LIST: Things about The UK you wish you had known

There's quite a convoluted history behind this, and the original name chosen for the element was actually alumium.   

I know we changed the name and the Internationally accepted English term for it is the one we changed it to now.

Posted by: MrsPink
FYI, it is actually called (if you want to get technical about it) ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL.  Soccer is a derivative of that name.  It's not wrong.  Just different.
The term soccer is only used by three countries in the world.  Two of them being Canada and the US.  Some English guy used the name once and you guys adopted it.
It would be like us calling American football "National" or something silly like that.
I wouldnt say its different i would say its wrong.  If your name is Joe and i call you Jim that would be different and it would be wrong.
Australia also used to use the word but they reverted back to football as they didnt like the word soccer.
You would think when American football was formed they would have been able to come up with a new name for it anyways.  Why not call it something closer to Rugby as its just a rip off, of Rugby with pads.  Not to mention the hours and hours of filling your heads with commercial breaks. Baseball is just another version of cricket and also takes just as long and is just as boring.  Baseball also originated in Europe as well

Posted by: Paul_1966
Insert Quote
Football, association football, soccer -- Still just a bunch of guys kicking a ball around a muddy field.  I fail to understand why such a large proportion of the male population of the U.K. gets so worked up about it.   

Still better then watching three hours of adverts! Kicking a ball with your feet takes more skill then throwing a ball and having grown men chasing after it.
Only in NFL are 300lb fat men considered athletes!
As soon as Vick got sent down i stopped watching it.  I still even then had to record it to be able to stomach watching it though so i could at least fast forward all the adverts.

Baseball is just another version of cricket and also takes just as long and is just as boring.  Baseball also originated in Europe as well[/b]

I agree that watching these sports is boring.
Baseball is a takeoff of rounders which in turn is a British girls game. CMIIW.

I made my comments bold but it made everything bold?
I made sure there were < / b > after my comments so it shouldnt have done that.

The 1st ever mention of baseball was actually written in England in a book named A little pretty pocket book. That was written in 1744.
The game was called English baseball and had the diamond shape and most of the rules that are in todays game.
Still a boring game though just like cricket.
Most of the games in todays world are just different variations of games played by the Egyptians and other ancient civilizations but most of the rules were written in Europe in the last few hundred years.

Thanks to all that posted here! I knew some of these things, but would've never thought to ask about some of the others... I soooo can't wait to call my BF and ask him about some of this! *wonders if he's up yet* 

Definitely echo everyone on the bizarre toilet flush.

But my biggest beef with Brighton (don't know about the rest of the UK) is that you CANNOT eat at six in the morning. I currently live in Portland, and if I'm up all night working on a paper I can skip two blocks over for a full breakfast at four in the morning. In Brighton, this is unheard of. We drove around once for almost an hour before we finally found a place that opened at seven flipping thirty.

Also, I fear for my life as a pedestrian. The Brits drive like crazy people. I might be biased, though; Portland's the most pedestrian-friendly town in the U.S.

Maybe not so much things that I wish I had known but just a point a difference:

If you go to a restaraunt that is buffet style, you do not have to get a clean plate for every trip back to the food bar. 

Maybe not so much things that I wish I had known but just a point a difference:

If you go to a restaraunt that is buffet style, you do not have to get a clean plate for every trip back to the food bar. 

You have to do that in New Hampshire as well.  It is a state thing/health code issue. 

One thing I wish I'd known before I moved to the UK is how expensive mobile phone plans are in comparison to the US. No wonder everybody texts all the time!

Of course, now that I'm back in the US and can talk on the phone as much as I want, it feels weird not to text people.

How long it would take to get a land line set up. It's ridiculous.

That it would take 3 months or more to get in to see the dentist. I wish I had made an effort to get registered with the dentist as soon as I registered with my GP, then there wouldn't be any long gaps between my appointment in the US and the first one in the UK.

About how much do they cost in the UK?

I thought they were cheaper because it seems everyone has one.?

Lots of people have pay as you go here in the UK.  I think that is easier, and cheaper, in the UK than in the US.  Or it was when I was working for T-Mobile back the in US. 

Nike is prounced NIKE not NIKE E as we dont ride BIKE E's either  Wink

Hey! Nike is both a brand name and the name of a Greek goddess, so that's a British mispronunciation on two counts! 

I wish I had known you sack your own groceries here (usually bringing your own bags to the shop, as well). The first few times we went shopping, I sort of stood there like a dope wondering what was going on.... and the people at the registers don't take their time, either! Everything was flying by and piling up at the end. I didn't realise I needed to ask for bags and take care of it myself! 

I don't know if this has been addressed as yet: but
Path for Sidewalk.
I was once pulled over for bumping the kerb (first time driving over here) as I pulled out.The police man thought I was drunk. I kept saying I was am American and had just gotten into the car...
He asked me if they always drive on the path in America, in a very snotty way.
I thought for a second and said YES!
To me a path is anywhere you travel a road, or trail, even a metaphor, like the path of life.
What he was trying to be snotty with was, do they always drive on the SIDEWALK.
That would have p.oed. me. As it was I just was very confused.
He was very disappointed that I passed the test with NO alcohol indicated.

And the plug thing: How come they can have plugs in the kitchen and not the bathroom?
Is there not a s much water happening in the kitchen as in a bathroom?

I wish I had known you sack your own groceries here (usually bringing your own bags to the shop, as well). The first few times we went shopping, I sort of stood there like a dope wondering what was going on.... and the people at the registers don't take their time, either! Everything was flying by and piling up at the end. I didn't realise I needed to ask for bags and take care of it myself! 

You bag your own at most places in the US I've shopped.