Thursday, April 03, 2025

What childhood misconception did you have about any UK tradition or concept that sounds hilariously stupid in retrospect?

 

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What childhood misconception did you have about any UK tradition or concept that sounds hilariously stupid in retrospect?

When I was in elementary school (your "primary" school), I learned about Guy Fawkes night. I didn't know what "effigy" meant, so I thought, upon reading that "effigies" of Guy Fawkes were burned at the stake every November 5th, that meant people who looked like Guy Fawkes.

So I essentially thought that anybody who were doppelgängers of Guy Fawkes would be captured then burned alive on November 5th, so I had hoped to never end up looking anything like Guy Fawkes if I ever ended up moving to the UK.

Then later on, I figured out an effigy was just essentially a straw mannequin, not a real person who was a lookalike.

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[–]Jills89 23 points  

I originally thought CofE meant “Centre of excellence” 😩

[–]ReySpacefighter 111 points  

That's a creamy tea.

[–]sihasihasi 27 points  

You look nice, Gibby

[–]kiteloopy 8 points  

Wilson!

[–]ReySpacefighter 1 point  

Careful, too much might give you the fat legs.

[–]dafyd_d 1 point  

I need to use the facilities

[–]Simbooptendo 5 points  

Lovely and thhhick

[–]sole_food_kitchen 74 points  

I went to my first afternoon cream tea in a 5 Star hotel when I was about 12. I picked up the cream and spooned it into my tea so it looked like a cappuccino. The wait staff were lovely, didn’t mention it all and brought more cream

[–]lankymjc 25 points  

You know the place is actually fancy when they don’t enforce the rules, they just let you do what you want and allow societal pressure (and advertising only to particular clientele) to do the rest.

[–]0oO1lI9LJk 34 points  

I... I thought that up until right now. What is it then?

[–]Personal-Listen-4941 15 points  

It’s cream (cakes & scones served with) tea.

[–]Srapture 4 points  

TIL. I also thought the tea itself was creamy somehow.

[–]ChallengingKumquat 14 points  

I only found out a couple of years ago, when someone asked if I'd like to join them for cream tea, and I said I don't like cream, or tea. He explained I could have a cream tea without having cream or tea, and just eat sandwiches and scones. Like, seriously, why is butties and scones called cream tea? I just called it lunch.

[–]SMTRodent 11 points  

A cream tea has cream cakes. Otherwise it's just a tea or high tea.

[–]False_Preparation188 12 points  

Scones and sandwiches

[–]lace_roses 52 points  

Scones and sandwiches (and cakes) is an afternoon tea. A cream tea is a scone with clotted cream and jam.

[–]TheCarrot007 -5 points  

that's afternoon tea. cream tea is a tea with cream (at least in certain parts, I dread tho think which part calls things that way).

[–]False_Preparation188 -2 points  

Scones and sandwiches

[–]RedHairedRob 3 points  

Wait, what is a cream tea?

[–]SMTRodent 4 points  

Tea, scones, clotted cream and jam. The cream goes on the scones. Also cream cakes and sandwiches.

[–]Key-Twist596 5 points  

If it has sandwiches and other cakes it's afternoon tea. A cream tea is just tea and scones.

[–]VFiddly 1 point  

I always have cream tea with coffee instead of tea and with no cream on my scones. So a cream tea with no cream or tea.

[–]snarfalicious420 -12 points  

Errr.....

[–]LittleSadRufus 82 points  

That's interesting as I'm a middle aged gay man and same sex parent who's been out for three decades, and I think I've encountered homophobia once in the UK, and it was the shitty teenagers you mentioned, about 20 years ago. I wonder what accounts for such a significant difference in experience. 

All but one of my friends had very positive coming out experiences too, with the one who didn't having had much older parents, which was the other group you flagged as potentially homophobic (Although meanwhile, my late 80s grandparents couldn't have been more loving when I came out to them in the early 2000s).

[–]ceelo_purple 29 points  

I think it's one of those things where people of like-minds cluster, so it's easy to assume everybody has similar mindset and experiences to you because you're in a bit of a bubble.

[–]SmileAndLaughrica 38 points  

I’m 25 and I know two people about my age who went through some sort of conversion therapy. I mean it’s not banned in the UK to this day

[–]theredvip3r 8 points  

It's not !? Jesus I just assumed that we'd sorted that and banned it long ago.

