originally posted by Iris Timm
To those foodies out there who are still trying to defend "grits" here is my favorite link on what they are and why they are sooooooo good (done right that is).
I found myself searching for information to explain them (hominy grits) to a 17 year old French exchange student that was living with us for 3 months a few years ago… whew. That was tough. I found Betty Fussell was the perfect resource.
So what is vegemite anyway?
Iris
http://www.sallys-place.com/food/columns/fussell/hominy.htm
originally posted by Trys
Blue,
We have to keep in mind also that the functional illiteracy rate in America is approximately 50% (I don't know what it is in other 'developed' countries). While there appears to be an emphasis on math and science, in fact, the US educational system is failing across the board.
Trys
originally posted by Fergus Hancock
Fascinating stream of consciousness in this thread. For the record, my only experience of grits was from the hand of a Tennessee mother who made her own… and the condiments covered her very large dining table (probably why they were enjoyable). I am still trying world breakfast cuisine… for example with a Russian friend (anyone ever try 'alys, nothern Russian, or Ukrainian food?).
Vegemite, tho… gift from God's own country. Mind you, take it easy - it is chock full of vitamins and stuff, but also has heaps of salt.
Now - to thread one's way back on track. Writing fantasy demands different forms of expression - Tolkien's greatest strength (apart from his love of food descriptions and weather, lol) was his ability to place his characters in a cultural setting by careful choice of syntax, vocab and expression. I'm finding a story I am writing challenging - to define thought processes in a genuinely alien race, yet to make their expressions clear and precise, and to prevent them sliding into saying "Yeah" or "Right on" or "Oh, my God"…
How can attractive (ie readable) fantasy characters be created who don't sound like Homer Simpson? Do American audiences appreciate the challenge of thinking 'outside the square' when it comes to English expression? It seems to me that Australian fantasy story readers come from a fairly selective cohort.
originally posted by Hannah
The funniest thing to me about British, and apparently I have learned, Australian HUMOUR is that they think that every other culture under the sun is too backwater to Get It. When, in reality, maybe they're not as funny as they think they are. Or maybe their 'joke' fell flat. Or maybe their 'joke' was really a thinly veiled excuse to be anti-[insert country of choice]. Who knows? (Certainly not I, humble American that I am.)
What really irritates me is uncontrolled sweeping generalizations based on invisible lines on this planet. I go out of my way to avoid being brainwashed by the xenophobic news broadcasts and newspapers. I refuse to think all Brits are stuck-up, boring snobs with bad hygiene, and Australians are dusty, beer-swilling dummies speaking like they have gnats in their teeth, or that all Muslims are towelhead terrorists just waiting for the opportune moment, or Mexicans are impoverished, illiterate crack heads.
So you can imagine my disappointment when I encounter anyone of any other nationality who does not have the patience to cut through the mass-media crap and actually try to understand a person as an individual, and not as a national stereotype.
The person who can't be bothered is the idiot, and the one in for a rude awakening should they ever choose to venture outside their comfort zone.
America is a huge country, and vastly different from corner to corner to heartland. And believe it or not, we are individuals over here. Not the neatly wrapped and bow-tied parodies of Americans you'd see on the Simpsons or South Park. There are very smart people, and there are very… less smart people–as you will find to be the case in any country.
It's difficult, impossible maybe, not to make broad generalizations over the course of discussions such as this board has, it goes without saying. But a sustained overtone of superiority because of the locale of one’s birthplace is what seems absurd to me.
But maybe that's just me.
originally posted by Leonie
Vegemite, according to the jar in front of me is a "concentrated yeast extract" and "one of the world's riches known sources of vitamin B".
Basically, it is brownish black, of a stiff consistency, salty and made by Kraft. (It was originally invented in 1923 by someone called Fred Walker).
I love it, but various friends from other countries can't understand how we eat it. Our Romanian friends put it in the category of completely inedible along with licorice - and believe me they have embraced all things Australian with fervour! (Particularly Tim Tams and Pavlova - I know, I know - the New Zealanders like to claim the Pav, but we know better 
)
I have visited your website about grits, Iris - basically crushed corn is what I understand - either fine or coarse, which is then soaked/cooked to become mushy? Funny, everytime I've read about grits I always pictured them as chunky, crunchy, hashbrowny type things… Now my mind is picturing something akin to couscous. Am still having trouble with considering them both sweet and savoury and I have just explained this concept to my 11 year old daughter and she nearly spit out her banana while giggling.
