posted
I’ve been watching Bend It Like Beckham obsessively and I have some questions.
What is a lilo? Jules’ mother tells her that the bra balloon can be blown up just like a lilo.
What is the difference between a team and a side? They refer to the Harriers as the girls’ side and also as a team.
Is a kit the same thing as a uniform?
Why do they practice in their uniforms? Is that a movie thing or do teams really do that in England?
Why are soccer shoes called boots? What do you call actual boots?
Are sports teams not connected to high schools (or the English equivalent of high schools)? Who sponsors them?
What does B.L.L.B. mean? Is it a type of diploma? Why does having one mean that she’ll be able to be a solicitor? Why do you have to wait until after you graduate to find out if you’re going to university?
The pitch is the field, right? Why is it called a pitch?
What are bangers (sp?)? The director said that they were on the grill – I assume they are some sort of meat?
I think it's more like "la'ers." My brother and I have taken it up a little. (We're not British.) It's funny. We told each other "la'ers," and my brother asks me where its from.
Sorry I couldn't answer anything, just wanted to mention that.
edit: SPOILER my Bend it Like Beckham question for you: at what point do Jules and Jess reconcile over Joe? I'm not as familiar with it as you surely are, but from what I recall, Jules goes over to try and get Jess back on the team. They talk and Jules ends up storming out and the next time they see each other is at the final game. Then everything is all happy again. When did that happen?
posted
I could probably answer a bunch of those with a little more thought, but I have about two minutes, so I'll start with this one...
Bangers are sausages. Bangers and mash are sausages and mashed potatoes. Goodness knows why they're called bangers, but they are. Posts: 7877 | Registered: Feb 2003
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posted
Some answers from if not a Brit, at least an antipodean...
What is a lilo? Jules’ mother tells her that the bra balloon can be blown up just like a lilo. It's just a blow up mattress. People often put them in the pool to float on. What is the difference between a team and a side? They refer to the Harriers as the girls’ side and also as a team. None. Is a kit the same thing as a uniform? Yes Why do they practice in their uniforms? Is that a movie thing or do teams really do that in England? Not sure - but they do in Australia (I think...) Why are soccer shoes called boots? What do you call actual boots? Actual boots are also called boots. Soccer boots are boots because.. well just because. Are sports teams not connected to high schools (or the English equivalent of high schools)? Who sponsors them? You can have teams that play independant of schools on the weekend. I'm not sure who sponsors them. What does B.L.L.B. mean? Is it a type of diploma? Bachelor of Laws, I think. It's an undergraduate degree. Unlike the US, law is available to undergraduates in most Commonwealth countries (ok, at least England, Australia & N.Z.) Why does having one mean that she’ll be able to be a solicitor? You need a law degree to become a solicitor. Why do you have to wait until after you graduate to find out if you’re going to university? In England (and Australia) university admission is done purely on high school marks - predominately those of final year, predominately those of final exams, which are the last thing you do before you graduate. So in Australia for example I finished my exams in November of my last year of high school, graduated about a week after, and got my results (and found out I was accepted into law school) in mid-December. The pitch is the field, right? Why is it called a pitch? I have absolutely no idea. What are bangers (sp?)? The director said that they were on the grill – I assume they are some sort of meat? As stated above, they are indeed sausages. What’s the deal with cricket? It's a great game and Australia rocks at it! It's huge in England, Aust, NZ, Sth Africa, India... basically the Commonwealth countries. It's not as boring as it seems (unless you're listening to the commentary on the radio and then it's really boring).
posted
I have a sneaking suspicion that the field being called a pitch has something to do with cricket.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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quote:Why do they practice in their uniforms? Is that a movie thing or do teams really do that in England? Not sure - but they do in Australia (I think...)
Why? Isn't that a lot of wear and tear on the uniforms? We always practiced in the most raggedy clothes we had, except at cheerleading camp, where we had practice clothes.
So you went from high school right to law school? Wow. What happens if you decide that you don't want to be a lawyer? Also, what happens if you do really well in school, but blow your exams? Is your life ruined?
SPOILER for esl: That's it. There is no reconciliation scene. There might be one that they cut. I just assumed that Jules felt so bad for Jess that she couldn't play and then so happy when she could after all that she forgave her. Also, she had forgiven Joe, so she pretty much had to forgive Jess.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Wow, I haven't thought about a lilo in years.
I grew up (well, 5 of my most formative years, ages 8-12) in London. They tried me at cricket, but as the least athletic boy ever on the planet, I was soon relegated to scorekeeper, at which I excelled. To score cricket it helps to be a bit like 'Radar' in the TV series MASH - prescient, resourceful, all-seeing, and intimately familiar with a vast body of arcana.
quote: I have a sneaking suspicion that the field being called a pitch has something to do with cricket.
