Ask a Briton....

[Jean in Newcastle]

My question comes from Doctor Who.  Is Rose from a lower-class background?  What we would call "the projects"?  

[Aura]

My dd wants to know if a "cuppa" is really as popular as BBC makes it out to be. (She's a huge Sherlock & Dr. Who fan.) And how do you make truly British tea? What kind do you use, etc?

[Cammie]

My dd wants to know if a "cuppa" is really as popular as BBC makes it out to be. (She's a huge Sherlock & Dr. Who fan.) And how do you make truly British tea? What kind do you use, etc?

 

Great question....I would also love to know.  I mean, on TV they don't appear to use tea bags.  Do they all use tea leaves? We need to know!!

[Angie in VA]

Hahaha!  Look at you becoming an Anglophile!  Your love of Sherlock is endearing.  I can't remember if they have "dollar" stores (pound stores?) in the UK, but in Germany they had 2 different stores that sold stuff for 1 Euro.  One was called 'Euro Store' (with the English word 'store') and the other was called 'Teddy.'  Teddy was closer to the Dollar General kind of store where things weren't just €1, but up to €5.

 

 

Thanks for the info, High Heels. Yes, I'm an official Anglophile now. I was a closet Anglophile before, but now I'm really obsessed. 

 

What will Laura do to me for resurrecting this thread, I wonder??? Good thing she's fast asleep right now!

[Laura Corin]

We have Dollar Tree (everything's $1 or less, like 2 greeting cards for $1) and Family Dollar and Dollar General. Does the UK have the equivalent? I think I once heard Pound Land. (Again, not on Sherlock!)

 

And if you've mentioned this, I missed it, and if you don't care to discuss such personal information about yourself, I respect that, but I've been wondering how you met your American-born husband. Care to tell us?

 

Yes, there are various stores called Pound Land, Pound World, etc.  Most of them are now in buildings that used to house the UK end of Woolworths, which closed down a few years ago.

 

Husband and I met at a party in Taiwan.  We were both there studying Chinese - he had taken a sabbatical from his career in finance for personal reasons; I had fallen in love with the Chinese language after a year in Beijing.  He was 31; I was 25.  Thank goodness for serendipity.

 

 

My question comes from Doctor Who.  Is Rose from a lower-class background?  What we would call "the projects"?  

 

I haven't watched much DW.  Information from Calvin: yes, she lived on a council/social housing estate, had a strong cockney accent and worked in a department store.

 

My dd wants to know if a "cuppa" is really as popular as BBC makes it out to be. (She's a huge Sherlock & Dr. Who fan.) And how do you make truly British tea? What kind do you use, etc?

 

Tea is constant at all times of day.  Most people make it from something called 'Tea' (so standard that it doesn't have a variety name).  It's probably closest to English Breakfast.

 

Honestly, most British people are not at all precious about tea.  Most people shove a tea bag in a mug, pour boiling (not just hot) water from an electric kettle, steep 'for a bit', squish the bag and take it out then add milk and maybe sugar.

 

The proper way: warm a tea pot by swirling it with boiling water.  Boil fresh water in the kettle and put onto leaf tea in the pot, one spoonful per person and one for the pot.  Steep (with a tea cozy if the room is cool) for five minutes.  Put milk in the cups and pour tea through a tea strainer.  Refill the tea pot with freshly boiled water.

 

Great question....I would also love to know.  I mean, on TV they don't appear to use tea bags.  Do they all use tea leaves? We need to know!!

 

Tea bags are the norm.

 

Thanks for the info, High Heels. Yes, I'm an official Anglophile now. I was a closet Anglophile before, but now I'm really obsessed. 

 

What will Laura do to me for resurrecting this thread, I wonder??? Good thing she's fast asleep right now!

 

Awake now and happy to answer.  Spent three hours with an Ikea kitchen designer yesterday evening, but lived to tell the tale.

 

L

[Angie in VA]

Thank you, Laura. You rock! But we already knew that about you.

 

Neat story about meeting your DH. <3

 

IKEA. I always get into trouble when I go there! The worst? Went in for 4 bowls. Found some that were $1 each. Also found $1,000 worth of furniture and brought it (and the bowls, of course) home.

