How Quaint We are...

[Arti]

Watching something on telly the other night, somebody who was having a bad time of it was offered, 'a nice cup of tea and biscuit'. It got me thinking. You'd never see such a thing in, say, the US. How quaint are we in the UK? Are there other countries that have quaint customs like ours? What quaint things do you like about the UK?

[Clanad]

Here in the U.S. we have so many regional divisions as well as cultural divisions that there's truly a plethora of what would be considered quaint customs.
Near where I live we have a super-abundance of Norwegians and some Swedes as a result of the migrations in the 1870's and afterward. Many of these are only one or two generations removed from the original settlers. One thing often heard is, after listening sympathetically to a friend or neighbors sad story is the exclamation "Uff da!... come... sit down... eat some lefse! (Or kuchen just as often).
In the south where I grew up with grandparents one herad and still does " Honey chile... (dripping with the silky smooth southern accent) it's gonna be Okay... here have some blackberry pie (or pecan pie, or a full meal, prepared in about 15 minutes)..." Always seems to revolve around food... especially what we call "comfort food"...

[douglas9401]

I love the way that the more heinous the crime, the more the powers that be seem to fall over themselves in a race to give comfort, solace and resources to the perpetrator leaving victims wondering where it all went wrong.

[moralman]

have you posted in the correct thread, douglas?

[douglas9401]

Yeah, sorry about that, it's just the place I'm in today. I should keep my sarcasm for Facebook.
Normal service will resume soon :)

[wolf63]

A quaint Scottish 'tradition' is - upon arriving at the home of a relative or friend or even a hotel is for the resident to say "You'll have had your dinner".

This translates as - I had no intention of feeding you, but if you are really hungry I suppose I could find something for you to eat.

;-)

[douglas9401]

More of an Edinburgh tradition there wolf63, more usually "you'll have had your tea". :)
Tends to be said by the "fur coat and nae knickers" poshistas.

[annominous]

Wolf and Douglas
You've been watching too many Stanley Baxter DVDs
In real life, Scots are the most generous people on earth. It's just that we like laughing at ourselves. Another endearing feature.
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[jno]

So I gather from Clanad's post that an American who'd had a bad time would be offered a nice cup of tea and a swede? I'd prefer a shortbread myself.

[douglas9401]

Och annominous, I'm sending my personal humour radar engineer to check your array. It seems to be slightly out of alignment.
Living as I do a mere 18 miles from the capital and it's more pan-loafy environs I feel eminently qualified to pass comment on the citizenry.
Gardy loo and lang may yer lum reek! :D

[wolf63]

annominous - douglas's handsome looking avatar picture surely hints at the fact that he is Scottish.

I live smack bang in the middle of the Fair City.

"Furryboots ye fae?"

[Quassia]

How about our traditional milkman? The doorstep delivery is quaint I think :0)

[annominous]

Hi Wolf
Douglas is indeed a handsome specimen with a great sense of humour but watch out for those horns!

Ah'm fae Lenzie masel', Deepest, darkest Lenzie, home of the deliquent octogenarian.
Would rather live in the Fair City, though.
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