I believe this is wrong. Any wide open flat field would be a pitch, from olden days where an army could pitch camp.
Related words are 'piste' - field in French - and 'pista' - Spanish for field but used colloquially for airport runway!
posted
It's so freaky. It's almost like they're speaking real English, but it might as well be a foreign language! Posts: 9945 | Registered: Sep 2002
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posted
Are we talking about the same kind of biscuits? I am thinking about the kind that you serve covered with gravy for breakfast. There is no way you can call that a cracker or a wafer.
Although it would be pretty funny to watch a British person try to order one at a Southern restaurant. The Brit would ask for crackers and the waitress would bring packets of those stale soup crackers that no one ever eats and they never throw away. Then the Brit would ask for wafers and the waitress would look at him like he was crazy and go pull the vanilla wafers out of the banana pudding, wipe them off, and serve them to him on a plate.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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quote: Are we talking about the same kind of biscuits? I am thinking about the kind that you serve covered with gravy for breakfast. There is no way you can call that a cracker or a wafer.
Ohhh... Gosh it's confusing.
I'm not sure. Those kinds of biscuits I'm not sure exist in British cookery. Although the term "British cookery" is kind of an oxymoron.
The closest thing might be a scone? I know King Arthur reputedly burned the scones... thus setting British culinary tradition back a milennium or two.
Posts: 431 | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
Not a scone - scones are sweet. We would never pour our precious gravy over something sweet - we would sooner put sugar in our grits.
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Yes, and a truck is handcart, and a handcart is a dolly, and a dolly is a Thumbelina, and a thumb is a lady finger, and a lady finger is a biscuit.....
Okay, I was just kidding.
I am just feeling rather perky today, and am apt to inject misleading levity into any thread. Sorry for any confusion.
Posts: 431 | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
Hi - newbie here. Answering these questions should be easy for me since I actually live in England (which works out fine since I'm English).
quote: What do you call cracker and wafers then?
I don't think we really have what you call biscuits here. It's very strange. Basically, a cracker is a biscuit. A cookie is also a biscuit. Desert is pudding. 'English muffins' are deeply unpopular and only eaten by Grandmothers who call them crumpets. Sneakers are trainers. Chips are crisps and fries are chips (which gets me every time I'm in America and order chips and end up with a packet of crisps).
Hope that helps.
Posts: 119 | Registered: Nov 2003
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posted
No, no, no! You're all wrong. A cracker is anyone from Georgia. I heard recently it comes from slang for plantation foremen, who used whips. Not sure if this is true or why cracker got attached to Georgia, even though I was born and raised here.
Posts: 6316 | Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
Soccer boots are called boots because that's what they used to be, boots. The workmen would wear their boots to the game. Some of them would hammer in metal tacks for a better grip, but these were banned in official games. Later, leather studs (cleats) could be nailed into the boot. I assume the word just hung around.
Posts: 3243 | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
We call cookies cookies if they're as big as your hand and have chocolate chips in. Anything smaller is usually a biscuit.
I know - I love biscuits and gravy - if I want them I have to make my own. Also you can't get Hershey bars, Reeses Pieces, Oreos or Grape soda. (Hey, see how adult my eating habits are. )
I think these were answered earlier, but anyhow,
quote: What is the difference between a team and a side? They refer to the Harriers as the girls’ side and also as a team.
No difference.
quote: Is a kit the same thing as a uniform? Why do they practice in their uniforms? Is that a movie thing or do teams really do that in England?
Yup, they really do practice in kits and this is the same as a uniform (but only in sport) Soccer kits are also sometimes called 'strips' for some bizzare reason.
As for your other questions, I think they've been answered already better than I ever could, especially since I never played on a football (soccer) team.
Posts: 119 | Registered: Nov 2003
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posted
Gah - finally I think I can make a unique contribution to this board, and I find that all of the questions have been answered, correctly, and mostly by non-Brits! AAARGH!!!! Oh, and it's football, not soccer.
Posts: 1550 | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
Actually, my supermarket has begun carrying real crumpets in addition to the english muffins. They're different... it's a round little cake with lots of tiny air bubble holes in the top. You don't split it in half. It's not as flavorful as an english muffin, but it's very low in fat.
Sort of like this, but the ones at our store have more holes and are shinier. Less like a southern biscuit.
posted
Don't worry - I'm going to see Love Actually and I'm sure I'll have lots more questions.
You could also go more in-depth about the British school system (which is mysterious and fascinating to me) - like what's the difference between "A" levels and "O" levels?
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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It's pretty simple and not terribly exciting. O-levels are now called GCSEs and these are the exams you take at sixteen. If you pass these you can then take A-levels or leave school.
You do A-levels in your final two years of school - you study three or four subjects in depth and take exams on them which give you your final grades. Universities have already told you which grades you need to get a place, so the day you get your A-level grades is the day you find out where your going. I don't think I've ever been so scared of an envelope. Posts: 119 | Registered: Nov 2003
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quote: Hey! I might be a redneck, but I ain't no cracker.