[Livelovelearn]

5 years ago, we had a group of exchange students from Arizona visit my school. Each of my small friendship group had volunteered to host, so on their first day they joined us on our daily routine. This involved going to the house of one of my friends who lived approximately 5 minutes from the school. Here, we acted as normal: chatting, doing homework and playing card games (I got very good at poker that year). During the two hours we would spend there was a constant stream of tea, toast and eggs. We would drink 4-5 cups each. However, it took us all week to convince our new friends that we were not exaggerating and that this was just our daily behaviour.

 

Another group visited the following year. At this point I was in Year 12. As such, lessons had become much less formal and in many classes we would have tea and biscuits. I believe this further cemented the British stereotype!

Dear Ask A Briton:

 

Here in the US, we are told that the rise of mass media in the last 50 years has smoothed over and homogenized a lot of former regional dialect.  (Though clearly, no one will mistaken someone from Boston from someone from Texas).  I understand that in the UK, there are many more regional dialects, often very localized, and often tied up with class distinctions.  Do you think that mass media has had, or is having a similar impact in the UK? 

[Laura Corin]

Dear Ask A Briton:

 

Here in the US, we are told that the rise of mass media in the last 50 years has smoothed over and homogenized a lot of former regional dialect.  (Though clearly, no one will mistaken someone from Boston from someone from Texas).  I understand that in the UK, there are many more regional dialects, often very localized, and often tied up with class distinctions.  Do you think that mass media has had, or is having a similar impact in the UK? 

 

I think that perhaps the strongest accents are being toned down among younger people.  More importantly, I think, more and more people with regional accents are being heard on television and radio, so that having a regional accent is less a cause of marginalisation.

 

Having a light 'estuary' (London-area) accent is considered cool by many young people, and those who have a standard southern English middle class voice sometimes affect estuary.

 

L

[HS Mom in NC]

Do grown men normally have tea? By that I mean a specific mini meal at a specific time of day, not one of many beverage options with a meal or between meals. Here in America it's something little girls do with other girls, their mommies and their grandmothers.

I recently had bangers and mash in honor of staff downstairs when my female relatives got together to watch an episode of Downton Abbey.  Is it a specific type of sausage or is any type of sausage an authentic experience?

 

 

[Melissa in Australia]

Do grown men normally have tea? By that I mean a specific mini meal at a specific time of day, not one of many beverage options with a meal or between meals. Here in America it's something little girls do with other girls, their mommies and their grandmothers.

 

I recently had bangers and mash in honor of staff downstairs when my female relatives got together to watch an episode of Downton Abbey.  Is it a specific type of sausage or is any type of sausage an authentic experience?

 

 

 

Do you mean like morning tea?

 

[Laura Corin]

Do grown men normally have tea? By that I mean a specific mini meal at a specific time of day, not one of many beverage options with a meal or between meals. Here in America it's something little girls do with other girls, their mommies and their grandmothers.

 

I recently had bangers and mash in honor of staff downstairs when my female relatives got together to watch an episode of Downton Abbey.  Is it a specific type of sausage or is any type of sausage an authentic experience?

 

 

This is a difficult question because there are regional and class differences.  I may make mistakes about this, because I haven't lived everywhere.

 

In general (lots of exceptions) middle class people have breakfast, lunch (at around 1pm) and supper or dinner (at 7 or later).  They will often have a cup of tea with biscuits at around four - this may be called 'a cup of tea' or 'tea'.  In these families, children may be served their evening meal earlier (to cope with early bath/bedtimes) and that will be called tea.

 

In general (lots of exceptions) working class people will have breakfast, dinner (at around noon) and tea (at around six).  The latter is a full meal, which may or may not include a cup of tea.  There may be a snack close to bedtime, which may be called supper.

 

Clear as mud?

 

Bangers and mash would normally be made with a straight-ahead pork sausage, perhaps with some herbs, but not with any particular strong flavour.

 

L

[Laura Corin]

What degree of power and influence does the aristocracy hold today? 

 

I forgot to mention the House of Lords, which is widely misunderstood.  It was reformed about a decade ago, and all the lords (Peers) who did not attend regularly and take part in the governmental process were cleared out.  Currently, about 1/8th of members of the House of Lords are there by virtue of their hereditary title.  The others are all appointed - officially by the queen, but actually at the recommendation of the various political parties.  Some are allied to the major parties but others sit as 'cross bench' (non-aligned) members.  Many are not professional politicians, so you get a depth and breadth of expertise that the lower house (the House of Commons) struggles to match.

