Yeah, hob = burner on the stove. Actually, I do have an electric tea pot because it seems more economical than heating up the burner. It's really a coffee pot without the guts for perking.
We were staying at a self-catering (=timeshare) in Cornwall and I was trying to read the directions for the stove so I wouldn't burn the place down and was totally clueless as to what the "hob" was. I just used the microwave, because I understood that. Later on back home we were watching a cooking show about English cooking the old-fashioned way and I saw a hob from a wood-burning stove and finally got the idea.
Also, Bic makes lighters as well as pens, like Vic said, so it would be risky to ask for a bic.
Another thing is the US is 110v., Australia and England, Ireland and Europe are all 220v.
In the US, 220 is only used for heavy duty appliances like dryers and stoves, not for anything most people would plug into.
The other thing about Ireland I found interesting in my travels there is that it is illegal to have the hair dryer in the bathroom. They are stored in the bedroom and supposed to be used there and are 220v, natch.
We are bonded by our differences.
Artemis
