tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post3015123361266569043..comments2024-03-28T16:11:36.465+00:00Comments on Separated by a Common Language: windowslynneguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-84739953461353869962023-04-07T12:10:12.680+01:002023-04-07T12:10:12.680+01:00We need flywire screens on windows in Australia. I...We need flywire screens on windows in Australia. I've heard English visitors complain they spoil the view. Flywire screens are also needed on doors - ours also has a security grill.Anthea Flemingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-27141707575037402222023-04-07T12:07:18.242+01:002023-04-07T12:07:18.242+01:00Flywire screens are absolutely necessary in Austra...Flywire screens are absolutely necessary in Australia - mind you, some temporary English neighbours complained they spoiled the view. Flywire doors too. Lets the breeze in and keeps next-door's dog out.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-38757883156042539682020-08-09T14:32:30.201+01:002020-08-09T14:32:30.201+01:00That should be '(AmE) a/c'. :)That should be '(AmE) a/c'. :)lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-50729909166571414442020-08-09T14:31:39.989+01:002020-08-09T14:31:39.989+01:00I get the 'but you have air conditioning' ...I get the 'but you have air conditioning' thing from British folk a lot. The prevalence of air-conditioning in the US is really over-estimated by Europeans, probably because their experience of the US is mostly Florida, Las Vegas, and hotels in general. The house I grew up in (where my dad still lives) doesn't have a/c, except for (in recent years) one window unit in his bedroom. 2/3 of my brothers' houses don't have it. The temperatures are much (much) higher than in UK in summer, but we make do with good insulation, fans, and open windows/screen doors.lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-51681278784483981992020-08-09T14:12:41.708+01:002020-08-09T14:12:41.708+01:00BrE. Re bathroom electrical safety. I’ve rarely ma...BrE. Re bathroom electrical safety. I’ve rarely managed to have a bath or shower without the room getting very steamy, more often than not resulting in condensation on walls (which are generally tiled). I’m no expert, but this does seem to be more of an inherent danger than a wet body. Conversely, the steam doesn’t seem to cause problems for light fixtures, wherever the light switch is placed.<br /><br />Although we don’t have a great insect problem in most of the U.K., I can see the attraction of screens in summer. What puzzles me is, given the prevalence of air conditioning I’m th U.S., why do you need to open windows?Shy-replyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01891566073375322808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-16996365972058417702015-02-04T21:35:25.006+00:002015-02-04T21:35:25.006+00:00Another possible reason for no electrical sockets ...Another possible reason for no electrical sockets in bathrooms on the UK is that up until relatively recently, you would only have one bathroom in a house, even if it was a 4 bedroom. So the pressure is always on to get your bathroomy stuff done ASAP and get out of there for the next person.<br /><br />So can you imagine if people were in there drying their hair or use the hair straighteners for hours on end - the resulting death wouldn't be by electric shock, it would be by hair dryer cord strangulation committed by an irate family member!Jaynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-4327660910124936622013-09-23T16:42:34.209+01:002013-09-23T16:42:34.209+01:00The same in Ireland, David. A little irritating wh...The same in Ireland, David. A little irritating when you think about it! Ian Mac Eochagáinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08807587737403861042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-39070400883670763552013-09-23T14:32:23.484+01:002013-09-23T14:32:23.484+01:00About socket
It occurs to me that many British sp...About <i>socket</i><br /><br />It occurs to me that many British speakers say <i>the plug</i> when what they're referring to is a plug in a socket — or even an empty socket. Strangely, this doesn't ever seem to lead to ambiguity.David Crosbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01858358459416955921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-67066377782188809532013-09-23T13:04:48.245+01:002013-09-23T13:04:48.245+01:00In Britain, socket is widely used, but not all soc...In Britain, <i>socket</i> is widely used, but not all sockets are at the interface with the power supply. I can't say I've heard the term <i>electrical outlet</i>. I'm not even sure I would understand it without supporting context.<br /><br />To make sure that there's no confusion with other sockets, I'd say <i>power point</i> or just <i>point</i>. In fact. I can speak of <i>a point with two sockets</i>. I suppose I could speak of <i>a point with two double sockets</i>.<br /><br />Come to think of it, why <i>outlet</i>? Surely from the consumer's point of via it's an <b>inlet</b>?