Called a Fretter (Spudman is a good guy content)

[Katastrophe]

Talked with Spudman by phone yesterday evening. Spud's a good guy, and we had an entertaining conversation about guitars and some other subjects.

Enjoyed our talk, Spuds.

Any other Fretters talk by phone?

[Childbride]

Any other Fretters talk by phone?

Pappy we see in person, although that's been too long and we need to fix that.

we've spoken with two. and they are both most excellent peeps. :D

[just strum]

I've spoken to CB, Shiner, (they have accents, but are in denial) and Wingsdad.

Spoke to Spud early on, but had to put him on number block because he kept on wanting to buy more guitars - people with addictions sometimes need tough love.

[wingsdad]

With Strum, cb & Shiner.:beer:

[sunvalleylaw]

Spud and I talk regularly, and I have conversed with a coupla others. Always nice!

[Robert]

Spud and I talk once in a while. He's the only fretter I occasionally talk to on the phone with.

[Spudman]

Thanks for the kudos Kat and others. It's always a pleasure to get real versus cyber. There are some good souls on thefret.

[Robert]

Spud is a great soul. Hope we get a chance to meet and play some rock'n roll one day. :)

[Ch0jin]

...... (they have accents, but are in denial)...


Haha, wait till you here me speak then!

I charge $1USD/Word of your choosing to say them in my strange accent. I accept paypal and direct deposit.

Seriously though, if you ever wanted to talk to moi, look for player "WTF Braino" on Xboxlive. We can fly planes, drive cars, or just kill zombies whilst nurturing international fretter relations :)

[Blaze]

I d like to but i guess you guys talk to fast for me ,frenchie talker..

[Spudman]

I d like to but i guess you guys talk to fast for me ,frenchie talker..

Sorry...Blazes...we'll...try...to...be...more...co nsiderate...from...now...on.:D

[Blaze]

Sorry...Blazes...we'll...try...to...be...more...co nsiderate...from...now...on.:D

Merci... Spud.... tu.... es.... bien....gentil .

[Bloozcat]

:rotflmao: :rotflmao:

You can always tell an inexperienced American traveler when abroad in a non-English speaking country. He's the one speaking very slowly and loudly in English, like this will make the natives understand him somehow...:thwap:

We were in France once when I heard another American speaking this way to a Frenchman. I said to my fellow American, "He's not a deaf idiot, he doesn't understand English". The Frenchman laughed and said 'merci' to me, apparently understanding more English than he was letting on. The other American muttered something about "these people" who just didn't understand...no...ya' think?

[just strum]

Seriously though, if you ever wanted to talk to moi, look for player "WTF Braino" on Xboxlive. We can fly planes, drive cars, or just kill zombies whilst nurturing international fretter relations :)

I haven't even called you and already I don't know what the he11 you are talking about:D :poke:

[just strum]

:rotflmao: :rotflmao:

You can always tell an inexperienced American traveler when abroad in a non-English speaking country. He's the one speaking very slowly and loudly in English, like this will make the natives understand him somehow...:thwap:



People tend to speak louder to blind people too. I was always told that when you lose one of your senses one of the others become stronger. Based on that, a lot of blind people probably eventually get their eardrums blown out.

[Spudman]

Based on that, a lot of blind people probably eventually get their eardrums blown out.

Well my eardrums were blown a while ago so now I can spot a deal a mile away.:)

[street music]

Speaking on the phone would be great but then I have a acent too , so that could be hard for others to understand.

[Ch0jin]

:rotflmao: :rotflmao:

You can always tell an inexperienced American traveler when abroad in a non-English speaking country. He's the one speaking very slowly and loudly in English, like this will make the natives understand him somehow...:thwap:

We were in France once when I heard another American speaking this way to a Frenchman. I said to my fellow American, "He's not a deaf idiot, he doesn't understand English". The Frenchman laughed and said 'merci' to me, apparently understanding more English than he was letting on. The other American muttered something about "these people" who just didn't understand...no...ya' think?

Wow! That exact same thing happened to me too!!!! Just round the corner from Notre Dame cathedral two elderly Americans were yelling at a French ice cream vendor and when I wandered over (me with my impressive French vocabulary of like 10 words) it was basically the exact same story as yours :)

You should watch your speaking speed though when traveling. Just because the person you are speaking to understands English doesn't mean they won't struggle with the pace or your accent or colloquialisms. Paris for me was a classic case of that in reverse. I know enough to walk into a bar and greet someone, order a beer and exchange pleasantry's, but often after that, the person I was talking to would continue in full speed French and I'd be all "Ummmmmmmmmm sorry I missed all of that"

[Childbride]

I've spoken to CB, Shiner, (they have accents, but are in denial) and Wingsdad.



:confused: accent? what accent? :confused:

[bigoldron]

:confused: accent? what accent? :confused:

Ignore Strum. He's a dang Yankee, after all. He's the one with the accent. I'm sure I'd be able to understand you and Shiner just fine. :D

[Ch0jin]

Ignore Strum. He's a dang Yankee, after all. He's the one with the accent. I'm sure I'd be able to understand you and Shiner just fine. :D

Forgive my ignorance, but in that context a "Yankee" means from the northern states right? Still sounds better than either of my options. Being from the state of Queensland I'm a "Cane Toad", or Living in New South Wales I'm a "Cockroach"

[marnold]

Yeah, it either means "someone from north of the Mason-Dixon" or "somebody who doesn't own anything with a Confederate flag and who doesn't think that 'Free Bird' is mankind's greatest musical achievement." We also can say the word "you" without then immediately saying "all."

