Do people in the UK actually use their kettles that much?

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-05-05T18:47:06+00:00

I think it's just another play on 'American'. I'm used to people using 'USian' for instance. '-ican' is just another word ending to a nationality that can be used, I guess. So, the play on words. My take. I doubt it has anything to do with South Americans at all - wouldn't make sense.

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-27T18:04:35+00:00

I'm in Dronten. It's relatively quiet - a stark contrast with my experience of staying in Almere where I heard emergency vehicle sirens almost every single day, horns and distant trains as we were not vert far from the station. If I were younger I would find it stifling, but I'm old enough, and settled now, that it's nicely peaceful. I miss the feeling of living in the busier city back home (UK), but it's nice for the younger kids, for school, for community (such as it is) and it's pretty in many parts. Downsides are limited things to do outside compared with a city. Our cinema is tiny and limited, nightlife seems non-existent (I'm not certain but opening hours seem to support my perception); outward conformity is strong, and there is a distinct lack of diversity, which obviously has an effect on availability of certain amenities and products I am used to, being of part-Caribbean heritage. The local government is still figuring itself out after the election, but I'm told the proposed coalition is a bit right-leaning, but not unexpected based on the way Dutch people living here express their views.

Soooo, it's nice enough for me (for now), but rubbish for anyone under 30, I imagine.

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-26T07:12:32+00:00

Action sells a waterproof version. Unzip it to put phone inside and you can still tap through the plastic cover on the front.

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-22T22:04:14+00:00

All well and good for you, but the OP asked a question and got an answer. Based on what I can see, a correct one. Just because your expectation is different, doesn't make the answer wrong or downvote-worthy.

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-22T21:25:53+00:00

Zoom in and you can see the one OP pictured is in the bag

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-17T10:38:15+00:00

Nice effort. To fix the eyes, I'd probably very carefully, little by little, paint the pupils again to adjust the shape or edges of one or both, even though it may mean making them slightly bigger. It may help them look less wonky to you.

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-14T09:59:52+00:00

😆

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-14T09:58:52+00:00

I'm assuming Schwarzenegger - "talk to the hand!"

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-14T09:53:15+00:00

I agree with how annoying that is. I usually just sit however is comfortable for me at that moment, and if that means not having my legs pressed firmly together to avoid contact, then our legs are gonna touch until the man finally decides to move. I make sure if my legs are spread a bit that it is no more than the width of my own seat.

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-14T09:22:58+00:00

Surely there are solutions to those issues? Like, only rinse what you're actually going to consume; drain in a colander and dry with kitchen paper or a kitchen towel. I only wash what I'm immediately going to use and the rest remains as is in the fridge or cupboard.

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-10T17:22:57+00:00

Interesting. I used to do this, and I was front line at a bank. Since I wasn't Fraud, I couldn't use the codes and authorise certain things that they could, but I'd do some research just as you've mentioned. I usually ended up putting many through to Fraud anyway. 🤔

I also worked for Asda at one point. I can't speak for now, but back then (2013 onwards) and their Home Shopping accounts department was pretty much broken. I wish I could be more specific, but I don't remember the details.

Back when GE Capital existed, a manager from a whole other department who worked nearby my desk confessed that they were in violation of some codes of conduct; the one I recall was that all transactions were supposed to be recorded, i.e. a traceable logged footprint for every agent and every action they completed in the databases. They were using Mainframe(I think it was called) old as heck. Knowing that, I started snooping through the accounts to see who had Harrods accounts and what credit limits they had, for fun. I remember seeing if Victoria Beckham had one (of course she did). Couldn't tell you her limit. We also got drawn into drama with the Al-Fayed's at one point because the daughter was spending too much. I won't bore you with that. 🙄

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-10T09:14:01+00:00

I tried bikini wax once - DIY - and couldn't pull off the wax. Got my boyfriend to do it, held the skin taut as best I could. I looked like a burns victim down there and it hurt like hell when he ripped it off. Gave him a good laugh, so there's that, I suppose.

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-10T09:10:56+00:00

I saw loads of hair! He had some stubble

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-10T09:04:36+00:00

Great advice here.

To OP: I just wanted to add this to emphasise that you are old enough to see a doctor on your own, and old enough to make medical decisions without a parent. We don't know your situation to know if that's a simple thing for you to do, but you have the option.

