Saturday, November 12, 2011  USA/UK - Quirky Differences (no
astrology)  Surfing the net, I came across Ask MetaFilter. There
a question was posed by an author seeking information to assist
in his novel featuring an ex-patriot. The question concerned
"quirky" differences between life in the USA and life in
UK/Europe: What Are America's Quirks?  I'm just starting my
eighth year here in the US. Practically every item in the long
list contributed by readers at Ask MetaFilter have been "itches
I needed to scratch" at one time or another - and certain of
them still get to me. A nap selection, with additions of my own,
follows:   Power sockets/electrical plugs are very flimsy
compared to UK ones - the prongs bend and get hot.  Wall
electrical sockets have no switches; just plug in and go.  Small
appliances tend to break or wear out much faster here than in
the UK, and cannot be repaired.  Switches go UP for ON rather
than down as in the UK....this still confuses me!   American
cheese is different from that readily