And yes, Ch0jin, I'll take "Yankee" over your two options. Having said that, I'm a Detroit Tigers fan and hate being associated with the New York Yankees, even indirectly.

[Bloozcat]

Wow! That exact same thing happened to me too!!!! Just round the corner from Notre Dame cathedral two elderly Americans were yelling at a French ice cream vendor and when I wandered over (me with my impressive French vocabulary of like 10 words) it was basically the exact same story as yours :)

You should watch your speaking speed though when traveling. Just because the person you are speaking to understands English doesn't mean they won't struggle with the pace or your accent or colloquialisms. Paris for me was a classic case of that in reverse. I know enough to walk into a bar and greet someone, order a beer and exchange pleasantry's, but often after that, the person I was talking to would continue in full speed French and I'd be all "Ummmmmmmmmm sorry I missed all of that"

That happened to me when we were in The Medoc. We had an appointment at the winery (the only way they'll see you). A young woman greeted me with the usual "bon jour", and I repeated the same back to her and then proceded to introduce myself and my wife in French. Well, apparently I did a fairly good job of it, because the young woman launched into a long stream of French, about a third of which I might have understood. I then went into my practiced, "Pardon, Pardon...je ne parle qu'un peu de Francais..."

The woman told me that I had spoken it so well that she just assumed I spoke French. I think she was just being kind...:D

And then there was the train station in Paris, where thankfully I met an American who spoke fluent French. He taught me to say, "two tickets on the 9:00 am train to Bordeaux." Good thing too, 'cause the woman in the ticket booth spoke no English...and she looked like she hated her job as well...


My favorite line to remember in French when I'm fumbling...

"Comment di-tu_______ en Francais? (How do you say______ in French?)

I think if I was immersed in the language for a few months that I could pick it up. I generally pick words and phrases up quickly.

[Bloozcat]

Yeah, it either means "someone from north of the Mason-Dixon" or "somebody who doesn't own anything with a Confederate flag and who doesn't think that 'Free Bird' is mankind's greatest musical achievement." We also can say the word "you" without then immediately saying "all."

And yes, Ch0jin, I'll take "Yankee" over your two options. Having said that, I'm a Detroit Tigers fan and hate being associated with the New York Yankees, even indirectly.

Oh, marnold...there's no "you" in y'all.....:D

Let's see...nope, no Confederate flag on my truck. None on my license plate either. Nope, no bandanas, hats, T-shirts that say, "It's a southern thing, y'all wouldn't understand" accross a Confederate battle flag. But like any Southern gentleman, I do stand and place my hand over my heart when they're playing Dixie....:AOK:

And when since the heyday of Southern Rock has there been such an abundance of good ole' blues based rockin GUITAR music? And don't try to tell me that y'all weren't listening to it up in the frozen tundra....:poke:

And c'mon Marnold...even Michigan's favorite son, the Motor City Madman, Ted Nugent, moved to Texas... ata boy Ted...:)

Just messin' with ya' marnold...:D

[bigoldron]

Oh, marnold...there's no "you" in y'all.....:D

Let's see...nope, no Confederate flag on my truck. None on my license plate either. Nope, no bandanas, hats, T-shirts that say, "It's a southern thing, y'all wouldn't understand" accross a Confederate battle flag. But like any Southern gentleman, I do stand and place my hand over my heart when they're playing Dixie....:AOK:

And when since the heyday of Southern Rock has there been such an abundance of good ole' blues based rockin GUITAR music? And don't try to tell me that y'all weren't listening to it up in the frozen tundra....:poke:

And c'mon Marnold...even Michigan's favorite son, the Motor City Madman, Ted Nugent, moved to Texas... ata boy Ted...:)

Just messin' with ya' marnold...:D

Same here. Don't even own a confederate flag. (Well, maybe I do have one from my college days, but it stays in a safe place - so safe I can't remember where it's at.)

And not only Nugent, but what about the Detroit IMPOSTER Kid Rock? Now he's trying his best to be a Southern Boy. (We know better... :whatever:)

And "you all" has two spellings: y'all and ya'll, but neither one has the word "you" in it. And it IS plural.

And, just like Bloozkat, I'm yanking your chain a little too. :poke: :D

[marnold]

And likewise I was yanking yours. I won't even get into the whole "is Florida really the south" thing either. I think that I've mentioned before that the only place I was ever laughed at about my accent was when I was in southern Ohio, which may have had as much to do with me just being from Michigan as anything else.

[bigoldron]

Yes, Florida is in the South. At least North Florida is. Once you get past Gainesville, you're actually heading North. That is until you get to the Miami area. Then you're in Cuba.

[duhvoodooman]

Yes, Florida is in the South. At least North Florida is. Once you get past Gainesville, you're actually heading North. That is until you get to the Miami area. Then you're in Cuba.
:rotflmao: :bravo: :rotflmao:

[just strum]

And likewise I was yanking yours. I won't even get into the whole "is Florida really the south" thing either. I think that I've mentioned before that the only place I was ever laughed at about my accent was when I was in southern Ohio, which may have had as much to do with me just being from Michigan as anything else.