 

L

[Mom in High Heels]

Laura, you're so awesome.  I love hearing about this kind of stuff.  The story about how you and your hubby meeting is sweet.

[HS Mom in NC]

Do you mean like morning tea?

 

 

I don't know.  Tea around here is something you make in a several gallon jug with water and tea bags then you set it in the sun all day and at the end you get tea to drink with your meal.

 

I guess I mean what Lucy had with the faun Mr. Tumnus in Narnia.

[Melissa in Australia]

I don't know.  Tea around here is something you make in a several gallon jug with water and tea bags then you set it in the sun all day and at the end you get tea to drink with your meal.

 

I guess I mean what Lucy had with the faun Mr. Tumnus in Narnia.

 

Here Morning tea is the official break that every workplace has, most households have as well. around 11 am people have a hot cup of tea (or coffee) and some biscuits or cake or something like that. Some workplaces use to call it smoko but smoking is going way out of fashion  and it is called morning tea again.

[horsellian]

I forgot to mention the House of Lords, which is widely misunderstood.  It was reformed about a decade ago, and all the lords (Peers) who did not attend regularly and take part in the governmental process were cleared out.  Currently, about 1/8th of members of the House of Lords are there by virtue of their hereditary title.  The others are all appointed - officially by the queen, but actually at the recommendation of the various political parties.  Some are allied to the major parties but others sit as 'cross bench' (non-aligned) members.  Many are not professional politicians, so you get a depth and breadth of expertise that the lower house (the House of Commons) struggles to match.

 

Also the bishops sit in the House of Lords, because we have an established church.

[Laura Corin]

Here Morning tea is the official break that every workplace has, most households have as well. around 11 am people have a hot cup of tea (or coffee) and some biscuits or cake or something like that. Some workplaces use to call it smoko but smoking is going way out of fashion  and it is called morning tea again.

 

Here that's usually called elevenses.

 

L

[IsabelC]

Great thread thank you  :thumbup1:  

 

 

I would start an "Ask an Aussie" thread, only being Tasmanian I probably wouldn't know half the answers  :laugh:

[Angie in VA]

Here that's usually called elevenses.

 

L

Ah, which is why Pooh often feels eleven o'clockish.

 

I confess when I read Pooh, I only give Christopher Robin a British accent. I give each character his own voice, but I can't do various British accents, so one it is. This was enough to teach my dc that Mr. Milne was British. However, when my dd and her hilarious, smart speech partner did Chapter 7 IN WHICH KANGA AND BABY ROO COME TO THE FOREST, AND PIGLET HAS A BATH as their humorous duo, they did use British accents. Actually, there were two Wodehouse duos that same year. Lots of British duos, all very good and very funny. But dd and partner's was the best, objectively speaking, of course. ;)

 

And when you described the sausage used in bangers and mash, the "h" of herbs was not silent, right? :)

[Laura Corin]

I confess when I read Pooh, I only give Christopher Robin a British accent. I give each character his own voice, but I can't do various British accents, so one it is.

 

[....]

 

And when you described the sausage used in bangers and mash, the "h" of herbs was not silent, right? :)

 

If you can get hold of it, I highly recommend the Pooh stories read by Alan Bennett.  His Eeyore is perfect.

 

You remind me of an embarrassing memory - the first time I heard a N. American pronounce 'herbs', I actually corrected him.  I had no idea of the pronunciation difference.

 

L

[Angie in VA]

I just noticed the Milne quote in your signature! Both of my dc called Pooh "Pinnie Wooh". I thought it precious, never corrected them, and put a bounty on the head of anyone who did. I know, I'm awful.

 

Ds said "thinish" for finish for years. I said it too. It wasn't until I taught him to read and he saw it in a book that he came to me to tell me, "Mommy, it is finish, not thinish." He was my last child. I also let him call Office Depot (an office supply store) "Osso Depot". I was both charmed by his error and fascinated by what made him call it that.

[Mbelle]

deleted

[Angie in VA]

Oh Isabel, my dh is a Tassie devil! I've spent a lot of time there, but I do wonder from time to time about certain things. For instance...do people lock their doors in Tassie? We went round and round about this issue. Not sure if it's a dh issue or cultural. I lock the doors at all times!

Oh,..better not derail the thread.

 

No! We need a separate thread! This thread will become all sixes and sevens!

