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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.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Lauren Southwood 8 years ago
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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#5
E Menendez 8 years ago
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.
#7
Nicola Morley 8 years ago
Us British can sneak up on you like a ninja in the night or even an iceberg in open water
#8
loveandbones 8 years ago
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."
#9
#11
Sakata Gintoki 8 years ago
That's probably because they never had to become an independent country.
#12
Claire Kidd 8 years ago
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?
#18
Nicola Morley 8 years ago
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.
#19
#20
didi 8 years ago
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).
#23
Brigitte 8 years ago
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.
E Menendez 8 years ago
In the US we usually have a separate room if we can for our washer and dryer, or it is in a closet-type enclosure or the basement or the garage. Not the kitchen. That actually will devalue a property. I understand though as a lot of places in Europe are older and when things were plumbed, it was easier to put in the same location. Older apts and houses in the US can have this on occasion, though it was usually plumbed to the bathroom rather than the kitchen.
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Mylah Rose 8 years ago
Cannot see why this is weird. What I find weird is Americans not having them and all going to laundrettes like it's the 1970's
person (i think) 8 years ago
Most people do have them, they are just in their own little room or closet.
Load More Replies... Nicola Morley 8 years ago
That looks like my washing machine. And my kitchen sink . . . And my work top . . . Is this my kitchen?
Blue Cicada 8 years ago
Today we think, ewww, dirty clothes in my clean kitchen?! 70 yrs ago, my grandma did laundry by hand in large tub in kitchen.
Mark Penrice 8 years ago
Our houses are smaller. My mum's kitchen doesn't have SPACE for the washer, so it goes in her unusually large utility room. I don't *have* a utility, and my bathroom barely has enough space for a person as well as a toilet, sink and small bath with a shower over it, so if I was to go along with a certain snotty celebrity's recent petition that they should be banned from kitchens, I'd have to put all my washing into a big bag, google for the one remaining laundrette within 10 miles, hump it down two flights of stairs to the car, drive there, pile a ludicrous number of coins into a machine of uncertain performance, then either spend 2-3 hours sat there killing time until it finished, or go run other errands trusting that no-one is going to interrupt the cycle and steal my s**t. Or I could put it in the only other room besides the bathroom that has water and high current power circuits provided. Which is after all why it ended up appearing there in the first place, and indeed why it was
Mark Penrice 8 years ago
(these input boxes are remarkably limited) - - once common to have a bath in there, or in the ground floor sitting room if it was winter (one having a source of hot water and a stone floor designed to be mopped out towards a drain, the other a fireplace). Also found in kitchen - dishwasher, which is a very similar machine when you think about it. Also quite often the main source of hot water and any central heating the property may have...
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James Butcher 8 years ago
In kitchen no other place to put it would love to have a utility room to put it in but British homes are tiny and unless your willing to pay a fortune on a house the only place for a washing machine is the kitchen!
Andrea Ayala Duque 8 years ago
We are fine, our washing powder has tiny blue dots to help us differentiate
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Delta Hill 8 years ago
You have to take into account the building regulations too. In some areas of the UK it's illegal to have electrical sockets in the bathroom. So you're limited by where you can put such things. Add to that the tradition that laundry was always done in the kitchen. Back before plumbing, the kitchen was where the fire was, and where the heat was. So laundry was done there too. When washing machines came in, they were automatically installed in the kitchen. It is slowly going out as new homes are built and expectations change, but when it's the way you've always done it and it works, why would you bother?
Renee Pruitt 7 years ago
No electrical sockets in the bathroom? How would I plug in my electric toothbrush or hair dryer?
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PurpleUnicorn 8 years ago
U.K. And Ireland don't allow appliances in bathroom so they are in kitchen or separate utility room.
Kayla Plumley 8 years ago
I have a washer and dryer in my kitchen. And oh, I'm an American. :O
jevais 8 years ago
Thank you, Kayla, for your comment. When you don't own a house or an apartment where you are free to change things around, you do your best with what you have. Housing standards in Europe are not as high as in the States. In Switzerland, especially where I live near the Lake Geneva, renting apartments are expensive that it's hard to find decent lodging; let a lone one with separate laundry facilities. You're just glad to have an apartment that doesn't cost you half of one month's salary.
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Miss Cheshire 8 years ago
I don't see what's wrong. I'm not British myself but I put my washing machine in the kitchen. *shrugs*
Caroline Driver 8 years ago
This is because even American hovels have more floorspace than most British houses, and can give up the space to a utility room, or have a basement/cellar. Lovely idea, but mostly wouldn't work over here.
Melissa Caywood 8 years ago
I think most Americans don't realize how small the living spaces are in the UK compared to the US. I was certainly surprised when I visited for the first time. I imagine most Brits would wonder what we need so much space for.
