I was reading a UK-set fanfic
Dec. 27th, 2022 11:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
conulywherein somebody sits on a twin bed, and for some reason the question asked itself: are mattress sizes the same in the UK, and do they have twin beds over there?
And the answer is no, no they don't!
So now I know, and you do too, and that about sums up what I know about the UK, so I'll also tell you something about NYC if you ever write something set here. I'll tell you two things.
First, of course, is that there are (virtually) no alleys in Manhattan. I don't care what you've seen on TV and in movies, you should hold yourself to a higher standard.
Secondly, wind patterns in Lower Manhattan before 9/11 were intense. Like, omg whoa. Those towers had one hell of an effect.
Thirdly, I can't count, and also, cashiers in the city can say "next", but more often ask the following customer to step down, which may be realized upon occasion as "following" or "step down" rather than "following (customer), please step down". This is something I didn't notice at all until somebody happened to mention it once on reddit, and immediately I was beset by the twin feelings of "wait, yeah, they do say that" and "hold on, that's not what they say everywhere!?"
Fourthly, I still can't count, and this may not be accurate to school today, but when I was a kid and when my mother was a kid, public schools in NYC spent time teaching students three chords on the piano - get ready, stand, sit down - so we could all stand and sit in unison at assembly. Mommy didn't realize it was not a universal practice until the first time she and my father went to a school thing in Brooklyn and he was left sitting after the entire audience of adults and students had stood up. And then he was left standing after they'd all sat down, having failed even the second time to recognize the musical cue.
And the answer is no, no they don't!
So now I know, and you do too, and that about sums up what I know about the UK, so I'll also tell you something about NYC if you ever write something set here. I'll tell you two things.
First, of course, is that there are (virtually) no alleys in Manhattan. I don't care what you've seen on TV and in movies, you should hold yourself to a higher standard.
Secondly, wind patterns in Lower Manhattan before 9/11 were intense. Like, omg whoa. Those towers had one hell of an effect.
Thirdly, I can't count, and also, cashiers in the city can say "next", but more often ask the following customer to step down, which may be realized upon occasion as "following" or "step down" rather than "following (customer), please step down". This is something I didn't notice at all until somebody happened to mention it once on reddit, and immediately I was beset by the twin feelings of "wait, yeah, they do say that" and "hold on, that's not what they say everywhere!?"
Fourthly, I still can't count, and this may not be accurate to school today, but when I was a kid and when my mother was a kid, public schools in NYC spent time teaching students three chords on the piano - get ready, stand, sit down - so we could all stand and sit in unison at assembly. Mommy didn't realize it was not a universal practice until the first time she and my father went to a school thing in Brooklyn and he was left sitting after the entire audience of adults and students had stood up. And then he was left standing after they'd all sat down, having failed even the second time to recognize the musical cue.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-28 10:42 am (UTC)Twin is more often used to refer to two beds, side by side. I think we don't use the term twin to refer to mattresses to avoid confusion and it just kind of fell out of favour. That, and why does anyone need all those different sizes?
"Next", or "Next please", is more or less universal here in the UK. Never heard following or step down. I suspect it's a bit of culture the US borrowed from someplace else European, or is a unique formation.
And yeah, I heard about the alley's (or lack thereof) in NYC, because there's exactly one and it gets used in a lot of Tv shows and movies. After awhile you begin to recognise it, and I wondered why it was so, so I went digging.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-28 04:38 pm (UTC)That, and why does anyone need all those different sizes?
It's not that you don't have multiple mattress sizes as well.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-28 04:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-12-28 07:49 pm (UTC)Because rooms are different sizes. If you have a big room, a big bed is luxurious and comfortable. If you have a small room, a big bed is terribly inconvenient. "Twin" beds can be put on opposite sides of the room for people who aren't sleeping together, or pushed together under a king-sized fitted sheet for people who ARE sleeping together. (Very convenient for Orthodox Jews. Or for a guest room.)
Do you not have different size mattresses at all, or are they sold by dimensions? When I was planning to move into this apartment, I considered getting rid of my queen-sized (60" wide) bed and getting a full-sized (54") bed. We just put all my bookcases in the dining room.