10 Things Americans Do That are Very Difficult for Foreign People to Understand

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  • Опубліковано 28 вер 2024

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  • @mudcatjones9366
    @mudcatjones9366 Рік тому +75

    Wait a minute! What we call a vacuum cleaner, the people in the UK call a Hoover, which is a brand name of a vacuum cleaner, which, btw, was started in America. So there's that. Every state has their own license plate because each state is a separate entity and has different laws from other states. It really makes perfect sense because you know which state the vehicle is registered.

    • @dougbrowning82
      @dougbrowning82 Рік тому +5

      Also, Hoovering is a verb in the UK. As in "I'm Hoovering the bedroom."

    • @302Diane
      @302Diane Рік тому +1

      The one that confused me for the longest time was "Tannoy", which is apparently a loudspeaker or PA system.

    • @martinkasper197
      @martinkasper197 Рік тому

      In Germany some people say: ich kärcher das - which means: I use the high pressure cleaner. 😂😂

    • @pauljackson2473
      @pauljackson2473 Рік тому

      The Hoover thing was the first thing that popped into my mind. The British Hoover we vacuum. Like you said Hoover is a brand name.

  • @FrankNemecek313
    @FrankNemecek313 Рік тому +90

    During my brief time as a bartender in my younger days, everyone at the place where I worked got into the habit of asking EVERYONE for their ID unless we knew them personally. We found that if you start making guesses about how old someone is, you'll end up serving at least 1 person who is under 21. And since the fine for serving someone under 21 was more than we'd make in an entire shift, it just became easier to ask EVERYONE for their ID

    • @HariSeldon913
      @HariSeldon913 Рік тому +6

      In my own younger days, I was in line for a club one night and a newbie was checking IDs and carding every single person. His boss came over and told him he could skip people who look over 30. First person skipped was my then 25 year old self.

    • @retcutter10
      @retcutter10 Рік тому +10

      Most of the stores where I live require their cashier's to check EVERYONE, including me, and I'm I my seventies. My state is very strict about underage
      liquor buying, so the stores just want their people to have the right habits.

    • @michealsont
      @michealsont Рік тому +8

      Also, some places like state run liquor stores or even some geocier stores the clerk is required to scan the ID or enter the birthday into the system before it will let them proceed.

    • @Cablexman2k
      @Cablexman2k Рік тому +7

      To add, if an establishment is found to sell alcohol to minors, then they can be liable for very large fines and pulling their liquor license. The establishment i guess figures that if they just make it a policy to card everyone, then no one should complain about it.

    • @chipparmley
      @chipparmley Рік тому +2

      I am almost fully gray haired now and have told indignant 20 / 30 somethings, "I'm in here all the time and still get carded." The baretender or cashier always appreciates this.

  • @chrisbiebel6205
    @chrisbiebel6205 Рік тому +110

    Dime comes from the latin "decimus" meaning one tenth (it's 1/10 of a dollar). The nickel used to be call the half dime, but it started to be called a nickel because the coin is partly made of the metal nickel. The quarter is a quarter of a dollar. One of the old nicknames for the quarter that you'll sometimes hear in old movies is "two bits." This comes from the Spanish Dollar (which was known as "Piece of Eight"). Since a dollar was eight pieces, two bits (or pieces) would be 1/4 of a dollar, or a quarter.

    • @jackmessick2869
      @jackmessick2869 Рік тому +3

      In the 1860s, the composition of the one cent piece changed to mostly nickel, and was the first denomination to get that nickname. But nickel is a hard material and they went back to copper. Then the silver five cent pieces were too tiny to use, and in the 1870s were changed to a nickel alloy. And they got the nickname. The Penny nickname came from Great Britain's coinage terms.
      The dime is like the poster says. Just think of it as an American shilling, although Ireland abandoned its own coinage shortly after you were born, I'm guessing.

    • @jameshudkins2210
      @jameshudkins2210 Рік тому +4

      There was a rhyme that went "Shave and a Haircut, Two Bits."

    • @sleepydragonzarinthal3533
      @sleepydragonzarinthal3533 Рік тому +1

      @@jameshudkins2210 rhyme?

    • @jameshudkins2210
      @jameshudkins2210 Рік тому +1

      @@sleepydragonzarinthal3533 Rhyme is probably not the correct word. It was to the tune of several knocks on something.

    • @almostfm
      @almostfm Рік тому

      @@jackmessick2869 And don't forget the three-cent nickel, which replaced the silver three-cent coin.
      I always thought it interesting that when postage went to three cents, they introduced a three-cent coin so people could buy a single stamp and not need to make change.

  • @jamesloftus6157
    @jamesloftus6157 Рік тому +61

    We have all that confusing stuff in the states just to discourage foreigners from hanging around too long.🙂 Do the Irish do "hoovering" as the British say when they are vacuuming? Hoover is a name brand just like Xerox.

    • @DianeJennings
      @DianeJennings  Рік тому +14

      Ya we say Hoover or vacuum

    • @dougbrowning82
      @dougbrowning82 Рік тому +2

      I wonder how long the brand Hoover will last since Whirlpool sold it to Dirt Devil (formerly Royal Manufacturing).

