British Homes vs American Homes: Some differences. One of the descriptions is incorrect. See if you can figure out which one. Tip: English people would probably not see the error.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Some differences. One of the descriptions is incorrect. See if you can figure out which one. Tip: English people would probably not see the error.

http://www.urbo.com/content/bizarre-things-about-british-homes-that-americans-dont-understand/19826?rtg=earthables-WTPjP3%C2%B6m4=urbo-fni-fbss-2101-us-mo-ocpm%C2%B6m5=10154383442361186%C2%B6m6=23842696725170594

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

IDK

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

jeep_daddy wrote:

IDK

YWS

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

We don't often build our Brit houses of wood, so they don't get blown down or rot away in a few years. Basements without windows are not allowed for accommodation. A big percentage of our houses were built before there was a USA - when the americans were living in wigwams - or is it tepees? However, we still have some thatched rooves etc. So lots of houses have been internally altered to include modern hygiene requirements, and gas and electricity. More houses have been built to necessarily accommodate larger and larger populations. In 1500 the population was 2.25 million. It is now 70 million. Thanks to immigration, rather than over-sexed brits! Oh - and healthier living.

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

We don't often build our Brit houses of wood, so they don't get blown down or rot away in a few years. Basements without windows are not allowed for accommodation. A big percentage of our houses were built before there was a USA - when the americans were living in wigwams - or is it tepees? However, we still have some thatched rooves etc. So lots of houses have been internally altered to include modern hygiene requirements, and gas and electricity. More houses have been built to necessarily accommodate larger and larger populations. In 1500 the population was 2.25 million. It is now 70 million. Thanks to immigration, rather than over-sexed brits! Oh - and healthier living.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Hint about the error: electricity.

Doddy Loc: Barnard Castle-England

Nope..your going to have spell it out jerry!
In the pre war years a lot of homes had the toilet (no sink) in an outside stone built shed..sometimes at the bottom of the garden..I bet that was a pleasant experience in winter!!

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

The Earth pin is wider and longer in order to 'open' the live conection in the socket (which is spring loaded to auto close when the plug is removed....so stopping little children killing themselves by poking metal opjects into the socket) All our pipe work is earthed....so that we have a double shock safety in our damp old houses.
The first toilet I remember was a 'thunder box' with a bucket of soil next to it. You did and covered it, then Dad dug a hole in the field and burried it and put up a little cross made from sticks so that he diddn't re dig there. That was in an old Railway station that we rented. It still had trains running past so they put up a single wire fence along the platform to keep me and my two brothers safe....!(3, 7, & 9 yrs old)

What we call the toilet is the Water Closet (WC) because the bath was galvanised tin and hung up outside when not in use. Bathrooms are a late 1950's term...in the 1970's you could get a government grant to convert a bedroom into a bathroom. STILL the local councils count the bathroom as a 'bedroom' when working out rent and possible overcrowding.

'Pay as you go' for utilities is a kept for those who cannot get credit or don't even have access to a bank account. Unfortunately it is also seen as a way to increase the cost of utilities by both Landlords as well as utility companies. The meter can be manipulated quite easily.

In a place that rains as often as it does in this green and pleasant land (cause that is what rain makes) then having a cellar or downstairs 'play room' is not the best of ideas. water flows down! A shed in the garden also keeps the wife away.....you can pretend to be deaf.

The latest craze to hit New Build Houses is to build-in a garage that is too thin for car access - often the 'drive' in front of the 'garage' is your one lawn (Already seeded). They compound this idiocy by making the roads too narrow to allow on street parking and the kerb too high to allow 'on footpath abandonment'. Considering that we build on less than 10% of the land available we could all live quite easily if they did a propper job (for the money)

Still wouldn't go to the US though. Those big rooms of yours is why you shout so much. Like northeners here, but their excuse was 'cause the worked in't Mill'.

Have fun

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Doddy wrote:

Nope..your going to have spell it out jerry!
In the pre war years a lot of homes had the toilet (no sink) in an outside stone built shed..sometimes at the bottom of the garden..I bet that was a pleasant experience in winter!!