Brad Trapp 8 years ago
Its because we have newer homes and space isnt a huge issue. Old home in America do this too.
Sardonic Scribe 8 years ago
Not exactly the kind of place I'd like to do my laundry in... Ah yes, I just finished tenderizing a steak on this counter top. Now let's fold some laundry! :/
Judy Marie 7 years ago
My washing machine and tumble dryer are in my kitchen. Uk here. Don't know how most do it but I take my washing from the washer to dryer, then when finished, take my bundle of dry clothes to the family room/lounge/sitting room (whatever people call it) to fold my clothes there while I watch TV... I iron my clothes in the kitchen to the ironing board, which is also stored in the kitchen. My iron is kept in the cupboard under the kitchen sink... It's the norm to alot of UK homes..
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Karen Singrey 8 years ago
Throughout Europe and Scandinavia, too. When we lived in Norway our flat had a stackable washer & dryer, sink, toilet and SHOWER all in the same small spot. That's called "takin' care of business".
Jane Bateman 8 years ago
I'm in the UK and the washing machine and tumble dryer is in the utility room, we are lucky enough to have one and separate kitchen.
RaroaRaroa 8 years ago
I stayed with my Aunt in England and a friend in London. Both had their washing machines in the kitchen. My friend lived in a basement flat, so no garage to put it in. Not sure why my Aunt's was in the kitchen, I never really checked out her garage. What do people in apartments in the US do with theirs? I can't imagine apartments having a big enough bathroom for a washing machine. In NZ we generally have a separate room for them, usually just inside the door to the back garden and the washing line.
Melissa Boone 8 years ago
The order of preference in America is Laundry room, Utility room, Bath room, Kitchen.
Karen Singrey 8 years ago
That's all over Europe, too! Ours was like that in Norway. We also had a stackable in the bathroom along with the sink, toilet and SHOWER! I thought that was hilarious!
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 8 years ago
Uh. Having a shower in the bathroom is hilarious? I'm confused...
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Rebekah Pruett 8 years ago
Lots of homes in America do this as well. I moved my washer and dryer out of our kitchen and into the hall which makes more since as that is where are the bedrooms are located, making it less of a walk to put away clothing. Our closet that holds all of our towels, bedding, etc, is also in the hallway.
Wim Lammens 8 years ago
I have my washing machine in a separate storage room, but my tumble dryer is in the kitchen as there wasn't enough space in the storage room... so we fit the tumble dryer into the built-in slot that was actually meant for a dishwasher (which we don't have). That being said, I would love to re-do our bathroom, get rid of the bath tub and replace it with a shower + space for washer and dryer. But anyway, what I actually wanted to say is that washing machines in the kitchen are not a Belgian thing either, as far as I'm aware.
Mascha Claessens 8 years ago
Our house is too small to have the washing machine anywhere else XD When it's not washing, we use the surface as kitchen working space, or to put clean dishes.
Achim Peter 8 years ago
Usually, there are no outlets in the bathroom. That's one of the reasons.
Tobias Rieper 4 years ago
also what you are doing with your fingers in the picture over here is the same as flipping someone off
Suzanne Haigh 5 years ago
That photo proves nothing, where do the Americans put their washing machines? in the lounge?
Stephanie Hurst 7 years ago
Old Levittown homes in Pa that haven't been upgraded still have washers and dryers in the kitchen. Lots of my friends were complaining about it when house hunting.
Agathe May 8 years ago
just a question of plumbs and space. Dont think you can have an appartment in paris, old and cheap with a f*****g closet for a washing machine ^^ you re lucky if you have one already! I feel soooooo bless to see mine in my kitchen everyday ^^
Agathe May 8 years ago
not "plumbs", pipes sorry, it s too late to write proper english xp
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BlakCircleGirl 8 years ago
My grandfather built a back house on his property in the 1940's and I lived in it for 18 months a few years ago. The kitchen was big with a breakfast nook. The washer and dryer hookups were on one end. Some people just have never lived in an old house or been to a family member's house that didn't have a laundry room. It's so novel to them. lol
Martigan Wright 8 years ago
Mh, no sorry. Not all over Europe it's pretty common. The cheap housing structure in Britain is rather unique, in other parts of Europe you used to have laundry rooms. This is where the clothes washing would happen, not in the kitchen. British bathrooms don't have power plugs for some weird stupid reason, this is why they have to put their washing machines in the kitchen or in the garage. ;)
Cheryl Birkhimer 8 years ago
Where is the proof this was taken in a kitchen? Also, you do realize you are giving the equivalent of the middle finger right?
Cheryl Birkhimer 8 years ago
Generally smaller homes in the UK & Europe. Lots of people don't have the luxury of a "laundry room". Americans are used to, & expect more space, larger houses etc. They are affronted when they go abroad & find out that not everyone has 3 bathrooms, 4 bedrooms, triple car garage, (pronounce that correctly!) Culture shock, lol!
