Why in the USA?

[IanKennedy]

Why in the USA...

Things I've always thought odd about the USA. we've been there quite a few times and a few things I don't understand. Not getting at anyone just fascinated...

feel free to ask... Why in the UK...

[IanKennedy]

So, to start...

Why in the USA... does TV production seem to stop in January and not start again until near the end of February?

Here we have much shorter seasons for TV shows, typically about 8 - 12 episodes and we don't see this sort of thing happening. Even our longer running series, typically soaps which run every week for the whole year, sometime 2 or 3 times a week even don't seem to have breaks like this. So Im fascinated why does this happen?

[T'Pau]

They split up how they air a complete season, to allow for higher ratings when ratings matter.

Also, there can be sporting events that take the time slot, or other special presentations.

[IanKennedy]

One off items here to cause some disruption but yours seems to be many weeks at a time. NCIS for example stopped on January 24 and doesn't restart until February 28.

[T'Pau]

That was likely due to Olympics coverage. Even if it isn't on the same network, other networks rarely air new episodes figuring most viewers are watching Olympic coverage.

[McAvoy]

One off items here to cause some disruption but yours seems to be many weeks at a time. NCIS for example stopped on January 24 and doesn't restart until February 28.

There's many reasons but one of them is give the TV series production a break. Time to rest and perhaps even catch up on future projected episodes.

Though today's modern programming is all over the place for when shows start and end now. I remember shows stopping around Spring time and then doing a final push for last eight to ten episodes before the season finale.

[McAvoy]

I got nothing so far for the UK as anything I can think of is just the quirks of the two English languages. Like the extra u in words, or how to say aluminum or calling a TV show season, series.

[IanKennedy]

To answer these:

- Aluminum is the word in the USA. Aluminium is the word in England. Its not that we say it differently, its that it is spelt differently also.
- It is not just the letter as in Colour. For example the black circles on you car are called Tyres.

Basically our language existed before the printing press. We didn't really have a fixed set of spellings for words. It was only when the press came about that things started to settle down. It didn't really help that the guy in charge of early presses made up a lot of odd spellings. You changed them when you became independent, thus causing the differences. You did seem to give up before completing the process though. For example Knife is still a thing, not Nife.

[McAvoy]

To answer these:

- Aluminum is the word in the USA. Aluminium is the word in England. Its not that we say it differently, its that it is spelt differently also.
- It is not just the letter as in Colour. For example the black circles on you car are called Tyres.

Basically our language existed before the printing press. We didn't really have a fixed set of spellings for words. It was only when the press came about that things started to settle down. It didn't really help that the guy in charge of early presses made up a lot of odd spellings. You changed them when you became independent, thus causing the differences. You did seem to give up before completing the process though. For example Knife is still a thing, not Nife.

I actually figured it was printing press. I have seen the early stuff of printing where they would substitute letters for another and figure 'close enough' or in some cases spelling it as best as they could.

If I recall the beginning of the modern American English language started around early 18th century. And I think the purpose was to go away from British English.

Alunimum versus the aluminium argument came up recently with a British counterpart of me. He says everyone says it that way to their language and Americans say it differently.

Then it went to driving the right side of the road which of course we all know the right side of the road.

I do wonder how come the British doesn't have a bigger presence in Motion Pictures or even TV shows. You guys obviously have the talent, the tech and the skilled manpower.

[IanKennedy]

Alunimum versus the aluminium argument came up recently with a British counterpart of me. He says everyone says it that way to their language and Americans say it differently.

Yes, the international standard is for our spelling, Aluminium and only America says it your way. Even your chemists say it our way.

I actually figured it was printing press. I have seen the early stuff of printing where they would substitute letters for another and figure 'close enough' or in some cases spelling it as best as they could.

Pretty much that, and Wiliam Caxton was a very entertaining speller.

I do wonder how come the British doesn't have a bigger presence in Motion Pictures or even TV shows. You guys obviously have the talent, the tech and the skilled manpower.

We did do. In the 1940-50 we had quite a large industry. Now-a-days we still have a large technical capability with quite a few studios in and around London. For example all the Bond films were filmed here (apart from location footage). Parts of the Marvel movies too.

[McAvoy]

Alunimum versus the aluminium argument came up recently with a British counterpart of me. He says everyone says it that way to their language and Americans say it differently.

