# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/41 "2003-03-09T02:07:20Z")
Davebear says: > [@](#): > > The leathery, burnt bottom; the soggy, undercooked middle; or the just-plain-dry-as-old-parchment top part? And, I guarantee that if you asked them to cook you one that way, they’d tell you it couldn’t be done. Yet. that’s exactly what I get, every time. I’ve had fast food biscuits from KFC and they’re not worth the calories. You also need to send back obviously tired, old food and get freshly made biscuits from Popeye’s. I’ve never had a bad biscuit from Popeye’s and I’ve err . . done research there several times. Oh, and the red beans and rice from Popeye’s is sublime. You might want to try making your own biscuits. The ingredients and equipment needed are simple. Just go to [www.foodtv.com](http://www.foodtv.com) and search for the show “Paula’s Home Cooking”. She’s a certified original southern girl and she recently had a show on where she made biscuits. Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/42 "2003-03-09T02:08:22Z")
We call your broiling, grilling. Stoves have built in grillers (usually between the stove top and the oven with their own little section, see [a pic here](http://www.retravision.com.au/apps/shop/productDetails.asp?productId=10069). Pulling the handle above the oven door will slide out the grill.) We however do not grill on a barbecue (we barbecue food) though the metal on top of the fire will be referred to as the barbecue grill. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/43 "2003-03-09T02:22:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Thylacine \* > \*\*We call your broiling, grilling. Stoves have built in grillers (usually between the stove top and the oven with their own little section, see [a pic here](http://www.retravision.com.au/apps/shop/productDetails.asp?productId=10069). Pulling the handle above the oven door will slide out the grill.) > \*\* Well, that’s different. Broilers usually go at the bottom of the stove, under the oven door. Do they pull out like a drawer, or does the door just fold down? Most of ours have doors that just fold down, at least judging from every stove I’ve ever seen. [http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=11070868&m=1596&cat=1612&scat=1613](http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=11070868&m=1596&cat=1612&scat=1613) ---
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/44 "2003-03-09T02:28:45Z")
Having lived in the US I am familiar with your weird in oven broilers 😉 The griller door is attached to the grill innards so the whole thing slides out drawer-like from under the heat source, gas or electric, with a tug on the door which may fold down or stay upright depending on the model. In my ancient electric stove the griller heat source doubles as the front elements of the stove top. ---
**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 9, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/45 "2003-03-09T02:33:36Z")
Hmmm. I think I like the Australian setup better. It would at least be nice to have it available as an option over here. My broiler always sets off the &\*@#ing smoke alarm. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/46 "2003-03-09T04:15:24Z")
Ok, since we’ve gone into sub-cultures here with the kiddie pageants ( creepy), do other countries have this infestation of Trekkies or what? Also, how is the garden gnome population outside of the US? ---
**Author:** ![mmmiiikkkeee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@mmmiiikkkeee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmmiiikkkeee)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/47 "2003-03-09T04:17:11Z")
I’ve lived in Canada my whole life and **never** heard **anyone** say “aboot” until I watched the Southpark movie and the various episodes with Terrance and Phillip. Sorta like asking “why do teenaged American boys have sex with apple pies?”… same origins as far as TV/movies go and has the same answer. ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/48 "2003-03-09T04:55:00Z")
Well, the French have the [Garden Gnome Liberation Front](http://www.cnn.com/2000/STYLE/arts/04/12/france.gnomes.reut/) so there must be enough garden gnomes for it to be worth the trouble. ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/49 "2003-03-09T04:55:07Z")
Well, the French have the [Garden Gnome Liberation Front](http://www.cnn.com/2000/STYLE/arts/04/12/france.gnomes.reut/) so there must be enough garden gnomes for it to be worth the trouble. ---
**Author:** ![nani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58956e/32.png) [@nani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nani)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/50 "2003-03-09T05:10:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kantalooppi \* > \*\*So, Americans, what’s the deal with those child beauty pageants, anyhow? \*\* Well, Child Beauty pageants are very popular in areas without beaches, like the midwest, and also in Northern and inland California. In fact, It is a very large industry with literally hundreds of pageants per year in certain areas (like north inland CAlifornia) While I refuse to watch them, from what I understand, most of the mothers of the childrn competing where Homecoming or Pageant winners or whatever, and now, being old and married and dumpy, are attempting to relive their past beauty through their child. It is remarkably disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/51 "2003-03-09T05:34:40Z")
In spirit of this thread, if there are any questions dealing with India or things Indian, I’ll be glad to give it a shot… ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/52 "2003-03-09T06:33:28Z")
Why is the US education system so damned complicated? Here in Aus (and as far as I can tell the UK and Europe at least) we have primary school, then high school, then university (or the Tech. equivalent). Very simple and straightforward. But what’s with this junior high, senior high, colleges, universities…like what is the difference between a liberal arts college and Harvard? What is a sophomore or a freshman? It just makes my head swim with so many classifications… ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/53 "2003-03-09T06:54:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by donkeyoatey \* > **Ta mère est belge.** Ethnic slur; probably exceeds standards of what is permitted in GQ. > [@](#): > > **S’en allez ou je vous vais taquinir une autre fois.** Several grammatical errors here. Should be: “Allez-vous-en ou je vais vous taquiner une autre fois.” Rough translation: “Get lost or I’ll tease you again.” ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/54 "2003-03-09T07:06:46Z")
