Of a Different Name

So something that I’ve come to find about England, is that sometimes they call familiar things by a different name.  There are the obvious examples such as a lift is an elevator, and a restroom is a toilet (I have yet to hear anyone call it a lou), but then there are a million phrases and names for things that are just different than America’s.  

There have been several phrases that I have fallen in love with.  Like “legless” refers to a drunk person, which is just perfection in phrasing.  Also people say, “cheers” instead of thanks, and it just has a way of making you happy when you hear it.  When something is sketchy or just generally can’t be trusted it’s “dodgy,” which is a phrase I hope to use for the rest of my life. Lastly, I love how a bus is called a “coach” because it makes me feel like I’m going on a journey rather than a field trip, and things are not awesome in London they’re brilliant.      

While I am totally into most British phrasing, there are some things that are just a tad harder to get used to.  I have found this to be especially evident when it comes to food.  Shrimp are prawns, and a baked potato is a jacket potato, and chips are what we would equate to steak fries.  One thing that I have been entirely distressed about, is that they do not have an equivalent for half and half.  In the grocery store they must have fifty different types of cream products.  Double cream, single cream, cream de Francais, and Belgian cream, clotted cream, and soured cream (which for some reason grosses me out even though I know it is just sour cream... which I love.  That extra “ed” really changes things for some reason); all of these different creams yet absolutely no half and half.  

How could this be?  I even searched for something along the lines of “half cream half milk,” because British phrasing tends to be very straight forward, and still came up empty handed.  Even at the countless coffee shops here there isn’t a trace of half and half.  Now I have learned to survive perfectly well with whole milk in my coffee (because another thing that isn’t present on British shelves is flavored coffee creamer... or flavored coffee at all for that matter... sad day) but these little cultural differences are the reasons that I will always love coming home. 

There is just nothing better that having the little things around you that you have grown to love.  So, when I get home I will make myself a huge glass of iced coffee, with actual ice in it, and use way to much Coffeemate hazelnut creamer.  I will also take a shower with a sufficient amount of water pressure, and drive my car on the right side of the street.  Because at the end of the day, I like the way some things are done back home, and I’m proud to live in such a brilliant place.