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Brit living in the US shares the 8 American sayings she loves to hear folks say

It started a wholesome chain reaction of cultural appreciation.

Two women having a conversation at a coffee shop.

One of the coolest things about living in a world with a variety of cultures is that it can help you have newfound appreciation for things in your everyday life that might otherwise be taken for granted. Your daily breakfast, for example, can transform into the most novel of cuisines when you see it through the eyes of someone who’s never even heard of it.

Similarly, certain everyday American sayings and idioms will seem like fun, exotic phrases to fresh ears. Recently, a British woman (@whisked.away.usa) who recently began living in Michigan shared a few of her personal favorites, and odds are many of these would have never been on your radar.

For starters, her "absolute favorite" is “good job.” Honestly, who among you would have ever thought that was anything USA-centric? Although when you take our hustle culture into consideration, perhaps it is pretty fitting.

Also included in her list: “you’re all set” (again, Americans are big on work lingo), “y’all” (of course), “I’ve got to get a hold of them,” (versus “I’ve gotta get in touch”), “liquor” (because of its “old worldliness”), “stove” (she says “cooker”), “huh” (when we find something interesting), and “have a good one” (cause "it's kinda nice”).


Honestly, how cute are these? And perhaps even better, @whisked.away.usa’s viral video inspired a whole slew of equally lovely appreciation for brit slang.

“I like when Brits say: gutted. I’ve started saying it.”

“I love when you all say ‘brilliant’ like when something’s really good. That’s brilliant!”

“I love when Brits says ‘I’m going on holiday’ instead of ‘I’m going on vacation,’”

“I like the Brit…’Hoover the floor.’”

“I love hearing Brits say ‘em’ instead of ‘um.’ I’m trying to start saying ‘em.’”

This top comment really seems to sum up what was so great about this exchange: “cross appreciation expands our world.”

There was also a fair amount of shared love for “huh,” and all it’s many various uses.

“I love ‘huh’ because it can also be the Midwest polite [version] of ‘that sounds super weird, but I won’t say it out loud.'"

“So many different ways to say ‘huh.’”

Since moving to the US, @whisked.away.usa has shared all kinds of fun cultural differences she’s noticed. For instance, did you know that British pancakes are made quite thin (think: crepes) and have a “squirt of lemon”?

In the following video, @whisked.away.usa shares her amazement at the gaps in American public toilets, “drive-thru everything,” air conditioning in houses, certain OTC medications, and the abundance of American flags in certain places.

No matter where you're from, it seems we can all agree that this type of content is the Internet at its best.

Community

Community rallies around doctor who often sees patients for free after he's diagnosed with cancer

"I'm thankful I got cancer because I am the happiest man on the planet no matter the outcome."

Community steps up when local doctor is diagnosed with cancer.

Going to the doctor can be expensive, especially for those that are under-insured or flat-out uninsured. Unfortunately, many who fall into those groups simply avoid going to the doctor all together, which may save money in the long run but could be extremely dangerous for their health. But one doctor has been trading free and nearly free office visits for smiles. Dr. Michael Zollicoffer is a family practitioner in Baltimore, Maryland and for the past 40 years, he's been running his medical practice on a "pay what you can" policy.

Inevitably, this means that sometimes he doesn't get paid at all, and often when a small payment is offered, he simply refuses. He much prefers that his community members are taken care of and have peace of mind about their health. It's a kind gesture that his community appreciates but, unfortunately, kindness doesn't equate to an overflowing bank account. But Zollicoffer doesn't care about the money.

"Forget that dollar bill. I'm going to see you no matter what. You walk in that door, you will be seen. You bring your grandma with you, I will see her too," Zollicoffer tells CBS Sunday Morning.

gif of animated doctor checking a patientYoure Fine Helen Keller GIF by caitcadieuxGiphy

The good doctor was used to helping people, young and old. What he wasn't prepared for was a diagnosis of two different kinds of cancers while his own medical insurance had lapsed. There he was, a helper needing help with no doctor outside of himself willing to trade treatment for smiles and gratitude. Zollicoffer, now diagnosed with rectal and renal cancer, had no insurance and no extra money to pay for radiation treatments which can cost anywhere from $4,500-$50,000.

He was ready to accept whatever time he had left with his new diagnosis, but the community he had been serving most of his adult life had other plans. They rallied around the beloved doctor to show up for him just as he's shown up for them. Though the community is one of the poorest neighborhoods in the Baltimore area, they're rich with empathy and a sense of belonging to something greater than themselves. After some collaboration, patients of the kind doctor decided to start donation efforts with crowdfunding.

red and white sign that reads, "Community is strength:His community really came through. Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash

"Dr. Z will not give up on you so we damn sure ain't giving up on him," one of his patients says when another chimes in, "whatever needs to be done to save Dr. Z, we're going to do it."

Dr. Zollicoffer has clearly made an impact on his patients and they have returned the favor in a big way. Their crowdfunding measures brought in more than $100,000, allowing him to pay for his treatments and keeping him as an integral part of the community for as long as possible. The efforts from his patients haven't been in vain either; Zollicoffer has started his treatments and currently his health outlook is positive. The doctor was also able to access his health insurance again, which will help offset the cost of his treatments.

Of course, Dr. Zollicoffer has no plan to do anything for himself with whatever extra money will be left after he finishes up radiation. Instead, he's going to put it back into the community while still continuing his noble work.