  • @joydawg
    @joydawg Рік тому +29

    The thing with opening the windows is that we have a lot of pollen and allergens at certain times of the year. Some places have wildfires and there’s lots of smoke at certain times of the year, so opening the window can bring all of these things into your home. In the Deep South, there just aren’t that many mild days to open the windows. It’s hot most of the time.

    • @rwhip923
      @rwhip923 Рік тому +7

      Not to mention the bugs!

    • @joydawg
      @joydawg Рік тому +3

      @@rwhip923 that’s the thing in the US we have screens on our windows, but not in Europe.

    • @gmunden1
      @gmunden1 Рік тому +2

      Exactly. I have been to places in Europe where the only way to get fresh air is to open a window but, by doing so, you wind up with all sorts of insects or creatures in the room because there usually isn't a screen. In warmer areas in Europe, it's unbearable in the summer. I lived in Italy for awhile and I was ridiculed for bringing an ice cube tray during my stay. The same people who mocked me knocked on my door the rest of the summer and asked for ice cubes.

  • @antaine1916
    @antaine1916 Рік тому +23

    The primary reason for the use of certain brand names as verbs (or even for objects) is because they're easier to say and roll off the tongue better. "Xerox" is easier than "photocopy" (two syllables vs four), "Q-Tip" vs "cotton swab" (two syllables vs three). Not to mention that most of those things were invented in the US and were popularized almost exclusively by those companies, so by the time there were other common brands, the name was already associated with the big guy who came first.

    • @michealsont
      @michealsont Рік тому +4

      I feel like the use of brand names is a testament to the dominance of those brands in advertising. There is no brand name competitor for Qtip or Bandaid just generics. This is especially true for medicine. Tylenol vs acetaminophen, or Sudafed vs pseudoephedrine.
      In some cases the brand name can become so synonymous with the product that they lose the trademark. Examples are aspirin, trampoline, and thermos.

    • @johnbiela9442
      @johnbiela9442 Рік тому +1

      No company wants their product become public domain. Xerox goes out of it's way if anyone tries to say a photocopy is a xerox.

    • @karenk2409
      @karenk2409 Рік тому

      "Kleenex" is easier than "facial tissues."

  • @_UberPhreak
    @_UberPhreak Рік тому +28

    A lot of these confusing things are the difference between formal or business speak and colloquial speak. I’ve never had a server ask if I want a refreshment. They’d ask “would you like something to drink”. And the US is large. For example it’s very common to ask for the check. Or a bill depending where you are.

    • @W_R_L_L_
      @W_R_L_L_ Рік тому +1

      Or if you are at a big chain restaurant you are forced to use the machine.

    • @johnbiela9442
      @johnbiela9442 Рік тому +2

      Ask for a whiskey, and see what you get. Depending on what part of the country you are in, it can be rye, bourban or scotch.

    • @_UberPhreak
      @_UberPhreak Рік тому

      @@johnbiela9442 in my neck of the woods I’d get a menu. But that’s America for you. Land of infinite choices. Some good, some bad.

    • @miketrink2111
      @miketrink2111 Рік тому

      Wasn’t there a Seinfeld episode where after the meal he described making a hand motion to the waiter like signing a cheque (Canadian spelling)?

  • @amehak1922
    @amehak1922 Рік тому +9

    Xerox is specifically photocopying only. Printing, like from a computer, is just called printing.

  • @Wonderwice84
    @Wonderwice84 Рік тому +15

    For me personally I like the month first because it just tells you more than a day does. If you locked me in a room for 2 years and then came in and told me "Hey it's July", that would inform me far more than "Hey it's the 16th". Kind of a weird example but just how I've always looked at it. In the grand scheme of things the day is less relevant than the month, although without both in whichever order you put them in you'd be confused anyway. I hope that makes sense, I'm on ambien :(

    • @eeengineer8851
      @eeengineer8851 Рік тому

      For some reason I named a bunch of files on my work computer with the D/M/Y format instead of M/D/Y format. Now I am regretting it since if I sort them on file name I end up having the 1 Jan 2021 file right next to the 1 Jan 2023 file and they are not sorted in the order I wanted. Can't sort from the last saved date as those could be anything....

    • @blairmurri8741
      @blairmurri8741 Рік тому +2

      @@eeengineer8851 for computers I always use 4-digit-year then numeric-2-digit-month then 2-digit-date. That way it naturally sorts and no one I've shown it to is ever confused.

    • @DarqJestor
      @DarqJestor Рік тому +1

      @@blairmurri8741 I do the same any time I use a date, even in filling out forms.

  • @ExUSSailor
    @ExUSSailor Рік тому +8

    Using brand names for verbs is not unique to America. The Brits always say "hoovering", instead of vacuuming. Hoover is a brand of vacuum cleaner.

    • @DianeJennings
      @DianeJennings  Рік тому +2

      That is true!