People south of Columbus, down to Cincinnati, comment about the Cleveland accent. Again, we do not have an accent.

[Ch0jin]

Thanks for the clarification! The responses did make me chuckle too so double value!

Over here there really is only a very subtle difference in accent regardless of where you go. The accent and slang gets stronger the more rural you go, but thats about it. Unless you dropped one of the few key words that identify your city, it's not easy to pick where in Australia someone is from. (The classic example of a "key" word is the word used to describe a street directory. For some reason most states have a different word for it.)

I used to travel throughout NZ a fair bit and on several occasions I've been asked to "Talk more like an Aussie" because my accent was obviously a lot more dialed back than expected ;)

[just strum]

I was at Stone Mountain in Atlanta a number of years ago and the Confederate flag was very prevalent.

[bigoldron]

I was at Stone Mountain in Atlanta a number of years ago and the Confederate flag was very prevalent.


That would probably have something to do with the fact that the carvings on Stone Mountain are a tribute to the Confederate States of America. :thwap:

[piebaldpython]

OK, this is all tongue-in-cheek lest anyone get take this seriously. :D
Everyone knows that FLORIDA is really South Pennsylvania. :D More people retire to Florida from PA (pronounced Pee-Ay) than anywhere else in the country.

On the serious side.......yeah, can't argue the music thang at all. From Texas to the Georgia and into Florida, the BEST music I've ever listened to. :master:

Back on the funny side.....about accents.....and all you damn foreigners who talk "funny"......."foreigners" meaning ANYBODY who doesn't have the Philly patois....BC was in her coma, the wife and I were in Paris, clearing our heads/sightseeing and we needed walking directions and HOPED to find someone who spoke English as our French was pathetic. We find a young couple, ask and hooray, they speak English. We chat for a minute and the lady starts to smile....says to my wife....you're from Philly, aren't you?.....our jaws drop.:rotflmao: .....the lady continues and says she knows the ACCENT well as her Dad lived in Philly for a number of years. Small world.

[Childbride]

:thwap:

possibly in jasper, tx, you would see a confederate flag, but i haven't seen one of those since i would occasionally see reruns of dukes of hazard on tv as a teenager. not that there is a problem with being proud of southern heritage. southern rock rocks.

and the nuge is technically our neighbor. he lives in waco.

strummy, i have a concept for a perfect thread. you have inspired me.

we will post it this weekend.

my corporate experience in florida was that there were a significant number of new yorkers down there, as well. all kinds of melting pots of accents.

bottom line, [and i'm not going to lie here. i can pull a very respectable drawl... but i don't speak that way normally] accents can be beautiful. how we speak is like our fingerprint, if you want to think of it that way.

no one speaks like you do. i think that's rather cool. :)

[pes_laul]

I think we should bring back the 80's with a fret.net party line:dude: :rotflmao:

[luvmyshiner]

Man, y'all have a narrow definition of "yankee". Round here, anything on the other side of the Brazos river is a yankee.:D

And before you stereotype me, I've never owned a Confederate flag or anything with a Confederate flag on it. However, I own several Texas flags, and would like to remind all of y'all that the great Republic of Texas graciously agreed to become a member of this country after being invited . . . and if you piss us off we'll be happy to leave.:beer:

[Ch0jin]

But like any Southern gentleman, I do stand and place my hand over my heart when they're playing Dixie....:AOK:

Well that I can understand! Obviously a vastly different circumstance, but to give you a brief anecdote by way of explanation..

Sydney Olympics 2000. Closing Ceremony was being televised in a large park in the middle of Sydney, 100's of thousands of ppl in attendance.

Australian national anthem is played and less than half the large crowd even bother to stand.

"Waltzing Matilda" is played right after, and EVERYONE stands and everyone I looked at was teary with emotion, including myself as they sung along at the top of their voice.

Seems it's not always the "approved" anthem that gets people proud enough to burst :)

[Bloozcat]

"Waltzing Matilda" is played right after, and EVERYONE stands and everyone I looked at was teary with emotion, including myself as they sung along at the top of their voice.

Seems it's not always the "approved" anthem that gets people proud enough to burst :)

I've always thought that "Waltzing Matilda" was the national anthem of Australia...at least in the heart of all Australians anyway...:AOK:

I remember learning "Waltzing Matilda" as a kid in elementary school. That and "The Kookaburra Song."

And speaking of "official" vs. "accepted" by the people (and bigoldron can help me on this one). Several years ago, the Georgia legislature voted to change the Georgia state flag, removing the Confederate battle flag from it because they deemed it "offensive" to some. Everywhere you look in Georgia except state buildings, you see the old Georgia flag and not the new one...:)

And on the issue of the Confederate battle flag representing "hate", as some like to put it: What these people don't realize is that southerners don't see this as a symbol of "hate" or slavery, they see it as a symbol of the struggle for freedom and independence...just as their fathers and grandfathers saw the original American flag as a symbol of struggle against the British for those same principles. It's all a matter of point of view...one from the middle of the struggle, and another from the revisionist, outside-looking-in point of view. I wasn't born in the south either, but I do know history.

And as to Florida not being a southern state...

