A Question For Our UK Members:

[Nama Ensou]

Lots of law abiding citizens still pay with cash so nothing unusual there, but as far as folding it goes, I think that would again, be nothing more than a personal trait and the times I had someone do that has been in personal transaction. I do the same when I'm just paying someone for helping me.

I'd have to say the only time I don't fold the bills is when paying at a place of business.

[Andyrondack]

Originally Posted by Silurian

It is considered bad manners to hand over notes with the Queens head showing. Folding the note is a sign of respect.


No I'm just kidding.

I haven't noticed this in movies and I can't recall doing it myself.

I once had a girlfriend who did this great trick of folding a note with the Queen's head in such a way that produced a grotesque caricature of an old witch type figure. But she had absolutely no respect at all for anything to do with monarchy.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by Andyrondack

I once had a girlfriend who did this great trick of folding a note with the Queen's head in such a way that produced a grotesque caricature of an old witch type figure. But she had absolutely no respect at all for anything to do with monarchy.

Yeah, there are always those who don't recognise the value of our monarchy. She couldn't do that now, or even fold our new polymer notes.

Thought, "back in the day" our notes were much larger e.g., I remember the last "white fiver" - £5 note which was about 8" x 5" and so was always folded. (It was also more than the average working wage in 1956!)

see :

I really don't see people using currency anymore.
some shops refuse it - no transference of infection?

Even buskers take swipe cards.

I went for my booster jab on Tuesday had to pay 90 pence for parking - swiped my credit card.

[Andyrondack]

Maybe that's where this idea of us folding notes came from, if the OP had seen it on an old b/w film somewhere then it makes sense to have a note open so the recipient can see its value then fold as a courtesy before handing it over ?

[fazool]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Well here is a lesson in history for you. Colonial Americans emulated the manners of the British aristocracy and that is where they got the business of holding the meat with the fork in the left and cutting with the right and then eating with the left. Of course, no-one told the Americans that the British aristocracy had servants standing over their shoulder to do the heavy cutting and that the British aristocracy, in turn, preferred lighter French cuisine. So, there develops in America a rough and ready culture and cuisine in America using hoity-toity aristocratic manners to saw around on rustic food.

Then the Americans go back to England during WWII and the Brits are horrified because their common British people have never seen people eat like that. They describe it as seeing people putting one hand in their lap and chasing their food around plate with only one implement. I've actually had a Brit friend describe it that way while remarking to me how appalling it was to see Americans eat as they do. Little did she know that she was seeing British aristocratic manners at work!

Bob

I've also heard the tales that during WWII, enemies would suspect someone is an American spy if they catch them eating that way.

[Andyrondack]

Women's clothes in UK are supposed have buttons on the left to make it easier for their maid servants to dress them, of course they don't have maid servants dressing them any more, must be quite irritating.

[Photojeep]

Originally Posted by Andyrondack

Maybe that's where this idea of us folding notes came from, if the OP had seen it on an old b/w film somewhere then it makes sense to have a note open so the recipient can see its value then fold as a courtesy before handing it over ?

OP here

This folding money thing I noticed wasn't from an old film but rather from several British TV series not much older than 10 years. The only one I can name at the moment is "Lewis" but I remember seeing this action by various actors on various episodes of other shows.

From what I've read here, this seems to be nothing more than either one actor doing something he may actually do in "real life" or simply an action that the script called for. I do recall one episode in "Lewis" where the character Hathaway is paying for some Takeaway Curry and he pulls out some notes, folds them in half and tells the proprieter to, "Keep the change." Maybe the change issue had something to do with it. (Or perhaps the "reason" for doing so ended up on the cutting room floor...)

At any rate, thank you to our British members for setting me straight.

Now what's up with these "polymer" notes? Are they actually plastic?

Enquiring minds and all that.

Best,
PJ

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by Photojeep

OP here

This folding money thing I noticed wasn't from an old film but rather from several British TV series not much older than 10 years. The only one I can name at the moment is "Lewis" but I remember seeing this action by various actors on various episodes of other shows.

From what I've read here, this seems to be nothing more than either one actor doing something he may actually do in "real life" or simply an action that the script called for. I do recall one episode in "Lewis" where the character Hathaway is paying for some Takeaway Curry and he pulls out some notes, folds them in half and tells the proprieter to, "Keep the change." Maybe the change issue had something to do with it. (Or perhaps the "reason" for doing so ended up on the cutting room floor...)

At any rate, thank you to our British members for setting me straight.

Now what's up with these "polymer" notes? Are they actually plastic?

Enquiring minds and all that.

Best,
PJ

Can't really answer the first part ,but regarding the polymer notes, I have very dry hands, and so I have this problem :

[Photojeep]

Are all notes now made from this polymer/plastic? Or maybe just some denominations while others are still paper?

Best,
PJ

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Right up there with Americans in movies that cut up their food with fork in left, knife in right then put down the knife and transfer the fork to their right hand and eat one handed.

Never seen that done anywhere else.

My late mother went on a European holiday tour that included some Americans and they actually commented to her about how she kept her fork in her left hand and knife in her right for her entire meal.

Count me in as another that does that too here in Canada.