[–]PabloMarmite 20 points  

It was in the last King’s Speech so should happen soon. The last Parliament actually introduced a bill to ban it but then fell out over whether to include trans conversion or not and the bill never got anywhere.

[–]dudeyaaaas 3 points  

What does conversion therapy entail? Is it meds? Electrodes? A therapist who talks to you? Watching hypnosis stuff? I'm intrigued if they still do these things, in 2025!

[–]Dry-Ad3111 7 points  

Age 24 here!

I was given a form of conversion therapy within GIDS (the children’s gender clinic) between 2017-19. They called it ‘desistance therapy’.

It was very circular conversations with the ‘psychologists’ - “you’re not trans” “yes I am” “why do you think you are?” “Because I am?” “But you’re not trans and your mum doesn’t think you are either”.

I went through that every couple of months for 2 years until I could finally go through to the adult clinic and finally get a basic level of support in describing my feelings and thoughts.

[–]dudeyaaaas 3 points  

Unhelpful or what. Sorry you had to deal with it. 

[–]olagorie 0 points  

Big hug! 🤗

[–]VillageHorse 73 points  

I ask myself the same question every working day

[–]melijoray 17 points  

I like that one!

[–]Independent_Pie5933 2 points  

For years, our city's second-run movie theatre, then owned by a Jewish dude, was the Roxy Cinegogue!

[–]CarpeCyprinidae 10 points  

Well to be fair their counting does seem to get hung up at 1690

[–][deleted] 2 points  

Wrong foot

[–]grizmawe 11 points  

To be fair they did supposedly expect to split 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish five thousand ways so they could probably do with brushing up on it a bit :p

[–]lorelai_lq 1 point  

Happy cake day! 🥳

[–]DasIstNumberwanggg 50 points  

That would have been an incredibly long walk to freedom 😁.

[–]Tattycakes 1 point  

Looooool

[–]bopeepsheep 16 points  

Same, particularly since it was guerillas in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe (late 70s) and I knew gorillas lived in Africa...

[–]House_Of_Thoth 22 points  

Well, I'll never un-read and un-hear that! 😅

[–]inevitablelizard 12 points  

r/boneappletea

[–]Ok-Decision403 22 points  

I asked my mother if we could also help the police with their enquiries, after hearing this expression so much on the news.

[–]House_Of_Thoth 10 points  

I'm pretty sure I'm remembering being a similar age, "hearing/interpreting" the same thing!!

[–]SilverGirlSails 13 points  

Exactly. I watched a lot of Looney Tunes and Tom & Jerry; I probably got the idea from them or something similar.

[–]House_Of_Thoth 27 points  

I was a youngster growing up on a naval base, we had mirrors to check underneath the car for bombs. I'm pretty sure that's caused me massive trauma neurologically that I hadn't unpacked for many years before therapy for a whole heap of other shit!!

[–]Beneficial_Noise_691 8 points  

I'm 44, I never lived in N.I.

I won't walk between a wall and a lone car if I can help it, my dad passed his PTSD straight to me.

I know it's mental but if its any car in a no parking area against a wall, I'm walking road side.

[–]House_Of_Thoth 12 points  

I was in the South of England at the time on base, only about 4-5 and still to this day when I get in the car, a tiny corner of my brain glances at the bottom of the car and remembering being small and wondering why my dad had a big mirror on a pole that we had to use before going anywhere.

Generational trauma hits deep my friend 🫂

I try and remember that we (me and my family) got through unscathed, thankfully. Sadly, many didn't have it so lucky. Colonialism and religion, never a healthy mix!

[–]Beneficial_Noise_691 4 points  

I was working for a big pharma company in a previous career, there was a credible threat due to animal testing and part of the document was car checks pre-starting the engine.

It was at that point I realised I checked for tamper and other items whenever I have parked it anywhere my brain processed as "not safe".

Work car park, no check, train station, full check including tyres and rear of wheels and unlocking from maximum distance. Mental how trauma bleeds through just from watching you dad.

I need to confirm, i do not see it as personal trauma, but my dad didn't pick these habits up because he wanted too.