There are two Florida's. One that exists along the coasts from Daytona south around the southern tip of the state up to about the Tampa area (and Tampa's split). That's the northern transplant area of Florida. The "other" Florida is the northern part of the state and the center of the state down to the Ft. Lauderdale area (with the exception of Orlando and a few small Michigan transplant towns in the middle of the "Florida South"). Try going to Okeechobee and telling the residents there that they are not southerners...yep, and the horse you rode in on. :D

More Pennsylvanians in Florida than from any other state? Where? I see plenty of them here, but by far, we see more New Yorkers, in south Florida at least...and generally not those from DVM's area of the state either. There's a city just to the north of me called Port St. Lucie. It's known as NY south here. Whenever I am late getting home it's always due to "the New York traffic" as it's known here. You go into a grocery store there and you'd swear you were in Queens or on Long Island somewhere. :D

[wingsdad]

:confused: accent? what accent? :confused:

:)

Y'alls may not have an accent to y'alls in Texas, but it ain't jes 'bout the sound of the words, y'knowuttameen? ;)

I spent last week accompanied at work by a consultant (a rep from one of our service vendors) from Texarcana, TX. Every time she spoke, cb, I was reminded of the sound of your voice.

But more than the...uh...vocal inflections in her speech, it was the regional colloquialisms that presented the challenges in comprehending the meaning.

I'm referring to the sociological phenomenon of the various terms used for such things as 'soda' vs. 'pop' vs. 'soda pop', or 'sub' vs. 'hero' vs. 'po boy'.

Her last day here, we pulled into a Sonic drive-thru at her request, since 'they's awl ovah the souf'. :poke:

She ordered a Large Coney (as in the hot dog variety that originated in Brooklyn, NY), but specified "extra cheese, and hold the weeny."

:eek:

Coming back over the intercom, the confused clerk: "Say what:confused: ?"

"Hold the weeny!"

Repeat of question by clerk.

She explained to the lad that she was a vegan and thus, no meat.

I knew perfectly well what she meant, but here, 90 miles from Los Angeles, that Texarcana expression of hers has a life of its own.

When a carhop resembling an NFL Linebacker skated over with our order, I feared a gross and uncomfortable misinterpretation of that expression.

No harm, no fowl (or frank, or weiner, or dog, or...)

[luvmyshiner]

Snarf! Wingsdad, you just made me spew coffee out ma' nose!:D

[player]

Speaking on the phone would be great but then I have a acent too , so that could be hard for others to understand.
Kind of the same thing here but being fom Chicago people here tell me I have that accent? What accent,same thing when lived in FL. :confused:

[Bloozcat]

Kind of the same thing here but being fom Chicago people here tell me I have that accent? What accent,same thing when lived in FL. :confused:

Oh my Gad, you're from Chicago, player? Ever go up dere to da lakes in Wiscahnsin...:D

[piebaldpython]

Many moons ago, we (The Philly-ites) were visiting my wife's sister family out near Janesville, Wisconsin. My niece told me...."I want my pop"....and so I went and got her Dad. How the heck was I supposed to know she wanted her SODA??? :rotflmao: Damn foreigners!!!

Oh yeah, and that thing that keeps the elements and leaves out of your house is called a ROOF, with two O's which is a long O sound. It ain't a RUF!

Of course, the oldest great nephew has now made a mess of everything and married and moved to Killeen Texas. Cripes, nobody will be able to understand him now. :D

[Bloozcat]

Many moons ago, we (The Philly-ites) were visiting my wife's sister family out near Janesville, Wisconsin. My niece told me...."I want my pop"....and so I went and got her Dad. How the heck was I supposed to know she wanted her SODA??? :rotflmao: Damn foreigners!!!

Oh yeah, and that thing that keeps the elements and leaves out of your house is called a ROOF, with two O's which is a long O sound. It ain't a RUF!

Of course, the oldest great nephew has now made a mess of everything and married and moved to Killeen Texas. Cripes, nobody will be able to understand him now. :D

My wife after having lived in Chicago until she was about 6-7, moved to Delevan Wisconsin...which is a stones throw from Janesville. Somehow, she managed to grow up without a Wisconsin or a Chicago accent.

Yep "pop" is soda..."tennis shoes"....are sneakers...

And despite strum's denial that Clevelanders have no accent, they do (;) ) . It's not as pronounced as their neighboring mid-westerners, but it's there none-the-less. I remember when our family first moved to the Cleveland area when I was a kid. The kids there called roofs "rufs", and the creek accross the street, was the "crick".

When they would make fun of the New York accent that I had then, I would counter with things like, if roofs are "rufs", why aren't your boots "buts". Or, if the creek is a "crick", why aren't your cheeks "chicks". And I remember saying repeatedly; "No, these aren't tennis shoes, I don't play tennis. They're basketball sneakers...":D

It's particularly funny living here in Florida where we get people from so many areas of the country. When I'll ask someone where in Chicago they lived, or where in Minnesota they were from, or if they were from the Bronx, they always act surprised and ask, "How did you know I was from_______? "From your accent", I'll say. And they always respond with, "Accent? I don't have an accent..." Oh, I must be psychic then...:rotflmao:

[piebaldpython]

ahahah Hey Blooz, how did your wife get away with NO accent. Lucky her.
Oh, I hate to tell you......but a creek can be both a CREEK and a CRICK, depending on the neighborhood you grew up in. It's true! :D If you have a CREEK in your immediate vicinity, it's usually called a CRICK. If you have no such body of water, then it's a CREEK. Somehow, it's all about FAMILIARITY

[bigoldron]

And speaking of "official" vs. "accepted" by the people (and bigoldron can help me on this one). Several years ago, the Georgia legislature voted to change the Georgia state flag, removing the Confederate battle flag from it because they deemed it "offensive" to some. Everywhere you look in Georgia except state buildings, you see the old Georgia flag and not the new one...:)

And on the issue of the Confederate battle flag representing "hate", as some like to put it: What these people don't realize is that southerners don't see this as a symbol of "hate" or slavery, they see it as a symbol of the struggle for freedom and independence...just as their fathers and grandfathers saw the original American flag as a symbol of struggle against the British for those same principles. It's all a matter of point of view...one from the middle of the struggle, and another from the revisionist, outside-looking-in point of view. I wasn't born in the south either, but I do know history.