Medyo Uyam 8 years ago
there's nothing wrong with it.. you could even put it in your bedroom.. your flat, your rules.
Teri Donovan 8 years ago
Plenty of places all over the world where this is the case. Makes more sense to me than putting it in the basement! Where is more dirty laundry? The bedrooms and kitchen or the furnace room?
Lyric Karter 8 years ago
I have my washing machine in my kitchen too and I'm American, so I don't really get the hype.
Daniel Marsh 8 years ago
Can't see the kitchen. But it's not uncommon for Americans to put washing machines in a small closet, which, for convenient plumbing, is often just off the kitchen. And I understand that Brits don't have many closets, historically for tax assessment purposes. (Hence, fellow Americans, that's why they use "wardrobes," although I never understood whether they were drobes used during war, or robes used in a ward.) So it makes sense that you'd put it in the kitchen.
Norma Johnson 8 years ago
Mostly they are washer/dryers, not a good combination, don't work as well.- Hang your clothes out to dry?
Melody Lanzatella 8 years ago
Mine is in my kitchen...in AMERICA! I put it there so I dont have to haul clothes up and doen the stairs! ALL about practicality!
Lai'Anna Martin 8 years ago
We have them in the kitchen in the USA, too. No so much under the counter but in a closet in the kitchen. Only rich people have special rooms for their laundry upstairs and such. Just kidding. It's pretty common to see it either way here; bathroom, kitchen, or separate.
Lisa Shaw 8 years ago
Another thing that is only uncommon to americans. Look at some really old photos of american households form the 20's and 30's, it was not infrequent to see the toilet in the kitchen of the homes that had them. all the water in a house was run to one room, so anything that required water was all set up in one room. Don't know about the rest of you, but I would much rather do my laundry in the kitchen than my personal sit down business.
Cheyenne Vanhemert 8 years ago
Another thing that is actually NOT too uncommon in America! Does no one go to other's house? Like 1/3 of my friends house's growing up had washers in the kitchen!
Robyn Vyner-smith 8 years ago
washing machines aside, does anyone else live somewhere where holding those two fingers up that way round means " up yours"?
Chastin Dreyer 8 years ago
Mine is in the kitchen everyone I know keeps theirs in their kitchen unless they have a dishwasher and there is no space for both; don't see why that's such a big thing unless your laundry is so out of hand that it cannot fit in one dam laundry basket
Naomi Prior 8 years ago
Why would you put them in the bathroom?? Everyone is different ffs why do Americans think it's so awful just because it's not how they do it
Ruth Meszaros 8 years ago
We have our washer and dryer in the kitchen, behind doors. Very convenient.
Markus McCloud 8 years ago
I don't find this strange at all. In my current apartment, the washer and dryer are only three steps away from the stove.
Allana Rose 8 years ago
I wish we had our washing machines in our kitchens. Most people here put them in the freaking basements and that is a long way to go if you have loads and loads of wash to do. Very sensible putting them (in your kitchen) close to where u need them.
Gottlob Frege 8 years ago
Unfortunately , you missrecognized a washing machine as a Cray XC ... Capture-59...f90797.jpg 
Cherié Terblanche 8 years ago
This happens in South Africa too... there's usually a built in space in most apartments where you can stick your front loader in.
Katinka Min 8 years ago
It's a space thing. If you have a spare room or enough space in the bathroom, by all means stick the thing in there. But many don't, so into the kitchen they go.
Amanda Vidri 8 years ago
Thinking back on it, all the places I've lived in America either have the washing machine in the kitchen or right next to it.
Lianna Valdez 8 years ago
I am in the US and my washer and dryer are in my kitchen. I enjoy having them there so I can keep an eye on them.
#24
ispeak catanese 8 years ago
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.
#26
Ninshi TheImp 8 years ago
That reminds me of something I read. In germany the waterworks have to perpare for the breaks during important football games.
#29
Daria B 8 years ago
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*
#30
Jade Lorreni💜💙 8 years ago
Im british and have never seen, heardor tasted this. And i think it sounds terrible
#34
Cynthia McDonald 8 years ago
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.
#36
Claire Kidd 8 years ago
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!
#39
Ines Äffchen 8 years ago
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.
#40
#43
Neil Adams 8 years ago
It's correctly pronounced 'aitch', without the aspirant. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/aitch
#44
Cynthia McDonald 8 years ago
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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What do you think ?
Mark Smallman 8 years ago
And all this from a country that has a baseball tournament called the World Series that only teams from the US compete in. Obviously they see themselves as the entire world :)
Lundy Castellano 8 years ago
recently found out its called the world series after an old newspaper call the world which was the original sponsor - still, they really should change it!
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Wanda Queen 8 years ago
A lot of rude people and a lot of rude replies. This was just supposed to be fun. Kind of disappointing.