[–]House_Of_Thoth 2 points  

It's showing quite the difference between me not being very cognisant at the time of what was going on, I wonder if I sensed the anxiety but not understanding it lead me with issues that would have manifested differently had I been a bit older, like you mention about checking for tamper in other places - that's not something I can relate to as I didn't know what was going on - but I can totally see you and feel you, my friend 🙏🏻 For me - I lost my dad a few years ago and I think I have a lot of unanswered questions that only he could ever answer these days, and the longer term impact feels murky for me; as in just starting to unfold these topics. Checking under the car was something my mum mentioned last year that I suspect triggered an episode in me (I'm bipolar) with realising a few things when you get the blanks filled in at a later date and made a lot of sense about my generalised anxiety as it used to be called!

[–]Beneficial_Noise_691 2 points  

The fun of being raised by a sociopath (diagnosed) mother and having holidays with my PTSD suffering father and my stepmum who is awesome gave me a rather entertaining set of childhood memories, add being ADD diagnosed in 1990, i could be "entertaining" as well and there was a lot of chaos.

Amazingly the mental mostly evend out, I turned out much less fucked up than many who were in more conventional families.

I feel for you about how your parents managed it, I always try to remember non of it was malicious, it was how they were fucked up by their parents and childhood.

[–]House_Of_Thoth 3 points  

So relatable in many ways. Also had my 90s ADHD diagnosis, and glad to hear you're less fucked up than many 😎

I don't think my dad really did handle it, but I think he tried to keep strong for everyone... I'm pretty sure my Dad had ongoing PTSD that he used to drink away on an evening. Having a pint of cider seemed so normalised -(and not that a young kid like me was counting at the time - only years later my nan told me he used to drink 4litres of white lightening on a Friday/Saturday/Sunday - my dad was in the navy then the police, then out fighting pirates off the Africa coast doing private security. Before he died he told me stories of scraping bodies off the tarmac & bloated deceased in the police, and shooting skiffs off of Somalia and knowing that the craft they'd just sank was going to kill the 5 guys manning it, but that's an act that has consequences, and my dad - from what I could tell at least - seemed to try and be on "the right side" of the "wrong things" in life. My nan and grandad both drinking casually on an evening too. All 3 dead now, all in their 60s. Nan & Gramp to multiple cancers, Dad to a motorbike crash I had a suspected feeling might have been a decision he took to relieve some of his own issues, and not "leave a suicide trail" ... One of those answers I'll never get. He saw a lot, spoke of it a little, put on a brave face and always got up for work and did what a man's gotta do ... The trauma of losing his parents to the cancer, they were both in awful ways, and losing my dad has let me glimpse some of his grief. Deep down, I wonder if my dad had a cancer diagnosis, kept it to himself, couldn't handle going through the agony of what his parents had just been through, add that along with all of the other PTSD maybe he just decided to leave his helmet unbuttoned one day and race up the motorway until he got his "out" and - in his mind - gave everybody the "easier option".

Man, that was quite a vent - and a right ramble! Thanks for opening up mate, it's certainly helping me do the same ❤️‍🩹

Reminding me of the Philip Larkin poem...

They fuck you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had And add some extra, just for you.

But they were fucked up in their turn By fools in old-style hats and coats,
Who half the time were soppy-stern And half at one another’s throats.

Man hands on misery to man. It deepens like a coastal shelf. Get out as early as you can, And don’t have any kids yourself.

[–]Beneficial_Noise_691 1 point  

You can't keep it in man, a vent is very helpful periodically. Love that bit of Larkin.

[–][deleted]  

[deleted]

[–]Beneficial_Noise_691 1 point  

No, I'm often having 2 different tones of conversation at the same time depending on the sub I'm in.

You need to stalk harder.

[–]Beneficial_Noise_691 1 point  

That is also to say, I do my angriest rants when waiting for engineers, it's a coping method because it will be hours of waiting for a man to come press reset.

[–]sole_food_kitchen 6 points  

We had those too but I’m legit fine

[–]House_Of_Thoth 3 points  

I can only be glad to hear this 🙏🏻 definitely not a bad thing!!

[–]ChallengingKumquat 7 points  

I grew up during the troubles. I thought they were weekly finding bodies with no heads on the news.

I'm still confused. I didn't know this happened a lot during that time. Why were removing people's heads? Just as a way to say fuck you and demean the other side? Or had you just imagined they were finding headless bodies because you heard the word 'body' and assumed it meant headless body? Or did people's heads get blown off from bombs?

[–]sole_food_kitchen 19 points  

…no when you find a dead person it’s called finding a body. The head is still on. I was 7 and didn’t know the term

[–]tiptoe_only 7 points  

That would make more sense if it were midnight, since :00 is "o'clock"!