The stars and bars (as we affectionately call it) were removed without consulting the people of Georgia. Gov. Roy Barnes (King Roy was the nicest thing he was called) took it upon himself to be a champion of political correctness and catered to the special interests of a select few and did this. Gov. Sonny Perdue (I won't even get into what he's been called lately) ran on the campaign promise that he would let the voters decide which flag we wanted, but when it came time to do so, he gave us the option of the terrible, awful flag Barnes put in place or the new "pc" flag - the stars and bars were NOT an option. So, you can imagine how well that went over, kinda like breaking wind in church. :whatever:


And as to Florida not being a southern state...

There are two Florida's. One that exists along the coasts from Daytona south around the southern tip of the state up to about the Tampa area (and Tampa's split). That's the northern transplant area of Florida. The "other" Florida is the northern part of the state and the center of the state down to the Ft. Lauderdale area (with the exception of Orlando and a few small Michigan transplant towns in the middle of the "Florida South"). Try going to Okeechobee and telling the residents there that they are not southerners...yep, and the horse you rode in on. :D


I don't know about the central part of the state, but if you doubt Florida's "Southernness" (I made that word up), just leave Tallahassee in any direction, especially WSW, and drive through ANY of the small towns. You'll be convinced. Why do you think they call Panama City the "Redneck Riviera"? :rolleyes:

[Bloozcat]

ahahah Hey Blooz, how did your wife get away with NO accent. Lucky her.
Oh, I hate to tell you......but a creek can be both a CREEK and a CRICK, depending on the neighborhood you grew up in. It's true! :D If you have a CREEK in your immediate vicinity, it's usually called a CRICK. If you have no such body of water, then it's a CREEK. Somehow, it's all about FAMILIARITY

Well, there is one word that she says with a midwestern accent..."mirror".

She pronounces it "meer". If she says something like, "Look at the meer". I'll tease her by asking, "Look at the mere what?"

She does have some of the mid-west coloquialisms, though, but not many. I don't know why she doesn't sound like any of her brothers or sisters. Maybe because she's been in Florida since 1972, perhaps. When you live where there are many different accents from many places, you don't pick "one" up. You just notice them and avoid them all I think.

[Childbride]

And speaking of "official" vs. "accepted" by the people (and bigoldron can help me on this one). Several years ago, the Georgia legislature voted to change the Georgia state flag, removing the Confederate battle flag from it because they deemed it "offensive" to some. Everywhere you look in Georgia except state buildings, you see the old Georgia flag and not the new one...:)

And on the issue of the Confederate battle flag representing "hate", as some like to put it: What these people don't realize is that southerners don't see this as a symbol of "hate" or slavery, they see it as a symbol of the struggle for freedom and independence...just as their fathers and grandfathers saw the original American flag as a symbol of struggle against the British for those same principles. It's all a matter of point of view...one from the middle of the struggle, and another from the revisionist, outside-looking-in point of view. I wasn't born in the south either, but I do know history.





and here, i owe a sincere apology. the majority of people who fly that flag are honoring their forefathers... Americans, the grass roots people who have fought and scratched and made their way, should be proud of what they are and what they have accomplished.

i was wrong for continuing the proposition that the flag carried negative connotations related to prejudicial acts.

========

on another front, as a proud southern woman, i will concede to wings' point. we speak 'differently.'

[but strum, i still do not have an accent] :rotflmao:

[Ch0jin]

I've always thought that "Waltzing Matilda" was the national anthem of Australia...at least in the heart of all Australians anyway...:AOK:

...and you'd be correct :AOK: It's just that the government has always been a little uncomfortable with accepting an anthem about a thief who kills himself rather than be taken by the police, you know, with the whole convict heritage thing and all. :)



And speaking of "official" vs. "accepted" by the people (and bigoldron can help me on this one). Several years ago, the Georgia legislature voted to change the Georgia state flag, removing the Confederate battle flag from it because they deemed it "offensive" to some. Everywhere you look in Georgia except state buildings, you see the old Georgia flag and not the new one...:)

And on the issue of the Confederate battle flag representing "hate", as some like to put it: What these people don't realize is that southerners don't see this as a symbol of "hate" or slavery, they see it as a symbol of the struggle for freedom and independence...just as their fathers and grandfathers saw the original American flag as a symbol of struggle against the British for those same principles. It's all a matter of point of view...one from the middle of the struggle, and another from the revisionist, outside-looking-in point of view. I wasn't born in the south either, but I do know history.