<br /><br />In my experience, quite a few British bathrooms have an electric point — along with the majority of hotel bathrooms. But they are furnished with <b>two round-pin sockets</b>, so most British appliances with their <b>three square-pinplugs </b> are incompatible. <br /><br />Not surprisingly, the appliances that are normally sold with two-pin plugs are an electric shavers and electric toothbrush holder/chargers. Other appliances <b>may</b> work with a two-pin-round -to-three-pin-square <i>travel adaptor</i>. However, the socket generally has some fuse or other safety feature which means that some appliances just won't work.David Crosbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01858358459416955921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-62462323007755729662013-09-23T07:07:26.538+01:002013-09-23T07:07:26.538+01:00So is the American. So is the American. lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-40507616215826792692013-09-23T00:38:59.650+01:002013-09-23T00:38:59.650+01:00The British English equivalent of "electrical...The British English equivalent of "electrical outlets" is "sockets". Ian Mac Eochagáinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08807587737403861042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-89547688768948238302013-03-15T13:29:59.975+00:002013-03-15T13:29:59.975+00:00Just couldn't resist adding that my Dad who wa...Just couldn't resist adding that my Dad who was born in in North West England, UK in 1902 and was a shipwright working with wood all his life, used 'cill' never 'sill' and taught me to do the same. I've always puzzled over it and hesitated when I come to write it as you rarely come across this spelling nowadays.Shirleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08438440880389537105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-6240054978929782832012-11-01T14:03:21.836+00:002012-11-01T14:03:21.836+00:00Hi there,
just a quick note. used to work ...Hi there,<br /> just a quick note. used to work in a company that did windows, as I understand it double pained is just that two panes of glass set into a frame, a double glassed unit is a single piece that is two panes of glass sealed together with a pressure gap between them or air gap as they quote. this gap my be filled with a gas that has a low heat soak value to reduce the amount of heat being lost between the two panes of glass. the gas can also reduce sound waves travelling between the two panes of glass to. the easy way to show this is if you have a helium filled balloon and put it by one of your ears it will feel like you have gone deaf in that ear. because the helium doesn't transmit sound as well as air dose. the new triple glazing is coming that has three panes of glass each piece is a different type and thickness of glass, and the gaps between them will be filled with different types of gas to reduce sound and heat transfer even further. so the correct term is a double glazed UNIT or triple glazed UNIT. the term unit defines the two panes are 1 single unit. but in areas were units are prone to breakage an out heavy grade out pane of glass ie lead plate or lead plate laminated glass can be put in the unit to make it very hard to break the gas help take up inpack shock and the lamination add far greater strength to the out pane. 1 have seen a test unit and bounce a brick off one. made a scratch but a quick polish that was gone.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12659977245465005350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-61257407542765648612011-12-09T19:56:25.162+00:002011-12-09T19:56:25.162+00:00In Calif. anyway we have energy requirments to be ...In Calif. anyway we have energy requirments to be met, I don't see anyplace that sell single pane windows anymore, all windows get replaced with dual glazed (that's a term sometimes used) windows. And that's what is put in new homes. As to screens they are pretty much standard in the US, I did see some in Spain-that way my game when on tourist buses spy which buildings had window screens. The could be adapted to most window styles in the UK as for the 'casement style' there is a crank mechanism at the bottom of the window that lets one open a window since the screen is on the 'inside' but these kind of windows are only usually found in expensive homes. There is the Pella Rollscreen windows as well when they roll up into the frame if you need to clean windows. As for electrical outlets in bathrooms, yes we have them newer homes have GFI's on them and I have never seen them near a shower or bath or low on the wall they have always been above counter level like in kitchens so above any water level of the fixtures. In all my years I have never encountered a shock. Some older homes tho had an grilled off electric heater and leg level, but I think that is no longer allowed by electrical code, all electric devices like that have to be on the ceiling or high on the wall, I think lights/fan/heat can all be separately switched but that may be per local code.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-47421985153533116322010-03-02T14:59:35.319+00:002010-03-02T14:59:35.319+00:00Mrs Redboots - I live in the United States in Minn...Mrs Redboots - I live in the United States in Minnesota. Known for its cold and snowny long winters. I sell double pane windows and storm windows. Most storm windows of today are aluminum framed with two tracks within sit 3 sashes. 1 screen sash and two glass sashes. When one wishes to have fresh air, you open your primary window, lift the bottom glass sash up, revealing the screen section.<br />Do they impair vision? Somewhat through the screen portion.<br />Visist our website at <br />www.spwindows.net if you desire more information.MickeyNhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11580541392470878770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-8058689609276243262009-07-19T19:24:24.957+01:002009-07-19T19:24:24.957+01:00To cook the correct amount for the meal, of course...To cook the correct amount for the meal, of course! 