[–][deleted] 2 points  

I was never awake at midnight as a 4 year old though, also it was the 80s so it wasn’t a digital clock

[–]dudeyaaaas 7 points  

Memory unlocked! I used to look into the fire looking for a man being burned. Then look into the crowd to see if any man was tied up. I was really relieved when the fire bit was over.

[–]Maus_Sveti 47 points  

Not UK-specific, but the lift at my mum’s work had a sign saying “do not use in case of fire” which I interpreted as “never use, lest there should be a fire”, and was always fretting that we were doing something bad by being in there. I never stopped to wonder why the lift even existed in that case.

[–]tiptoe_only 9 points  

I thought that about all the signs that said "in case of fire, pull alarm" or whatever. Always wondered how people knew when was the right time to do it to stop the fire happening.

[–]RagnarokSleeps 5 points  

I thought that too!

[–]melijoray 37 points  

I thought my Uncle Lloyd was in Pink Floyd and the joke is he isn't pink, he's brown.

[–]wildOldcheesecake 12 points  

The only reason why I could be arsed to go to my brothers football matches on a cold Sunday morning was purely for the cup of hot bovril! Always tasted much better than if we made it at home

[–]NeddTwo 2 points  

Flask of Bovril when out on a hike or whatever - can't beat the stuff! My go-to on toast in the morning as well.

[–]wildOldcheesecake 3 points  

Yes, on toast it’s lush! Do you happen to like marmite? See, I don’t care for marmite but do like bovril.

[–]NeddTwo 1 point  

Love Marmite, and anything 'marmitey' such as Twiglets. Tried Vegemite but it's a poor imitation of Marmite. The good thing about Marmite is it's vegetable so doesn't have the animal fats of something like Bovril, which is always a concern with the furring up the old arteries, but it just tastes sooo good!

[–]wildOldcheesecake 0 points  

Is marmite actually a vegetable then? Mind blown!

I’ve tried to like marmite, I always do give it a go when i happen to catch my husband eating marmite on toast. I just cannot get on board. Don’t care for tiwglets either. But I love using marmite when cooking. Adds a lovely depth

I’ve not tried Vegemite but if you don’t like it, I probably won’t either haha

[–]NeddTwo 4 points  

No! It's not 'a' vegetable as in an actual plant, it's 'vegetable' in the fact it's a by-product of yeast - it's basically the 'sludge' that's left in the bottom of the brewing vats once the beer has brewed and the vat is emptied. There is a thick black sludge in the bottom which is sucked out by Marmite tankers and taken to the Marmite factory, where it is 'cleaned', has some salt added to give it a bit more flavour, and put into Marmite jars. A truly natural vegetarian product.

Source: I worked in a brewery many years ago and tried the sludge from the tanks - it was 'marmitey' but lacked the saltiness of the finished jar stuff. I also used to watch the Marmite tankers come in and suck all the 'marmite' sludge out of the brewing tanks (11,000 Gallon tanks). There's a LOT of 'marmite' in each tank.

[–]wildOldcheesecake 1 point  

Oh I know it wasn’t an actual vegetable in that sense. But yes, I did have a juvenile idea about the yeastiness of the product. You’ve clarified it for me and I’ve learnt something new so cheers.

Have you always like marmite then? Or did you grow to like it because of this experience? I’m not against liking it one day though I wish it would hurry up and make its presence known in a good way for me haha

[–]NeddTwo 2 points  

I've loved Marmite since I was about 18 months old! My dad used to give it us kids spread on bread and butter 'fingers'. Same with my two brothers - we all love it. To be honest, if you don't like it now, I don't think you ever will - I think it's an instant love or hate product.

It's strange that you like strong tasting spreads like Bovril, but not Marmite - although to be fair, marmite is very strong compared to Bovril.

Just a thought - you're not spreading it like jam are you? Marmite needs to be 'dabbed' over the toast, about a 1p piece sized bit on the end of your knife, and dab it all over. If you're spreading it like jam you'll be burning your gums off!

[–]wildOldcheesecake 1 point  

Oh what a sweet anecdote, thanks for sharing. It’s similar for me with coffee. My dad would share his cup with me before he went off to work so I’ve loved coffee since I was wee. But sadly, I do think you’re right.