I think I understand what you mean. Obviously we never had the same fight with the British that the US did, in fact it's likely (in my mind anyway, and I'm no historian) that it's -because- of the US Civil War that when Australia wanted to become a Federation like the USA, Canada and Switzerland, rather than remain a British colony (actually 6 of them to be technically correct) in 1901, it went off without conflict. I think back then we invited NZ and Fiji to join too by the way. If history had gone down differently both those countries would be states of Australia (kinda like Hawaii for the USA I suppose)

However, to get back on topic, before federation happened in 1901, we had pretty much the only uprising of note in our history in 1854 and it was dubbed The Eureka Stockade. I won't bore you with all the details, but in short it was a gold miners uprising against unfair taxation, not being allowed to vote or own land and general mistreatment by the (then) British run government.

That revolt had flag and that flag is this one.

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2004/12/02/wbeureka_wideweb__430x294.jpg

From what I can gather from your posts, it's our equivalent of a "Rebel" flag. I actually -do- have one at home and used to wear a small version as a patch in my younger and meaner days. It gets a bad reputation in Australia though because, due to it's rebel nature and significance, it's often adopted by bikers, trade unionists and (sadly) racist groups like skinheads, which is actually quite ironic considering given the era, it's unlikely any of the miners were actually born here.

Anyway, in spite of the flak, I and many others see that flag as a symbol of the working man standing up for his rights and the power of the people to challenge an oppressive government, violently if necessary.

In an ironic anecdote to wrap up, several years ago, organizers of a huge rock festival in Australia announced that the Australian flag was banned from the premises (on Australia day too of all times) because of fears that some ethnic groups would be intimidated by it. Well pretty much everyone ignored the ban, and as quickly as the security guards could take them from people arriving, guys were tossing them over the fence to people inside. I saw more Stockade flags that day though (including mine) than I have ever seen at that event previously. It was a collective "F*ck You!" to the oppressors all over again, and that made me proud. Sometimes the powers that be, who seem to be so concerned with political correctness, need to be reminded that national (or southern) pride is -not- the same thing as racism and if you push, we push back.

[Ch0jin]

Oh speaking of regional slang as we were, there are a few we have that trip up Americans all the time. If your ever over my way, jot this down for reference...

Gas = Petrol (unless your talking about a BBQ, in which case Gas means LPG)
Trunk = Boot
Gas Station = Servo (short for service station)
Elevator = Lift
Bathroom/Washroom etc= Toilet (formal) or Dunny (informal)
Shrimp = Prawns (unless your in a Chinese restaurant)
Cookie=Biscuit
Biscuit=???? (I hear Biscuits referenced in American Hip-Hop but I have no idea what kind of food it is)


And if someone tells you to wear thongs, you better realise we mean flip flops :)

There are more I'm sure, but they are the ones I hear most often anyway.

[bigoldron]

Biscuit=???? (I hear Biscuits referenced in American Hip-Hop but I have no idea what kind of food it is)


You HAVE led a sheltered life "down under"! Biscuits are normally prepared at breakfast, but in earlier days, especially in the South, biscuits would be prepared for the other two meals as well. Northerners (I'll hold off on calling them "Yankees") call these 2 meals "lunch" and "dinner". We call them "dinner" and "supper".

Anyway, biscuits are prepared using flour, milk or buttermilk, and either lard or margarine/butter and usually mixed up by hand and rolled up and put on a baking pan and put in the oven. That's the way home-made biscuits (way better) are done. Most folks nowadays buy "canned" biscuits from the store and bake them. They'll do in an emergency, but a true Southerner would much rather have home-made biscuits any day!

Here's what biscuits look like:
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd81/bigoldron/sides_biscuits.jpg

Many restaurants, especially fast-food ones, serve biscuits at breakfast, usually with some type of meat in them, such as sausage or bacon. They cook the biscuits, slice them in half and basically make a sandwich with whatever meat you want.

D@mn, now I'm hungry... :drool:

[Bloozcat]

Biscuits and gravy....MMMmmmm!

Grits are another southern food that's not quite understood in the north. Of course, real hominy is quite different from what is called grits most places in the south today. The white (sometimes yellow) grits in most restaurants and kitchen pantries are processed grits.

Hominy is pretty much corn kernels soaked in lye, which removes the germ & the outer hull. It actually comes from meso-indian culture that found it's way into southern US cooking (and was even eaten by northerners in colonial times). First time I ever had real hominy was at The Georgia Mountain Fair years ago when we had a home there in Hiawassee. I liked it, my wife hated it (as is usually the case with foods like this).

On my very first trip to Florida many moons ago, we stopped in a restaurant in South Carolina for breakfast. The waitress asked if I wanted grits (which I hadn't know prior to that day was a two syllable word) with my bacon and eggs. I said "sure", "and a biscuit too". My friends looked at me kind of funny. I just shrugged and said; "When in Rome...."

I've been eating them ever since...

Anyone who's curious about southern food (and just plain great food) should pick up a copy of Southern Living magazine. It's filled with not only great food recipes, but tips on great places in the south to visit and great restaurants to eat in.

[Spudman]

Don't forget two other southern staples: pee cans (pecans) and boiled peanuts.

I was born in the south and spent many of my formative years all across the southern seaboard. To this day I cannot figure out how people can knowingly put okra into their own bodies.:puke:

[street music]

RON, man them there thinags are called cathead biscuits to go with my milk gravy from the sausage grease I just fried up. Ain't no accent up here in thes neck of the woods. No u'll emembur back in our young days how mom would send us to shift flour and then roll them catheads out and use a jar cut them out, man that fresh dough was good for a lot of things.