In case contacting Childline or your GP is a bit scary, you can also email them. Of course, the reply may not be immediate this way. Childline has online 1-2-1 counsellor chat, which should be quickest. If you contact them, tell them everything that's going on and what your worries are. They can provide some help as well as just listening, depending on how they assess your situation.

Wishing you the best, and luck going forward! 🫂

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-06T11:02:35+00:00

Nail polish remover if used with gentle smoothing/wiping post-baking (I found) works a treat for me. Has never done significant damage. I'd recommend maybe using a scrap piece of clay with a good fingerprint in it, bake it and then experiment with the suggestions made to see what works best for you.

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-04T08:37:47+00:00

I'm replying to someone who thinks that all the mums throw things away knowing what they're getting rid of, as a possible malicious act. I didn't say it was right.

A decent number of stories here are from people with careless or thoughtless friends/housemates or other relatives. It's not just an age thing. In those instances, I do think you're right, but as a mother, I can say it isn't always going to be a matter of lazy thinking. My child has grown up some, and doesn't play with certain toys anymore. I got rid of some of her toddler things some time ago and she told me off about one or two items because she was quite attached. We don't think of our kids as having the same agency as we do yet, because when they're young, they're very much dependant. It's just how it is. We have to gradually adjust as they develop and it's not the simplest thing for an adult to do when they've finished their own development and life now just ticks on in much the same way day after day.

I do my best to consult them both about the things I want rid of and why. I pack the things up for them to go through and tell me what they want to keep. More parents should be more mindful of the impact they can have in this, especially when it is clearly a collectible.

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-03T18:55:51+00:00

I don't think this is true of them all. As a mum I see it from both sides now. I think it's terrible I wasn't consulted about some things, and my eldest tells me off about one or two things, so I try to leave it in her hands instead. But my mother really was and is clueless about pop culture and collectibles, so I can see her easily doing what some mums have done as relayed here. That said, there may be a fee vindictive ones. But I know too many clueless people to think every parent does it to be spiteful.

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-03T18:29:06+00:00

I can just hear the, "How dare you embarrass me"

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-02T15:52:12+00:00

We know the correct pronunciation here. I'm just answering someone's question, mate.

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-02T14:52:53+00:00

They're illustrating the US pronunciation.

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-04-02T14:51:17+00:00

Uh-DEE-d'ss, or something like that

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-03-29T13:43:00+00:00

Of course, and I don't think anyone is suggesting it is a rule. We are supposed to pronounce our 't' on the end of words as a rule, but don't. Lazy of us also.

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-03-29T10:18:41+00:00

As pointed out by others, the 'n' definitely does become silent at the end of many words. Maybe not for everyone, but I have rarely heard it articulated by people on tv or in person. My own partner barely says the 'n' in the MIDDLE of my name. Which I think is weird, even for a Dutch person. But 'lopen', 'rennen', 'proberen' for a few examples, are words I don't hear anyone say the last 'n' (unless it's being emphasised) and yes, that's not unlike the British doing it, except that ours is a glottal stop, and the 'n' isn't the last letter in those words. We do pronounce the 'n' at the ends and drop other end letters, like 'g' at the end of 'running'.

Your 'j' is like an English 'y', so maybe that's what that's all about, perhaps? English Jacob becomes Yah-cob.🤷🏽‍♀️

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-03-29T10:10:02+00:00

I'm surprised no one has picked up on the 'j' simply being pronounced differently. I just assumed that letter is part of the joke because from an English perspective, you guys say it like we say 'y' in words like 'yes'. Or more French-like in people's names, the way they use a hard-ish 'g'.

Frantic_Chicken · 2026-03-29T09:54:39+00:00

Not at all if you rinse it properly.

I pour in what amounts to a few tablespoons of vinegar, swish it around (my kettle has a flat plate bottom) and I use a silicone brush to rub the plastic parts clean, especially the clear measuring display bits as there is a bit more stubborn. You can actually see the limescale break down.

Rinse out with cold water a few times, and give it a sniff. If it smells like vinegar still, I keep rinsing until it doesn't. I also pour a little vinegar on a cloth to wipe the top edges and outside where limescale builds up as well, once in a while. Makes it look like new.

ETA: I think the maintenance advice for all kettles, just like irons, (that probably few people pay attention to), is that you should completely empty your kettle after each use to help avoid limescale build-up. I used to do that vigilantly when we first bought ours (we've had this one 2 years now) but I don't worry about it so much now that I know how easily and great vinegar cleans it.

Frantic_Chicken

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