Makes me think of this classic:

Why is it Europeans refer to time at a university as time at university? For that matter, why do Europeans go to hospital rather than to the hospital?

One could also enquire as to why Americans "write" each other

M.A. in Political Science (major), with minors in EU law and American Cultural History. The plan was to become a Pulizer-winning, hard-nosed political commentator at one of the top newspapers.

Ended up in digital marketing, via a brief stint in (light) journalism (entertainment-related topics such as games, movies, consumer electronics).

Would like to focus on content creation (I love to write), but sadly, there's not much money in that, and lots of competition (there's an army of struggling journalists out there)

Why do Americans get tap water out of a faucet?

I have utmost confidence that your German is better than my English.

Interestingly, both are appropriate. Faucet has an old French origin, and tap an Old English/Germanic one. Both originate from the words for the bung used to seal a barrel or other container. I'd be interested to know if "faucet" has some commonality with French-colonial areas of the USA.

Ha. Nope. Russian though.

Where would you expect us to get it ; out of a stream ?

Major >>> Political Science (Russian language minor)

I flew airplanes for the USAF >>> I flew airplanes after the USAF >>> Now retired, I fly airplanes...taildraggers.

Started at a 2-yr tech school. Graduated with a technician's diploma. Now an embedded firmware engineer specializing in wireless IoT connectivity.

And compared to busdriver (posting above me) I ain't #%&*$#.

Don't make youself smaller than you are, is all I've been trying to say in the previous posts. There's nothing wrong with being humble, but don't overdo it. You're doing your profession and your self-esteem a disservice as it might create a deterrence for others to pursue a similar path even though they might actually be good at it. I'd rather see people taking a vocational career than wasting their parents' money (and loading themselves with crushing student loans) for a university degree in a field that makes them dumber, like gender "studies" (which is probably the most egregious case of a field dominated by ideology, rooted in anything but science, and embedded in a matrix of hogwash). Certain fields of economy also fall into that category when they make the students feel overly confident in their ability to predict the future (and thus exposing them to prediction error, and those who they influence with their crystal ball gazing).

What the US calls a 'faucet' the UK calls a 'tap'. Hence in the UK we turn on the tap and call the water that comes out 'tap water'. Surely in the US faucet water should come out of a faucet.

You could have become the German version of William F. Buckley Jr.!!

I just blame the French for that.

That's very encouraging. I've been a little obsessed with aging lately, reading how it's not only important to try to keep yourself physically conditioned, but also staying mentally sharp as well.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do just yet, but my lack of education and accomplishment demons are pestering me again and with urgency as time is fleeting. Advanced math? Heck, I still have problems with simple spelling and grammar!

++++++++++

On a side note, for almost 30 years I've attended my wife's company events (anytime spouses are invited, I go), from cruises to parties, but most often a nice dinner, sometimes *very* nice. As we're exiting the building I always ask her, "I didn't embarrass you, did I?" Now, I'm not talking about over drinking and then acting stupid or anything like that (I know better). I mean, just having regular dinner conversation. It's never been a comfortable situation for me, I can tell that I'm sitting at a table with educated people (in this crowd, even spouses are usually educated) and that I just don't think on their level. I almost never relate to the conversations nor do I share most of their interests (similar to why I stay out of PWEC ). So I sit quietly and eat, hoping I'm using proper etiquette and the correct fork.

Fortunately, as we leave I only get a smile and that I didn't embarrass her at all, along with a thanks for even going (like I would turn down free dining which may include lobster, an exotic fish and pure crab meat. ). But I can also tell that when she's in that environment with other educated people, she uses a part of her brain that I don't see at home. I don't know why it's bothering me now, decades later, but it's as if I missed the smart bus or something.

You have no reason to feel inferior at all Mark. I believe you have been doing computer programming for a long time if I'm not mistaken? The great majority of the general population can't do that.

We have outrage and an ongoing scandal over here regarding the vast salaries paid to vice-chancellors here at the moment.

On the other hand Universities do often help revitalise the host cities' economy and regeneration.
I'm thinking both of my nearest city, where vast amounts are being spent on adding to the faculty, historic structures that would otherwise fall into disrepair. An Art Deco ex-car showroom that was falling into dereliction becoming part of the Arts Dept. for instance.
My youngest daughter went to Bangor in Wales, a failing scruffy seaside resort that now has more students that residents, and the cash injection into it's economy that goes with that.

My only real programming "accomplishments" were with <cough> Visual Basic 6. Trying to change that now, though.

Still, it would be nice to give off an everyday impression of being educated, regardless of any mentally demanding skills you may have.

No university or college background here. I enlisted straight into the RAF after leaving school with very mediocre grades. I completed the 9 years I signed up for, after which I did a 3 year spell in IT Tech support, which I thought I would enjoy but really didn't. After that, I moved to the States and chased the dream of being a pilot. That has worked out better than I could have ever expected. I have had some luck and a lot of help along the way, but I strongly feel that we over emphasize the importance of a college degree for a lot of jobs.