The "Hijacked Thread" Thread

[Inge l-w]

Dear J. P. , speak for yourself! I don't know how the educational system works in Poland, except for what I have read about Marie Curie, and she was in the Russian-held part of the then partitioned country, but, as I have mentioned before, geopolitical changes having trashed my knowledge about some countries around the world, my teachers were very thorough, very strict and very demanding. I haven't been to the U.S. or Australia, or New Zealand, but when films failed to cover the gaps in my knowledge, I could always fall back on travel accounts, especially Jules Verne, as outdated as he may seem! Should we move this to the travel and language thread, before it gets entirely hijacked? ^_^

[J.P.]

I speak for myself and people around me.

My teachers were also strickt and demanding. But school geography, being a bunch of unrelated - to me - names, facts and numbers, was deleted very quickly.

 

Anyway, every time someone here criticizes Americans for being clueless about the world, I start to ask questions about Poland or other "exotic" countries. They get quiet very soon.

[Arcadia]

Okay, I'll bite -- I'm so clueless I don't even understand what you mean by "I start to ask questions about Poland or other "exotic" countries." Why does that cause people to fall silent?
 

Why is it that geography is like a foreign land to me ... but I'm a whiz at reading a map? I couldn't tell you what the capital of the neighboring state is, but I could tell you how to get there ...

[Carol the Dabbler]

I assume J.P. means that the typical German doesn't know all that much about Poland (which is right next door to them -- and I knew that!).  So when they're they're criticizing Americans for not knowing all about Germany, if you ask them questions about Poland, they're embarrassed to admit that they don't know, so they stop talking.

 

Please feel free to correct me, J.P.!

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Why is it that geography is like a foreign land to me ... but I'm a whiz at reading a map? I couldn't tell you what the capital of the neighboring state is, but I could tell you how to get there ...

 

One is memorization of a random fact, the other is more general information (and probably more useful).  A lot of state capitals are hard to remember simply because they aren't the city that you'd assume would be the capital.

 

Quick quiz -- what are the capitals of the following states:

 

New York

 

Nope, not New York City -- it's Albany

 

 

California

 

Neither Los Angeles nor San Francisco -- the capital is Sacramento

 

 

Illinois

 

As you've guessed by now, it's not Chicago -- it's Springfield (I had to look that one up!)

 

 

Florida

 

Neither Miami nor Orlando -- it's Tallahassee (wasn't sure of that one either)

 

 

Massachusetts

 

Ha -- tricked you!  It really is Boston

 

[Inge l-w]

Dear Carol, since I notoriously cannot do spoilers, my answers to your quiz would be

Albany, Sacramento, Springfield, Talahasee and Boston. What about Salt Lake City, Bismarck, Indianapolis, Augusta and Juneau, to make things a bit more challenging?

As for Poland, it's a sore topic, because after the Second World War, the whole of East Prussia, including Koenigsberg, now Kaliningrad and still in Russian hands, its capital, were swallowed up. Danzig, the actual cause for the ultimatum, has become Gdansk, the ancient royal capital of Kracow is an industrialised city; Masuren, an idyllic place according to my great-grandfather, is no more. Poland is not exotic, it's like Sherlock's Solar System knowledge, but not because it clutters up the hard drive but because it's a painful reminder.

And anyway, it goes all the way back to the Teutonic Knights, but King Sigismund started it first

[J.P.]

 

Please feel free to correct me, J.P.!

 

No correction needed, Carol, you are right. :D

 

Europeans tend to look down at US citizens, saying they don't have a clue about the world outside the USA.

My answer is - Europeans are so "smart" about USA because we are confronted with it every day in the media. We visit USA, watch movies and news which are centered around "important" countries*.

USA are "cool", the language became the Latin of the new world, etc, etc...

 

The less important countries are hardly noticed. So I always say "Look, Germany is for an USA citizen what Romania is for you. How much do you know about Romania? (or Poland)"

 

 

*I remember how much publicity the flooding of New York has got. When a hurrican kills hundreds of people in Colombia or Costa Rica, it makes hardly a line or two.

 

Anyway

[Boton]

JP makes a good point.

 

I think we in the U.S. also have to manage a working knowledge of a lot of cultural differences because of the size of our country that keeps us juggling information perhaps a bit more than some other countries have to.  And most of these cultural differences overlay a geographical map that most people have some understanding of and can use fairly readily.  Just from linguistics:

 

Is it a po'boy, a hero, a grinder, or a sub that you're having for lunch?

Is it pop, soda, or Coke?

Do you wear pantyhose, hose, stockings, or tights?  

When you order tea, is it necessary to add the modifiers "iced," "hot," "sweet," or "unsweet" to get what you want?  What do you get if you just say "tea?"

 

One of my favorite experiences recently was going to Oahu and seeing a food cart vendor advertising bangers for sale.  "Bangers" had an asterisk that helpfully defined the word as "sausages" to eliminate confusion.