[Ch0jin]

You HAVE led a sheltered life "down under"!



Haha, perhaps, perhaps. Or it might just be that this kind of food wasn't prevalent in the dozen or so countries I've visited over the years ;) :pancake:


Thanks for explaining though because I really had no idea! Now that I can see what they look like though, I know exactly what they are....

Scones!!!

Admittedly the usage model is different with scones typically being a "morning tea" or "afternoon tea" snack to go with a Tea or Coffee, and scones are often made richer and sweeter than biscuits because they are often consumed in the same situation as cakes, but my personal favourite type of scone is a savoury type which would, now that you mention it, be -awesome- with sausage and/or bacon! Also pumpkin scones are awesome. You should try making pumpkin biscuits!

Oh and the same deal applies with Homemade Vs Store bought. My parents and their parents (and likely their parents too) would never be caught dead serving up store bought scones. It's just not done :)

[just strum]

You HAVE led a sheltered life "down under"!

MMMMmmmm, Biscuits and Vegemite.

DNT7uZf7lew

[piebaldpython]

Chojin,
It should also be noted that in those halcyon days of yore......that if the missus left the biscuits out for a couple of days......they would petrify and become excellent throwing weopens when guns and knives were not nearby. :D No doubt, that many a man lost his life or marbles with a well-aimed biscuit or three. :bravo:
Up here in Philly (Mrs. E-Keel, you've eaten this, right? :poke: ) we have a breakfast delicacy known as SCRAPPLE. You take all the leftover parts of a pig, mix em up, combine 'em, and then press it out into a pattie of some sort. Fry that sucker up, take in the aroma, savor the peculiar taste and IT sticks to your ribs and arteries.
I never acquired a taste for it (Thank the Lord) but my wife LOVES it.
Your scones look like our biscuits?? Really?? We have some good cooks in our family and their scones never looked anything like a biscuit!! Hmmmmmm.......I may be wrong here, but their scones resembled Irish Soda Bread but with a filler of dried fruits sporadically placed throughout.

[Ch0jin]

MMMMmmmm, Biscuits and Vegemite.


Actually Vegemite on Scones is pretty common here. Not in my place though as *gasp* I'm not a big Vegemite fan. I did enjoy force feeding it to Japanese guests (via work) though. The look on their faces as they took a big bite was priceless.

Scones also make excellent weapons if you leave them out for a couple of days! Kinda like that scene from the movie Charlies Angels

Bosley: What do you call this?
Dylan: Chinese fighting muffin.
Bosley: That's not funny. A friend of mine took a fighting muffin in the chest; they sent him home in four Ziploc bags

Another fast food fact I realised just now. In America it seems you have a different interpretation of Sandwich too. Over here it's a very narrow definition. Food of some kind between two thin slices of bread. I've observed that over there though, what we'd call a burger, you still call a sandwich. for example (http://www.kfc.com/menu/sandwiches.asp) All those menu items here would be referred to as "burgers".

So what gives? I'm sure you have bread style sandwich's and I know you have burgers. Whats the cutoff between sandwich and burger?

[Ch0jin]

....
Your scones look like our biscuits?? Really?? We have some good cooks in our family and their scones never looked anything like a biscuit!! Hmmmmmm.......I may be wrong here, but their scones resembled Irish Soda Bread but with a filler of dried fruits sporadically placed throughout.

Wow, I have no idea what "Irish Soda Bread" is either...

Well I've never seen one of your biscuits IRL so I'm not sure, but they sure do resemble the pick Ron posted. You're spot on though about the inclusion of sultana's and so on. That's a very, very common variation, as are the pumpkin variety I mentioned before.

Ooh OK google comes to the rescue.
From an article called "Biscuits Vs Scones"

Both are quick breads leavened with baking soda or baking powder.
Each uses the same basic technique of cutting fat into flour to create a dough.
Scones are often sweeter and richer, although biscuits can be sweet and scones savory.
Scones are often cut into triangles; biscuits are usually round. (Chojins note: They are never cut into triangles in Aus)
Biscuits are often associated with the southern United States; scones are Scottish.
Biscuits are served as a side dish with breakfast or dinner, while scones are more likely to be served with tea, for brunch or as a base for dessert sauce.
Both are best eaten hot from the oven.

Guess I'm just going to have to visit one day and try a breakfast including biscuits and grits and anything else I've not heard of. (promptly followed by a nap I expect) If I can get used to eating chilli fried noodles for breakfast in Malaysia, I reckon I can handle "southern" food :)

[bigoldron]

Chojin,
It should also be noted that in those halcyon days of yore......that if the missus left the biscuits out for a couple of days......they would petrify and become excellent throwing weopens when guns and knives were not nearby. :D No doubt, that many a man lost his life or marbles with a well-aimed biscuit or three. :bravo:
Up here in Philly (Mrs. E-Keel, you've eaten this, right? :poke: ) we have a breakfast delicacy known as SCRAPPLE. You take all the leftover parts of a pig, mix em up, combine 'em, and then press it out into a pattie of some sort. Fry that sucker up, take in the aroma, savor the peculiar taste and IT sticks to your ribs and arteries.
I never acquired a taste for it (Thank the Lord) but my wife LOVES it.
Your scones look like our biscuits?? Really?? We have some good cooks in our family and their scones never looked anything like a biscuit!! Hmmmmmm.......I may be wrong here, but their scones resembled Irish Soda Bread but with a filler of dried fruits sporadically placed throughout.

