I wonder what the advantages there would be to having a President and Prime Minister versuses a Queen/King and Prime Minister and vice versa.

No idea, France is a republic I belive, but got no clue there on what the difference is.

I'll look it up...about France and all. So is Canada also a Constitutional Monarchy? I'll have to look that up, also.

See, this is an educational forum!

Dave, you amaze with the info you know!

Can someone explain Hurling to me? Is it an English sport? From what I could see it looked like Lacrosse. Is that right?

Jill, Hurling is primarily an Irish sport, played on a grass pitch with a ball and the players carrying sticks. It's similar to field hockey although in Hurling the ball can be caught, carried for a maximum of four steps, struck in the air, kicked and slapped with an open hand. It's probably the fastest field sport and isn't for the faint hearted as the players wear no protection other than a face mask, the ball is very hard and the game is an extremely physical contact sport.

yea i would say a hbrid of Lacrosse an field hockey....but of course it has beenaound a lot longer!

I wonder which is scary to play that or Rugby. Rugby looks like a rough sport from what I could see.

Having played rugby I would have to say that hurling is a lot more frightening.

I always wanted to play Rugby (I don't know if they have female Rugby teams). Do you know the differences between Rugby and American Football? Aside from the lack of padding

My brother got into playing Rugby in the Air Force and loved it.

In Australia,I would play rugby with the neighbor-hood kids and my brother.... They tried to teach me, but I couldn't really understand the rules, so i would just lean in the huddle and help push to reach the ball when the game started...after that the guys took over!

i would deffinately say Rugby is alot harder than american football. and much faster!!
"THINK SOCCOR ON CRACK!"
but it has the same contact (probably more) and without pads and helmets.....

Now that Ithink about it, the guys my brother played with just liked have me there to throw onto the ground...and the fact that i would play shocked the heck out of them the first couple of times....aussie women didn't do that!!

There's a reason tomboys play boys sports, it's called BOYS.

The differences between American football (as we Brits call it) and rugby are many and varied. There are also two different types of rugby - rugby league and rugby union - which have different rules and a different number of players in the team.

There is a quick overview here;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_Football

Dave

Gena I hope you gave as good as you got.

Stauri I don't know. I wasn't aware boys existed until high school. I was a late bloomer to hormones.

As far as American Football, I think that name is a misnomer because they barely use their feet for the ball at all. I much prefer the real football (only exception is the Giants). But this just me.

As always Gracias Senor Spice por informacion.

stauri...you got it!!

Jill....I could if they got me mad, or i didn't like who was playing!! I was a tomboy! (big time!)...but that didn't stop me from playing the naive girl, when someone caught my fancy!!

What is beans on toast? In a few British movies I have just seen they mentioned eating this more than once. I know what it sounds like but is that actually what it is?

Bean on toast? Well, it's a fine example of traditional English fast food and consists of baked beans (out of a can), served up on slices of toast.

By the way, did you know that the Heinz Baked Beans that are sold in the UK have a taste that is quite different to those sold in North America and that I have to hunt out stores that import English baked beans so I can satisfy my cravings for beans on toast.

There's more here - with a pinch of salt

http://spice-the-cat.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!EF9F6D5F0A8A4BDB!2315.entry

Dave



.

Dave I don't know how you survive sometimes. I would go crazy without some of my staples that I am not sure that are served in other countries.

Dave I had just a thought. We eat pinto beans cooked in a crock pot all day with butter sandwichs. In fact I usually eat a bean sandwich. The beans themselves don't have a particular flavor though.

Are your beans made with a hint of ketchup or something?

I like the idea of a Pub Crawl. Sounds like a fun evening.

Jill. I usually put a pinch of brown sugar, ketchup, and a couple slices of bacon on top on my baked beans. Either in the crock pot or in the oven.

The baked beans are in a tomato sauce, but then, so are the ones here and although I can't quite explain the difference in taste, there is a very definite and noticable difference.

As for missing staples - I can get most of the things that I miss the most - Marmite is sold here, I can get British baked beans from a specialist store, along with Walkers Crisps (or chips as they're known here and which are the best chips anywhere on Earth - in an amazing rage of flavours like... cheese & onion, Worcester sauce, prawn cocktail and the sadly discontinued lamb & mint sauce, which has been replaced by steak & onion - http://www.walkers-crisps.co.uk/ ). There are also Jaffa Cakes, Birds custard and a whole host of other goodies.

In fact, if you live in the US it's even easier since there is a mail order website where you can buy all of these things, and more, online.

http://www.britishdelights.com/default.asp

Dave

Cindy that sounds pretty good!

Dave, Birds Custard? Is that some kind of pudding? Sounds interesting

Dave...Iknow the PUBLIX here in florida will special order something if you are looking for it...I have had them find a few things I loved in australia (like PAVLOVA MIX)they actually have a whole shelf f things from England and Dutch products now that they started doing this. You might try going to the manager of the local store you shop at most and see if they will do that for you!!!

JUST A THOUGHT!!

What is Pavola Mix?