    • @ExUSSailor
      @ExUSSailor Рік тому +2

      Ok, a quarter is 25 cents, which is 1/4 of a dollar. Dime comes from the Latin "decimus", meaning 1/10. Nickels are called that because the coins used to be made from an alloy of nickel, and, copper.

  • @strpdhatldy
    @strpdhatldy Рік тому +15

    The ID thing is to protect the bar staff. If they mess up and serve someone who is under age the consequences are SERIOUS. So it is easier just to ask everyone for ID. Then no one gets defensive and there are (hopefully) fewer scenes. When I was 15, someone mistook me as the mother of my 9 yr old cousin, so yeah, could have probably taken advantage of that in a bar.

    • @dannynone2784
      @dannynone2784 Рік тому

      Tennessee has a state law that requires everyone ordering alcohol produce an ID. Dumb, but it's the law.

  • @dirtcop11
    @dirtcop11 Рік тому +5

    In the United States, our states are often as big as some countries. We use different color schemes and lettering to distinguish the individual states. It helps the police to identify each car. If we know the state the car is licensed in we can start with the database of that state and quickly identify who owns it.

  • @TNBuckeye1617
    @TNBuckeye1617 Рік тому +5

    6:43 The states that require businesses to check all IDs will absolutely send someone who is clearly of age to attempt to enter or attempt to purchase age-restricted products without their IDs. There are serious consequences for failure to ID for the employees and the business, so businesses will sometimes conduct their own tests.

  • @jarrod5179
    @jarrod5179 Рік тому +6

    Fun fact, I worked for Xerox in their Business Services division.
    We called them "copies" around the office. Always disappointed me. You'd think they'd want to own that :-)

    • @MotoNomad350
      @MotoNomad350 Рік тому +2

      Xerox discouraged the use of “Xerox” to mean “copy” because of the risk that it could lose its U.S. trademark if “Xerox” became the “generic” terminology for copying.

    • @jarrod5179
      @jarrod5179 Рік тому

      @@MotoNomad350 Interesting. I'll be damned. Learn something new everyday!

    • @DianeJennings
      @DianeJennings  Рік тому +1

      Yes!!! 😱

  • @MikeJones-nu4sd
    @MikeJones-nu4sd Рік тому +6

    I'm a little surprised about the money point. Having visited England both before and after the conversion to decimal, I still remember taking over the money thing for my Dad because he had no clue on quid, bob, shilling, tuppence, thruppence, hapenny, crown, Churchill, etc. We don't have anything on the Brits when it comes to naming our money. As for bar carding, I can tell you that the fines or potential closing that comes with underage serving gets many bar owners issuing the "card everyone" edict. I well remember a barmaid carding me in my favorite bar and I said, "Leanne, we were in the same class at school. You know how old I am." Didn't matter. 😞

  • @jeramiedutcher6720
    @jeramiedutcher6720 Рік тому +8

    On the documenting the date in numbers idea, the month comes first because it's important plus repetitive for sorting. The day is second because it doesn't mean as much and the year is last because you can sort info easiest looking at the end of the numbers.

    • @hannahz6848
      @hannahz6848 Рік тому

      I agree with this. I definitely think day/month/year makes sense, but I run a lot of reports for work and they’re titled with the date first, so it’s definitely easier to find it month first.

    • @randlebrowne2048
      @randlebrowne2048 Рік тому

      We use Month/Day/Year because that's how we say it in conversation. This dates back to the way the British used to do it. The Brits only stopped doing it when the whole Metric system of global standardization craze took over Europe. Very few of those changes ever really took hold in America.

  • @no2all
    @no2all Рік тому +5

    The changes in "standard" tipping are usually made by those who benefit the most from it...and those amounts are never reduced. It's a lot like those in the diamond industry telling you how much you must spend on an engagement ring (2.5 months of your salary).

  • @chriswardwell5170
    @chriswardwell5170 Рік тому +1

    I'll admit as an American I'm becoming more and more aware of how different our world view can be thanks to people like yourself presenting your view

  • @ratflama8369
    @ratflama8369 Рік тому +3

    The date order (month-day-year) originated with newspapers. The month was always spelled so it was more efficient to typeset all the letters first and then the numbers rather than switching back and fourth.

  • @heatherg-thatsme
    @heatherg-thatsme Рік тому +5

    I went to a fancy restaurant the other night and they ran my card at the table the tip options were 20,22,&25%. After all I paid for my food they really thought I’d give 25% tip on top of that?!? Maybe I’m just cheap

    • @BillW1
      @BillW1 Рік тому +4

      You're not cheap. It just another way for them to separate you from your money.

    • @karenk2409
      @karenk2409 Рік тому

      I tipped 25% when I had small children. They made a bit of a mess, which I tried my best to control, but it's still a mess the wait staff had to clean up. Now it's 20% unless the service is crummy. Last week we went to a winery for lunch. The waiter was pretty officious, but when he brought the bottle of wine he just started pouring into glasses ... I stopped him, pointed to my hostess, and said, she should be served first. More ridiculousness. Tip 15%

  • @robclark3095
    @robclark3095 Рік тому +3

    I'm American and I have no clue why we do some of these silly things. Some I do understand. I believe a lot of the reason air conditioning is used so much is the climate in much of the US. It's hotter and more humid than Europe. Air conditioning uses refrigeration and that tends to keep the humidity levels lower indoors. When it's 35C out and the dew point is over 20C it's very nice to walk into a cooler and less humid building.