Anne Feldman 8 years ago
I know, here we are in the year 2017, and respect and peace is such a far reach.
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Warren Marris 8 years ago
Sod it! I am UK born and Bred... But I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND why the Yanks find it hard to grasp... But The Yanks ain't much better... How many Cereals WE CREATED HERE IN THE UK... Get to the states and get RENAMED for NO REASON!!! For instance - UK - Kellogs Frosties US - Kellogs Frosted Flakes? WHY???? There are so many more I can come up with... How about how We play Rounders, but the US made it Baseball? Why is Football in the US so much Like Rugby but teh game where you actually use your feet to kick the ball - and not your hands to pick it up and run with it is called SOCCER? There are so many silly idiosyncrasies... I just hoe we can all have a laugh at how DUMB we can ALL BE and appreciate our differences!
Buzz Mooney 8 years ago
Soccer is actually a British term, originally. In the late 19th and early 20th century, there was an effort to try to establish a single set of rules for football, but there were so many variations, that they had to be divided into two groups. One was Association Football, called 'Soc football, for short: that word became "Soccer". Both words were used interchangeably, for years, but when footie became popular in America, there was already a popular sport, based looselyon the OTHER form of football, as popularised at the rugby School. So in the U.S., rugby became the dominant form, and in Britain, Soc football became the dominant form, and in each country, the popular form was called football, while the lesser form took on the alternate name. As to rounders/baseball, they're not the same game: they, and cricket, developed as separate branches of a game often known as "base".
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Jilly Rogers 8 years ago
The word 'fortnight' is from Old English meaning fourteen nights. I found some of the responses highly amusing!
George Boyd 8 years ago
they put a bowl in the sink to save water, during the heatwave of 76 we had a severe water shortage and still use them today because we pay by the litre for tap water
coffee zombie 8 years ago
Started off like innocent fun then went dark. I'm neither British nor American but felt uncomfortable reading some jokes.
Pamala Vela 8 years ago
I'm both and understand it fully. Brit Dad /American Mom. Yeah I get it. Most Americans don't kn ow that the Union Jack is not the English flag...
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Marysia Jawłowska 8 years ago
Why are Americans so shocked that there's a different world outside the US? Britain isn't even that different and it's already enough to be patronised, seriously? It should be pretty obvious that things are different in different places. As much as I like Americans in general, it never ceases to amaze me just how tiny their comfort zone is and how mesmerised they are by smallest deviation from what they're used to.
Tery Briggs 8 years ago
We aren't shocked at all really. We know there is a different and fascinating world out there beyond our borders. Let me ask you this... haven't you ever visited a friend's house and notice that there are some things they do different? You would see it all over the place here in the states. Everyone is different. So with that said, we are fascinated by the not so subtle differences in other countries. Mainly the language because that is the easiest way to connect with someone elsewhere. Marysia (pretty name btw), it's not about our comfort zone, it's about how we learn to appreciate other people and their differences.
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Henny Hana 8 years ago
reminds me how i was awed by brits when i watched trainspotting.as an asian i'm still amazed by brit people.like,they're confusing but it's ok 'cuz they're cool and funny and you like it.
Katinka Min 8 years ago
What's up with those downvotes?!? Did people really downvote posts because they are about something sexual??? (Aaaaaand let me guess the nationality of the people that downvoted that.... -_- )
Donna Pirnat 8 years ago
Fannypack would not work over there. F***y means something....entirely different.
Kerry Carousel 8 years ago
yup you guys keep your f***y in the wrong place :)
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John Givern 8 years ago
All supposed to be in fun but taken far too seriously across the pond . I mean we also have an alternative meaning for the word "TRUMP"across this side of the pond we are far too polite to explain our version. Bear in mind that we had use of the words first and but for the bunch of tight arsed voyagers whingers who happened to stray too far from England the words might still have meaning for you. For example the word should obviously be acclimatise but where the hell did acclimate come from.
Jasmine Palmer 8 years ago
Hold on... what do you keep your hotdogs in?.... Also seriously what is with the sink bowl? I am british and I bloody hate those waste of time things.
Kerry Carousel 8 years ago
Don't worry about the hot dogs nobody buys those....Just like we don't buy American cars :D
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Fred and George Weasley 5 years ago
one thing i will NEVER understand is that americans basically have a dessert for breakfast. pop tarts, cinnamon buns, sugar loaded cereal. then you have to pay for healthcare. honestly its kinda confusing and messed up
Irene Hodges-Abdallah 7 years ago
The funniest one I came across is the word F***y. In America it is the bum but in uk it is the women’s private part.
Chris Frankland 7 years ago
If Trump had his way, we would become the 51st state. Perish the thought.
Craig Williams 8 years ago
American fireworks is to celebrate a plot against the government, too...only theirs succeeded.