I know you're speaking in English, but I don't get what you're saying... :confused: :D

[sumitomo]

".

So what gives? I'm sure you have bread style sandwich's and I know you have burgers. Whats the cutoff between sandwich and burger?


Burgers are what girls have silly! Sumi:D

[piebaldpython]

I know you're speaking in English, but I don't get what you're saying... :confused: :D

All of it........or just a part of it???? Narrow it down for me. :D Is it the fancy-schmancy wording or just my way of presenting a topic?? :D

[Spudman]

iUCDhvbQFmU

[bigoldron]

iUCDhvbQFmU

What he said... :rotflmao:

[just strum]

iUCDhvbQFmU


I love Steve Martin and am a big fan of the original Pink Panthers with Peter Sellers.

So, I got a good laugh from this.

[tot_Ou_tard]

To this day I cannot figure out how people can knowingly put okra into their own bodies.:puke: I love me some okra--fried, pickled whatever. If you overcook it it ooozes okraplasm. Great for Gumbo, not so good otherwise.

Grits are great..biscuits bore me by themselves; with eggs or gravy is another matter.

How come nobody has mentioned hush puppies?

[piebaldpython]

How come nobody has mentioned hush puppies?

Hush puppies????? Is that a Southern or an extra-terrestrial dish?? :D
Hmmmmmm......way back in the day up in Philly, "hush puppies" were some sort of a comfortable shoe, sold at the Thom McAnn shoe stores. :D

[just strum]

Hush puppies????? Is that a Southern or an extra-terrestrial dish?? :D
Hmmmmmm......way back in the day up in Philly, "hush puppies" were some sort of a comfortable shoe, sold at the Thom McAnn shoe stores. :D

I've owned a few pairs. How do you cook them and what do you serve them with?

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h16/auroraohio/Stamina_2_Brown_L.jpg

[piebaldpython]

I've owned a few pairs. How do you cook them and what do you serve them with?

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h16/auroraohio/Stamina_2_Brown_L.jpg


Strum, at least somebody besides me remembers "hush puppies". :rotflmao:
My guess is, and this is after watching that Southern boy Alton Brown on The Food Channel, the you charbroil them and serve them right alongside CB's "geezly crow". :D

[bigoldron]

OK, boys, a Southerner to the rescue again. Hush puppies are little balls of corn meal (with a few other ingredients) that are fried up usually with fish. In other areas, they're called "fritters". Here's a simple recipe like my family uses:

http://southernfood.about.com/od/fritters/r/bl00823b.htm

Wikipedia describes hush puppies like this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hushpuppy

I suggest you try them out. As far as putting onions in them, try using a sweet onion such as the Vidalia (another Georgia product).

[Childbride]

:rotflmao:

in the long, long ago, in the far, far away,

when shiner and i were first a couple,

we used to hang out after work at this little dive bar for a beer or two before we went home sometimes.

one evening, a very intoxicated patron invited us to his party, where they were going to have a 'fish fly' with 'push huppies'...

it's been in the shiner household vocabulary ever since...:beer: :D

[luvmyshiner]

Here ya' go Pie.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m159/luvmyshiner/20_9_800x600.jpg

Hush puppies are standard anytime you order fried catfish round here. That's just good eatin'.

[bigoldron]

Here ya' go Pie.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m159/luvmyshiner/20_9_800x600.jpg

Hush puppies are standard anytime you order fried catfish round here. That's just good eatin'.

:drool: :drool: :drool: :drool:

[sumitomo]

They have Emborrados in South America,they look the same but their made with a piece of banana dipped in flour deep fryed with power sugar and honey(miel).Sumi:D

[oldguy]

The very first winter after I joined TheFret I was laid off work. This is routine in construction work, winter layoff, you collect unemployment a couple months, go back to work in the spring. I mentioned it, but didn't fully explain the situation..............usually a layoff means out of work 'till who knows when.

Spud immediately PM'd me to ask "Hey, man, did you really loose your job?"
It's been a while, but I haven't forgotten, it was real, and meant a lot. :AOK:

Spudman is indeed a good guy.
So is Sunvalley. He's the other one who asked if I was OK right after I posted I was laid off. Sometimes we have friends we've never seen. :)

(I love hushpuppies and fried fish also, btw.):D

[sunvalleylaw]

Thanks OG! You are a great guy too. You have given so much help! Spud of course is too, and there are a whole lot more here. Group hug time I say!

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[Bloozcat]

:drool: :drool: :drool: :drool:

No fish fry is complete without them...

It has always been a custom when we go out dove hunting up in Georgia to have a fish fry for dinner...catfish and hushpuppies (and yes, I meant dinner is the southern sense...;) )

Just to show that Florida is really a southern state...

There's a small fishing village just south of me where there's a little restaurant that was owned by one of the old Florida cracker fishing families. Best dinner there was a fish basket that consisted of grouper, hush puppies and french fries...all deep fried. We'd order it at the restaurant and they'd deliver it to us two doors down at the "Coconut Bar", where the fishermen would go for a cold beer and a good fight...:D