    • @randlebrowne2048
      @randlebrowne2048 Рік тому

      Here in Texas (and most of the South) not having air conditioning could easily lead to death from heatstroke! It's actually illegal to rent out a home or apartment without AC!

  • @tomdolman8158
    @tomdolman8158 Рік тому +5

    Do you think more about what day it is, or what month it is? If you're planning a trip to the states, do you say I'd like to visit from the third to the tenth, or it's best to visit in July rather than January? We think about the month we're in, more than what day it is. Days are not unique, but months are.

  • @JasonMoir
    @JasonMoir Рік тому +2

    When we use the AC, it isn't constantly on. It's set to a certain temperature...once it is reached it will shut off until it gets too warm again.
    As for license plates, each state has multiple designs to highlight certain aspects of that state. Slogans, mottos, etc.

  • @JenniferFelton15
    @JenniferFelton15 Рік тому +2

    For the ID thing, a lot of places swipe your ID because they have a system that has to verify each customer/sale. 7:04

  • @mockfanatik
    @mockfanatik Рік тому +1

    In France the entrée isn’t actually the first course of the meal. The entrée came third, it was used in France when more courses were eaten during a meal. In this sense, the actual entrée in the United States is closer to the original meaning of the word than the entrée is in France.

  • @kimsparks5811
    @kimsparks5811 Рік тому +22

    I think the pandemic caused us to start tipping more people. So many had their work times decreased, but their bills were the same. I felt they needed to maximize whatever they made🤷‍♀️

    • @JohnMurphy-bo4fe
      @JohnMurphy-bo4fe Рік тому +5

      Samesies. We don't have any strict rules like going from 15 to 20% but my friends and family have all started giving a lot more since the pandemic. Even if service isn't the greatest if they're a nice person they are still getting a good tip.

    • @thewkovacs316
      @thewkovacs316 Рік тому +3

      gig economy led to increased tipping.

  • @joelapp
    @joelapp Рік тому +1

    There are 12 third days of the month. Referring to the month first provides the most important piece of info first. The month matters most.

  • @kd5you1
    @kd5you1 Рік тому +1

    I think we use the word "condiments" because they include other additions besides sauces. Salt and pepper could be considered condiments. Sometimes when we order pizza, the box will contain some packets of parmesan cheese or red pepper.

  • @MattLovesVinyl
    @MattLovesVinyl Рік тому +5

    I get what you're saying re: being carded for ID when all you want it is a beer or glass of wine and you're 42 years old (me, not you... but if you, you have a great skin care regime!). It is helpful when you know the laws for asking for ID not only change state to state, but sometimes town to town. There are places in my home state where a bartender won''t be cited or arrested for failing to ask for ID from someone who appears to be over the age of 35, but there are other places where they must ask any age. I know... it can be exhausting living in a constitutional republic. 😉

  • @broken4096
    @broken4096 Рік тому +1

    Air con is not all about temperature. We have it on all the time for humidity control, the warm and the damp are a bad combo.

  • @butchgriggs6325
    @butchgriggs6325 Рік тому +1

    We say "check in America. A "bill" is like the water bill or garbage bill, electric bill etc.

  • @DaveMiller2
    @DaveMiller2 Рік тому +1

    We in America know what you mean by refreshment, but we generally don't say that. You must have been somewhere that had a regional dialect term for saying refreshment instead of drink.

  • @briansaucier9314
    @briansaucier9314 Рік тому +1

    In Canada we use m/d/y. It takes 3+ days to get across Canada, so 3 hrs. away IS close.

  • @Steve_Stowers
    @Steve_Stowers Рік тому +1

    Month before day makes sense to me. It works the same way as hour:minute (or dollars.cents): larger unit before the smaller.

  • @joshuawiedenbeck6944
    @joshuawiedenbeck6944 Рік тому +1

    Foreigners incorrectly assume that the United States is one big country. The easiest way to think of the States is that we are just like Europe. We have some common rules among all of the States, but every State is like its own country, with its own laws, regulations, etc. So, licensing for almost everything (drivers, nursing, construction) is State-specific because of how wildly the rules can vary.

  • @hannahz6848
    @hannahz6848 Рік тому +3

    The last one is funny because I don’t think I’ve ever been anywhere where I was offered a “refreshment” and where I live everyone would ask if you want any “sauces” rather than condiments. But that might just be a regional/cultural thing.

    • @randlebrowne2048
      @randlebrowne2048 Рік тому

      I've occasionally seen waitstaff ask if someone wants a "refresh" on their coffee; but never a "refreshment".

