LIST: Things about The UK you wish you had known

Hmmm. Here is a couple off of the top of my head.

-Pull-ups commercials
-Vagasil commercials (verry bad dubbing)
-Tampax commercials

They all seem to be "unpleasent things" don't they?

Those are the only onesfrom the top of my head. You are right, there are more with the English narrators though.

Hmmm. Here is a couple off of the top of my head.

-Pull-ups commercials
-Vagasil commercials (verry bad dubbing)
-Tampax commercials

They all seem to be "unpleasent things" don't they?

Those are the only onesfrom the top of my head. You are right, there are more with the English narrators though.

Weird! I must be watching different channels than you... I've never seen a commercial for any of these here! lol

Me either.. well, i have seen Huggies Pull Ups, but not the other stuff...

I don't live in the UK yet but thing I wish I had know is that brits don't switch the forks and knives while eating.  The first time I went ona  date with my fiance I did the typical american cut, switch, get food on fork, bring fork to mouth, switch again.  He didn't say anything right away but eventually brought it up.  I don't have bad manners, that's just the way it's done both in Cuban AND the US so why should I be critisized for simply doing what I was taught and considered acceptable in both my countries?  I now try to eat like brits when we're in company just so I don't get the evil eye from people but he doesn't mind how I eat.  But if it's rice eating, forge it!  There's no way I can nicely stack rice on the back of my fork.....which by the way, if my parents saw me eating from the back of my fork THEY would give me the evil eye.

June

Reading my post, I also wish i know how to spell or proof-read

I don't live in the UK yet but thing I wish I had know is that brits don't switch the forks and knives while eating. The first time I went ona date with my fiance I did the typical american cut, switch, get food on fork, bring fork to mouth, switch again. He didn't say anything right away but eventually brought it up. I don't have bad manners, that's just the way it's done both in Cuban AND the US so why should I be critisized for simply doing what I was taught and considered acceptable in both my countries? I now try to eat like brits when we're in company just so I don't get the evil eye from people but he doesn't mind how I eat. But if it's rice eating, forge it! There's no way I can nicely stack rice on the back of my fork.....which by the way, if my parents saw me eating from the back of my fork THEY would give me the evil eye.

June

You're right, you shouldn't be criticized.  It's not wrong, it's just different.  I use my knife and fork the US way and have no intention of changing.  Really, eat how you want. 

You're right, you shouldn't be criticized.  It's not wrong, it's just different.  I use my knife and fork the US way and have no intention of changing.  Really, eat how you want. 

it's hard not to get self-conscious about it especially when someone has  pointed it out to you.. 

but the other  night  DH  cut his lasagna  with  his fork!!  just  used the side  to  cut it..I almost fell off my chair..  He can be quite  meticulous  about  that stuff..

Oh gosh I hear you about the knife and fork thing. I got the odd looks too just eating the way I normally eat. I cut a little meat, and lay my knife across the top of my plate.  I am not talented enough to hold my knife and fork throughout the meal, I tried for fun! Haha it was definitely not graceful when I tried!

On my last visit, I stayed with an British couple and their sons for a couple of nights. The afternoon I arrived from my flight, the wife set up a impromptu lunch of sliced cheeses, meats, pickle (not cucumbers rather a condiment that Brits like on their sandwiches) and fruit.  So of course I think we are having sandwiches! Ha ha, yeah with a knife and fork!!! As the guest, I was first to start and as any good ol' American I stacked up the ingredients on a slice of bread and started eating it with my hands. I was about a bite in when I saw how the mom and son my age were eating. I was starving and this was not helping the matter. They didn't say anything but I think they did look at me a little funny!


az... funny when I read your post about your husband cutting lasgna with the edge of his fork, I laughed because at first I didn't think it unusual!

I didn't notice the rice on back of the fork thing... gotta check that out!

but the other  night  DH  cut his lasagna  with  his fork!!  just  used the side  to  cut it..I almost fell off my chair.. 

I still do this, even after 20 years in this country!
Some things never leave you! 

Hmmm. Here is a couple off of the top of my head.

-Pull-ups commercials
-Vagasil commercials (verry bad dubbing)
-Tampax commercials

They all seem to be "unpleasent things" don't they?

Diapers/nappies have been on TV for a long time, but commercials for those more personal feminine products were banned until just a few years ago.

The IBA used to have a very strict code on advertising, and the list of products and services not allowed was quite extensive.     For example, the commercials you see now offering legal services to sue for compensation are another recent addition -- Previously all ads for doctors, lawyers, and similar professions were banned.

Back in the earlier days of independent television no commercial was allowed within so many minutes of the appearance on screen of any member of the royal family! 

The only ones I've seen with dubbing are commercials from Europe.

"Kinder Surprise" chocolate comes to mind -- The dubbing on those is diabolical.     

Remember K-Tel and its ilk?     Those commercials were often shown here with a dubbed English voice in place of the original, and the closing caption edited to show the British price and phone number for ordering.  In fact on some you could clearly see little rectangular blocks where these had been inserted over the original American price and 800 number. 

I don't live in the UK yet but thing I wish I had know is that brits don't switch the forks and knives while eating.

I fell into the "American" way of eating many years ago and found it much more comfortable.    It has gotten me some strange looks and even one or two rather derogatory comments back here though, so I can sympathize with you all on that one.

I never did use the "proper" British method of holding the fork convex side uppermost and trying to pile a volcano-shaped heap of food on the back.     How that awkward method ever gained popularity I don't know.   

If you look at the commercials with an american actor or actress you find that their voice has been dubbed 

Andie Mcdowell

her southern accent is virtually gone in that hair commercial!

Wow, these had me cracking up. There are just WAY too many that I can relate to to list them all but the one that stands out most in my mind is the butter on sandwiches. I thought this was just a Richard thing but apparently a lot of things I assumed were purely Richard/South African (he spent most of his life there) are more british.

Very interesting stuff.   

Hmmm. Here is a couple off of the top of my head.

-Pull-ups commercials
-Vagasil commercials (verry bad dubbing)
-Tampax commercials

They all seem to be "unpleasent things" don't they?

Those are the only onesfrom the top of my head. You are right, there are more with the English narrators though.

If it makes you feel any better, these commercials are mostly shot in the US (I used to work in commercials). Huggies shoots all their comms in the states. Hence why they are badly dubbed etc...

The ones that get me are the ones for "The Menopause" and "thrush", as if when you give it a pretty name or put The in front of it it magically goes away. 

I wish I knew that they call cake "gateau", which is the French word for cake. But some cake is just called "cake". It'd be like calling a door "port" but then other doors "door". Does anyone know why?

The ones that get me are the ones for "The Menopause" and "thrush", as if when you give it a pretty name or put The in front of it it magically goes away. 

... no, not 'magically'!      The advertisers still want you to buy their Canesten, etc products!     

Not really sure what you're saying here...  just pointing out that these things have different names?

I wish I knew that they call cake "gateau", which is the French word for cake. But some cake is just called "cake". It'd be like calling a door "port" but then other doors "door". Does anyone know why?

Not sure what point you're trying to make with the doors/ports thing... i dont think it's the same as the cake/gateau thing at all!  A cake is a cake (or 'a sponge') and it's usually just 'fancy' cakes that are called gateaux.   

I'm sure most of us learn new British words almost every day!  I reckon it would be impossible to know them all before arriving in the UK!