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The UK and the USA may share a language (mostly) in common, but when it comes to a number of cultural customs, the Atlantic Ocean seems like the smallest thing separating them.

Whether it's their unique accent that somehow carries over into their typing, their obsession with tea, or the fact that they put baked beans on their toast, Brits certainly have a way of making those of us on the Western side of the world scratch our heads with confusion. That's not to say that Americans don't have quirks of their own, but here at Bored Panda, we think Great Britain deserves some special recognition this time around.

Check out the top British moments that left Americans completely stumped below, and be sure to vote for the ones that you're still trying to understand as well.

#1

American Vs British

tommowar Report

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Lauren Southwood
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My nan came onto facetime while i was talking to my sister, chatted sortly and then said "I have to go, I can't drink my tea unless its scalding hot" Its July...

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#3

American Vs British

a-thousand-words Report

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didi
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually quite useful: "biweekly" is confusing as some may consider that as twice a week or every 2 weeks. "Fortnightly" can only mean once every 2 weeks.

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#5

American Vs British

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E Menendez
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am from the US and I have thought the same thing ( why do we call it math when it should be maths) and always assumed I was just overthinking. Then I learned that Brits use maths and now I feel less foolish. Also, I love eagle f****r. Laughed out loud on that.

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#7

American Vs British

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Nicola Morley
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Us British can sneak up on you like a ninja in the night or even an iceberg in open water

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#8

American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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loveandbones
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Translation: Friend it's hard to explain, it's just like one day you will be with your friends having a look in a sports shop (called JD) and you might fancy the curry offer that's on at the local pub (called Wetherspoons) but your friend Calum, who is a legend and awesome will be like "Guys let's go to Nando's (a resturant chain in the UK, cheap and good tasting food, hence it feeling a bit cheeky) instead." and you'll think "Great idea. Let's go for it."

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#10

American Vs British

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Xmayze
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Someone told me a lot of Americans don't even own a kettle, I'm slightly scared to ask if that's true....?

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#12

American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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Claire Kidd
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why is that so weird to Americans? You know what I find weird? That Americans make everything sickly sweet and have an unhealthy relationship with Maple Syrup. On bacon? Really people?

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#13

American Vs British

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Steve
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Pulp" is a band. "Juicy bits" are simply juicy and awesome. I'm ok with this one :D

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#14

American Vs British

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TC
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I suppose people in the USA get a compulsory tip because the don't earn enough from their employers and have to life on their clients charity...?

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#16

American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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Fire Bird
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you youtube Anglophenia she explains why there are two taps. They didnt want the hot water being contaminated by the cold water as they had seperate tanks. This was back in the day, they just do it now as nostalgia thing.

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#18

American Vs British

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Nicola Morley
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And you thought us Brits were straight laced and uppity. Mr Blobby is proof, do not mess with the Brits if you don't want the nightmares Freddy Kruger gets when sick.

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#20

American Vs British

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didi
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Due to the common market trade agreements, there was something of a campaign a while back for food terminology in Europe: They basically wanted all British chocolate renaming as chocolate candy because it wasn't pure enough by their standards (too much milk fat and sugar, not enough cocoa).

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#23

American Vs British

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Brigitte
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually all over Europe it's pretty common to have your washing machine in the kitchen. If the bathroom is too small and there is no extra room, where else would you put it? Also in some apartments the water/drain pipes for washing machines are installed in the kitchen only, so you really have no other choice.

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#24

American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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ispeak catanese
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We've been watching Vera, The Loch, Unforgotten, Happy Valley, Scott & Bailey & Shetland and have added so many great new insults and idioms to our speech! It's fun yelling k******d and calling each other cow. I think I have developed a Scottish, Yorkshire, Puerto Rican accent.

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#25

American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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Marc Proudfoot
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

and cob is only used in some parts of the UK. Some use bap, some use roll..

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Alex Newell
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm guessing the term for a sandwich, except when it contains chips (french fries). Then it's called a butty.

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Matthew Braim
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Were George Washington's 600 slaves even allowed in the Taverns in the USA? xxx

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Suzanne Haigh
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am sick and fed up of the Americans telling the British how to speak English, how the hell would they know?

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Suzanne Haigh
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

British and never heard of a chip cob, wish the Americans would grow up.

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Adrian Jarvis
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

what the f**k is a cob? I suspect it's some r******d Sheffield terms for a bread bap? Eeee South Yorkshire is shite

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Jane Kelly
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A chip cob is chips/fries in a round bread roll called a cob. A chip butty is chips/fries in between 2 slices of bread, a sandwich or butty

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Martina Nitsche
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mmh, I’m hungry now. Thanks for nothing. And I remembered to Life on Mars episode with the chip buttys.

