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The TRUTH!!!

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Resistance is futile, puny humans.
 
Minadin said:
I don't know about that but we call it Ketchup here in in the middle states.
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We pulled into Lisbon Portugal for a mid patrol break once. A shipmate and I were sightseeing together, and decided it was time to eat. We decided we'd eat in the first restaurant we came across that didn't have anything dead hanging in the window, that we couldn't identify. Found one that only had what appeared to be a chicken hanging in the window, AND an English menu!

We both ordered what sounded like either baked or broiled chicken (we hoped it wouldn't be the one from the window) and fried potatoes (that ended up looking a lot like French Fries. Had to point to what we wanted, because the waiter didn't speak English.

I asked for some ketchup for my fries. Took about 4 minutes of back and forth between the waiter and I before he appeared to understand (that should have been a clue!).

About 20 minutes later, after our food was gone, he returned with a bottle of Hunts or Heinz, I forget. But it was caked in dust. Had to have been in some dark dank cellar or something. I was glad I had finished the potatoes, or I would have felt obliged to eat some of it.

That was New Years (give or take a day) of 1986, and I still get a chuckle out of it when I think about it :)
 
Minadin said:
I don't know about that but we call it Ketchup here in in the middle states.
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Yeah, only east coast elitists say "catsup". Use that word in grade school and you're in for a smackdown.

French fries: cut similar to McDonald's fries.
Steak fries: my favorite, very large cut, often wedge-shaped.
Shoestring potatos: very thin cut.
Waffle fries: self-explanatory
Hash browns: very thin cut (grated actually), fried in a pan. Usually a breakfast side.
 
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Architect said:
As opposed to Lisbon where?! :confused:
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North Dakota? Don't think a ship would be docking there though!

AFAIK, there is only one Chicago. But I still have to specify "Illinois" when giving my address over the phone, you'd think "Chicago" and the zip code would suffice.
 
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It is something of a running joke in Europe the way Americans feel the need to say "Paris, France" and so on during the News. Like, because, in article about French politics we'd really believe that Mitterand was in some Texan backwater or something!

And no, in Europe we would just say "Chicago"
 
Architect said:
It is something of a running joke in Europe the way Americans feel the need to say "Paris, France" and so on during the News. Like, because, in article about French politics we'd really believe that Mitterand was in some Texan backwater or something!

And no, in Europe we would just say "Chicago"
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Well, in our defense, we become used to naming the city and state, because there are so many cities with the same name. So, if you say Springfield, you have to also say which state, otherwise you have to guess if it's Missouri, Illinois, Massachusetts, etc. So, it carries over to cities outside our borders.
 
You also know that the fact your "cities" can be as small as, like, 20,000 is a cause for continual amusement? So for example CNN refers to "the Scottish city of Paisley" even though Paisley is actually just considered a town.
 
Oh, so you just keep us around for comic relief? Now I understand!

I knew I was good for something!
 
Architect said:
You also know that the fact your "cities" can be as small as, like, 20,000 is a cause for continual amusement? So for example CNN refers to "the Scottish city of Paisley" even though Paisley is actually just considered a town.
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This actually varies widely in the US according to region, and also in the context it is used. For example, everyone in the suburbs simply refers to Chicago as "the city", but Chicago can also be "my kind of town". It all depends on the meaning you're trying to convey I guess.
 
JimBenArm said:
Oh, so you just keep us around for comic relief? Now I understand!

I knew I was good for something!
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:D


No, not at all. We keep you around for high quality Sitcoms, great films, and in case we need someone to turn up late for a World War.. ;)
 
Architect said:
:D


No, not at all. We keep you around for high quality Sitcoms, great films, and in case we need someone to turn up late for a World War.. ;)
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Well, the invitation was lost in the mail, and our dog was sick, because he ate our homework. We'll be on time next go-round!
 
MortFurd said:
Dude...
Check the location.

I'm in EUROPE. The Krauts call 'em "Pommes" from "Pommes Frites," "fried potatos."
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The Krauts usually say "Fritten" but "Pommes" is okay, too.
Chips are "Pringles" here - i wonder what chips are in england
if they use to say chips meaning Mc Donalds like "fried potatos"? :confused:
 
Oliver said:
The Krauts usually say "Fritten" but "Pommes" is okay, too.
Chips are "Pringles" here - i wonder what chips are in england
if they use to say chips meaning Mc Donalds like "fried potatos"? :confused:
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Pringles and their ilk are Crisps in Britain (how would you like it if I used "Bavaria" whenever I mean Germany?).

Chips are generically all fried chipped potatoes. The term Fries is understood because MacDonalds put it on their menu, but is not generally used.
 
JimBenArm said:
Well, the invitation was lost in the mail, and our dog was sick, because he ate our homework. We'll be on time next go-round!
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What really puzzles me is how you manage to claim that WW1 lasted until 1919, when the Germans gave up in 1918, dude!
 
Architect said:
Pringles and their ilk are Crisps in Britain (how would you like it if I used "Bavaria" whenever I mean Germany?).

Chips are generically all fried chipped potatoes. The term Fries is understood because MacDonalds put it on their menu, but is not generally used.
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Personally i wouldn´t mind about "Bavarian" and "German".
So the rest of England does not say "Chips" meaning "Fries"?
 
Architect said:
What really puzzles me is how you manage to claim that WW1 lasted until 1919, when the Germans gave up in 1918, dude!
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Yeah, but we were distracted. We were busy playing cribbage, and didn't notice the surrender papers. They got buried under the mail on the end table, and it was 1919 before we found them. Imagine our embarrassment!
 
Oliver said:
Personally i wouldn´t mind about "Bavarian" and "German".
So the rest of England does not say "Chips" meaning "Fries"?
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Are you winding me up? :confused:


You do know that England is just one constituent country of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & NI, and it is wholly incorrect (not to say insulting to those from other bits of the UK) to use the term England when referring to (say) the Government, Queen, etc.? Acceptable exceptions have to be quite specific, e.g. English Law as opposed to Scots Law.

Thus the analogy. How would you like it if all UK news reports referred to the Bavarian government instead of German, if we called you all Bavarians, and so on?

:confused:
 
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JimBenArm said:
Yeah, but we were distracted. We were busy playing cribbage, and didn't notice the surrender papers. They got buried under the mail on the end table, and it was 1919 before we found them. Imagine our embarrassment!
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I reckon your lads just wanted an extra year of R&R in Paris.....needed a story to tell the wives, and it stuck!
 
Architect said:
Are you winding me up? :confused:


You do know that England is just one constituent country of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & NI, and it is wholly incorrect (not to say insulting to those from other bits of the UK) to use the term England when referring to (say) the Government, Queen, etc.? Acceptable exceptions have to be quite specific, e.g. English Law as opposed to Scots Law.

Thus the analogy. How would you like it if all UK news reports referred to the Bavarian government instead of German, if we called you all Bavarians, and so on?

:confused:
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Well, we use to say "Engländer" speaking about british people,
the Government and the Queen - so it´s a traditional thing,
nothing personal. On the other hand the english-speaking people
use to say: "Germanen" instead "Deutsche" or "Germany" instead
"Deutschland".
 
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