Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, and Chevrolet…in the UK

I needed a blog post idea for Monday, when my U.S. “hungry people” will be satiating themselves at Memorial Day cookouts.

So I thought of a 1970s feel-good U.S. commercial that makes no sense to our friends (if they still like us) across the pond.

For starters, the UK won’t watch baseball on Monday. They will watch cricket.

And hot dogs? People at a cricket match are more likely to consume sausage sandwiches, or fish and chips, or curry dishes, or pies.

Speaking of pies, it’s not what you think.

“Steak and Kidney Pie – It is a classic British pie filled with chunks of beef steak and kidneys cooked in a rich gravy.

“Chicken and Mushroom Pie – This pie is made with tender pieces of chicken combined with mushrooms in a creamy sauce, which is then encased in pastry.

“Cornish Pasty – Although Cornish Pasty is not a pie, many refer to it as a handheld pie. It is a pastry filled with diced meat, potatoes, and vegetables.

“Shepherd’s Pie – A minced lamb or beef pie is topped with mashed potatoes in this preparation.”

And on and on through other meats, but no apple pie on the list. (And forget about pumpkin pie.)

Cars

Which brings us to the British equivalent of the Chevrolet. In the 1970s, I’m not certain that Chevrolet was “America’s favorite car”—sister GM brand Oldsmobile may have held that title numerically. But “Chevy” vied with Ford as the sentimental favorite in the 1970s. 

Today America’s favorite car is the Toyota.

But what of the United Kingdom? Obviously not everyone could afford a Rolls Royce. They were buying Fords in 1975, primarily the Cortina and the Escort. I owned an Escort here in the U.S. many years later, but never owned a Cortina, a primarily UK auto related to the Taurus.

Today the UK’s favorite car is Volkswagen.

You feel safest of all.