[Inge l-w]

Dear Boton, I have always liked Subway creations for snacks, as for the rest, I had to look them up. Pop and soda can be all kinds of fizzy drinks, but there's only one Coke (OK, two).

Pantyhose is lined, hose not necessarily, stockings and tights need suspender belts.

The problem with tea would be the same as the one for coffee, nowadays: latte, macchiato, espresso, cappuccino, espresso/cappuccino freddo, filter, etc.

There isn't even the word "block", as in walk two blocks and then turn right, in the British English version.

Canadian English has even funnier iterations, because they can't seem to make up their minds: so you get truck but not lorry, braces but not suspenders, petrol but not gas, faucet but not tap, never mind their own inventions like caribou, parka, skookum ( strong), Chesterfield ( for sofa) !

Food is strange in all languages: bangers and mash would get you sausages and mashed potatoes in Britain. I tried once in the game of words, someone had written "pudding" so I input "Spotted Dick". No one picked it up!

[SherlockedCAMPer]

Dear Carol, since I notoriously cannot do spoilers, my answers to your quiz would be

Albany, Sacramento, Springfield, Talahasee and Boston. What about Salt Lake City, Bismarck, Indianapolis, Augusta and Juneau, to make things a bit more challenging?

 

I got 100% on Carol's and the rest are:

Utah, North Dakota, Indiana, Georgia, & Alaska.

 

 

Now how about the almost capital of Minnesota?

 

 

St. Peter. If the state had run east/west instead of north/south it would have been the capital.

 

[SherlockedCAMPer]

As for language differences in the U.S.: where I live it's pop. It's pantyhose or nylons for the sheer stuff (not necessarily with a line), tights are usually opaque and heavier weight. Yea we have to distinguish between hot and cold & at certain restaurants sweet or not. And it's subs or hoagies up here with the occasional hero.

 

It also wouldn't surprise me if caribou & parka came from the Inuit.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Dear Carol, ... my answers to your quiz would be

Albany, Sacramento, Springfield, Talahasee and Boston. What about Salt Lake City, Bismarck, Indianapolis, Augusta and Juneau, to make things a bit more challenging?

 

Perfect -- you win today's geography no-prize!  Bismarck and Juneau could also be a bit tricky, yes, but I can't imagine that many Americans, at least, would miss either Salt Lake City or especially Indianapolis (which is nearly as obvious as Oklahoma City being the capital of Oklahoma).

 

Is it a po'boy, a hero, a grinder, or a sub that you're having for lunch?

Is it pop, soda, or Coke?

Do you wear pantyhose, hose, stockings, or tights?  

When you order tea, is it necessary to add the modifiers "iced," "hot," "sweet," or "unsweet" to get what you want?  What do you get if you just say "tea?"

 

One of my favorite experiences recently was going to Oahu and seeing a food cart vendor advertising bangers for sale.  "Bangers" had an asterisk that helpfully defined the word as "sausages" to eliminate confusion.

 

Just in case anyone's wondering what the heck any of that means:

 

Po'boy, hero, grinder, and sub all refer to a sandwich made with an entire baguette-type loaf of bread, usually containing meat (traditionally salami), cheese, tomatoes, onions, and peppers.  They can be served either as-made (in which case there's often some chopped lettuce added) or baked till the cheese gets runny.

 

Pop, soda, or coke -- or soda-pop or tonic (depending on location) -- are all terms for a carbonated soft drink, such as Coca-Cola, alias Coke.  But note that in some parts of the south, "coke" is the generic term.

 

Pantyhose, hose, stockings, and tights are even more confusing, since (for example) tights in the UK means the same as pantyhose in the US, whereas tights in the US are heavier and come in more colors, like leotards for your legs.

 

"Bangers" is a British term, so it doesn't surprise me too much that it might be used in Hawaii, where there's just a smidge of British influence left over from the Sandwich Islands days.

 

 

... how about the almost capital of Minnesota?

 

St. Peter. If the state had run east/west instead of north/south it would have been the capital.

 

I didn't know that!  (Where is it, anyhow?)  Most people are sufficiently confused by the fact that

 

Minneapolis is NOT the capital of Minnesota -- St. Paul is.

 

[Inge l-w]

Dear SherlockedCamper, I love the Twin Cities, and you know the proverb about choosing between St Peter and St Paul, I hope! I cannot open your spoiler box, but I know American History! Blame it all on the greediness of Governor Gorman! The awesome bridge, why would anyone want to change that! And I maxed out my like points reading all the gossipy bits in the BC News thread, so I'm afraid, you, Boton, Carol and J.P. will have to do with a instead.

[SherlockedCAMPer]

How about this for a fun phone call on my parents caller ID: out of state number that is listed as Illegal Scam. Obviously ignored that one.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Would love to know the story behind that one!  Maybe an out-of-work computer geek is making ends meet with a temp job in a calling center, and amuses him/herself by hacking into the company's caller ID info?