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Lois Pack
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Love a chip butty, in the US the nearest explanation would be, french fries in a bagel or bread roll

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BlakCircleGirl
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A chip butty is a sandwich made with chips on buttered white bread or a bread roll, often with an added condiment such as ketchup, brown sauce, mayonnaise, or malt vinegar.~Wikipedia Chip cob = Another name for a chip butty/buttie

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Cheryl Birkhimer
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Chip butty, tasty. Maybe some curry & chips, mushy peas, black pudding, kippers?

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David Vavilovas
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm British and confused as all hell here. The f*** is a cob and the hell is a butty? WITHOUT explaining that they are one and the same with a different name (those rhymes)

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Simon Manning
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They ARE one and the same, with different names. Simple regional dialectic differences. Yorkshire has Butties, Lancashire has Barms, other regions have Baps, Buns, Cobbers, Sarnies, Subs, Sandwiches, Doorsteps, Ploughmans, Hoagies, Rolls and so on...

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Linda Fox
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Our chips are your fries. Our crisps are your chips. You can make butties (or sarnies in the south) from either of them

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Kira Thesloth
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I knew all this including that a butty is a sandwhich, but what on earth is a cob?

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Samantha Christine
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

1. Chips in Britain are what the US call fries. 2. Over here bread rolls have many names (rolls, cobs, baps, barms - we argue a lot over this) 3. A sandwich (2 pieces of bread or a bread roll with filling, not what you get from macdonalds) can also be called a butty. 4. A butty in the north of England is any type of sandwich. In the rest of England a 'butty' more likely refers to a chip (fries) butty or a bacon butty (*with red or brown sauce, NOT maple syrup, what's that about?!)

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Naomi Prior
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why do Americans insist on criticising our food...you serve bacon with pancake syrup!!! Get a grip!!

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Polleekin
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As an American I'm aware of this phenomenon and I find it horrifying.

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Helma Nollen
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A chip butty goes in the same category of disgusting as beans on toast. A sandwich with french_ fries ( i.e. chips)

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Master Markus
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6 years ago

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It's some horrible sounding sandwich made with chip / fries. Some things don't go between bread, you heathens.

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RaroaRaroa
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The chips have to be fat ones, not skinny Macca's size ones. The butter melts from the hot chips, the bread has to be the least nutritious, softest white bread you can find. Indigestion awaits, but Yum.

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#26

American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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Ninshi TheImp
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That reminds me of something I read. In germany the waterworks have to perpare for the breaks during important football games.

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#29

American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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Daria B
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Makes sense, but.... I'm sure U.S.A. doesn't have the same accent in each state, just like the U.K. accents vary by countries and regions. Even in one single city of London you can differentiate between particular accents depending on the part of the city, no? Sorry, I'm an overthinker. *shrug*

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#30

American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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#33

American Vs British

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Steve
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because it saves on plug-ware. I save pounds every year on not having to replace plugs for my sink.

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#34

American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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Cynthia McDonald
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

so... you know those little plastic packs that hot dogs come in have a salty liquid in them, right? They're not vacuum sealed in there all dry.

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#35

American Vs British

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Hans
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

faith sadly did not understand the concept of an egg cup. They are for boiled eggs, which are then eaten with a spoon.

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#36

American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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Claire Kidd
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, Americans have this weird view of the British. In their TV shows EVERY British person either speaks in a really posh voice or is a cockney. WE DON'T TALK LIKE THAT!

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#38

American Vs British

britishjoe Report

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Steve
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Celebrating the day King James I survived what was essentially a terrorist plot to blow up the House of Lords. Interestingly we celebrate by blowing stuff up whilst freezing our collective backsides off and waving sparklers about.

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#39

American Vs British

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Ines Äffchen
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

when I first moved to the UK and switched on the TV I learned that this is a show about people who have some complaint that's "too embarrassing to show your doctor". But yeah, let's ALL have a look at that on national TV, why not.

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#41

American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

obvz Report

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John Doe
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

exactly, that's just what you say!! or may be "past midnight" as well

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#43

American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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Neil Adams
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's correctly pronounced 'aitch', without the aspirant. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/aitch

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#44

American Vs British

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Cynthia McDonald
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is my favorite TV show. I have NO CLUE what 90% of the things they are baking actually are -- never heard of them, never seen them. But the intensity with which they bake them is riveting!

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