Hannah :
"The funniest thing to me about British, and apparently I have learned, Australian HUMOUR is that they think that every other culture under the sun is too backwater to Get It. When, in reality, maybe they're not as funny as they think they are. Or maybe their 'joke' fell flat. Or maybe their 'joke' was really a thinly veiled excuse to be anti-[insert country of choice]. Who knows? (Certainly not I, humble American that I am.)"
I think we're just culturally different in terms of what we are taught is important/funny/serious/essential, which makes for a few interesting international moments. (Like when the NZ prime minister didn't know who John Farnham was…)
"What really irritates me is uncontrolled sweeping generalizations based on invisible lines on this planet. I go out of my way to avoid being brainwashed by the xenophobic news broadcasts and newspapers. I refuse to think all Brits are stuck-up, boring snobs with bad hygiene, and Australians are dusty, beer-swilling dummies speaking like they have gnats in their teeth, or that all Muslims are towelhead terrorists just waiting for the opportune moment, or Mexicans are impoverished, illiterate crack heads."
>Spits a few gnats out, shakes off dust (red) and ditches beer can into bin<
Can't agree more there Hannah. We only know what we see portrayed in media or literature, unless we've either been to another's country or have friends who are not of our own nationality. It certainly is important not to type cast each other and very important to remember that even though the stereotypes exist, we are all, in the end simply human beings.
Hopefully we can enjoy our differences even while poking the odd bit of gentle fun at each other. The ability of any culture to laugh at itself (I think) shows that it truly doesn't take itself too seriously as "the only way". I would hasten to add that the favourite "targets" of Australian humour are not generally other cultures, but usually our own politicians, celebrities and cultural stereotypes. Unfortunately almost none of us can resist poking fun at almost anything - and that IS probably a cultural stereotype. And it gets us into all kinds of trouble - usually completely unintentionally.
originally posted by Blue
A phrase I used in an emergency situation produced gales of laughter.
I was just out of high school, working in a fish and chip restaurant. The most exotic accents I had ever been exposed to were my mother's Georgia drawl, and my dad's distinct Czech accent. Anyway, I had a party of folks who were visiting from England, and one of the ladies asked for [what I thought, in progression]
1. Olives
2. Knobs
It turns out she was asking for a knife.
I felt awful, because I was not trying to make fun of her "funny" way of speaking. Out of nowhere, the perfect phrase came:
"Please forgive me. I don't speak the Queen's English that well."
For some reason, the entire table ended up howling with laughter.
I have used that on occasion when I have missed things said to me by other UK influenced folks.
What is so funny about that phrase? Can one of you nice folks "over there" please explain it to me?
originally posted by Memory
It's just a very odd thing to say, Blue 
If you want to talk about breaking down the language - look at Singapore! I'm continually amused by how my Singaporean friends put things:
"Off the light!"
"No parking lots here, what"
"It's only a small matter. No need to be so drama."
These are some pretty tame examples They miss out words, shorten things and scramble grammar so much it can be very hard for a non-Singaporean to understand! I just find it amusing, though. Singlish is a very creative dialect, using lots of words from Malay and Hokkien. I don't know why, but I see this very differently from people in England not using apostrophes properly…
Trys – whaddya make of SCRAPPLE?? (What they eat in Pennsylvania instead of vegemite (basically, heavily salted asphalt) or grits (greasy gravel, gray, with pepper)…
Born in Pennsylvainia, but, I hate scrapple, too…
originally posted by Cheryl Detmer
What is scrapple? I haven't heard of that. I'm picky eater and stick to meat and potatoe. lol
originally posted by Cheryl Detmer
Which reminds me that if I ever eat dinner at Janny's table, I have to inspect the ketchup bottles first. lol Must warn my husband of that too. hahahehe
originally posted by Sandtiger
I got a kick over this heading on an english newspaper in China.
"Miss Universe 2005 contestants in ethical dresses"
As to getting lost in translation - I've managed some real goofs myself…
The funniest was when I was at a swim meet in Australia, where one of my friends was competing. Without thinking, I said, "I'll root for you" which here means "to cheer for", and over there means…well, let's not go there.