So, if “Ta mere est belge” exceeds the standards, I probably shouldn’t quote the entire Monty Python skit where they try to find a bad name for Belgians? My favourite was “Let’s not call them anything, let’s just ignore them”. The Belgians are a side issue, we all know it’s the Swiss we need to worry about… ---
**Author:** ![scablet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@scablet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scablet)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/55 "2003-03-09T07:10:47Z")
A Journey Through The US Educational System (for kambuckta): 1. **Pre-School** , c. age 4. Not really school, more like a day care where young children or kids not ready for kindergarten can (in theory) acquire some social skills and meet other kids. 2. **Kindergarten** c. age 5. We learn ABC’s and use very fat pencils. 3. **Grades 1-6** are “grade school.” 4. **Grades 7 and 8** are “junior high.” 5. **Grades 9-12** are “high school” or “senior high.” Freshman, sophomore, etc are just names for the different years: Grade 9 - Freshman year Grade 10 - Sophomore year Grade 11 - Junior year Grade 12 - Senior year. A graduating senior is usually 18. Depending on your school, you could spend your entire time from pre-school to 12th grade at the same institution. Some schools are grade school only, some are exclusively junior or senior high (junior high is different in different parts of the country - sometimes it’s sixth through eighth grades, sometimes seventh through ninth, but the basic idea is the same) Typing this up, I can see where your confusion stems from… things such as the fact that a “junior high student” and a “high school junior” are entirely different (the former is in seventh or eighth grade - or maybe sixth? or ninth? Depends on where you are in the US!, while the latter is almost finished with high school and around 17 years old) Kindergarten through 12th is the extent of required education. On to colleges/uni if one wishes: **Junior College** or **Community College** is generally a two-year program that is free or extremely cheap, plus cost of books. From here you can transfer credits to a four-year uni or college, though many just go straight to the four-year. **College** is that ridiculously expensive thing that is supposed to help you get more money later on in life. You can get a bachelor’s degree here. At a **university** you can get a master’s or higher. **"Liberal arts"** - Philosophy, languages, history, etc. are all liberal arts. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/56 "2003-03-09T07:18:39Z")
Thanks **scablet** (I think!) Let me get this straight…you can do a bachelors degree at a College, but not at a University? Are universities reserved for post-grad studies? Again, thanks though for taking the time to decipher your ‘system’ for me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![scablet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@scablet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scablet)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/57 "2003-03-09T07:29:03Z")
No problem 🙂 You can get a Bachelor’s at a University. University is basically “college at which one can also acquire a master’s degree.” I’m sure there are others who are more informed on all the nuances of higher education and its terminology, but that’s the gist of it. ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/58 "2003-03-09T07:57:41Z")
Jeeze Louise, sorry for the continued hijack, folks. An ethnic slur?! **Northern Piper** , it was a mild dig at **Elvis** for his comment (which btw I took in the spirit he intended it). Nor was I trying to be grammatically correct in the second sentence, I have this saved in a file with many other quotes I find to be amusing, and will continue to think it roughly translates as " go away or I will taunt you a second time". And did you notice that **UncleBeer** has already read through this? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/59 "2003-03-09T09:01:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Davebear \* > **Okay. I was going to let the whole “biscuits are wonderful thing” pass, even though the best biscuit ever made was still a poor excuse for a piece of bread. Because…well…you know. I mean, some people eat _squid_, for crying out loud. At least biscuits aren’t slimy. At best, they’re blah. At worst, well, you never know when an extra hockey puck will come in handy. Or, you may need one to drive in a loose nail. But, this…THIS!..KFC!!! The man considers _KFC biscuits_ sublime??? :calm…think calm thoughts…deep breath: Oh, you poor, deluded man! You have _got_ to get to somewhere…Anywhere!..where they serve decent food, if only for a vacation. 😉** _Ahem_ I cannot let this stand. My life to date has been a trans-global culinary expedition. If you think squid is _slimy_, you obviously haven’t had it plucked fresh from the tank, and hard-fried in aromatic batter in a little canopied restaurant on the boardwalk over the fish farms of Sok Kwu Wan harbor, South China Sea. Coming to the subject of biscuits - well, you may have a point. Since I don’t have a good ol’ southern grammy to make me grits and other down-home cookin’, my experience thereof is kind of limited to what one can buy in food outlets. And starved of said fluffy bread rolls in Europe, there is a chance that my palate has become amnesiac, associating KFC muck with the steaming, cloying ambrosia that is attainable if one has the right heritage. Finally, **elfkin477** , the Marie Antoinette who intoned “let them eat Bisquik” - if we can’t get American biscuits in UK supermarkets, we’re hardly likely to be able to get biscuit mix either, are we? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![scablet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@scablet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scablet)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834/60 "2003-03-09T09:20:05Z")
Wait. in England, there’s… _NO PILLSBURY BISCUIT MIX IN CARDBOARD TUBES?!!_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-other-countries-that-youve-never-gotten-a-straight-answer-to/159834.md?page=4)