If you’re looking for a job in the UK the signs you are looking for in shop windows say “Staff Required” or a more specific “Sales Staff Required”. In the US we ask for help. The sign says “Help Wanted”. I wonder if this has to do with some negative connotations to the word “Help”?…
Month: June 2014
A Proper Kilt
One of the things I really wanted to do while in Edinburgh was get a proper kilt. One made by master kilt makers from a high quality tartan and sized for me. Today I picked it up and it is a beauty. Tartan What I really wanted was a Bluebonnet Tartan which is the official…
Till Vs Register
In the states the machine used to pay for things you buy is called a cash register, or the register for short. In the UK it’s called the till. I also confused a shop person at the Apple Store in Glasgow when I said I needed to “check out”. They don’t seem to use that…
5 Things Brits Take For Granted Americans Don’t Have
Electric Kettles It took me a little while to notice this one because I actually do have an electric kettle. I twigged to it one day while watching a cooking (or cookery as they say here) show and the chef grabbed his electric kettle and added boiling hot water to something. That wouldn’t happen in…
Wee Scottishisms
Scots speak differently than the English and have a whole slurry of words that are different. Here a few that I’ve picked up recently. Wee = little Before I got here I really thought the Scots wouldn’t possibly use wee for little much. I was wrong. They pretty much always say wee vs little. Matter…
5 Things Americans Take For Granted The Average Brit Doesn’t Have
Ice Water at Meals In the US when you sit down at a restaurant almost the first thing that will happen is the waiter will bring everyone a class of ice water. In Britain, not so much. Firstly they will only bring you water if you ask for it. Then they will ask if you…
“Naughts and Crosses” vs “Tic-Tac-Toe”
Went to a comedy improv show in Leith the other night. They gave everyone a sheet of paper and said you could doodle on it and I played myself a game tic-tac-toe in the corner. It was a draw of course, just like thermonuclear war. Then they had us name a play. I tore off…
“Hold Ups” vs “Stockings”
Was reading a model’s profile and she said, “I love hold ups and heels.” Mmmmmmm…… I actually I was thinking it was going to be the same at “push up” as in bra. But a quick search showed me that it was stockings. Nor is it the same as garter belt.