Bridget Anne 8 years ago
I CAME HERE BECAUSE OF THE SINK BIN PREVIEW AND IT'S NOT EVEN PART OF THE ARTICLE. DAMN CLICKBAIT. boring-pan...5480d4.png 
TheDansetteList 8 years ago
"Whether it's their unique accent that somehow carries over into their typing" What, you actually think there's only ONE accent in the whole UK?!
Dyan Richardson 8 years ago
Our daughter spent a quarter at Cambridge University. I went for a visit in the last part of May and almost froze to death. May in the South of the US has already gone through spring and we are in the 90's. The day I got there it was sleeting. The University had turned off the heat because that is just what one does. The 1st of June, we were in Edinburgh Scotland. The local kids were laying out on the grass and it was SNOWING! I thought we should have checked because they might be dead. My daughter made me be quiet but I was concerned. The first thing I really noticed was the tea cart. Everyone, except me, jumped up and followed the cart. If you came through the train with a coffee cart in the States, no one would jump up. It just wouldn't happen. I enjoyed my trip but the young people were a little hard to understand. They used slang that I didn't understand and said "f**k" in various forms too many times. I will probably go back but I will never try to drive again.
Yiğitcan Karadeniz 8 years ago
Turks drink more tea then English, why people act like they drink tea like whole day.
Yiğitcan Karadeniz 8 years ago
Turks drink more tea then English, and I dunno why world act like English drink tea whole day.
Gary N Glover 8 years ago
The thing with the X is from when people couldn't read and it was a way of signing your name it then came to be a short cut for things like love and kisses etc.
Richard Schweitzer 8 years ago
Wait... wine by the glass in convenience stores? I thought it tea, only tea, all the time!?
Dianne Harlow 8 years ago
Canadian here with a somewhat British background I guess. Love tea, beans on toast, wash my dishes in a dishpan in the sink and on and on... What makes us different makes us interesting... be who you are lol.
Will Kelsall 8 years ago
Trump - in America its a president, in England it's a fart....... but no real difference there!
Brionna Alford 8 years ago
is a toast sandwhich like a legit thing? I mean I've heard of beans on toast at least. but not a toast sandwhich.... Also British people get concerned that we call all types of cookies cookies. (snickerdoodle chocolate chip oatmeal its all cookies and they don't understand lol)
matryoshkadoll 8 years ago
Oh and beans on toast is all my youngest son would eat when he was going through a fad. Personally, I prefer beans and cheese on toast or on a jacket potato (baked potato). Oh, and x just means love or a kiss or something that is just nice. Like really? I even used to do that when I live in Canada!
matryoshkadoll 8 years ago
Oh and 'F***y Packs'... 'F***y' refers to the vaginal opening... A bit gross, so please, it's not that weird. Plus in North America, they refer to rubbers as condoms, whereas in the UK, rubbers, rub out pencil mistakes. LOL
matryoshkadoll 8 years ago
As far as the toastie is concerned, it is not a 'toast sandwich'... It is filling placed between two pieces of bread, buttered on the outsides of the sandwich and then placed in a sandwich maker, a bit like a waffle iron. My favourite is basic ham and cheese... Rip apart and dip in ketchup - But then again, I learned this when I went to school in Norway for a year when I was 19. Yummmmm - one of my favourite memories!
matryoshkadoll 8 years ago
I moved back to the UK nearly 30 years ago and was shocked about the washing machine in the kitchen. However, there is one big difference between North America and the UK... That being space... If you think about it, the UK would fit into the province of Alberta nearly 3 times (sorry - I grew up in Alberta - so my reference point) The UK has just over 65 million inhabitants. In Alberta, there are just over 4 million inhabitants. So, therefore, most homes in the UK are packed into a much smaller area and have far less floor space. This means that it is generally less likely that people have room for a laundry room. And by the way, most UK homes don't have basements, so that rules out that space. This is also probably one of the reasons that in the UK, they use plastic tubs in the sink... Space... Most older UK homes don't have a double sink. Then I suppose the rest is tradition. If your mum used one, then you probably will as well.
matryoshkadoll 8 years ago
In the UK, there are different types of crossings with different rules. You have a standard crossing, like at traffic lights. Then you have the pelican crossing which you have to press a button and lights stop the traffic. Finally you have the zebra crossing which has a lit pole and a crossing resembling the lines of a zebra - hence the name - and a person only has to walk up to the crossing and cars must stop immediately. This zebra style crossing is common - not always with the lit pole- accross much of Europe.
Ulrike Weber 8 years ago
What's wrong with "zebra crossing"? In Germany we have the same term "Zebrastreifen" (= zebra stripes).
