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Housing     Local Services     Transportation     Deliveries Medical/Dental     Groceries     Hard-to-Find    Substitutions

Housing:

BRIT-SPEAK

AMERI-SPEAK

 COMMENTS/Explanations
Estate Development neigborhood of similar designs & styles of housing
Estate Agent Realtor much maligned profession
Floors:
  1. ground  
  2. first     
  3. second
  4. loft
 (Equivelents)
  1. first
  2. second
  3. third
  4. attic
 This can get confusing!!
Gazump - to buy a house that's already technically sold. (Nasty!)
HOUSES
  1. Bedsit
  2. Bungalow
  3. Cottage
  4. Council Housing
  5. Detatched
  6. Flat
  7. Manor
  8. Semi
  9. Terrace
 .
  1. Studio apt.
  2. ranch 
  3. -
  4. projects
  5. house
  6. apartment
  7. modest mansion
  8. duplex
  9. townhouse 
 .
  1. often in a private home
  2. ground floor only
  3. quaint; needs fixing-up
  4. Local government subsidy
  5. Single family dwelling
  6. sometimes within a house
  7. very nice indeed
  8. two together
  9. four or more attached
to Let to Rent
Rooms:
  1. airing cupboard
  2. cloak room
  3. conservatory
  4. loo
  5. lounge
  6. reception
  7. sitting room
  8. toilet
  9. W.C. (Water Closet)
 .
  1. furnace room 
  2. bathroom
  3. sun room
  4. bathroom
  5. living room
  6. living room
  7. den/living room
  8. bathroom
  9. bathroom
  10. -
 .
  1. hotwater tank/ boiler
  2. toilet and basin only
  3. not always solar efficient
  4. toilet
  5. -
  6. perhaps not as formal
  7. -
  8. any room so equipped
  9. toilet & basin only
  10. -
Amenities:
  1. barbie
  2. garden
  3. hob
  4. terrace
  5. wardrobe
 .
  1. barbeque
  2. yard
  3. stove
  4. patio
  5. armoire
 .
  1.  
  2. not necessarily landscaped 
  3. sometimes cooktop only
  4.  
  5. in place of built-in closet

General

Central heating often runs off a boiler and can be still thought of as somewhat of an innovation!

Rooms are very much smaller and can be a warren with long dark hallways and small windows rather than great-rooms

Storage is at a premium in your average house.  Kitchens are small and built-in closets a novelty.

Electricity is strictly 220 in the home.  

There are step-down converters (220 into 110) available but they are designed for construction use and have to be adapted for home use.  These are heavy, cumbersome and somewhat expensive for what you get.  Useful, though, if you want to use your U.S. appliances.

Never enough outlets - sometimes only one in a room; often no outlets in the bathroom.

Strange plumbing, wherein the hot and cold are not allowed to mix until they come out of the faucet and, in the cheaper models, sometimes not even then.

In the kitchen:   Even nicer, newer houses have small kitchens (8'x10')  Storage is a problem.

Refrigerators tend to be small, under-the-counter affairs reminiscent of those you find in a trailer.  Larger ones can be had, for a price, but finding a space for them is another story!

Dishwashers are also somewhat more rare here.

Clothes washers are often plumbed into the kitchen as well.  (People tend to hang their wash out and skip the dryer as electricity is so expensive.)

Many places have natural-gas cooking and heating.  The hot water heater often hangs on the wall in (where else?) the kitchen.

In the bedroom:

Rooms again are much smaller, often without a closet.    A 12' x 12' room would be considered generous in many homes.

Most folks have a "wardrobe" - basically an armoire in place of a closet.  Maybe it allows for greater room arrangement flexibility but it rather academic.

Newer houses, especially the smaller ones, have the smallest rooms and often cannot accommodate a king-size at all or say, a queen and a dresser.

British sizes vary greatly from U.S.  The closest you will find is that a British "king-size" is similar to a US Queen.  But for a good fit for your bedding, bring your own.

Local Services:

Rubbish removal (that's garbage to you and me) is provided weekly by the council.  Seems to be no limit on the number of cans/bags you can put out each week.  There's no separate charge as it's included in your local taxes.  Call the council for separate removal of large items including furniture and appliances, even garden clippings.   Some places even boast curb recycling.

Recycling can be done at your local supermarket.  There's usually a bank of containers somewhere in the parking lot.  Recycle the usual:  glass, tin, newspaper, old clothing, beverage cans.

Water, sewer, street maintenance and public schools are all covered by your local (council) taxes.

Public telephones are readily available, often in your own nerghborhood but they do not come equipped with phone books.