Bovril is so savoury and I suspect the meaty aspect helps. I used to love sucking on oxo cubes as a child too. During the winter, I like to drink stock in a cup. This definitely stems from having drunk beef tea during those morning matches. Probably not great for health in terms of sodium levels but it’s great for the soul!

And no, I’m spreading it with the lightest of hands and even then it’s too rich for me. It’s something short of mad though because it works so well when used as an ingredient for cooking.

[–]darlingisthatmymop 1 point  

I fully thought that until right now!

[–]Careless_Storage_221 24 points  

Crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing, when my mum said to wait for the green man I’d be on full lookout for a fully painted green man to present himself

[–]AnxiousTerminator 23 points  

I thought 'Father Christmas' was Jesus's dad when I was young. Church school weren't best pleased with my parents about that.

[–]grizzlygoose6 5 points  

Yes! For so long I thought it was trickle treat

[–]redster55 23 points  

I used to think that if a barber asked you if you wanted "something for the weekend" it would mean that they would cut your hair a little bit shorter so you'd look extra smart on a Monday morning!

[–]ChallengingKumquat 18 points  

I never heard this till googling it just now. If anyone else is wondering, it apparently means the barber will give you condoms. That's bizarre as hell.

[–]ignatiusjreillyXM 12 points  

Dates back to when they were not readily available in supermarkets or on the shelves at Boots

[–][deleted] 3 points  

Was this a thing?

[–]tiptoe_only 10 points  

I never knew what that question meant until I saw your comment just now and googled it 😆

[–]Craphex 17 points  

That fondu was illegal. I believed that for many years and my wife still brings it up.

[–]sedtamenveniunt 8 points  

STOP RIGHT THERE CRIMINAL SCUM

[–]Mindless_Fig_7652 8 points  

I love this! Where do you think this misconception came from?

[–]solongandboring 2 points  

No way I believed this too! Where did it come from?

[–]_a_m_s_m[🍰] 17 points  

I believed Arsène Wenger owned Arsenal or the other other way around, or had some sort of association as their names were so similar.

[–]HeavenDraven 3 points  

At least you didn't think your Mum spent the day in the toilet like one of my childhood friends did!

In her defence, her Mum was a cleaner, so the logic makes sense, even if misplaced - it's a Bank Holiday, so fewer people are in, so you get all the toilets cleaned in one go.

[–]FloofyRaptor 2 points  

If her Mum was a cleaner I can absolutely see the logic! My mum worked in a shop, but if there wasn't a place called Looe I might well have thought the same thing.

[–]Teawillfixit 5 points  

I thought mince pies were meat up until my 20s, when I said it out loud to a freind. They found it hilarious, I did not. Turns out I don't like them meat or no meat so nothing much lost through 20 odd years of refusing them.

[–]PoetryNo912 8 points  

I got really confused about the whole Guy Fawkes story and for years thought the fireworks were to celebrate him trying to blow up Parliament.

[–]Sailing-Mad-Girl 5 points  

Wait, aren't they? I've always been really proud that we had a tradition of celebrating a rebel!

[–]HeavenDraven 6 points  

Lol, given the current state of politics, I can't Blame people for thinking that.

We're supposed to be celebrating that an act of terrorism was thwarted, which is why it was quite so ridiculous that people started demanding an end to Guy Fawkes' night after 9/11

[–]Foddley 7 points  

This must have been Year 1. When it was explained that we were soon to have a fire drill, i had a meltdown thinking drills would come through the walls to seek and destroy anything on fire.

As for Guy Fawkes, the sense of a person being set on fire like that really hit me hard the first time i saw the effigy burning. I didn't want anything to do with it for quite a few years.

[–]Enjoyingmydays 3 points  

That people say "How do you do?" to each other when they meet

[–][deleted] 3 points  

What's your confusion about that?

[–][deleted] 1 point  

I assure you, they do.

[–]LobsterMountain4036 1 point  

Did they not have dictionaries at your school?

[–][deleted]  

[deleted]

[–]Sailing-Mad-Girl 3 points  

What's the point of you?

A discussion that entertains other people is allowed even if YOU are not interested. Scroll on

[–]wildOldcheesecake -19 points  

Not a surprise when they don’t have geography lessons over there. It’s not considered “a stem.”

[–]jlanger23 13 points  

Geography is taught here, but it usually falls under the umbrella of Social Studies. It's also dependent on each state's education standards. One state may require it to be taught as a separate course, while another combines it with history.

