later on, when we were back in England.

In the US, Mother's Day is the second Sunday in May (the 13th this year). Anna Jarvis started the American tradition in 1908. It really caught fire in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday. Subsequently the holiday was taken over by greeting card companies, chocolate merchants, and florists. Jarvis regretted how commercial the holiday had become, but many in the US still keep the proper spirit towards the holiday, honoring the woman who brought them into the world. Lucy and Jacob made their own cards and some presents this year; I supplemented with chocolates and a few other modest gifts.

Around the rest of the world, various days are celebrated as Mother's Day, at least according to Wikipedia.

Father's Day is definitely a sequel to Mother's Day, as its celebration was inspired by Mother's Day. For some, the inspiration was to acknowledge the contributions of their fathers. For others, it was another holiday to sell greeting cards and man-centric items. Maybe that's why it took until Lyndon B. Johnson to get presidential recognition in 1966, though it was not a permanent national holiday until Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972. The third Sunday in June is the official day in both the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as many other countries (though there is a similar dispersal of celebratory days around the world, at least according to Wikipedia).

I'd like to thank my mother (still alive and quite active) and my father (who has passed away) for all they have given to me: life, the liberty to pursue my own dreams, and a happy home that I can always come back to. One day is not enough to acknowledge how much they both have done for me and my siblings. I love you both.

Naughts and Zeds: Chocolate Edition

Naughts and Zeds is an ongoing series of posts on the differences between language, culture, and everyday items in America and in Britain. For a list of previous posts, go here.

In a new country, it's not surprising to discover candy bars you've never heard of before, like Wispa or Twirl. Maybe you'd even expect to see a few old favorites from your home country. But what if a candy bar has the same name but is a different bar? I recent bought what I thought were three favorites from back home, but only one was the same as in the United States. Can you guess which one of these chocolate bars is exactly the same in the U.S. and in the U.K.?

If you based your guess on the label and said to yourself, "The Snickers label is just like an American label, but the others are different from their American counterparts," you would have made the right guess. Snickers are packed with peanuts and nougaty goodness on both sides of the Pond.

The U.K. Mars Bar has no almonds in it. It has the nougat and caramel, resulting in a bar just like the American Milky Way bar.

So what is a U.K. Milky Way bar like? It's like an American Milky Way, except it doesn't have the caramel. Which means that it is just like an American Three Musketeers bar. I guess the British don't want a Three Musketeers bar since Athos, Porthos, and Aramis are French characters. French!?! Can't have that.

I have not found a U.K. equivalent for the American Mars Bar, but rest assured I will keep researching the issue. For science! For my readers!

Naughts and Zeds: Fools Edition

Naughts and Zeds is an ongoing series of posts on the differences between language, culture, and everyday items in America and in Britain. For a list of previous posts, go here.

The stores here often have rather intriguing items to offer. I haven't worked my nerve up to buy hot dogs that are in a can (like a can of bean or soup), but I did get this delightful concoction:

It's a mixture of yogurt, whipped cream, and strawberries. Eating it is pretty delightful. Why the name? No one is quite sure, though according to the unassailably reliable source Wikipedia,

Several authors derive it from the French verb fouler meaning "to crush" or "to press" (in the context of pressing grapes for wine),^[4] but this derivation is dismissed by the Oxford English Dictionary as baseless and inconsistent with the early use of the word.^[1]

How reliable is an entry where the footnotes are out of order?

If you are in America, "fool" always refers to an idiot or a jester. The only American who would eat a fool is Hannibal Lecter. For Americans of a certain age, the word "fool" is forever associated with this man:

"I pity the fool who doesn't know who I am."

In spite of my fond memories of The A-Team, I think I prefer the English variety of fool.

Naughts and Zeds: Easter Bunny vs. Easter Egg

Shopping for Easter candy has been an interesting experience here in the UK. Back in the States, chocolate bunnies are the big thing. I remember growing up, we'd come downstairs and find on the dining room hutch one bunny for each of us children. US stores are full of chocolate bunnies. Sure, Cadbury Eggs and Robin Eggs and jelly bean and many other items are available, but the chocolate bunny is the king of Easter candy.

Not so here in the UK, if the local stores are stocked properly. Here the chocolate egg reigns supreme. Every chocolate company (and most chocolate bars) offer Easter eggs in their flavor and in a variety of sizes. Some are almost as large as volley balls where others are as small as, well, chicken eggs. We've decided to embrace the tradition and have this to offer on Easter morning after we get back from church:

Unfortunately, Lucy was with me when I made the purchase and she begged and begged and begged for the Disney Princesses egg. The Thomas egg was right next to it, so that will be Jacob's. The Belgian chocolate will be for Mommy and Daddy to share.

Naughts and Zeds: How Much Medicine

I've had an on again, off again cold since January 1. I finally bought some cold medicine of the Nyquil variety from the local grocery store. When I opened it up, I found the dosage instructions and saw this:

Now, where could I find a 5 ml spoon? Should I go back to the store? Maybe it's a teaspoon? I decided to experiment. I took a teaspoon from our silverware drawer and found a measuring cup. The measuring cup was no good because the smallest measure is 50 ml. I remembered that the children's Tylenol came with a little cup. I took that from the medicine cabinet and, sure enough, it had teaspoon and tablespoon measurements on it. The measurements were also given in metric, so I could see that one teaspoon roughly equals 5 ml. Rather than use their medicine cup, I used the teaspoon to take my medicine.

I'm feeling much better now. Yay for English medicine!

Naughts and Zeds: Drink Driving

This is the beginning of an on-going series of posts about the interesting differences between American English and British English. Americans say "zero" while Brits say "naught" and the last letter of the alphabet is "zee" in America and "zed" in the UK. Stuff like that. Today's topic is especially relevant for any post-Saint-Patrick's-Day revelers who had too much green beer.

Americans and the English refer to driving while intoxicated with slightly different terminology. In America this is referred to as "drunk driving" while in England they say "drink driving."

The English generally have a much lower tolerance for drinking and driving. As in zero tolerance. The advice we were given was you shouldn't drive if you have any alcohol at all. The advice makes sense, because even if you aren't legally impaired, you still are affected by the alcohol that you drink. You don't have to be drunk for your performance to be impaired. If you are busted, the fine is £5000 and comes with a twelve month driving ban and a criminal record. Check it out at the government web site. Also, they have a video that's quite direct about the consequences.

Americans have more of a "know your limit" attitude towards drinking and driving. If your blood/alcohol content is over a certain level, you are considered "drunk" and can be in serious trouble (British law enforcement also measures the alcohol content of your breath/urine/blood). How much trouble is often dictated by local or state laws, so there's no standard penalty across the United States.

While the "designated driver" (someone who doesn't drink and so is fine behind the wheel) is popular in America, so is our independence. If only one person was in the car, it's hard to have a designated driver and a drinker. Carpooling is an excellent way to pool resources and avoid getting into trouble. Another solution sometimes available is a free taxi ride provided by local government or a non-profit agency.

So if you are in America, drink responsibly and you won't be in trouble for drunk driving; if you are in the United Kingdom, don't drink at all or else you'll be in trouble for drink driving.