Separated by a Common Language?

[DanaC]

Nope; they're still stacked in boxes and shelves.

[squirell nutkin]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

The crazy thing is, so much of this stuff is regional even within the US. Just for example:



I would never say range or cooker, the thing as a whole and the inside part are both the oven, and the top burners are the stove. Also, I would wash my hands "in the sink," I wouldn't refer to the faucet at all.

But do you say "tap water?" I do.

To me, icing is the kind that is 1.) always white, and 2.) made with pure sugar and little else, so when it dries it is somewhat hard and can flake off. Frosting is the fluffy stuff that goes on cupcakes and can't be drizzled. But I would definitely never call any of it "drizzle," as that borders on obscene. And while I wouldn't be taken aback at a cinnamon-flavored coffee cake that didn't actually contain any coffee, I would scoff at a lemon cake being called coffee cake. That's always lemon cake. Also, we call it "food coloring," never just "food color."

But again, this is all just how it is down in Texas. It's totally different up north, as I'm sure you know.

When I worked in a bakery 'drizzle' was a verb. Icing was 'drizzled.' Drizzle wasn't usually a noun.

Coffee cakes of any variety or flavor were typically yeasted, slightly sweet breads, usually with nuts or cinnamon, and meant to be eaten with coffee. Much more bread like than cake like. never a pound cake or lemon cake.

Bundt cakes were made in a ring shaped pan because the batter was especially liquid and would not bake evenly in a conventional pan.

[Cloud]

you do realize that the name of this thread is the name of a popular blog on the same topic, right? (although from a reverse perspective; American linguist in the UK). Just in case you don't, here is a link to its food/cooking posts:

http://separatedbyacommonlanguage.bl...food%2Fcooking

[jinx]

Originally Posted by monster

Yes, I would also say "in the sink" but if asked to specify which bit of the sink, to a Brit I'd say tap, to an American faucet.

My mom's mom would say spigot.

Coffee cake must have those little cinnamon crumb things, and the icing on it it more like a glaze.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by squirell nutkin

But do you say "tap water?" I do.

Yes, but that's to differentiate between that and the filtered water. The faucet is the actual silver piece of hardware, the "tap" is referring to where the water comes from in a more general sense. If the water were dirty, I'd say, "there's dirt, coming right out of the tap! Turn on the faucet, and you'll see it."

[monster]

Originally Posted by Cloud

you do realize that the name of this thread is the name of a popular blog on the same topic, right? (although from a reverse perspective; American linguist in the UK). Just in case you don't, here is a link to its food/cooking posts:

Nope, and I could (couldn't) care less....

It's a famous quote from George Bernard Shaw and predates the interwebs by quite some time...

[monster]

Originally Posted by jinx

My mom's mom would say spigot.

I've heard spigot used a lot too -I just forgot about it! Is it regional?

[Pico and ME]

These is what comes to mind when I hear spigot...and it's the one on the outside of the house.

[jinx]

Originally Posted by monster

Well, the cake is now in the oven. When the pots are washed, it will be American-style, rinsed in hot water after the soap, and left to air dry. We used to do that in the UK too, but Brit visitors still don't rinse the soap off and want to dry them with a tea-towel (kitchen towel).

Originally Posted by cloud's link

By the time I was old enough to help out, my parents had a dishwasher, but I still learned how to wash dishes 'properly' from my grandmother. She taught me that the right way to do it is to first put the kettle on,* so that after you've set the dishes in the drainer, you can pour boiling water over them in order to kill any lingering germs. My grandmother did not have OCD. This is just the way things were done. I doubt many Americans would do that today, but we would run some clean water over dishes to get the soap off. When I've seen English people not doing that, I must admit, I've been [more than] a little uneasy.

You people leave the soap on your dishes? Why?

[monster]

I dunno, I think it's insane too.... i just didn't realize i wasn't the only one to rinse them off 'til i moved here and ancountered Americans in the Uk complaining about it!

[Cloud]

don't care about the name; just thought you might find the blog interesting. I remembered that I had a blog bookmarked, but not what it was called, and when I found it, I'm like, oh!

[Cloud]

lol @ "washing up machine" for dishwasher

[squirell nutkin]

Originally Posted by Pico and ME

These is what comes to mind when I hear spigot...and it's the one on the outside of the house.

properly called a "hose bibb" or "sillcock"

[Undertoad]

All three of "spigot", "hose bibb", and "sillcock" sound like terrible insults.

That hose bibb at the deli rung up my order wrong!

[squirell nutkin]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

All three of "spigot", "hose bibb", and "sillcock" sound like terrible insults.

That hose bibb at the deli rung up my order wrong!

Well, it is plumbers we're talking about...