  • @Otto42
    @Otto42 Рік тому +2

    Licenses are controlled by the states, not the federal government. Simple as that.
    Letting people walk off with your card is not risky at all. Various consumer protection laws WRT credit are much stronger here. So if somebody rings up fake charges on your credit card, you just don't pay them.. you call up the card company, and they remove them. That's it. That's for because credit cards *are not your money*. You don't owe anything if you don't charge anything, Debit/bank cards work slightly different, so don't use them. Simple.
    Months come before days in both saying it and writing it. Anybody who disagrees is wrong. The metric system sucks.

  • @JoeKier7
    @JoeKier7 Рік тому +2

    Tipping amounts are always in flux. Some like to tip high, some don't.
    Day-month-year is just as wrong as month-day-year. Year-month-day is the only logical one.
    Lots of businesses do have the a/c set too cold.
    Lots of businesses do ID more folks than needed due to legal risks of not carding enough.
    1.5 hours away is not close by any standard for car travel.
    Yes, the entree thing is weird. Don't remember the last time I heard "refreshment" at a restaurant.

  • @danielleporter1829
    @danielleporter1829 Рік тому +1

    The way we say the date is how its written in the calendar. In other words, we say the month, day year because the month comes first. January 24, 2023 , or 1-24-23. Something an hour away is close for example, Diamond Bar , a suburban city outside LA is relatively close , even though it's an 1.
    /1/2 away on the outer frimges of LA county, on the line with Riverside County , on the way out to Riverside and Perris, compared to Fresno which is a three hour drive north of LA or San Francisco which is a six hour drive.
    A nickel is called a nickel because there is some amount of the metal in the coin, in fact, there's trace amounts of nickel in quarters, dimes, pennies and silver dollars
    Every state in the nation has its own department of motor vehicles , though it may have a different name like department of public safety but it's still where people go to replace, renew and apply for their license and registration etc. The DMV/DPS administers/ enforces whatever application or restrictions to driving laws that are passed by state government. Aside from a few small differences, driving laws are uniform , codified throughout the country and in accordance with the rules and regulations set forth by the US Department of Transportation,
    When i did go to restaurants fairly often, I would tip whatever I had . It could be anywhere between $2-$5 if alone . If I wentbout with family or friends, although I would offer to put something down for the tip, they would take care of it. On a couple of occasions, I would give the waiter or waitree my tip if I saw them while I would be going to restroom.

  • @scottgardner7943
    @scottgardner7943 Рік тому +1

    Where I live summer temperatures can be 95F (35C) and 90% humidity. If I open the windows it just make the inside of my house very hot and humid. That’s why I use air conditioning in the summer.

  • @davidray6962
    @davidray6962 Рік тому +2

    Other places use brand names generalized: Laundrette was a brand name in Great Britain just as Laundromat was a brand name in the US (Texas specifically).

  • @anthonypang7927
    @anthonypang7927 Рік тому +10

    Australia have different licenses in each state too and our concept of distance is similar to usa
    Btw in east asian languages we often put the month before the day

  • @lloovvaallee
    @lloovvaallee Рік тому +1

    "Refreshment"? I've never heard that. Maybe it's a regional thing, there's a lot of diversity from state to state.

  • @robc1952
    @robc1952 Рік тому +2

    each state has the authority to issue its own tags, so each state designs their own, nickle is the metal a nickle is made of, a dime means 10 as in 10 cents, a quarter is 1/4th or a quarter of a dollar,

  • @jkbrown5496
    @jkbrown5496 Рік тому +7

    Employer: “Card everyone regardless. We aren’t going to argue over who looks old enough. Card everyone or you’re fired"

  • @peterschmidt2361
    @peterschmidt2361 Рік тому

    In Pennsylvania, US A they also check to make your drivers license is not expired. If it is expired they can not sell you beer, wine, liquor and cigarettes

  • @gregmcmahon957
    @gregmcmahon957 Рік тому +3

    I really enjoy this video. Happy Friday! Have a very good weekend.

  • @jayrogers8255
    @jayrogers8255 Рік тому +1

    I guess you weren’t around for 2000? I was on the air on my college radio station on the night of 12/31/99, and the numbers are all at their maximum, & in ascending order!

  • @karenk2409
    @karenk2409 Рік тому +1

    Darling Diane, please don't tell random people "I could do with a hand massage!"

  • @jmanj3917
    @jmanj3917 Рік тому +1

    6:40 You're close. Yes, thank the lawyers and the juries for this one, too.
    But not for the reason you stated. Think about it: When a state or a county makes laws regarding alcohol, they keep it as uniform as possible so that nobody can get hurt feelings because they either were or were not happy about the fact that they were or were not checked for ID.
    In other words, they can't claim to have been "singled out".

  • @dustingilger8682
    @dustingilger8682 Рік тому

    As a US individual, I would enjoy a great conversation on the "Things Americans Do" with you! I always enjoy a good debate, where everyone can see the others perspective. You may be shocked at someone agreeing with you.

  • @paullangland7559
    @paullangland7559 Рік тому +6

    I'm sorry about the way that we write out our dates. I know we do it a little backwards but to also be fair China writes their dates a little weird too. Also I was not aware that the tipping rules have changed, I still tip 15%.

    • @marydavis5234
      @marydavis5234 Рік тому

      Actually the date system in the US from when the British was colonizing the 13 original colonies.