Angela Doore 8 years ago
We do not all talk street in England I understand it but I dont talk like that. Plastic wine glasses are popular as they are disposable after use
David Pincott 8 years ago
#7... as a welsh man I can say we try really hard to forget about england but the buggers over the bridge still insist on sticking their noses into our business
Richard Vernon 8 years ago
The power thing is true and its all to do with the fact that major British sporting events don't stop every 10 minutes for a TV commercial break like the US ones do. So when half time comes about in any major football or rugby event, everybody goes into the kitchen and turns the kettle on to make a cup of tea (or Coffee in my case). We have a couple of special power stations in North Wales whose role is to deal with the power demand spikes when they happen.
Tim Bruggeman 8 years ago
To the people who think the World Series was named after a newspaper, that is FALSE. It's an old wives tale. To the people who bristle about us calling the World Series "world" by all means put together a team and challenge the World Series baseball champion team. The after they beat the living c**p out of your team, will you allow us to call it a World Series?
Ron Gillespie 8 years ago
What, you think our Cuban and Puerto Rican team couldn't beat your team made up of Cubans and Puerto Ricans?
Load More Replies...
Frank Bromley 8 years ago
#30 is mind blowing not as mind blowing as what a CHip butty is and why the eff we didn't think of it first (frenchfry sandwich )
Frank Bromley 8 years ago
#30 blows my mind also a chip butty is a french fry sandwich on buttered bread with ketchup mustard and or brown sauce on it ....i have no idea how they came up with that before us
Sean Denny 8 years ago
Who the heck stamped American Style on a jar of pickled meat? There is nowhere in this nation where you will find hot dogs in brine jars. They are in plastic ziplocked hotdog pouches and usually double sided (4 dogs per side).
Cheryl Clair 8 years ago
As an American living in the Republic of Ireland, I found this whole thing hilarious. My question is, why can't Brits "th" instead of replacing it with a v or and f.? As in Mover instead of mother birthfday instead of birthday?
The Illuminati 8 years ago
I have never pronounced any of those words like that, and neither do the majority of British people. You know, I think you may have been watching too much Eastenders.
Load More Replies...
silasozzie 8 years ago
Americans should google 'toilet flushing at half time in the superbowl'
silasozzie 8 years ago
Americans should google 'toilet flush problems at half=time in teh superbowl'
Dharmamitra Smon Gorvin 8 years ago
Do Americans have or understand regional names for people. I'm talking about calling someone something dependant on where they come from. Do you know what a scouser is? Or a Deedah? Or a Geordie? Or a Jock.. Do you guys have anything similar?
Amanda Sango Hibbs 8 years ago
Northerner, southerner, Texan, Californian, and Alaskan. The rest is from ______(say region or state here).
Load More Replies...
Dharmamitra Smon Gorvin 8 years ago
Do Americans have or understand regional names for people? I'm talking about calling someone something dependant on where they come from. Do you know what a scouser is? Or a Deedah? Or a Geordie? Or a Jock? Do you have anything similar?
Mark West 8 years ago
As opposed to all Americans being Yanks, a Yankee is someone from the East Coast north of the Mason-Dixon line. Also known as carpet baggers when they move south of said line.
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Cindi Beattie 8 years ago
Too funny. I got to visit Britain in 1993. The conversations are hilarious. They had shrimp sandwiches in the vending machine at our hotel for just one pound. They were delicious. Jizz.
Kathleen Ramsey 8 years ago
I went to Europe and England was my favorite spot! Loved the scenery, the history and the people.
Nick Boulton 8 years ago
I love you America, you're so fantastically daft and never met one of you that I didn't like. Xxx
Tery Briggs 8 years ago
so what are the "xxx" for anyways? Are you blowing kisses? =P
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Darla Markle 8 years ago
I love to actually see differences from americans. One day I'll get to finally visit Britain, hopefully.
Paulette Sourisseau 8 years ago
SO: What about putting the plastic tub in the sink to do dishes? You got us here using that as enticement & then didn't address it! What gives?
Paul Barton 8 years ago
So you can still throw stuff down the plug hole. Tea dregs etc. Milk your kids forgot to finish. Water in tub stays cleaner longer. Logic.
Load More Replies...
Vera Kostadina 8 years ago
I come from country where wine is made for for many centuries. Nobody, but nobody would buy wine packed in plastic glasses.
RaeAnn Childs Perrault 8 years ago
You don't wash your dishes in the bathtub so whyyyyy would you not put a bucket in the sink that's washed your baby's stinky off? ! Geeezzz. ..
Sarah Richards 8 years ago
It's not a bucket. It's a tub just for dishes. I wash mine with bleach twice a week and I rinse it every time it's used.
Load More Replies... 
Cathy b 8 years ago
I guess we can play like this with all the different french speaking countries : Belgium, Swisserland, Quebec etc... Or the portugues speaked in Portugal or in Brazil... Americans just forgot that the first english migrants were probably speaking like this 250+++ years ago. All the languages changes are mostly due to a mix with other people coming from other countries. Languages are not frozen and continue to evolve for the better and sometimes the worst.