 

[SherlockedCAMPer]

Would love to know the story behind that one! Maybe an out-of-work computer geek is making ends meet with a temp job in a calling center, and amuses him/herself by hacking into the company's caller ID info?

Same here & wouldn't surprise me if that was the case.

[SherlockedCAMPer]

 

Dear Carol, ... my answers to your quiz would be

Albany, Sacramento, Springfield, Talahasee and Boston. What about Salt Lake City, Bismarck, Indianapolis, Augusta and Juneau, to make things a bit more challenging?

Perfect -- you win today's geography no-prize! Bismarck and Juneau could also be a bit tricky, yes, but I can't imagine that many Americans, at least, would miss either Salt Lake City or especially Indianapolis (which is nearly as obvious as Oklahoma City being the capital of Oklahoma).

Is it a po'boy, a hero, a grinder, or a sub that you're having for lunch?

Is it pop, soda, or Coke?

Do you wear pantyhose, hose, stockings, or tights?

When you order tea, is it necessary to add the modifiers "iced," "hot," "sweet," or "unsweet" to get what you want? What do you get if you just say "tea?"

 

One of my favorite experiences recently was going to Oahu and seeing a food cart vendor advertising bangers for sale. "Bangers" had an asterisk that helpfully defined the word as "sausages" to eliminate confusion.

Just in case anyone's wondering what the heck any of that means:

 

Po'boy, hero, grinder, and sub all refer to a sandwich made with an entire baguette-type loaf of bread, usually containing meat (traditionally salami), cheese, tomatoes, onions, and peppers. They can be served either as-made (in which case there's often some chopped lettuce added) or baked till the cheese gets runny.

 

Pop, soda, or coke -- or soda-pop or tonic (depending on location) -- are all terms for a carbonated soft drink, such as Coca-Cola, alias Coke. But note that in some parts of the south, "coke" is the generic term.

 

Pantyhose, hose, stockings, and tights are even more confusing, since (for example) tights in the UK means the same as pantyhose in the US, whereas tights in the US are heavier and come in more colors, like leotards for your legs.

 

"Bangers" is a British term, so it doesn't surprise me too much that it might be used in Hawaii, where there's just a smidge of British influence left over from the Sandwich Islands days.

 

... how about the almost capital of Minnesota?

 

St. Peter. If the state had run east/west instead of north/south it would have been the capital.

 

I didn't know that! (Where is it, anyhow?) Most people are sufficiently confused by the fact that

 

Minneapolis is NOT the capital of Minnesota -- St. Paul is.

It's just north of Mankato on US 169 SE of the Twin Cities.

[jadpdr]

This was really fun! A governor deciding to increase the value of his land by transferring the capital to his preferred location! Looks like Tammanay Hall in Minnesota! You should try having to memorize 96 départements and five overseas territories and their capitals, like we had to, and see if you give too much thought to world geography after that! Although I know that Juneau is in Alaska.

[SherlockedCAMPer]

The funny thing is Juneau is closer to Vancouver, BC than it is to Anchorage or Fairbanks. There was some talk a few years back about moving the capital from Juneau to the mainland. I forget if they had discussed Anchorage or Fairbanks as the possible location.

[T.o.b.y]

 

(There are at least two times when I had to sit in a wedding, four hours meal & misc, where the companions are not as interesting as I thought they would be, it really felt good entertaining the thought of stabbing someone's hand with a fork, not to mention trapped in dress and heel and bored out of my mind).

 

:lol: You know, I used to hate weddings. The only ones I liked so far were John and Mary's and my own. :D We only had a handful of guests and I told them they could wear anything they wanted - for all I cared, they could have shown up in their pajamas or bedsheets. Strangely enough, nobody went for that option... I expected to have a horrible time anyway and to be glad when the day was over and I could finally begin the business of just being married, but to my utter surprise and delight, it turned out to be quite a lovely day.

[Carol the Dabbler]

The tiny female [in Star Wars VII] is called Maz (reminded me sooo much of Edna Mode) and was played by Lupita Nyong'o of 12 years a slave fame

 

Somehow I immediately suspected that you were referring to "E" in The Incredibles, even though I had no idea that the character's full name was supposed to be Edna Mode.  What makes this really odd, though, is that Maz does not at all remind me of Edith Head -- even though "E" is a blatant caricature of the dear lady.

 

[Arcadia]

And that's the first thing I thought of! Even though I couldn't remember her name.

[SherlockedCAMPer]

And that's the first thing I thought of! Even though I couldn't remember her name.

 

Agreed, she reminded me of Edna as well.

[SherlockedCAMPer]

That moment you stay up late working on a project using 2 computers at the same time because both are slow at burning CDs and you need to burn 12 CDs. Should hopefully be going to bed in 20 minutes.

[johnspec]

something is wrong when i hijack my own thread and i mean really wrong am i going insane!?