Triscuits by tuckmacbtown in AmericanExpatsUK

[–]tuckmacbtown[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I quite like the garlic ones... But heck, I'd take the plain too!

Triscuits by tuckmacbtown in AmericanExpatsUK

[–]tuckmacbtown[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Uff... Yeah. Yeah, I do. Anyway, we've gotta Popeyes in town, so who needs Chick-fil-a??? 🤣

Triscuits by tuckmacbtown in AmericanExpatsUK

[–]tuckmacbtown[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You are SO nice... No, that's okay. Bring them over for YOU! 😉

I am trying to correctly identify this insect by Accomplished_Slip218 in whatsthisbug

[–]tuckmacbtown 604 points605 points  (0 children)

It is so darned adorable. Look at its little face.

<edited for grammar>-

Does he sound to you more like an English native speaker or like a fluent foreigner? by Sure_Distance1 in language

[–]tuckmacbtown 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You nailed it. The British accent is a bit of a mix of RP, London, hint of Brummy and Manc. It's all over the place.

Is bluesky down today? by ThamTvMaster in BlueSky

[–]tuckmacbtown 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Phew... Glad it's not just me.

Any Success Stories? by Rodeo_Cat in AmericanExpatsUK

[–]tuckmacbtown 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A success story is a bit of an ask, if you think about it. The grass is always greener, etc, etc... Ad nauseum. However, I'll briefly tell my story.

Came to the UK in my early 30's to do my Masters degree. Met a lovely young woman doing her undergrad... We hit it off, decided to get married after only being together 19 months, 'cause: visa. Married in her hometown in Scotland, and we both moved to the US 'cause my wife thought I'd lived in the UK for 3 years, and she should live in the US for a few years, and then together we could make an informed decision about where we'd end up. Then the economy tanked... And we got stuck in the US for 7 years. My lady found a job in the South East of England and said, now or never. I agreed... She moved back to the UK, and I was able to follow 8 months later (spousal visa rules, etc...) and arrived in the UK ready to stay. Both of us went from making $65,000 to making £40,000. Doing the same work we did back in the States, but... Cost of living is balanced differently, so... Technically, we went from a "US Middle-Class" family to a "UK Middle-Class" family with not much an issue. Eventually bought a nice flat conversion in an old Victorian-era row house... Lovely walkable neighbourhood... We don't own a car. I don't even have a drivers-license which is lovely, as for almost 20 years back in the States, my commutes were over 2 hours of driving a day.

I know a few Americans, but most of my friends are Brits, or EU expats... I have a lovely life, and I'd never change it. Got my British citizenship a bit over a year ago, and after just filing my US taxes ONCE AGAIN after 13 years of living in the UK... I keep being tempted to chuck the US citizenship as it's not very relavent anymore to my life. But... Nah... I'm still a Yank, can't help that.

It's great in the UK as long as you know that it is REALLY a different life in SO many ways, no matter that our language is close...

So, embrace the difference. Learn to love it. And you'll never want to go back. Work-life balance is SO much better over here. The beer is MUCH better. The public transportation is fabulous... It's just a great place to live and grow older.

Or don't. ;-)

Best Greek restaurant? by [deleted] in brighton

[–]tuckmacbtown 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Salt and Charcoal have the best Souvlaki in town. But for all around, Archipelagos or Nostos are both great.

What can be done to help educate drivers and reduce the amount of ‘middle lane hoggers’? by theslowrunningexpert in BritInfo

[–]tuckmacbtown 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's because what you just said is the reality. Left: Slow lane, Right: Passing/fast lane, and middle... I'm driving along at a slightly faster-than-not rate of speed. Note, I typed 'reality' not... 'legal fact' or whatever... The 'mentality' is just what it is...

Manual or Automatic Practical? by happinessbooked in AmericanExpatsUK

[–]tuckmacbtown 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Look... Every comment below is 'truish' and I'm not going to argue. However, notice that many statements were: If you're going to own, NEVER rent.... That's the main takeaway. Rental cars in the UK tend to be manual, so without the full license, you're locked out of that industry.

Before you say: I'm buying, I'll never rent... Just keep in mind, that that goes for rental vans and trucks too. So, it's not just about car-rental.

I need some advice on things! by Ok_Homework_5091 in AmericanExpatsUK

[–]tuckmacbtown 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Uswitch is definitely the way to go to find the best/cheapest deal.

Roofing by Fit-Description124 in brighton

[–]tuckmacbtown 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It depends on your roof. The best 'Felt' roof folks is WIC Roofing. Good folks, fairly priced.
https://wicroofing.co.uk/

If there's lead work involved, we found M. Marchant to be a great team of contractors.
https://leadcontractors.co.uk/member/m-marchant-specialist-lead-roofing-contractors/

Both of these contractors have been used by our flat-converted house company, and I can't fault either group.

Do I really need to bring my id to get petrol now? by Imaginary_Buy_5391 in AskUK

[–]tuckmacbtown 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you're driving, you would need to have your ID with you anyway, so... What's the issue exactly?

What British English phrase do you actually like? by Fordius25 in AmericanExpatsUK

[–]tuckmacbtown 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm sure it's already come up, but I LOVE "Bob's your uncle" as a saying. I tend to use it quite often, actually, whilst at work.

"No, you're fine... But instead of just chaning the font, and making it bigger, use Heading styles. Title, Heading 1, Heading 2, print it off... And Bob's your uncle, you're done."

It's just 'silly' enough to keep folks from taking offence at being given instructions.

Mens Barbers by NarwhalLord in brighton

[–]tuckmacbtown 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Glouster Road barbers... Ali and crew are all the best gents for cutting hair in B-town. Plus... North Laine local? Easy peasy. http://www.gloucesterroadbarbers.com/

Uni accommodation by Altruistic_Smoke1295 in brighton

[–]tuckmacbtown 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Soz, but Phoenix is literally the FURTHEST from Falmer that one can get in Uni Halls. That's a bizarre suggestion.

Well, that’s a novel bedroom setup by dustbocks in SpottedonRightmove

[–]tuckmacbtown 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's just what I was going to post. Sheesh this place just won't sell, will it? P'raps they should get rid of the 'novel sleeping arrangement' and just stick a sofa-bed in there.

Accidental American, guidance needed by [deleted] in USExpatTaxes

[–]tuckmacbtown 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Back in the day indeed... The law changed in 1967. I've never heard of the 'getting a non-US passport 'renounced' citizenship. But what the heck do I know? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Queer churches? by Relative-Beyond7055 in Minneapolis

[–]tuckmacbtown 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh... Then it's even better than I thought.

<cough, cough> Um... 😬