Transportation:  

You can get just about anywhere from just about anywhere - with a little patience and fortitude.

Driving is a breeze for some and, for others, a nightmare.   Depends a lot on one's innate adaptability and sense of adventure.  Personally, I spent the first six months here alternately gasping and covering my eyes. Your U.S. license will stand you in good stead for twelve months but don't count on it to prepare you for,  in effect, playing 'chicken' British-style on a daily basis.  Country roads and neigborhood streets can be narrow and lined with parked cars.  Round-abouts are a sensible way to deal with the multitude of peculiar intersections (often with five or more streets entering into it!) but they can take some getting used to.  (For those in the Pacific Northwest, you can practice the skill at the Joan of Arc Circle on Portland's east side - 39th and Glisan.)

Usually there's good bus service in medium to large populations and even the smallest are served on a limited basis.  Check with your local Tourist Information (T.I.) for schedules, etc.

Trains serve a fair number of communities as well.  Although there is a lot of general "moaning" about poor service and high prices, I have found the trains to be, overall, useful.  Be aware that they are undergoing serious renovation of the tracks during the first part of 2001 causing some delays and cancellations.  Nevertheless, if you're not inclined to learn to the vagaries of English driving skills, it is really nice to have good access to the trains.

Deliveries:

The post (mail) can sometimes come twice during the day.  You can't, however, mail a letter from your door.  You'll have to find a local postoffice (often in a local convenience store) or be on the lookout for the red column post boxes.  These are both fairly common.

Milk can be delivered to your door if you order it.

Put any unwanted catalogs outside again for collection and reuse by the distributor.

Have the newspaper delivered or pick it up at the local convenience store (often called "newsagents.")  These are plentiful and easy to find.

You might see the occasional street vendor selling fresh fish or offering to sharpen your knives and scissors.  Ice cream trucks abound in the summer with incessant and annoying tunes to attract their customers.

Medical and Dental: 

Get yourself and your family registered at a local surgery (doctor's office) ASAP.  Office visits to the doctor's are free and prescriptions reasonable, thanks to the NHS (National Health Service.)  Pharmacists have a tendency to apologize if you have anything to pay!  Often, if your case is not desperate or terribly puzzling, you'll be sent in to a nurse practitioner, often called "Sister" (a reflection, perhaps, of the days when so many nurses were nuns?)  These folks are very experienced and knowledgeable, so don't feel put off.

Eye exams are another benefit of the NHS.  They're reasonable although perhaps not quite as thorough as those I'm used to.  As for dependents up to sixteen, they're free with very reasonable prices for glasses.  (It's more than made up for in the price of adult lenses and frames!) 

The dentist is another story as few are accepting NHS patients and there are too few to go around as it is.  Finding a dentist can be a bit of a chore.  Add to that that few companies pay for dental insurance and it can come as a bit of a shock - although, overall, I think dental care is somewhat cheaper than the U.S.

NOTE:  Bring extra supplies of your favorite over-the-counter medicines and remedies and check on the availability of your prescriptions by generic name before you get here! 

  Groceries

BRIT-SPEAK

AMERI-SPEAK

 COMMENTS/Explanations
BAKERY

  1. Bap

  2. Biscuit

  3. Crumpet

  4. Flapjack

  5. muffin

  6. Naan

  7. Pancake

  8. Scone

  9. Sponge

  10. Whole Meal

.

  1. H

  2. Cookie/Cracker

  3. -

  4. Oatmeal bar

  5. English muffin

  6. Flat Bread

  7. Crepe

  8. Biscuit

  9. Cake (normal)

  10. Whole Wheat

.

  1. usually smaller & unsliced

  2. savory or sweet

  3. extra-moist English muffin

  4. somewhat sweet

  5. -

  6. Indian

  7. usually somewhat sweet

  8. reasonable facsimile

  9. not true sponge-style

  10. -
BEVERAGES
  1. Cider
  2. Lemonade
  3. Presse
  4. Squash
 .
  1. Hard cider
  2. lemon-lime soda
  3. syrup/concentrate
  4.  
 .
  1. alcoholic (sweet, medium, dry)
  2. -
  3. -
  4. -
CONDIMENTS
  1. Chutney
  2. Pickle
  3. Salad Creme
 .
  1. -
  2. Sweet pickle relish
  3. Salad Dressing
 .
  1. sweet/sour/spicy relish (Indian)
  2. -
  3. "Miracle Whip"
DAIRY
  1. Clotted Cream
  2. Double Cream
  3. Single Cream
  4. Emmenthal
 .
  1. -
  2. whipping cream 
  3. half & half 
  4. Swiss Cheese
 .
  1. cross whipped cream & butter
  2. extra rich 
  3. half & half 
  4. try Gruyere or Jarlsberg
MISC:
  1. Litre
  2. Off-license
  3. Tin
  4. Washing-up soap
 .
  1. Quart-plus
  2. Liquor Store
  3. Can
  4. Dish-washing soap
  