  • @padraicogawain3162
    @padraicogawain3162 Рік тому +1

    Actually Diane we used to name our coins too. In the 70s & 80s in the border counties of Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal we used Eire & UK money interchangeably. We used this convention for either Eire or UK money:
    2 farthings = 1 halfpenny
    2 halfpence = 1 penny
    3 pence = 1 thruppence
    6 pence = 1 sixpence
    12 pence = 1 shilling (a bob)
    2 shillings = 1 florin ( a 'two bob bit')
    2 shillings and 6 pence = 1 half crown
    5 shillings = 1 Crown

  • @robertthompson5908
    @robertthompson5908 Рік тому

    You raise a very good point about credit cards. There was a very famous and high end steakhouse in New York City a few years ago where the waiters got busted for charging tons of money on the customers’ credit cards when they had them away from the table. The wealthy customers weren’t even looking at their statements so the waiters got away with it for a long time. It is surprising it doesn’t happen more often.

  • @randallwood8537
    @randallwood8537 Рік тому +1

    Carding happens to people who look younger all the time. My sister was carded until she was 30, and definitely an American. it also has to do with liability of those selling alcohol to underage people. Some fines are very big; 10,000 US dollars and up. Those places often card everyone that comes in, even if they are obviously over 21.

  • @Deadcntr
    @Deadcntr Рік тому +1

    Carding is mandatory in some establishments. I am in my 60s and still get carded.

  • @TeemarkConvair
    @TeemarkConvair Рік тому

    it's just what makes different folks with different strokes so enjoyable..

  • @ashleymartsen9743
    @ashleymartsen9743 Рік тому +2

    My mother, an actual factual American in her clearly-not-20s-anymore, once asked why she was being ID'd for wine, it was obvious she was old enough. Turns out they needed to enter her date of birth in the system otherwise it wouldn't let the sale go through, and if the sales person randomly picked a date it would get them in major trouble if caught. Just easier to follow the rules. I think it's excessive, and it's not always the reason, but that is a possibility

    • @karenk2409
      @karenk2409 Рік тому

      It's a reason. Even Dollar General does this when you buy beer or wine.

  • @walksfarwolf6070
    @walksfarwolf6070 Рік тому +1

    Carding is absolutely moronic.
    Texas is a 854 mile drive border to border.

  • @ICottonEyeJoe
    @ICottonEyeJoe Рік тому +1

    The date, we do go from small to large...12 months...31 days and thousand of years

  • @michaelsommers2356
    @michaelsommers2356 Рік тому +5

    Regarding carding people, I've known two people who, when they were about 20, looked like they were 40 or 50.
    Also, a funny story about being carded. Back in college, a bunch of us students took a prospective professor out for pizza and beer. We were all eighteen to twenty (the drinking age was eighteen back then), and he was in his thirties. He was the only one they carded.

    • @suedenim
      @suedenim Рік тому +1

      Another thing to keep in mind is that the police *will* do sting operations, usually by sending a 20 year old police department employee to bars and convenience stores to attempt to buy alcohol. And all the better if the employee looks older.

  • @howardphillipslovecraft1890
    @howardphillipslovecraft1890 Рік тому +2

    the worst things Americans do is wear street shoes at home! in addition to owning guns...

  • @robinrapport8728
    @robinrapport8728 Рік тому +4

    As a native Texan, if you’re not born here then you’re a foreigner doesn’t matter if it’s a state or a country. I included a link to a UA-camr. He just posted this one today. He’s an American speaking, Irish while he’s visiting there. He speaks lots of different languages, and it brings people together. ua-cam.com/video/u6sOPMwSh78/v-deo.html

  • @NadaEspamo
    @NadaEspamo Рік тому +1

    Anyone who tells you the standard tip is 20% is lying. The standard tip is 15%. You get 20% for exceptional service. You get 50% for blue eyes like Diane's. You never tip anyone you have to walk up to. Tips are for servers, not cashiers.

  • @Magdavian
    @Magdavian Рік тому

    for the carding,. some places are not allowed to sell their product to out of state residents,.. so they also verify residency,.. not just age,..

  • @MacDorsai
    @MacDorsai Рік тому

    When we adopted the dime, it was originally "disme", which was Old French and meant a "tithe" or one tenth. A dime, 10 cents, is one tenth of a dollar. Before the Nickel, there was the half disme. 5 cents. But because coins made of silver or mostly silver had to be very small so the coin represented more value than the value of the metal. You don't want people exchanging 1 dollar for 10 dimes and then melting the dimes down for their silver, which was worth more than the dollar. So they started making the coins out of base metals. The "Nickel" was made of a copper-nickel alloy. Quarters are simple, they are 1/4th of a dollar, i.e. one quarter.

  • @gregcarter3843
    @gregcarter3843 Рік тому

    It’s all fun and games until the 55-year-old you don’t card is a state police officer who can revoke your liquor license.

