I just looked up Christmas crackers. I had assumed them to be more like Diwali crackers(fireworks).

 

Now I'm picturing all of those pureblood-superiority fics in a completely different light:

 

After looking up Christmas crackers, I was like, "Oh, New Years poppers" lol. But my biggest thing wasn't like Hagrid's accent or anything because my family is all Southern USA, but because I first was exposed to HP in 1st grade, I thought castles were legitimately not a thing. Like, I'd only ever heard of them in a fictional context (LotR, HP, etc), and there are obviously no castles in Great Lakes America, so until I found out that there are plenty of castles scattered around the British Isles, I thought that was completely made up.

Also, I thought Yule was made up lmao. I was like, "Ah yes, this made up magical holiday is cool."

 

This is blowing my mind.

You guys know about black pudding, right?

 

Not really a British thing so much as a language thing, but I remember being told by a friend that the word "expelled" was just a Harry Potter thing (like ex-spelled) and the correct word was excluded.

 

To be honest, the word "Expelled" isn't all that common in the UK for when referring to someone getting kicked out of school. We usually just "Suspended" or "Permanently Suspended".

I think Rowling might have just used "Expelled" as it's more recognisable to international readers. UK readers knew what it is but that's mainly because the demographic that would have been reading Harry Potter (Children to Teenagers/Young Adults) would have watched American Shows where the word is often used.

 

I totally thought that "wireless" was a wizard name for radio, though that's probably more an English language thing than just British.

 

Not true. Maybe an Aussie thing, but we definitely had Shep's pies that were basically meat pies with mash on top.

 

I second @Sorrows. Shepard's pie and Cottage pie should never have pastry.

 

I found out about black pudding from an episode of How It's Made when I was like 8 or 9, and jfc. They say hotdogs are gross, but like. N-ope. My little kid brain was horrified. Now I just kinda accept that it's not something I'd try overseas lol.

 

I mean, odd hill to die on. It's a meat pie with mash on top... and it exists. That's all.

 

Spell-o-tape being based on a real thing. I think that's it.

 

Bump.

Today I learned a hogshead is a large cask of liquid, a unit of measurement. Thought it was just a nonsense bar name tbh.

 

Man, I haven't had rock cakes in years.

 

How can crackers not be a thing in America? They're like explosives you have at your table while eating too much. That's like the most American think ever.

 

Fuck if I know, but I never heard of them growing up, and I've never known anyone else from the US who has.

 

The entire Forest of Dean

 

They are a thing in the US. I've seen them. I know Walmart sells them in the same place they sell those little confetti bombs and harmless noisemaker toys that show up on holidays. They just aren't popular. We prefer our explosives (fireworks) to at least potentially take off a finger or two to be considered worth buying, otherwise what's the point? I grew up when an M-80 was an actual M-80 and not the little kiddie toys they sell now.

*old granny voice* Back in my day we blew up mailboxes with the crap we bought. Now they just blacken the metal a little; shit buffs right off.