 

No! We need a separate thread, otherwise this thread will be at sixes and sevens!

(I hope I impressed Laura by using that phrase. Wait, first I really hope I used that phrase correctly!)

[Laura Corin]

No! We need a separate thread! This thread will become all sixes and sevens!

 

(I hope I impressed Laura by using that phrase. Wait, first I really hope I used that phrase correctly!)

 

 

Almost:  'Otherwise this thread will be at sixes and sevens.'

 

L

[Angie in VA]

Almost: 'Otherwise this thread will be at sixes and sevens.'

 

L

Ah, got it. Thank you. I was so close.

[Livelovelearn]

The use of the word 'tea' for mealtimes is also regional. Tea, supper and dinner are often used interchangeably, depending upon which part of the country you are from (or more accurately where your parents are from).

 

Just another perspective of men taking tea. In my family, my father eats tea (ala Lucy in Narnia) every Sunday evening, along with the rest of the family. We eat lunch around two, and then have tea around six.

As well as this, we have larger, grander teas to celebrate events such as; birthdays, exam results or anniversaries. Dad will join in with these too.

However, it is not likely that you will find a group of males taking tea alone as a fun event as you will often find a group of females.

[Angie in VA]

deleted

 

Mbelle, did you start a new thread? We need both, you know, but please stay here and play too. 

 

I hope my words weren't rude. Please forgive me if I offended you. 

[Mbelle]

You didn't offend me at all. :)  I just didn't want to derail the thread.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Angie in VA]

You didn't offend me at all. :) I just didn't want to derail the thread.

Whew! We do still need another thread.

 

My parents used to mock people who said they knew something was true b/c they saw it on tv. Now I find myself telling my family things with the utmost authority "because I saw that on WTM!"

 

What is more ironic is that often people see things on tv (commercials, shopping channels, DIY shows, etc.) that cause them to want things and spend money. We cut the cable a few months ago, but I didn't spend on things I saw on tv; however, I spend SO MUCH money on things you good people post about.

 

My conclusion? WTM is the new tv. At least for me.

 

I do learn a lot of things from you WTMers, though.

[Penguin]

May I ask TWO questions?!

 

One:  If I wanted to find summer camps within the UK for a 13 year old boy, where might I begin my search?

Possible areas of interest:  acting (but non-musical only), sailing, computers / technology

 

Two:  Are you aware of any interesting vintage UK book series?  If so, would you post them here or add to my thread "s/o Vintage UK Books esp. Anthologies."

 

Thank you :)

[Laura Corin]

May I ask TWO questions?!

 

One:  If I wanted to find summer camps within the UK for a 13 year old boy, where might I begin my search?

Possible areas of interest:  acting (but non-musical only), sailing, computers / technology

 

Two:  Are you aware of any interesting vintage UK book series?  If so, would you post them here or add to my thread "s/o Vintage UK Books esp. Anthologies."

 

Thank you :)

 

You would be looking for 'activity holidays' rather than 'summer camps'.  PGL is a company that has been around for a long time, so you might want to start there.

 

I'll look at your other thread.

 

L

[Susan in TN]

Our current read-aloud is Five on a Treasure Island and I am curious about the name of one of the characters - Aunt Fanny. I was under the impression that that particular word is considered vulgar in the UK. So maybe I am completely mistaken, or maybe the book was published before there was a cultural issue with the word? (1942)

 

Thank you and I apologize if I have been offensive.

[Laura Corin]

Our current read-aloud is Five on a Treasure Island and I am curious about the name of one of the characters - Aunt Fanny. I was under the impression that that particular word is considered vulgar in the UK. So maybe I am completely mistaken, or maybe the book was published before there was a cultural issue with the word? (1942)

 

Thank you and I apologize if I have been offensive.

 

Yes - definitely vulgar these days, as it signifies the female pudenda.  However it is generational.  My aunt (born 1926) called her daughter, christened Frances, Fanny.  It was my cousin who turned back into a Frances as a teenager.  So my aunt called her cat 'Fanny', leading to hilarity in the neighbourhood as she called for Fanny every night, and talked happily about 'her Fanny'.  I miss my innocent Aunt.

 

L

[IsabelC]

A beautiful woman I know, from whom I have never heard any indelicate language, has a cat called Fugly. She has no idea that this is a portmanteau word.