  • @davesteller6301
    @davesteller6301 Рік тому +1

    No one says get me a refreshment in my part of America. Also we must have Air conditioning in the summer because not only is it hot, but very humid and you would get eat up by mosquitoes if you left your windows open in the summer. I've been to the UK in the summer and opening the windows was nice and the bugs were minimal. But you wouldn't dare do that here.

  • @scottjohnson7505
    @scottjohnson7505 Рік тому

    I agree with your observation with dates. But a comma for a decimal point to separate integers from fractions is just as goofy. A comma is a continuation and separating integers by thousands is a continuation. Separating integers from fractions is a separation and needs a decimal point - period.

  • @critthought2866
    @critthought2866 Рік тому

    Regarding coins - I seem to recall a part of the world that had coins that were called things like shilling, penny, half-penny, sixpence, etc. Just because we haven't gotten rid of them doesn't mean that them having different names is all that unusual.

  • @rtorres1092
    @rtorres1092 10 місяців тому

    Another reason why we card everyone is because in some states/countries/cities it's illegal to serve or allow somebody into a bar who doesn't have a valid license or I.D. This includes expired or suspended. This can also be liability for the establishment.

  • @stevedavenport9429
    @stevedavenport9429 Рік тому +1

    you have never been in a crowded building without A/C in this country

  • @jeromemckenna7102
    @jeromemckenna7102 Рік тому +1

    Your first example using Xerox as a verb. makes a lot of sense to use old timers who remember when people used photostat machines. Those needed a large camera, the xerox process was a lot simpler. During my teen years and quite a bit later, I never saw a copying machine that wasn't made by Xerox.
    As far as carding people, the only place this happened to me was in Tennessee, I was at least 56 when it happened. This never happened in Northern states.

  • @heysilence
    @heysilence Рік тому

    Gotta agree with you about getting carded when you're clearly of age. It's absolutely ridiculous to the point of malicious compliance.

    • @marydavis5234
      @marydavis5234 Рік тому

      the cash registers in most US states will not ring any alcohol without a birthdate being registered

  • @shadsullivan7817
    @shadsullivan7817 Рік тому +2

    Wait, Ireland does not require separate license plates, and drivers licenses for separate counties? That would be so cool! It can be very complicated here in the U.S.

    • @jwb52z9
      @jwb52z9 Рік тому

      The US is the only place in the first world which does a lot of things.

    • @manmasher
      @manmasher Рік тому +1

      @@jwb52z9 The US is “special”….. 😂😂😂

    • @gemoftheocean
      @gemoftheocean Рік тому

      @@manmasher Damn right. No hysterical cynicism is needed.

  • @Lewa1110
    @Lewa1110 Рік тому

    I live in the country, and if I want anything, like Groceries for example, it's a half hour drive one way, so anything under an hour drive I consider close

  • @jesswitmer6389
    @jesswitmer6389 Рік тому +1

    I've never heard anyone in America call drinks "refreshments" in my life. I'm an East Coaster, so I'm curious to know which state you heard this.

  • @CaptainFrost32
    @CaptainFrost32 Рік тому +1

    I would not expect Chewie to travel stateside unless you are moving long term because of animal quarantine laws.

  • @augustinrocha7548
    @augustinrocha7548 Рік тому

    I'm from WA state, it's 20 degrees Fahrenheit, I keep my window open all winter, but my brother likes it hot, I also keep a fan on and only use a sheet.

  • @MrMwmussel1
    @MrMwmussel1 Рік тому +1

    Some employers require everyone be checked. Also at many locations for an age restricted item the registrar won’t/can’t complete a sale till an ID is scanned.

    • @DianeJennings
      @DianeJennings  Рік тому +2

      Silliness

    • @MrMwmussel1
      @MrMwmussel1 Рік тому

      @@DianeJennings in my state if you get caught selling to a minor (they do police checks) it’s a misdemeanor, loss of your job, $1000 fine, and a required state police class that’s $500.

  • @mikearodriguez44
    @mikearodriguez44 Рік тому +1

    Never heard of it called Refreshments.

  • @morgan97475
    @morgan97475 Рік тому +1

    Alright.....I'll address the AC thing. Even my Weegie wife agrees that AC is needed here. Most of the USA is at the same latitude as the Med, which is fairly hot and humid. Much of the US east of the Mississippi is humid, sometimes very humid. You would suffer without AC. Now, out west, you can get away with simply opening a window. It is much drier out west & the air quality is nicer. When in Idaho, it wasn't unusual to have the windows open to let in fresh, cool air.

  • @michaelflower6172
    @michaelflower6172 Рік тому

    In the US we Americans don't refer to all Vacuum Cleaners as "Hoovers" which IS a brand name, and something referred to all to often on the Try Channel as a catchword when referring to Vacuum Cleaners in general...

  • @ICottonEyeJoe
    @ICottonEyeJoe Рік тому +1

    Tipping seems out of control because everyone puts out a tip jar now. Basically tip those who make most of their money from tips. Hair/Nail Salon, Waiters, Food Delivery. Some others you typically do because it's the polite thing to do like the people who pack your house and move. All the one's with tip jars hanging around I don't tip unless I am feeling generous or they give extremely great service.