Claire 8 years ago
...unless they are religious languages such as Classic Arabic and Biblical Hebrew. Otherwise yes. Linguistics is fascinating.
Load More Replies...
Julie Obermiller 8 years ago
American born and bred but I have an affinity for all things Brit and the BBC is a must. I find the language and custom idiosyncrasies to be delightful! Every country has their pet names for things others will never understand and things we do and say here in the US boggle minds across the world! Why not just celebrate the differences and have a good laugh? People these days are so critical and snarky! Love the Brits!!! <3
lasagna's underrated 8 years ago
Now that I think about it. Both of my parents are American, but my grandfather came from Britain in the mid-1900s, and my mother has British ancestry, but America was first a British colony. So that means, I'm mostly British. Wow, what the Internet can make you realize. I don't know why I didn't figure this out sooner.
Mark Smallman 8 years ago
And all this from a country that has a baseball tournament called the World Series that only teams from the US compete in. Obviously they see themselves as the entire world :)
Lundy Castellano 8 years ago
recently found out its called the world series after an old newspaper call the world which was the original sponsor - still, they really should change it!
Load More Replies... Wanda Queen 8 years ago
A lot of rude people and a lot of rude replies. This was just supposed to be fun. Kind of disappointing.
Anne Feldman 8 years ago
I know, here we are in the year 2017, and respect and peace is such a far reach.
Load More Replies... Warren Marris 8 years ago
Sod it! I am UK born and Bred... But I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND why the Yanks find it hard to grasp... But The Yanks ain't much better... How many Cereals WE CREATED HERE IN THE UK... Get to the states and get RENAMED for NO REASON!!! For instance - UK - Kellogs Frosties US - Kellogs Frosted Flakes? WHY???? There are so many more I can come up with... How about how We play Rounders, but the US made it Baseball? Why is Football in the US so much Like Rugby but teh game where you actually use your feet to kick the ball - and not your hands to pick it up and run with it is called SOCCER? There are so many silly idiosyncrasies... I just hoe we can all have a laugh at how DUMB we can ALL BE and appreciate our differences!
Buzz Mooney 8 years ago
Soccer is actually a British term, originally. In the late 19th and early 20th century, there was an effort to try to establish a single set of rules for football, but there were so many variations, that they had to be divided into two groups. One was Association Football, called 'Soc football, for short: that word became "Soccer". Both words were used interchangeably, for years, but when footie became popular in America, there was already a popular sport, based looselyon the OTHER form of football, as popularised at the rugby School. So in the U.S., rugby became the dominant form, and in Britain, Soc football became the dominant form, and in each country, the popular form was called football, while the lesser form took on the alternate name. As to rounders/baseball, they're not the same game: they, and cricket, developed as separate branches of a game often known as "base".
Load More Replies... Jilly Rogers 8 years ago
The word 'fortnight' is from Old English meaning fourteen nights. I found some of the responses highly amusing!
George Boyd 8 years ago
they put a bowl in the sink to save water, during the heatwave of 76 we had a severe water shortage and still use them today because we pay by the litre for tap water
coffee zombie 8 years ago
Started off like innocent fun then went dark. I'm neither British nor American but felt uncomfortable reading some jokes.
Pamala Vela 8 years ago
I'm both and understand it fully. Brit Dad /American Mom. Yeah I get it. Most Americans don't kn ow that the Union Jack is not the English flag...
Load More Replies... Marysia Jawłowska 8 years ago
Why are Americans so shocked that there's a different world outside the US? Britain isn't even that different and it's already enough to be patronised, seriously? It should be pretty obvious that things are different in different places. As much as I like Americans in general, it never ceases to amaze me just how tiny their comfort zone is and how mesmerised they are by smallest deviation from what they're used to.
Tery Briggs 8 years ago
We aren't shocked at all really. We know there is a different and fascinating world out there beyond our borders. Let me ask you this... haven't you ever visited a friend's house and notice that there are some things they do different? You would see it all over the place here in the states. Everyone is different. So with that said, we are fascinated by the not so subtle differences in other countries. Mainly the language because that is the easiest way to connect with someone elsewhere. Marysia (pretty name btw), it's not about our comfort zone, it's about how we learn to appreciate other people and their differences.
Load More Replies... Henny Hana 8 years ago
reminds me how i was awed by brits when i watched trainspotting.as an asian i'm still amazed by brit people.like,they're confusing but it's ok 'cuz they're cool and funny and you like it.
Katinka Min 8 years ago
What's up with those downvotes?!? Did people really downvote posts because they are about something sexual??? (Aaaaaand let me guess the nationality of the people that downvoted that.... -_- )
Donna Pirnat 8 years ago
Fannypack would not work over there. F***y means something....entirely different.