Yes, the international standard is for our spelling, Aluminium and only America says it your way. Even your chemists say it our way.

I actually figured it was printing press. I have seen the early stuff of printing where they would substitute letters for another and figure 'close enough' or in some cases spelling it as best as they could.

Pretty much that, and Wiliam Caxton was a very entertaining speller.

I do wonder how come the British doesn't have a bigger presence in Motion Pictures or even TV shows. You guys obviously have the talent, the tech and the skilled manpower.

We did do. In the 1940-50 we had quite a large industry. Now-a-days we still have a large technical capability with quite a few studios in and around London. For example all the Bond films were filmed here (apart from location footage). Parts of the Marvel movies too.

It's kinda funny that spellcheck didn't like the spelling of alumunium.

I am also amused with how in the UK your measurement system is even worse than the US. Take for example BS inch is different from the standard inch. As in working on the Beechjet HAWKER 800XP I need a whole seperate set of wrenches and sockets due to your 9/16 is different from the US 9/16. And don't get me started with what the hell is a stone in weight measurement. Where did that come from and how come a smaller measurement isnt pebble and let's say a ton would be a boulder. Like the HMS FishNChips would weight 10,000 boulders.

[IanKennedy]

Officially, our measurements are metric. Metres and Kg rather then feet and inches. I've not realised that inches are off but I know for sure that gallons are different.

As for Stone it is 14lbs, it does originate from literal stones used as standard weights for goods. It allowed simple balance scales to be used for measurements. About the only thing it is used for now is older peoples weights. A 200lb person would be 14st 4lb. 150lbs 10st 10lbs. I say older people because the youth are all metric only Kgs.

Our road system never got metricated, it is still in miles and are speed limits are all miles per hour. Town roads typically 30mph, larger ones sometimes 40 or 50. Motorways (highways / freeways) 70mph. Petrol is sold in litres but car milage is typically stated in miles/gallon, although there is a push for litres/100Km, which I can't get my head around as the numbers work the other way around. mpg the bigger the better. Litres/100Km, the smaller the better.

The thing we are really screwy over is temperatures. If it is hot your older person will say it is 70 or 80, which is fahrenheit. If it is cold we would say it is 0 or -5 (ie freezing or less) which is Celsius. I don't think anyone here would think of 32 as freezing.

ps. It is not alumunium, it is aluminium pronounced Alu-min-ium rather than Alum-inum.

[McAvoy]

Ahh yeah. I didn't catch that spelling.

Reminds me about the spelling of gray or grey. Turns out it's easy to remember. A for America and E for England. I used to interchange the spelling alot and apparently I wasn't the only one.

I joke that Fahrenheit is actually metric for the human body comfort. That each 10 degrees feels distinctly different. The freezing temperature of watsr isn't really that cold to humans. But zero and below is cold as hell. Just like 100 and over is hot as hell.

BTW, planes are built using SAE as in English measurement tools. 1/4" for wiring bundle clamps, 3/8" or 7/16" are a common size for many things. The tools are easy to get used to, you just look at the bolt or nut and know what you need. That could be easily metric given practice.

I do wonder if 1/4 or 3/8 drive ratchets are in metric in Europe though.

My first day I was in England we went to get a cup of coffee. I was asked black or white. Imagine my glee think white was something new. Then the girl told me in a disgusted (as in dumb American) tone that white means milk. As in cows milk. Always thought about that. What would true white coffee taste like and do you guys use other animal milk for coffee?

[IanKennedy]

Tools are available in both metric and imperial in the UK. Your typical socket set comes with both in one box. Sockets for metric are in mm with everything from around 8mm up to very large sizes.

We never use anything other than cows milk really. Apart from the vegan mob which has a large growing contingent of new "milk". Almond is quite common. None are really milk.

[McAvoy]

Tools are available in both metric and imperial in the UK. Your typical socket set comes with both in one box. Sockets for metric are in mm with everything from around 8mm up to very large sizes.

We never use anything other than cows milk really. Apart from the vegan mob which has a large growing contingent of new "milk". Almond is quite common. None are really milk.

We do too for sockets and wrenches. I meant the ratchet itself. There are multiple sizes, but the two most common are 1/4" and the 3/8". That is the size of the square part of the socket and ratchet.