[–]wildOldcheesecake 12 points  

Not in the manner that it is taught here. It is a core subject and split into human, social and scientific geography. This does not change between the home nations and it is not up for debate. It is far too complex and nuanced to be combined with any other subject.

You may have been briefly taught about the rest of the world but given my interaction with Americans, their geographical knowledge about even their own country is seriously lacking. I truly find it hard to believe that the subject is taught to the extent that British children are taught.

[–]jlanger23 2 points  

I don't disagree with you on that! I also took geography in college, and it was more along the lines of what you're talking about. It involved everything from topography to seismology in regions. I remember that because I remember thinking that geography was way more in-depth than the basic memorization of locations that we learned in high school.

I do wish it was taught to the same extent! It is sad when I have to explain basic geography to people. I loved National Geographic as a kid and ate up any knowledge I could get to learn about the world. I forget how little some people care about that, unfortunately. So yeah, we are taught geography, but often fail to stress the importance of it beyond basic recall of locations.

[–]wildOldcheesecake 3 points  

It’s a shame I agree. Because the US has produced some of the most brightest folks out there. I dare say with some reform, you could have even more such persons. But somehow I don’t think such change will come into fruition anytime soon. Certainly not now

Still, you seem to be one of the very few sane American folk that I see on here. It’s incredibly refreshing to see. You’re a fine example of an intelligent American

Have you spoken about education on this sub before by any chance? I feel I may have had a conversation with you a while back regarding a different educational matter

[–]jlanger23 2 points  

I do appreciate that! I went to the UK last summer and I do have to say that, from what I saw, you don't always get the best of us representing the U.S. My wife and I got annoyed plenty of times by how we could always pick fellow Americans out of groups and restaurants by them being loud and somewhat demanding. A lot of those types annoy folks here too though, and I think there are probably many Americans there that don't get noticed, like my wife and and I because we try to be respectful and remain low-key. We were confused for locals once for the sole reason that we were "soft-spoken," which is kind of sad ha. Didn't mean to go on a mini-rant here, but it's a shame that people think the majority of us are like that. I get it though!

I don't think I have! I originally chimed in to learn more while planning our trip last year. As a teacher though, I have been curious as to the differences between our education systems. Ours problem multi-faceted and, I know it sounds like a cop-out, but change in parenting-styles has affected a lot of our kids in the last decade. I watched Adolescence recently and the chaos in the school system wasn't too far off from what teachers experience here.

[–]wildOldcheesecake 1 point  

Ah rant away, what is Reddit for if it’s not meant to be used in this manner and related? I know on UK Reddit subs you may find folks tend to lean into hating Americans. But Reddit isn’t reflective of society, though you know this anyway. My own experience with Americans has been fairly pleasant and I know I’m not alone here. It’s just that you’re a little loud and a bit aloof at times. But friendly nonetheless. And I suppose we Brits have a certain reputation in some countries and it would be silly of me to deny the existence of this. So I can also relate here.

I definitely did have a discussion on the subject of education with another American a while back. The fact that it wasn’t you and it was someone else just corroborates my earlier point that intelligent and sensible everyday Americans like yourself certainly exist.

Our education is not without its faults either otherwise we’d have the best system! But we don’t. I believe Finland beats us there but that’s me recalling something I read a year ago so don’t take my word for it. Agree on the point that parenting styles have changed. I dare say that the lack of parenting and expectation on teachers to do the parenting has only made things worse.

[–]No_Coyote_557 7 points  

Does your geography extend beyond the borders of the USA?

[–]jlanger23 12 points  

It does! I remember learning countries and capitals when I was in school almost twenty years ago. It was one of my favorite subjects and got me interested in different world cultures.

I just googled it, and apparently only 20 states require geography to graduate, but I feel like that might be misleading as our geography standards are typically combined with history. So, 20 states may require geography as a separate credit, but the other 30 states most likely teach it in social studies.

As a teacher myself, I will admit that I'd like it to be a separate credit though. World geography deserves to get at least a full semester devoted to it.

[–]CongealedBeanKingdom 2 points  

See you guys call it 'world geography ' but everyone else just calls it geography.

[–]Old_Introduction_395 3 points  

Oxbow lakes, onion weathering, geography aged 11.

[–]jlanger23 2 points  

Well, it's just called Geography for us, when it's a separate class from history, but I put world to avoid the implication that it's just U.S-centric.

