American English v. UK English

JD · Post by JD » Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:36 pm

If you're an old(er) Brit, like me, you'd call them plimsolls

(sneakers, that is!)

jak · Post by **jak** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:09 am

Yes, I am like you! I remember plimsolls, and still have some. They really are canvas lace-ups.

cbhrbooth · Post by **cbhrbooth** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 12:28 pm

Plimsolls, plimsolls, plimsolls. I like that word! Even with my accent the word sounds British. I can't wait to try it out on my kids and see if they can guess what I'm talking about. . .

Mary B.

abraidwood · Post by **abraidwood** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 6:03 pm

Tell them to take off their plimsolls and jumpers and come in for a lunch of tongue sandwiches and warm ginger beer. That'll confuse'em. Or make them run away screaming.

cbhrbooth · Post by **cbhrbooth** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:30 am

Warm ginger beer? Really? Is it sweet?

JD · Post by JD » Thu Aug 09, 2007 6:21 am

Yes, but it's not beer. And it's warm because every beverage served in the UK usually IS warm.

I think it was the favourite tipple of Enid Blyton's Famous Five, but that's another story. Literally.

catnipp333 · Post by **catnipp333** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:11 am

OK, now what "exactly" is "tongue sandwiches"? I am hoping it is NOT what I "think" it is?

Catnipp333

abraidwood · Post by **abraidwood** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:15 am

I have a horrible suspicion tongue sandwiches are exactly what we think they are. A nice bit of (cow's I think) tongue between two slices of bread. I've never tried tongue (being squeamish) but have a haggis-eating Scottish friend who has. And yes, I read WAY too much Enid Blyton as a child. Cold ginger beer is very nice, however.

Alexandra Heep · Post by **Alexandra Heep** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:16 pm

That brings back memories of what I used to eat in Europe when I was a kid. Blood sausage (called blood pudding in the UK I believe), and some stuff with tongue in it, that tasted very good. The equivalent translation would be "tongue sausage" I guess, or "tongue bologna". Some things just don't translate very well. There was also some kind of meat with brain in it. Suelze I think what it was called. I also loved Liverwurst, and still do.

Now it all sounds gross, but back then I did not think about it twice.

jak · Post by **jak** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:41 pm

Some years after the end of the war, us Brits were still short of meaty things to eat. Pressed tongue was considered a delicacy in my family, although I never got a taste for it myself. I do remember family gatherings outside the pub on the riverside when the tongue sandwiches were dished out along with the pigs trotters which were a favourite of my Aunt Maud. We never got ginger beer though, just lemonade for us kids.

Your 'blood pudding' is usually called black pudding. We still have it occasionally with eggs and bacon when we want an extra filling breakfast.