Jill, Bird's Custard is just a brand name for a form of custard powder available in the UK - it differs from traditional custard in that it's free of eggs and requires only the addition of milk to make it up.

Custard doesn't seem to be as popular here as it is in the UK so I'm really just playing safe with Bird's as a brand that I know tastes good and is the perfect addition to a sponge pudding, or a bowl of rhubarb and... Well, you can find out for yourself - and make sure you press the TV icon.

http://www.roobarbandcustard.tv/

Dave

Thanks Dave!

Actually I really mean that. I like this thread. It is giving me a sense different cultures. Sometimes I will hear things or read things and have no idea what they are talking about. Like "Beans on Toast". It's nice to have someone explain it me. Especially in a way where I don't feel like an idiot when I ask the question. And as you notice I ask just a few questions

Okay I have another question.....


I was reading the book Atonement. And several times they mention this term a "garret room" What is a garret room?

Okay that is the 2nd time this has happen. I actually posted to this thread. Am I losing it?

I will post again because I don't see it here.

I was reading the book Atonement. In the book it refers to a "garret room". Have no idea what that was. Hoping someone can enlighten me?

Jill

I'll have to look up "garret room" but I saw your earlier post...and it didn't post in order for some reason. Strange... I wonder who is messing with this thread

wren

I had it happen to me on another thread.

Never fear it will be there just not in order.

Jill,

A "garret room" is the space or rooms just below the roof of a house, especially a sloping roof...it can be like an attic, tower, loft, dormer, belfry or other rooms such as that. (From Your Dictionary.com)

I had heard the term before also. Vocabulary word of the day!

hth, wren

Thank you.

Er How do you pronounce the name Morag & Seonaid ?

Gracias

Since this seems to be a good place to ask a question, my husband was wondering how the British pronounce the river Thames?

Kimberly

Morag is pronounced as written - more-ag.

The best way I can explain Seonaid is shern-aid.

The river Thames is pronounced tems

Dave

Dave you are messing with us again. It says Lynsay on your post.

Oh quick question, I love watching Torchwood and it takes place in Cardiff. Where is that located? The coast of England - I saw the beach at one point I think.

I do not get that here. Unless it is on the premium cable channels.

Jill, you have just made yourself unpopular with a large section of the British population

Cardiff is in Wales. Yes I know it's confusing with all of this UK, Britain and England business, so here's a quick explanation of how it all fits together.

The United Kingdom is made up of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Great Britain is the combination of England, Scotland and Wales.

The Republic of Ireland (that is, all of Ireland except the six counties that make up Northern Ireland) is a separate country which is entirely independant of the UK.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own legislative bodies who can can, within certain limits, create their own laws and make decisions pertaining to their own nations. For some unexplained reason, England doesn't have it's own governing body.

The UK Government, based in London, is the overall law making body for the combined nations and works in a similar way to the way the Federal Government lawmaking in the US relates to each individual State's own legislative powers.

The people of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have their own regional and cultural identities and are very pround of this, so, whenever anyone says that Cardiff, or Belfast or Glasgow may be places in England you will be able to hear the collective sharp intake of breath and bristling of neck hair from a very long way away.

Dave (who is himself, today)

Oh I am sorry. I didn't mean to offend. I didn't realize. That is why I asked. I understand now though.

Anyone who read my earlier post and was offended I am apologize.

Did I mention that my ability to put my foot in my mouth is unparalled?


C1- Torchwood is on BBC America. I love that station. It has my all time fave shows on there.

Okay I hope everyone has recoverd from my earlier faux pas. I have another question. I heard the expression "Working like a Trojan". What does that mean and where does that expression originate from?

Some say it is like the phrase "work like a dog."
That particular meaning is to work very hard.

If there is a different meaning I am sure it will be posted.

Here is the explanation according to the Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins

Trojan originally referred to the inhabitants of Troy, the ancient city besieged by the Greeks in their efforts to retrieve their queen, Helen, who had been abducted by the son of the King of Troy.

According to legend, as recorded in both Vergil's 'Aeneid' and Homer's 'Illiad,' the Trojans were a hard-working, determined, industrious people. Hence: 'He worked like a Trojan'

Dave

Dave,

Thanks for explaining about the United Kingdom and Great Britain. It helps to know how everything fits together.

I thought that all of Ireland was part of the UK and never understood why it was often mentioned separately, but now I know.

This thread is wonderful. On the new forum, we will need a questions thread like this one. This one isn't really just about Scottish terminology anymore.

I just finished Lynsay's "The Chase" and the meal Seonaid asked for was Colcannon, Black Bun, and Haggis. It was nice to know what those were when I was reading. The book was fantastic...but I knew it would be!

wren

Sorry guys one more question - how much does a "stone" equate in pounds?

I.E. He weighs 10 stone.

A "stone" = 14 pounds.

wren

Thanks W2 and also to C1 for your email

You are welcome J4. I thought it would be safer.

C1ofAE4

What is a skoda? Is it a type of car? I have never even heard of it before? (watching TOP GEAR and they mentioned it on the show but didn't elaborate)