[–]Imtryingforheckssake 2 points  

I did my GCSEs 30 years ago and while we studied geography, history and RE as 3 separate subjects we only had to choose a minimum of 1 of those 3 to study as a GCSE.

[–]wildOldcheesecake 3 points  

I sat mine in 2015. RE was a mandatory GCSE, you could choose between history or geography but had to pick one of the two. I chose to study both.

Nonetheless, all three are still taught as core subjects.

[–]Imtryingforheckssake 1 point  

I'll be honest I chose RE as it was the easiest. But my point is even in the UK different people will have had different levels of education in those subjects by the time they take exams and leave school.

[–]wildOldcheesecake 2 points  

Oh I agree. But in terms of what is dictated by the national curriculum, those subjects will be taught as core subjects up until GCSE level. And even then, you’re still required to study one or the other. Whether that individual retains the knowledge or is able to actually do well in that subject is another matter.

RE was also a very easy GCSE for me too. I remember just linking many of my points back to “love thy neighbour” haha

[–]ChocolateCake16 0 points  

Maybe my experience is different (but I doubt it, considering my school taught us that evolution wasn't real and spent a significant chunk of time on the Crusades), but yes, it extended beyond the US. Didn't learn about ancient Mesopotamia until high school/college, but they taught us about the development of the British Isles, the Saxons, Angles and Celts, the spread of Islam (and architecture) in the Middle East, along with the dynasties of ancient China, bits and pieces about the Mayans, various things about Egypt, the Bubonic Plague, etc.

[–]No_Coyote_557 10 points  

That's history, not geography. Geography combines geology, anthropology and economic geography. Along with paleontology.

[–]ChocolateCake16 -1 points  

Geography and history are taught together most of the time in the US, with land maps about how historical societies evolved their territories. Can't learn about Mesopotamia without understanding the Fertile Crescent, can't learn about Egypt without knowing about the Nile and the Sahara, and most empires are measured in part by the amount and location of their territories throughout their reign.

But yes, things like Pangea and mountain ranges and rivers on other contintents are taught in the US. Although paleontology falls under Science classes here, and anthropology falls under history. And geology mostly falls under science (if we're talking types of rocks and tectonic plates. Names and important structures are still under geography.)

Geography has a narrower definition in the US, mostly encompassing things like the names and locations of major mountain ranges/rivers/oceans, etc. and modern-day borders (although there's less emphasis placed on borders because they're not nearly as permanent as the actual land features).

[–]wildOldcheesecake 2 points  

American education seems to just combine these subjects. Why? You mention learning about the spread of Islam. Well that would be taught in a completely separate subject known as Religious Education (RE).

[–]CongealedBeanKingdom 2 points  

Because they're about other places therefore condensed into one singular subject.

[–]wildOldcheesecake 2 points  

Extremely complex and therefore requires to be taught within a standalone subject. I agree.

[–]ChocolateCake16 0 points  

It was a religious (Christian) school, so that might be why there was an emphasis on the spread of Islam. I believe there was a unit on Judaism as well, and one about Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism. I think it's part of history in the US because you can't fully separate religious influence from history in the same way you can't separate racial influences from history.

Also, I'm guessing the idea behind geography and history being combined is that one of the reasons country and continent borders are drawn the way they are is because of historical deals and conflicts.

Overall, our courses just fit more subject matter under one subject instead of spreading it out over multiple courses. Social studies often covers history, geography, and civics. English covers reading and writing at the lower levels, and poetry, comprehension, and higher-level writing at the upper levels. In the lower levels, science can mean anything from environmental science to food science, biology or chemistry. (Although these are usually diversified in upper-level classes)

Notably, even at a college level, we still have to take the core classes like history and english and math alongside degree-specific courses. So we don't just stop learning those things at 18; general education continues throughout college.

[–]wildOldcheesecake 2 points  

I went to a catholic school and RE was taught as a stand alone core subject. This subject is taught right from infants and I suspect it’s because the UK is incredibly multicultural. Social studies is what we know as sociology and PSHE.

Again, I feel History, Geography, RE and PSHE are far too complex to be combined.

[–]No_Coyote_557 1 point  

It sometimes seems like knowledge is taboo in the US. Work of the devil, perhaps?

[–]wildOldcheesecake 1 point  

Given the current situation and related, it’s no surprise.

