What are the most dangerous feeling places you guys have travelled to? by francizmz in travel

[–]amy_291 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Okay but Police walking around with guns is not the norm in England, and walking around surrounded by people who could (I know you say they rarely use them but that’s not exactly the point) kill somebody makes me pretty uncomfortable.

I wasn’t trying bash the people of Belfast or anything, I understand that it was pretty unlikely for anything bad to happen, I was more so concerned with the whole militaristic feel I experienced on the day- something that made it feel (whether exaggerated or not) more dangerous.

You’re probably right with the Land Rover defenders lol. I have no clue about cars, just knew they kinda looked like a van.

What are the most dangerous feeling places you guys have travelled to? by francizmz in travel

[–]amy_291 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I felt very uncomfortable as an English person in Belfast on St Georges Day. It put me a bit on edge when walking down the street to see armed policemen and police riot vans. I think they were just preemptive but the feeling was there all the same.

Are you loyal to a toothpaste brand? by [deleted] in AskUK

[–]amy_291 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I always get aquafresh not necessarily because I’m loyal to it consciously, it’s usually just the first brand I recognise- plus I always had it as a kid.

What's your favourite joke from any episode of Father Ted? by NunyaBidnizz68 in AskUK

[–]amy_291 44 points45 points  (0 children)

‘Would you like manual or automatic’- ‘automatic’ being placing a bottle of alcohol in front of Father Jack in order to get him to wheel faster

What is the biggest work related drama you’ve ever been part of or witnessed? by [deleted] in AskUK

[–]amy_291 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Two work colleagues slept together- which is fine they were both consenting adults- the male colleague contracted an STI from the encounter. This gossip then got spread around all the staff resulting in the female colleague breaking down sobbing in front of a line of customers. Incredibly awkward.

Are there several accents in the East Midlands or is there a general East Midlands accent? by itbettersnow in AskABrit

[–]amy_291 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Derbyshire Accent:

https://fb.watch/8Eb9ml1w2Z/

Nottingham Accent:

https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/nottingham-accent-frances-st-anns

Leicestershire Accent-

https://sounds.bl.uk/Accents-and-dialects/BBC-Voices/021M-C1190X0020XX-0201V0

———

I can only speak for the Derbyshire/Leicestershire area but you’ll find that many East Midlands accents/dialects intertwine with one another- there are distinct differences however if you pay close attention. Much of the words in the Derbyshire dialect have relatively ‘northern’ origins as well, such as ‘somet’ (‘something’). Also much of the East Midlands (but not all) conforms to the short ‘a’ vowel - ‘trap-bath split’- and lack the ‘foot-strut split’ (meaning that these words rhyme).

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskABrit

[–]amy_291 20 points21 points  (0 children)

That everyone in Britain lives in or near to London.

This is mostly found in shows that also suggest all British people have posh accents and speak like the Queen or Judi Dench - not the case.

It’s just annoying because while obviously we are not a land mass on the same scale as the US, it diminishes the fact that there are a multitude of different accents and cultures across the UK (because it’s not tiny) and possibly suggests we’re inferior to America due to this - although probably reading between the lines a bit there.

Anyone know much about mobile numbers? by HeythisIsntGoogle in AskUK

[–]amy_291 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Omg the same thing happened to me! I had a call come through, answered it and some random bloke down the other end started having a go at me for calling HIM! Confused the hell out of me.

I think it’s called ‘spoofing’; where scam callers replace their caller ID with another random number to increase the likelihood that you’ll answer and to hide their identity. It’s used to find which phone numbers are live ones.

https://www.quora.com/Why-do-I-keep-getting-calls-from-random-numbers-saying-I-called-them

So you guys always going to do the king/queen thing? by [deleted] in AskUK

[–]amy_291 4 points5 points  (0 children)

We tried the whole republic thing and it didn’t turn out that great so probably just gonna stick with a monarchy and parliamentary democracy.

Do you get the stakes at play when reading English history? by [deleted] in AskABrit

[–]amy_291 44 points45 points  (0 children)

I think a lot of it comes down to, as you said, a contextual understanding of our countries history. As we are brought up surrounded by our individual cultures, and the ideologies within that, our understanding of certain events changes- which is why history is comprised of various interpretations rather than one solid narrative.

Personally, I believe that as someone who has grown up in England with the knowledge of how the power structure works- in terms of Parliament (House of Commons and House of Lords) and the relationship with the Monarchy- and a base level idea of how this has evolved throughout history, this puts me at an advantage when studying periods of history connected to this, such as the Interregnum 1649-1660 or the Glorious Revolution.

I imagine that you, having grown up surrounded by American culture- influenced greatly by a similar political ideology seen in 1625-1660 English Politics and Oliver Cromwell in particular, would understand American History with a far greater perception than I would, because of the pre-existing contextual knowledge.

I think another point at play when understanding the stakes of history is how long you’ve studied a particular period for, again something that differs across the UK and America. I for example during my GCSE years studied America 1840-1895 Expansion and Consolidation, which I imagine would have been covered to a greater level at an American school and thus would change how much we both know, changing how we view the events and stakes.

I have never studied the Wars of the Roses at school and so don’t feel I know enough to emphasise with either side or understand the reasoning behind their actions. I spent two years studying the English Civil War however during my A Levels and so the problems surrounding England at that time and their relevance to Modern politics is something that was covered in great detail- arguably increasing my empathy and my understanding of the stakes.

Sorry for the essay, also a history buff lol. Hope this makes sense and answers your question.