STAPLES
  1. Corn Flour
  2. Long-Life Milk
 .
  1. Corn Starch
  2. Boxed milk
 .
  1. thickening agent
  2. not powdered
VEG
  1. Aubergine
  2. Corgette
  3. Marrow
  4. Maize
  5. Mushy Peas
  6. Swede
 VEGGIES
  1. Eggplant
  2. Zucchini
  3. Extra Large Zucchini
  4. Corn
  5. Overcooked legume
  6. Rutabaga
  

If you're planning to awhile:

Hard to find items:

Surprisingly available:

BAKING

  1. Baking chocolate

  2. Biscuit mix (like Bisquick)

  3. Extracts (like vanilla & peppermint)

  4. Cake Flour

  5. Cake Mixes

  6. Chocolate Chips, semi-sweet

  7. Cookie mixes
  8. Corn Syrups (like Karo)
  9. Graham Crackers
  10. Marshmallows
  11. Molasses, light
  12. Pancake mix
 SPECIALTY BREADS
  1. bagels (limited variety)
  2. ciabatta
  3. f
  4. pocket bread
  5. tortillas (but not whole wheat)
  6. many others
  7. lots of nice chewy, seedy whole grain types available.
  8. Plain white is nice, too
CEREALS
  1. Cream of Wheat / Rice
  2. Chex
  3. Post Cereals
 CEREALS
  1. Kellogs (somewhat limited selection)
  2. Quaker Oats, including quick & instant
  3. Granola types
CANNED
  1. clams
  2. dill pickles
  3. green chilies
 PET FOODS
  1. Eukanuba
  2. Friskies
  3. Purina (very limited selection)
  4. Science Diet
MISC Other brands/items
  1. Aunt Jemimiah
  2. Breyer's
  3. Dunken Hines
  4. Frito Lay
  5. Hershey
  6. Hidden Valley
  7. Jello
  8. Lipton (soups or tea)
  9. Mrs. Butterworth
  10. Nabisco
  11. Reese's
  12. Root beer
  13. Uncle Dan's

 

 OTHER FAVORITE BRAND NAMES
  1. Bird's Eye products
  2. Campbells (somewhat limited)
  3. Doritos
  4. Entemann's
  5. Hagen Daz
  6. Kettle Chips
  7. Knorr
  8. Kraft bottled salad dressings
  9. Mars products
  10. Newman's Own (limited selection)
  11. Old El Paso
  12. Philadelphia Cream Cheese (regular, light and herb & garlic)
  13. Sara Lee
  14. Smucker's syrups (but not jams)
  15. Stagg's Chiles
  16. Starbucks coffee (in bigger towns)
  OTHER ITEMS IN THE FOUND COLUMN...
  1. Maple syrup (real)
  2. Pastas - both dry and refrigerated
  3. fresh chilis - good variety

 

Reasonable substitutions:

Cheddar cheese is usually white.  Try Double Gloucester for yellow.
(no Jack Cheese to be found, so far)

Swiss cheese:  several kinds; emmenthal is the one most familiar to Yanks, but you'll find delicious alternatives such as Gruyere and Jarslberg

Flour is heavier here.  Sift 1/4 cup cornstarch with 2 cups white/unbleached flour for more like U.S.

Molasses, light:  might try using dark "Muscovado" sugar which has a slight molasses taste.  Also a 'molasses sugar' available but untried.

Olives:  many kinds.  Spanish olives are the closest to California black olives.

Tuna:  water pack is available, but you have to look a bit harder.  "In brine" is in salt water and not objectionable.  Other interesting combinations on the shelf.

For the just-can't-stand-it, gotta-have-it cravings for American foods, try this link:  www.madeinamerica.co.uk   Much of it is pretty expensive, thanks to import duties and V.A.T. but it's worth a try.  Their stock can be limited by E.U. regulations, so you won't find mixes with egg products in it (for instance.)  They're based in Chippenham, just off the M4 at junction 17 and tend to stock a bit more in the store than in the catalog.  Great place for Steinfield's dill pickles, Skippy peanut butter, Nestle chocolate chips to name a few.

Housing     Local Services     Transportation     Deliveries Medical/Dental     Groceries     Hard-to-Find    Substitutions

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