# questions about other countries that you've never gotten a straight answer to **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 8, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834 "2003-03-08T02:03:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/1 "2003-03-08T02:03:50Z")
Biscuits. They have them in the UK, and we have them in the US. They’re not the same food. IMHO, _our_ biscuits are one of the most perfect members of the bread family. I particularly love cheesy-garlic biscuits. No matter how many times I ask, I never get an adequate answer to my burning question: " Do people in the UK eat this lovely food?" - It’s **not** a sweet. We call those cookies, as I know you enjoy laughing about. We laugh at “nappies” so I guess turn about is fair play. - It’s **not** a scone. Please stop telling me they are, _I_ eat scones as well - raisin and blueberry are yummy- and they’re not the same thing at all. (unless you call two very different foods the same thing.) Scones are heavier/denser and considerably drier. Biscuits are moist and fluffy, or they are as long as you cook them correctly. - It’s not a roll. Rolls are smoother on the outside, and…I don’t know, but they’re just different(glazed?) That goes for ones you butter and ones you make sandwiches with, both. - They’re not dumplings(though ones in stews have the same ingredients), pancakes, waffles, crepes, croissants, english muffins, crumpets(yes, they sell them in the US) etc. - They must photograph poorly, since I can’t find a picture of one that isn’t scary and off-putting. It makes me sad to think that people in the UK might be biscuit deprived. So…what have you never gotten a straight answer to regarding something in a country you don’t live in? ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/2 "2003-03-08T02:14:02Z")
Actually, what are sold as scones in America are nothing like the scones I’ve had in England, or the scones mom made from her scottish cookbook. The real scones are much like what we call biscuits, but slightly sweeter. And I’ve had some moister and some not quite as moist, but nothing like the dry things they sell around here. Blech. And what they call biscuits can be either sweet (cookies) or not sweet (crackers). ---
**Author:** ![Elvis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@Elvis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elvis)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/3 "2003-03-08T04:46:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*…what have you never gotten a straight answer to regarding something in a country you don’t live in? \*\* Why are the French such a bunch of contrarian, stinky-cheese eating, gauloise-smoking, Jerry Lewis-loving cowards? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/4 "2003-03-08T05:58:44Z")
Biscuits are moist? S’wha? All the ones I’ve ever eaten (both made by my mom and in restaraunts) have been rather dry even when they’re all fluffy and yummy. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/5 "2003-03-08T06:07:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Elvis \* > \*\*Why are the French such a bunch of contrarian, stinky-cheese eating, gauloise-smoking, Jerry Lewis-loving cowards? \*\* 😕 ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/6 "2003-03-08T06:28:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Elvis \* > \*\*Why are the French such a bunch of contrarian, stinky-cheese eating, gauloise-smoking, Jerry Lewis-loving cowards? \*\* Ta mère est belge. S’en allez ou je vous vais taquinir une autre fois. ---
**Author:** ![xanadu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c4cdca/32.png) [@xanadu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanadu)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/7 "2003-03-08T06:53:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by donkeyoatey \* > \*\*Ta mère est belge. > S’en allez ou je vous vais taquinir une autre fois. \*\* _a little off the subject_ I was trying to perform my good deed of the day by translating this thing, but even with my limited french language abilities, I can see that the second sentence is a little fishy. I’ve never heard of the verb “taquinir” and it’s not in my french dictionary. Oh, and why do some Canadians say “aboot”? What about the reasons for saying “zed” instead of “zee”. I’m very curious about this- not trying to be rude or anything. ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/8 "2003-03-08T07:13:24Z")
I read that on a site a long time ago, it’s supposed to mean " go away or I will taunt you a second time". ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/9 "2003-03-08T07:23:25Z")
And I used to tell my dog to fetch me aboot, but soon learned it was faster to tell him to fetch me my boots. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/10 "2003-03-08T07:49:31Z")
“Aboot” is provided as a service to American sit-com writers so they can identify a Canadian character without having to learn Newfie. It’s so much simpler to write than “Laird tonderin’ Jaysus, bye!” ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/11 "2003-03-08T08:05:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xanadu \* > [BOh, and why do some Canadians say “aboot”? What about the reasons for saying “zed” instead of “zee”. I’m very curious about this- not trying to be rude or anything. \*\* What baffles me is that Canadians believe they pronounce “about” just like Americans. Why can’t they hear the difference? ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/12 "2003-03-08T08:42:08Z")
We don’t say ‘aboot’. If you wanted to be phonologically accurate, it’s more like ‘abowt’ or ‘abawt’. Plus it’s more of a Southern Ontario thing anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Xixox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/13edae/32.png) [@Xixox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xixox)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/13 "2003-03-08T10:28:16Z")
The further west you go, the more it sounds like aboat ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/14 "2003-03-08T10:44:25Z")
**chula** , Canadians do pronounce “about” very similarly to the way Americans from the northern states pronounce it. I don’t know where you’re from, but the long O’s are very prevalent in the places in Minn, N. Dakota, and Wisconsin that I’ve been to. It’s more of a regional thing than a national thing. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/15 "2003-03-08T11:34:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elfkin477 \* > \*\*It makes me sad to think that people in the UK might be biscuit deprived. > > So…what have you never gotten a straight answer to regarding something in a country you don’t live in? \*\* Not answering the OP, but here’s a straight answer to the example used: no, we don’t have US-style biscuits in the UK. It doesn’t bother me because I don’t like them. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/16 "2003-03-08T11:38:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xanadu \* > \*\*What about the reasons for saying “zed” instead of “zee”. I’m very curious about this- not trying to be rude or anything. \*\* Your question is the wrong way round. As most countries say “zed” and “zed” came before “zee”, you should ask why Americans say “zee” and not “zed”. See [here](http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=20000707). ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/17 "2003-03-08T11:53:20Z")
Our Straight Dope [Staff](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mzed.html) has also addressed the Zee v. Zed situation ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/18 "2003-03-08T12:18:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by amarone \* > \*\*Not answering the OP, but here’s a straight answer to the example used: no, we don’t have US-style biscuits in the UK. > > It doesn’t bother me because I don’t like them. \*\* It bothers me, because they’re sublime. You used to be able to get them at KFC, but since I haven’t visited a KFC in the UK for a decade, I don’t know if you still have. I’ve tried making them, but they never turn out as nicely as the lovely ones you get in US supermarkets. Scones, however, are the testes of Satan. Apart from my special recipe cheesy scones, for which I won a house point at school when I was 14. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/19 "2003-03-08T13:53:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > **… > Scones, however, are the testes of Satan…** There’s a marketing campaign in that sentence, just waiting to be realized! “Try some Beelzebub-balls today!” ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/20 "2003-03-08T14:13:23Z")
**Moderator’s Notes:** > [@](#): > > Why are the French such a bunch of contrarian, stinky-cheese eating, gauloise-smoking, Jerry Lewis-loving cowards? Let’s leave the proclivities of the French, real or imagined, outta this thread. If you’re truly griping, there are any number of recent threads in more appropiate fora; if you’re simply making jest, I think it’s the kind of joke that’s likely to set off a number of people. Thank you. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834.md?page=2)