"I'm thankful I got cancer," Zollicoffer says while choking up. "Because I am the happiest man on the planet no matter what the outcome. What we have shown and why we are sitting in this table right now to show America this is what you're about. We['re] about giving. I can't make it without them and nor can they make it without me."

@just_a_glimpse/TikTok

Can we all have one?

It’s pretty impressive what people have been able to do with tiny or unconventional home spaces, but this is truly next level.

A woman named Amanda McCormick (@just_a_glimpse_ on TikTok) has managed to transform a Home Depot Tuff Shed into a house. Like, not just a house...but a full-blown luxury home.

In the clip, which has now been seen upwards of 8.2 million times, McCormick gives us a tour of the two story home (was today the day you learned that Home Depot sold two story sheds? It was for me) with two bedrooms and 2.5 baths.

Get ready to be amazed by farmhouse-y shiplap walls, a kitchen with stunning marble countertops, fancy sliding barn doors, and the real star of the show—an adorable fish shaped bathroom sink!

Unsurprisingly, viewers have been floored.

"Holy hell not even a tiny house or shed anymore that’s a whole HOME," gushed one commenter. "Probably the coolest shed conversion I've ever seen... now this is what I want."

Another echoed, "Omg it's giving mini barndominium, and I'm obsessed!!"

Still another wrote, "WHO EVER PICKED OUT THE EVERYTHING, 👏👏👏👏, COUNTERTOPS, CABINETS, , CEILING, BATHROOM SINK, EVERYTHING.👏👏👏👏"

That credit apparently belongs to McCormick’s mother. McCormick shared with Upworthy that her parents, who started off living in a 400 square foot house when they first married at 18 years old, saw the tuff shed in the Home Depot parking lot and was instantly inspired to make it into a livable home. Home depot apparently worked with the family to make everything stronger and up to code so that it could safely and legally be used as a house.

While McCormick said that they paid $30k for the 18x36 shed plus a few custom things like the sliding doors, bigger windows, and balconies, it looks like a simpler version of the same size shed would be $22,889. Even if you do add extra fixin's, you might only be looking at spending an additional $16,448, which Home Advisor says is the national average for renovations. Let’s add to that the cost of a plot of land, which varies wildly depending on what state and area you live in, and the total of those expenses seems to still be drastically less steep than the average house price of $419,200 (looking at you, California).

home interiorTiny spaces make beautiful homes.Photo credit: Canva

And of course, McCormick isn’t the only shed-to-home success story. Back in 2022, a couple made headlines after paying $60,000 to renovate their own two-story shed home, and then selling it for $275,000. That’s certainly nothing to sneeze at, profit-wise. Just goes to show that whether you’re looking to save money, make a profit, or simply want a very, very hands-on home project, this could be an avenue to consider. So many might be feeling the strain of current home prices, but there is something to be said about getting creative with how you go about creating that home.

By the way, if you’re curious, you can design your own Tuff Shed for free, using Home Depot’s online configurator.

Remember "Share a Coke?"

You might remember around a decade ago when Coca-Cola launched its “Share a Cokecampaign, and everybody was jazzed about procuring a coke bottle with their very own name printed on it.

This buzzy marketing scheme took on more personal meaning for a Redditor who shared that their mother, who had passed away around that time, had her uncommon name show up on one of these bottles. Thinking it was “one of those 'she'll always be with you' kind of moments,” this person decided to purchase the bottle and keep it in the fridge (because “that's where you put Coke?”) as a memento.

The bottle managed to survive a decade, including 2 moves and 3 refrigerators, with zero issues. After all, this person didn’t even really drink soda, so they didn’t have temptation to worry about.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

And then, a college friend showed up.

Explaining the situation on Reddit's "Today I F----- Up" (TIFU) forum, the OP wrote "Since his flight got delayed, I ran to the store to pick up some stuff for him. He likes Coke, so one of the things I grab is a six pack of Coke which I stick in the fridge.”

"Since I'm not consciously thinking about my Mom's weird memorial death Coke on a daily basis, I don't mention it to him when I tell him 'there's Coke in the fridge,' " the Redditor quipped.

open fridge filled with beer, soda, and juiceOf all the drinks in the fridge...Photo credit: Canva

Cut to 10 minutes later, and the OP can’t help but gasp and “laughing hysterically” out of shock when they see their friend drinking out of, you guessed it, their “Mom’s death Coke.”

“It takes me a solid five minutes to explain to him what happened through my laughter. My friend comes to the slow realization of why his Coke tasted so flat and is understandably horrified,” they wrote.

Thankfully, we end this story on a happy, wholesome note. They ultimately decided to pour out the remaining soda, and the OP would still keep the special bottle. Both were able to laugh about it, and no friendship was ruined, though “ he'll probably get a hotel if he's in town again.”

Down in the comments, a few viewers suggested filling the bottle with sand, beads, marbles, or something else with meaning, and putting the bottle on display.

Others were just relieved that the whole debacle was a lighthearted one.

"I'm so glad this wasn't a 'my heart is crushed and the friendship is definitely over' story," one commenter wrote, while another joked, "You poured one out for the homies… your mom being the homie in this case."

gif of a man pouring out a drinkPoured one out for the (mom) homie. media2.giphy.com

Still another said, "This is a really wholesome story. I'm glad you got a laugh. Probably your Mom was telling you it was time to clean out your fridge."

Lastly, one viewer teased that the OP should, “Keep an eye on your friend, your mom might be haunting him now.”

Not only does this person still get to hold onto their sweet keepsake, it's made all the more special with this fun memory attached to it.