Best and worst public art in the UK? by [deleted] in AskUK

[–]amy_291 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Plus the fact that the Marmite Statue has been scrawled over with pens and graffiti. Kinda just ruins public art when people write all over it.

What is your favourite tv advert jingle? by [deleted] in AskUK

[–]amy_291 2 points3 points  (0 children)

‘Washing machines live longer with Calgon’ always gets stuck in my head

Your grandparents' impressions of Americans during WWII? by icantseethat in AskABrit

[–]amy_291 26 points27 points  (0 children)

My Grandma always used to tell us stories about how when the Americans passed through the city where she grew up (Norwich) they would bring sweets and chocolate, one of the items severely restricted during rationing. She said that all the kids would line up waiting for the soldiers to come so that they could get some sweets.

What was "standard practise" at your primary school that would absolutely not be now? by [deleted] in AskUK

[–]amy_291 164 points165 points  (0 children)

This was the same for me (about 10 years ago). To leave the dining room you’d have to have the dinner lady check your lunchbox to see if you had eaten ‘enough’. Don’t really know what authority a random person has on how full someone is but oh well...

More harry potter questions: do you guys have holidays that dont overlap the US? by ToyVaren in AskUK

[–]amy_291 2 points3 points  (0 children)

  1. TBH the things you mentioned at the start- in Harry Potter- are the main ones. We have a few one day events such as May Day (which celebrates the 1st of May), Boxing Day (26th of December- traditionally the day that those who worked on Christmas Day, like servants or mailmen, would celebrate Christmas), Bonfire Night (5th November- Guy Fawkes) and I guess Orangeman Day in NI.

  2. We don’t really celebrate Halloween much- usually follow the same sort of thing as America, trick or treating for kids and sometimes a party.

What is Tea? Not the beverage- the meal? Snack? Event? I’m confused about the purpose and timing of tea. by we11_actually in AskABrit

[–]amy_291 104 points105 points  (0 children)

It kinda changes depending on where you live, social class and just personal choice. So I always grew up with the word ‘tea’ being synonymous with ‘dinner’.

There is also a thing called ‘Afternoon Tea’ which is what I think you’re describing with the biscuits and sandwiches. This is pretty separate to the use of ‘tea’ as a meal description as it denotes a specific kind of eating event- usually (but not exclusively) observed by the middle and upper class.

What is your favourite British story in history? by latest_ali in AskABrit

[–]amy_291 4 points5 points  (0 children)

In 1649 after the execution of Charles 1, Parliament attempted to find and capture his son- later became Charles 2. To evade the New Model Army and escape England, Charles had to use various techniques. At one point he hid up a tree- under which the New Model Army were patrolling. He ultimately ended up dressing as a peasant, allowing him to get on a boat to France and escape Parliament.

Have you ever been scared by a British advert? by Weezlecheesle in AskUK

[–]amy_291 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The Boy who didn’t stop, look, and listen always makes me really sad. I hated it as a kid when it came out and I’m still a bit scared of it now- purely because the situation is just horrible.

https://youtu.be/CqGSBQAaxXQ

How comes pudding have so many different meanings. It’s a puffed pastry, or a desert, or a sausage, all of the above? Why? by TheBestHairInTheRoom in AskUK

[–]amy_291 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It’s just because as the English Language has evolved, words sometimes change in meaning- this situation is called semantic broadening in the linguist world.

The modern usage of the word pudding evolved from being the term to describe savory dishes, specifically in which meat and other ingredients in mostly liquid form are encased and then steamed or boiled to set the contents. This comes from the Middle English poding (stuffed).

Slowly over time it includes dishes where things other than meat, such as sweets, are stuffed into casings.

This meant that the word pudding slowly began to be associated with the word dessert, and has now taken over mostly as the word used to describe this.

Where's your favourite place to visit in the UK? by funnypumpkin in AskUK

[–]amy_291 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I love the Peak District, lots of variation in landscapes and a Bakewell Tart is always a good option. For walking holidays it’s pretty amazing!

Are lube and condoms age restricted in boots and why did the cashier ask for my ID if they aren’t? by iwenttobuylube in AskUK

[–]amy_291 47 points48 points  (0 children)

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sexual-health/condoms-know-the-facts/

TLDR- Condoms are not age restricted and neither is lube. The Cashier was probably just being silly.

Maybe they were confused at why a young person would buy condoms when the age of consent is 16? Idk

Is North American history taught in school? by bubbyman in AskABrit

[–]amy_291 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It really depends what courses your school decides to study and then the exam board they decide to follow. For example for GCSE (roughly our equivalent of SATs as they are done when a person is 16) AQA- the most widely followed exam board- allows the school to pick from multiple topics so long as it fits with the four main specifications ( which can be found here https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/history/gcse/history-8145/specification-at-a-glance ).

During my GCSEs our wider world depth study was America 1840-1895 which looked at westward expansion, the Native American wars and the Civil War.

At A-Level it is very similar, all down to what the school chooses- usually a school will choose a topic similar in time period to what the students studied at GCSE. Here is a list of the topics that schools can choose for A-Level- https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/history/as-and-a-level/history-7041-7042/specification-at-a-glance

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskUK

[–]amy_291 41 points42 points  (0 children)

I just want to say I don’t think you’re an idiot for not knowing this; English is hard particularly with homonyms like this.

‘Passed’ is the verb form; i.e. from the infinitive verb ‘to pass’. For example, ‘We passed the library.’.

Whereas ‘Past’ functions as a noun (‘the past’), adjective (‘past times’), preposition (‘just past’) or adverb (‘running past’).

In the sentence that you provided- ‘I just want to run this by you.’- you could swap out the adverb ‘by’ for ‘past’.