50g-60g per person, and I can't estimate that by eye.Mrs Redboots (Annabel Smyth)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11270027663691257254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-82566885976786995702009-07-19T19:16:54.166+01:002009-07-19T19:16:54.166+01:00Why would you need an "accurate" measure...Why would you need an "accurate" measure of pasta?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-9777835757158779422009-07-17T08:09:33.331+01:002009-07-17T08:09:33.331+01:00Measuring jugs and cups do exist in the UK - and m...Measuring jugs and cups do exist in the UK - and most supermarkets now sell American-style measuring cups - but are normally used alongside kitchen scales rather than as a replacement for them. I measure rice and couscous and stuff like that, but prefer to weigh flour (other than a tablespoon for a sauce) and sugar, as it's more accurate, and pasta, as I don't see how you can have an accurate measurement of that, given that the shapes can vary so much.Mrs Redboots (Annabel Smyth)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11270027663691257254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-81773130227484230362009-07-17T03:46:19.756+01:002009-07-17T03:46:19.756+01:00I've always thought it odd that Europeans insi...I've always thought it odd that Europeans insist that Americans cook wrong since we cook by volume rather than by weight. I get that weighing is more accurate- but the European kitchens I've seen don't use scales to measure out ingredients- they have cups with weight markings. If you put your flour in a cup to a fill line, it's by volume, not by weight, even though the line has a weight measurement. Americans are just a bit more honest about the whole process!<br /><br />What I miss in the States are the windows that are: sealed shut, tip in for a bit of breeze, or completely open. American sliding windows are so inefficient to open and close. And with double-hung windows (both windows can slide), there always seems to be a gap somewhere!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-44337326493498982392009-07-13T02:22:01.340+01:002009-07-13T02:22:01.340+01:00On the off chance you see this: a tablespoon is on...On the off chance you see this: a tablespoon is one finger-width of a 1-cup stick of butter. A quarter cup is four tablespoons/fingers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-48251832747762857162009-02-14T21:52:00.000+00:002009-02-14T21:52:00.000+00:00So does butter. If you melt it :PBut we can also m...So does butter. If you melt it :P<BR/><BR/>But we can also measure nuts in measuring spoons, and, I don't know, anything else you can cram in there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-85755602349899127092009-02-13T12:17:00.000+00:002009-02-13T12:17:00.000+00:00But, conuly, flour flows, doesn't it.But, conuly, flour flows, doesn't it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-41077040626303398652009-02-12T00:32:00.000+00:002009-02-12T00:32:00.000+00:00Well, Nathan, butter melts.So we know that a certa...Well, Nathan, butter melts.<BR/><BR/>So we know that a certain amount of melted butter is the same amount of butter when it's solid, right?<BR/><BR/>So the butter companies make it easy for us and just mark out every tablespoon on the stick.<BR/><BR/>Besides, we measure flour and spices that way too, and they're solid as well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-83337634025021463592009-02-11T16:21:00.000+00:002009-02-11T16:21:00.000+00:00I just realised that I've never written windowsill...I just realised that I've never written windowsill down before. It feels really weird for a word I quite often use.<BR/><BR/>About the weight thing, yeah we have an odd system in that most cookery books either give both measurements or just metric. And I don't understand how butter (being a solid) could be measured as a liquid.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-64315259691085693802009-02-10T10:32:00.000+00:002009-02-10T10:32:00.000+00:00As an Australian who has lived in the UK and the U...As an Australian who has lived in the UK and the USA, and now returned home, I am horrified that double-glazed windows are not mandatory in new buildings in Australia, given our recently-developed love affair with air conditioning.<BR/><BR/>There is so much hoo-ha about energy efficiency, saving the planet etc etc, and yet double-glazing is so incredibly overpriced compared to single-glazing (to the point of being unaffordable for most people).<BR/><BR/>And I had a chuckle when I read about the lack of power points (which is what we call electrical sockets here in Australia) in UK bathrooms. I remember my husband having a fit about having nowhere to plug in his hair clippers! We bought an extension cord and plugged them into the bedroom power point and used them in the bathroom anyway. (With the hair dryer, I just sighed and resigned myself to doing my hair in the bedroom. Which was awkward, because I liked to use product on my hair, and needed to wash my hands after putting it in, but before drying! Totally inconvenient having to trot from bathroom to bedroom!)<BR/><BR/>The lack of fly-screens in the UK also used to bug us (pun intended).Mrs Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05655632448285928588noreply@blogger.com