Simple pleasures for simple people

[cosmolinguist]

I got to cook today. The stove is gas, and while gas will come out where it's supposed to, the ignition mechanism doesn't work. This can be remedied, if you can display some adaptablity and find some matches. And if you don't mind burning your hand off.

Actually, I didn't burn my hand off, and it only took me two matches. I was proud of myself.

I took advantage of this occasion to make myself some pasta, with a surprisingly tasty tomato-and-cheese sauce (surprising because it came from a jar that came from Asda--which, for the uninformed, is not only like Wal-Mart (well, the "super" Wal-Marts with food in them) but owned by Wal-Mart ... though I like it better than Wal-Mart because I'll actually buy things from there).

It's the first time I'd really properly cooked anything (i.e. not in the microwave) since I got here, and I'm surprised at how happy it made me to do so.

Comments

[commonswings.livejournal.com]

i remember well that stove was the first of the really surprising language complications me and sarah had. i genuinely thought she was just taking the piss out of me for a couple of days until i realised what she meant by stove... it's become a source of much comic misunderstanding between us ever since

(we won't go into my hysterics in a delaware acme when i saw what JIF is in the states or my anger at the snickers' marathon bar)

[cosmolinguist]

Yeah, Jif is peanut butter ... why, what did you think it is? :-) (You'd think I'd get used to this, but I'm still suprirsed to realize that I'll probably be running across previously-unknown differences between the US and the UK for years still.)

I've heard similar anger from Andrew over the Snickers thing and related candy atrocities. And though I realize we use different words for this cooking appliance, it's one that isn't really a big deal between us. Andrew is in many ways good at translating between English and American, so while there are many things about which he will not shut up--"It's zed! Not this stupid 'zee' thing of yours!"--there are others about which he is nice enough to humor me.

Or humour me, if you will. :-)

[commonswings.livejournal.com]

JIF is (or was until very recently) the most famous brand of british toilet cleaner/ bleach. i had hysterics when i saw it. made my day that did. well that and "the ski bum"

it's not the general snickers thing - it's the fact that snickers after robbing us of our marathon suddenly release an "energy bar" which is called the snicker's marathon. as atommickbrane said to me on sunday "we didn't fight the 1999 choco crispies/ coco pops war for nothing" (referring to when the outcry to changing the name of coco pops meant that they had to go back on the choco crispies name change and return to the old and much loved name). just irked me and many others that one!

i'm pretty much the same. i know what pants are, but i still reserve the right to laugh at sarah when she says they're dirty. and i'll NEVER forgive "quarter of ten" it's *to*///

[hilker.livejournal.com]

If you think “ski bum” is bad wait until you see a fanny pack. (http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=40000000226&storeId=226&categoryId=76423&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=73997)

[cosmolinguist]

I know about fanny packs, but the ski bum thing has apparently escaped my consciousness. It wouldn't be the first time that I failed to recognize something American that I've been expected to know, though. :-)

[commonswings.livejournal.com]

oh i witnessed the horrors of the fanny pack some time ago. my girlfriend claims bum bag is worse but i disagree VEHEMENTLY!

[cosmolinguist]

Yeah, I say "quarter to ten." I know some people who say "of," but I got the impression that it's an old-people thing.

Of course, I also say "ten-thirty," where around here it's "half ten." That's another that is obviously different but doesn't get commented on too much.

Oh, the joys of transatlantic relationships, eh? :-)

[commonswings.livejournal.com]

ha! i shall point doubtfulme to those first comments with MUCH glee - ten thirty/ half ten is fairly interchangeable. i'd be as likely to say both to be honest

and oh yes - but as sarah has her visa coming through now, it won't be transatlantic for much longer (EEEP!)

[cosmolinguist]

as sarah has her visa coming through now, it won't be transatlantic for much longer

Yet another innocent American girl lured into the clutches of an Englishman, eh?

[commonswings.livejournal.com]

yep! seems to be so! we shall have to both pop over to manchester once she's here

[cosmolinguist]

That would be cool! She'll be here in a month, I'll be here for a couple more yet, so it should work. :-)

[commonswings.livejournal.com]

yep - i'm sure we'll work something out... currently trying to work out the logistics of getting her stuff out here. ugh. but a worthwhile ugh

[angel-thane.livejournal.com]

Huh?

What does a stove mean in the US???

[commonswings.livejournal.com]

oh it's only a tiny language difference, but it's pretty much the hob of a normal oven. whereas to me it's always something like an old fashioned oven thing or a little calor gas thing. i just thought she was being deliberately "oh aren't all english people quaint" etc but how wrong i was and how silly i felt...

[hilker.livejournal.com]

Did you strain the pasta with a tennis racket? (Not that I expect you to get that reference.)

[cosmolinguist]

I'm glad, because you'd be disappointed otherwise. :-) Care to explain?

[hilker.livejournal.com]

In my all-time favorite movie, The Apartment, (http://imdb.com/title/tt0053604/) the main character has a stove with no pilot light and uses a tennis racket to strain his spaghetti.

[cosmolinguist]

Oh, duh! It's been years since I've seen that movie, but it's great. Yeah, I set you up perfectly for it, didn't I? :-)