  • @mosesruiz9813
    @mosesruiz9813 Рік тому +1

    I buy a monthly calendar which has the days of the week.

  • @languageswithevan
    @languageswithevan Рік тому

    Carding is a liability issue. If a government inspector watched a cashier give someone a product without carding, the company or restaurant can be fined.

  • @matthewwood6038
    @matthewwood6038 Рік тому

    Servers and cashiers in a lot of states are held to extremely strict rules when it comes to tobacco and alcohol sales. Some states will hold not only the business, but the worker involved responsible for 5 figure fines for an underage sale. Not only that but the employee would be blacklisted from that industry, and the company would possibly lose their licensing to sell the alcohol or tobacco products.

  • @juanitadudley4788
    @juanitadudley4788 Рік тому

    If 2 major cities are a 2 hour drive away, that's fairly close. Even 4 hours is not terribly far. I took a bus trip from the DC suburbs to NYC for the day a while ago. It's about 4 hours. People will drive 2 hours one way to go to the beach or an amusement park. I think road trips are just a huge part of our culture because we love the independence of driving and there is so much to see. If it takes more than 1 day to drive to our destination, we will probably check out some tourist attractions on the way. When you fly, your vacation begins when you arrive at the hotel or destination. When you drive, it begins when you pull off.

  • @RobbiCasey
    @RobbiCasey Рік тому

    It is really fascinating to hear about things that make sense to us that non-Americans may be confused by. I agree completely about the date. I write the date (on checks, etc.) as you described (smallest increment to largest) because that makes sense to me! Really interesting video, Diane.

  • @r.h.3084
    @r.h.3084 Рік тому

    Tipping: Even as a server/waiter, I can say confidently that wait staff have become entirely too demanding in how much they expect. Taking an order correctly, giving it to the kitchen correctly, and bringing it to the table and refilling a drink is the bare minimum requirements of the job. No, it does NOT deserve 20-30% on top of the price of the food. And if the food is good or bad is the accomplishment of the kitchen, not the server, so why does the server get more based on the food being good? Just no. The whole damn thing is stupid. We also DO get paid the correct minimum wage if tips don't add up to it. Employers just simply don't want to pay their staff, and they choose to cheat them out of pay quite often, yet people put up with it. It's disgusting.

  • @lisab3373
    @lisab3373 Рік тому +1

    ok everyone ... she's on to us ... starting tomorrow we only tip on mondays, wednesdays and on the weekends!

  • @johnguevara6160
    @johnguevara6160 Рік тому +1

    Gasoline was the brand name for Standard Oil petrol.

  • @bdwon
    @bdwon Рік тому +1

    Good work, Diane! Were you filming from the Manor House today? Stately fireplaces suit you as background

  • @richardthomas1531
    @richardthomas1531 Рік тому

    On carding is because it is easier just to card everyone than trying to guess their age .Plus a lot of people just smile and find it either a compliment or humors. What is fun is to go to a restaurant and they ask you," Do you have a reservation". You might say " Yes, never mind, I'll go elsewhere".

  • @ExaltedDuck
    @ExaltedDuck Рік тому +1

    As an American I'm going to agree the tipping culture is completely out of control. If someone serving me at a table I feel like 15% is totally fair. And if they're serving from a counter or they're doing anything or they're not coming by and checking on me or if I am serving my own stuff saying soda fountain or anything like that there shouldn't be any. If I get a pizza delivered. If I go and pick it up.

    • @ExaltedDuck
      @ExaltedDuck Рік тому

      The card possession thing is also changing quite a bit. Most biggest restaurant chains level device they bring to the table so that you never have to give anyone your card. For awhile there credit fraud was becoming unusable.

    • @ExaltedDuck
      @ExaltedDuck Рік тому

      Dates are another one that it kind of hurts me too. The right way to do it is year - month - day. Then it's very easily and naturally.

  • @quixote6942
    @quixote6942 Рік тому

    AC/HEAT in stores/fast food restaurants... It's an old marketing ploy. On a Warm Day, they keep the Temperature way down, It lures the Customers in, but after abit it gets the customers to leave. More Customer in and out, the higher the sales!
    This would work at the end of dinner parties when you want to "nicely" get people to leave!

  • @d33psix88
    @d33psix88 Рік тому

    6hrs? Wow. I drive 5hrs home from work on Friday and 5 back starting at 02:00 Monday morning.

  • @joshuaortiz7813
    @joshuaortiz7813 Рік тому +1

    Tip whomever you want and however much you want. Ain't nobody going to turn it down. If you didn't do that much, you're only getting 10% from me. Example, a lot of this ordering to go is basically me doing everything except cooking the food itself. I ain't paying a 20% tip for you to ask my name at the checkout and hand me my food.

  • @TritonTv69420
    @TritonTv69420 Рік тому

    My friend is one of those guys who goes crazy on the AC. His house was freezing all the time. I lived there for a while and couldn't stand it.

  • @robertewalt7789
    @robertewalt7789 Рік тому

    Using Xerox as a verb is less common these days in the US. The Xerox brand has much less market share among copiers.