'Crackers' are actually not just from Georgia. You also have Florida crackers and, I assume, other states. The term comes from the sound the whips made when the drivers of cattle would 'crack' their whips over the heads of the cows.
Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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posted
I have never heard of FL crackers but I'll take you word for it SS.[edit:Also, it can be a generic term for a (usually white, rural, poor) white guy. /edit]
There was an Atlanta Crackers minor league baseball team, I think it went belly-up in the 60s.
"Kit" is also soldier slang for everything a soldier takes with him when he ships out, I think. Now back to the crumpet/biscuit mysteries.
quote: 'English muffins' are deeply unpopular and only eaten by Grandmothers who call them crumpets.
Muffins to me are English Muffins.
Crumpets to me are how Ayelar described them.
In my family, both are enjoyed by all ages... (except I personally I dislike crumpets and always have)
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
Mrs M - in response to the law degree / end of school exams questions.
Most people in Australia do a joint degree (ie Law/Science - like I did , or Law/Arts, Law/Commerce). That way if you decide law isn't for you, you can always just finish off your other degree.
Some people do a year of law then switch to something else completely. A lot of people finish their law degree although they have no intention of actually becoming a lawyer: it's considered pretty useful if you want to get into politics / become high in a corporation.
As for if you have a bad exam day: well, in my home state (Western Australia) the end of year 12 exams count for 50% of your final marks. So if you completely screw up (ie don't write anything) then you probably won't get into uni. Even if you partially screw up you may not get the place you wanted / a place at one of the 'good' universities.
As you can imagine, this puts a LOT of stress on final year students: hence the various states are probably going to change the system in the next 5-10 years to be more based on continous assessment. I doubt we'll ever have an admissions systems like the US though with essays and the like.
Finally - biscuits with gravy. We have no such things. I know because after reading Little House in the Big Woods and those that followed and Gone With the Wind I desperately wanted some. But I could find neither the finished product or recipes for them... If anyone wants to help me out?
Cookies, crackers and wafers are all 'biscuits' (or 'bikkies' if you want to get into the slang ). We know what wafers and crackers are, we just don't tend to call them that.
And yes, it makes sense to me! Posts: 4393 | Registered: Aug 2003
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Now here's a question back - when does one eat biscuits and gravy? Are they a snack thing? For dinner? Whenever you feel like it?
(oh, and here crumpets are the shiny things with holes in that you toast and eat with honey... yummm. Or maybe vegemite. Muffins are muffins: sweet, have them with coffee or for breakfast if you're running late for uni. Apple and cinnamon are my favourite. English muffins are those flat things that you also toast, have with butter and vegemite. Also quite tasty.)
Posts: 4393 | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
I think biscuits and gravy are best for breakfast, though they also make an excellent dinner. They're probably too much for a snack (unless you like big, heavy snacks), but really, you can eat them whenever you darn well please.
Posts: 9945 | Registered: Sep 2002
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posted
Biscuits and gravy are breakfast food. A typical Southern breakfast consists of any combination of the following:
-biscuits and gravy -grits -hash browns (is there a British equivalent of these?) -flapjacks -French toast -scrambled eggs with hot sauce -ham, bacon, and sausage (turkey ham, etc. if you're Jewish like my family) -steak (regular or chicken fried)
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posted
I never have steak for breakfast because I am a vegetarian, to the bewilderment and chagrin of my family.
The South was (and still is to a lesser extent) a rural region. Farmers would put in several hours of hard labor before eating breakfast and then after breakfast, so they needed a hearty meal. We still eat like that because old habits die hard and because it's so very tasty.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
-steak (regular or chicken fried) Chicken-fried steak, my weakness. I had two Mrs. Winner's (big fried chicken restaurant chain in the South) chicken-fried or country-fried steak biscuits for breakfast.
Chicken-fried steak is beef, usually cube steak or another cheap cut of meat battered, dipped in flour then deep-fried for a few minutes in 400 degree oil, just like southern fried chicken. Frying it like this makes even cheap meat tender and juicy, though it adds calories of course.
Some breakfast places like Waffle House and Int'l House of Pancakes offer breakfast steaks fried on a flat grill, usually small (4-6 ozs.) and cheaper cuts than a dinner steak. I am only very rarely in the mood for one of these for breakfast, just get one as a treat once in a while.
Posts: 6316 | Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
My mom's side of the family comes from Maryland (Frederick), and my family never ate grits for breakfast. Grits may be more of a 'deep south' kind of thing. Or my family may just be wierd. In any case, we always ate cornmeal mush. Leftover mush was put in the refridgerator. The next day, the congealed mass would be fried up and topped with butter and honey. Really good. Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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