In this country, the ground pin is also longer than the power pins. Maybe it's not as much longer as those in England, but it still makes contact first.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

G Brown wrote:

The Earth pin is wider and longer in order to 'open' the live conection in the socket (which is spring loaded to auto close when the plug is removed....so stopping little children killing themselves by poking metal opjects into the socket) All our pipe work is earthed....so that we have a double shock safety in our damp old houses.
The first toilet I remember was a 'thunder box' with a bucket of soil next to it. You did and covered it, then Dad dug a hole in the field and burried it and put up a little cross made from sticks so that he diddn't re dig there. That was in an old Railway station that we rented. It still had trains running past so they put up a single wire fence along the platform to keep me and my two brothers safe....!(3, 7, & 9 yrs old)

What we call the toilet is the Water Closet (WC) because the bath was galvanised tin and hung up outside when not in use. Bathrooms are a late 1950's term...in the 1970's you could get a government grant to convert a bedroom into a bathroom. STILL the local councils count the bathroom as a 'bedroom' when working out rent and possible overcrowding.

'Pay as you go' for utilities is a kept for those who cannot get credit or don't even have access to a bank account. Unfortunately it is also seen as a way to increase the cost of utilities by both Landlords as well as utility companies. The meter can be manipulated quite easily.

In a place that rains as often as it does in this green and pleasant land (cause that is what rain makes) then having a cellar or downstairs 'play room' is not the best of ideas. water flows down! A shed in the garden also keeps the wife away.....you can pretend to be deaf.

The latest craze to hit New Build Houses is to build-in a garage that is too thin for car access - often the 'drive' in front of the 'garage' is your one lawn (Already seeded). They compound this idiocy by making the roads too narrow to allow on street parking and the kerb too high to allow 'on footpath abandonment'. Considering that we build on less than 10% of the land available we could all live quite easily if they did a propper job (for the money)

Still wouldn't go to the US though. Those big rooms of yours is why you shout so much. Like northeners here, but their excuse was 'cause the worked in't Mill'.

Have fun

The Earth pin is wider and longer in order to 'ope... (show quote)

Interesting story. We stayed at a B&B in Oxford, and the common toilet was located down the hall. The facility itself was elevated about 18" above the floor on a platform. The flush tank was overhead, with a large chain and handle to pull for the flush. It made quite a sound! Definitely a "throne."

dancers Loc: melbourne.victoria, australia

Frankly my dears, who gives a damn? it all sounds like pre teens fighting.

dancers Loc: melbourne.victoria, australia

jerryc41 wrote:

Interesting story. We stayed at a B&B in Oxford, and the common toilet was located down the hall. The facility itself was elevated about 18" above the floor on a platform. The flush tank was overhead, with a large chain and handle to pull for the flush. It made quite a sound! Definitely a "throne."

that describes the toilet in the home in which I was born.

Doddy Loc: Barnard Castle-England

jerryc41 wrote:

Interesting story. We stayed at a B&B in Oxford, and the common toilet was located down the hall. The facility itself was elevated about 18" above the floor on a platform. The flush tank was overhead, with a large chain and handle to pull for the flush. It made quite a sound! Definitely a "throne."

Thats been a top class B&B jerry, that flush was designed to wake everybody up for Breakfast!!

FlyingTiger Loc: Tortola, BVI

Delderby wrote:

We don't often build our Brit houses of wood, so t... (show quote)

So you say! Yep, you Brits are the envy of the world alright, such an ultra-modern society, not having to live in Wigwams and all the nuisances and inconveniences that go with that lifestyle. Yep, you have the right ideas, progressive and ultra-modern all the way. LOL My favorite question/joke about the Brits is: where do the Brits hide their soap? Why under their wallets of course! The first time I heard that I thought it was a joke and pure humor. But after living in your broken down country of almost 12 years I realized just how true that is. Your personal hygiene and cleanliness have many opportunities for improvement, to say the least.

I will take my Wigwams thank you.

Doddy Loc: Barnard Castle-England

FlyingTiger wrote:

So you say! Yep, you Brits are the envy of the wor... (show quote)

Why on earth did you wait 12 years to return home if you thought our hygiene wasn't up to scratch?.. I wouldn't have stopped 12 days if I thought my health might suffer!!