[–]ChocolateCake16 0 points  

If I'm understanding it right, PSHE falls more under sex ed/health classes in the US, (with the exception of money management/budgeting, which is taught in either math classes or some schools have personal finance or economics as electives).

[–]wildOldcheesecake 2 points  

Not just that, though it is a component yes. Teaches social, economic and personal health. Any topics akin to those three will fall into this subject too

 

[–]wildOldcheesecake 1 point  

Oh what a sweet anecdote, thanks for sharing. It’s similar for me with coffee. My dad would share his cup with me before he went off to work so I’ve loved coffee since I was wee. But sadly, I do think you’re right.

Bovril is so savoury and I suspect the meaty aspect helps. I used to love sucking on oxo cubes as a child too. During the winter, I like to drink stock in a cup. This definitely stems from having drunk beef tea during those morning matches. Probably not great for health in terms of sodium levels but it’s great for the soul!

And no, I’m spreading it with the lightest of hands and even then it’s too rich for me. It’s something short of mad though because it works so well when used as an ingredient for cooking.

[–]NeddTwo 1 point  

Sucking on Oxo cubes! and I thought it was just me! I used to do that a lot as a kid - still have to lick my fingers now after crumbling one.

And I had a conversation on 'Beef tea' on another sub only yesterday. Haven't heard 'Beef tea' mentioned for twenty years, and here I am talking about it twice in two days.............

 

[–]wildOldcheesecake 1 point  

Given the current situation and related, it’s no surprise.

[–]No_Coyote_557 2 points  

If you are going to insist that humanity is only 5,000 years old, then that outlaws palaeontology, geology, anthropology and history straight off the bat.

[–]wildOldcheesecake 1 point  

You know what’s fascinating? It’s the double downing and not accepting that their education is really quite piss poor. That person states maths is still taught as a core at college level. I don’t think they realise that this is not entirely a good thing.

The US is also very multicultural yet they don’t seem to care to learn about other religions like we do. Bizarre really.

[–]No_Coyote_557 1 point  

The US absorbs other cultures and integrates them into Americanism somehow. So other cultures become weaker and eventually fade away altogether.

[–]wildOldcheesecake 1 point  

And then they turn around and hang onto their 1/6th “Scoddish” heritage lol. When really it’s some great great meemaw, thrice removed, who once slept with a Scot.

I understand I’m exaggerating here but you get the idea

[–]No_Coyote_557 1 point  

Och aye (the noo)

[–]wildOldcheesecake 1 point  

Oh dear that person isn’t very happy haha. Maybe they’re a Christian Scoddish with Italian heritage for shits and giggles. What a chook!

 


[–]wildOldcheesecake 2 points  

Not just that, though it is a component yes. Teaches social, economic and personal health. Any topics akin to those three will fall into this subject too

[–]ChocolateCake16 0 points  

Yeah, we don't combine those here. Check writing, budgeting, money management, savings, investments, etc. all fall under math or personal finance. Health classes (at least where I live) include social health (peer pressure, drug addiction, relationships, etc.) and physical/mental/sexual health. Online safety and bullying are also often addressed in health class.

[–]wildOldcheesecake 1 point  

You are getting confused. Those are taught in maths too. Economics is what you’re also referring to. Again, these are stand alone subjects. We do not combine those.

Your health classes would be better compared to PSHE which is a subject to build the modern day Briton.

Look, I’m not sure what you’re trying to achieve here. My overall point remains that you do not teach geography to the level that we teach it.

Also we say cheque here.

[–]ChocolateCake16 0 points  

We combine them more at lower levels of education. An elementary student may learn how to write a check in math, but a high school student will learn economics, personal finance, and algebra separately.

We qualify investments as both personal finance and economics, but personal finance puts an emphasis on individual choices and econ looks at wider trends in the stock market, supply and demand, etc.

[–]wildOldcheesecake 1 point  

Ok. Still no Geography lessons.

[–]ChocolateCake16 0 points  

Congrats. I'm gonna keep saying check because I reserve the right to speak my own dialect. I'd hate to know how people would react to my use of the word hoagie.

But there's no point explaining any further. Can't argue with someone who thinks they understand the American education system better than actual Americans who lived through 14 years of it.

[–]wildOldcheesecake 0 points  

I’m gonna

I am going to.

You’re in a UK sub pal. Never claimed anything of the sort. Did you lack comprehension lessons too? Clearly this was the case. Off you trot then.

 

 

 

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