Sandtiger
originally posted by Trys
Scrapple: A mush of ground pork and cornmeal that is set in a mold and then sliced and fried.
Janny,
Never had scrapple. As a kid we had corn meal mush (polenta) which is essentially scrapple without any meat. After it was cooked it was poured into a loaf pan a refrigerated. It was then sliced, fried and served with butter and maple syrup. I liked it when I got older (teens) but haven't had it in years. I also seem to remember eating it right after it was cooked, with milk and sugar (like cream of wheat).
I think adding pork would probably not work for me. I only like pork certain ways.
Trys
originally posted by Leonie
Sandtiger, all I can say is… ROTFLOL!!!
originally posted by Cheryl Detmer
I want to know what it means over there now. I'm lost. lol I can guess though. Scrapple thanks Trys but I'll stick to my fries. lol Sounds interesting though.
originally posted by Hunter
Your friend probably thought you were being very forward…
Vegemite on toast is good hangover food… replaces all that B group vitamins the alcohol has decimated…
I'll take my Vegemite over your scrapple any day…
I was in South East Asia last week. The Miss Universe contest caused quite a stir in that part of the world. Something about having bikini clad women draping themselves over a Buddhist temple for a photo shoot. Some suggestion of sacrilege… I guess it could be argued that one is worshipped as the temple of spirit and the other the temple of the body? It wouldn't be the temple of the mind with Miss Universe… I think the sparkle in their eyes is the light shining through the back of their heads.
originally posted by R’is’n
'Rooting' in Oz is what Dakar 'caught' our favourite couple er… 'doing' after his vision of the birth of a daughter.
*grin*
We have Marmite here - same as Vegemite. When I was at UWC, Swaziland, an International Boarding school, a newly arrived American student sat down to breakfast and upon seeing this large jar of a dark brown goey looking sauce in the middle of the table, said 'Cool, chocolate sauce!" Before we could say anything, we watched in a kind of stunned, frozen yet expectant horror, as he spread great big globs of it onto his breakfast toast.
Needless to say, the look on his face, a split second after he had bitten into it, was priceless.
We still laugh about it.
ps: Trys - is there any chance of having a UK English dictionary option to check our spelling? *wink*
originally posted by R’is’n
Omigosh - I can't believe the timing of this. I got this in an email today, and I'd thought I'd post it here because it's not too long:
quote:Believe it or not you can read it … just try reading it as fast as you can and you will amaze yourself and find out what this is all about at the same time.
START NOW:
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch taem at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Such a cdonition is arppoiately cllaed Typoglycemia.
Amzanig huh? Yaeh and yuo awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt.
Still grinning about it…
originally posted by Beth Caudill
There is a load of difference between the food in the North and the food in the South. I too was born in PA. Actually Penn. Dutch country which is different from Pittsburgh too. My favorite food is called Corn Pie. You take a pastry shell add layers of corn, hard boiled egg, salt, pepper and butter. Cover with more pastry. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour. Serve with milk covering the pie.
Gritts and Scrapple can both be dropped from the food chain. We won't miss them. There is also a difference in how some foods are cooked. My husband's family (all who live in NC) love to cook their green means to death as well as in either a meat stock or with fatback. I like mine warmed so they are still crunchy. There is a constant source of talk about the differences in food styles in the family.
As for language, there are times I often prefer to see the UK-English version of words. Colour is one of them. For some reason I like it better than Color. I also like to spell Gray with the a instead of the e. However, all my English teachers tried getting me to use the e version. However, I have seen any one spelled as two words before but never as a hyphenated word. That seems a tad out there.
Hey and don't forget the North Yous Guys and the South Ya'll. That's why there are dialects.
Beth
originally posted by Trys
R’is’n,
The dictionary came with the software. I seem to remember that it can be edited but there is no option to allow for a choice of dictionary on a user by user basis.
Trys
originally posted by Hunter
Roisin - the key part about the readability exercise that is just as important is that the grammar is actually correct and that the words have all their letters, even if in the wrong order.
If there is one word that should be struck from common usage (I wouldn't say it's part of the language) is "youse"… Youse guys… eek…
If you want to listen to a great abuse of the Australian accent and vernacular (yes, it's possible) get a copy of an episode of Kath and Kim - this is an Australian satire on suburban life in Australia. I think it translates well to the UK… if you've seen Neighbours, Kath and Kim is almost a satire on this…