Kerry Carousel 8 years ago
yup you guys keep your f***y in the wrong place :)
Load More Replies... John Givern 8 years ago
All supposed to be in fun but taken far too seriously across the pond . I mean we also have an alternative meaning for the word "TRUMP"across this side of the pond we are far too polite to explain our version. Bear in mind that we had use of the words first and but for the bunch of tight arsed voyagers whingers who happened to stray too far from England the words might still have meaning for you. For example the word should obviously be acclimatise but where the hell did acclimate come from.
Jasmine Palmer 8 years ago
Hold on... what do you keep your hotdogs in?.... Also seriously what is with the sink bowl? I am british and I bloody hate those waste of time things.
Kerry Carousel 8 years ago
Don't worry about the hot dogs nobody buys those....Just like we don't buy American cars :D
Load More Replies... Fred and George Weasley 5 years ago
one thing i will NEVER understand is that americans basically have a dessert for breakfast. pop tarts, cinnamon buns, sugar loaded cereal. then you have to pay for healthcare. honestly its kinda confusing and messed up
Irene Hodges-Abdallah 7 years ago
The funniest one I came across is the word F***y. In America it is the bum but in uk it is the women’s private part.
Chris Frankland 7 years ago
If Trump had his way, we would become the 51st state. Perish the thought.
Craig Williams 8 years ago
American fireworks is to celebrate a plot against the government, too...only theirs succeeded.
Bridget Anne 8 years ago
I CAME HERE BECAUSE OF THE SINK BIN PREVIEW AND IT'S NOT EVEN PART OF THE ARTICLE. DAMN CLICKBAIT. boring-pan...5480d4.png
TheDansetteList 8 years ago
"Whether it's their unique accent that somehow carries over into their typing" What, you actually think there's only ONE accent in the whole UK?!
Dyan Richardson 8 years ago
Our daughter spent a quarter at Cambridge University. I went for a visit in the last part of May and almost froze to death. May in the South of the US has already gone through spring and we are in the 90's. The day I got there it was sleeting. The University had turned off the heat because that is just what one does. The 1st of June, we were in Edinburgh Scotland. The local kids were laying out on the grass and it was SNOWING! I thought we should have checked because they might be dead. My daughter made me be quiet but I was concerned. The first thing I really noticed was the tea cart. Everyone, except me, jumped up and followed the cart. If you came through the train with a coffee cart in the States, no one would jump up. It just wouldn't happen. I enjoyed my trip but the young people were a little hard to understand. They used slang that I didn't understand and said "f**k" in various forms too many times. I will probably go back but I will never try to drive again.
Yiğitcan Karadeniz 8 years ago
Turks drink more tea then English, why people act like they drink tea like whole day.
Yiğitcan Karadeniz 8 years ago
Turks drink more tea then English, and I dunno why world act like English drink tea whole day.
Gary N Glover 8 years ago
The thing with the X is from when people couldn't read and it was a way of signing your name it then came to be a short cut for things like love and kisses etc.
Richard Schweitzer 8 years ago
Wait... wine by the glass in convenience stores? I thought it tea, only tea, all the time!?
Dianne Harlow 8 years ago
Canadian here with a somewhat British background I guess. Love tea, beans on toast, wash my dishes in a dishpan in the sink and on and on... What makes us different makes us interesting... be who you are lol.
Will Kelsall 8 years ago
Trump - in America its a president, in England it's a fart....... but no real difference there!
Brionna Alford 8 years ago
is a toast sandwhich like a legit thing? I mean I've heard of beans on toast at least. but not a toast sandwhich.... Also British people get concerned that we call all types of cookies cookies. (snickerdoodle chocolate chip oatmeal its all cookies and they don't understand lol)
matryoshkadoll 8 years ago
Oh and beans on toast is all my youngest son would eat when he was going through a fad. Personally, I prefer beans and cheese on toast or on a jacket potato (baked potato). Oh, and x just means love or a kiss or something that is just nice. Like really? I even used to do that when I live in Canada!
matryoshkadoll 8 years ago
Oh and 'F***y Packs'... 'F***y' refers to the vaginal opening... A bit gross, so please, it's not that weird. Plus in North America, they refer to rubbers as condoms, whereas in the UK, rubbers, rub out pencil mistakes. LOL
matryoshkadoll 8 years ago
As far as the toastie is concerned, it is not a 'toast sandwich'... It is filling placed between two pieces of bread, buttered on the outsides of the sandwich and then placed in a sandwich maker, a bit like a waffle iron. My favourite is basic ham and cheese... Rip apart and dip in ketchup - But then again, I learned this when I went to school in Norway for a year when I was 19. Yummmmm - one of my favourite memories!
matryoshkadoll 8 years ago
I moved back to the UK nearly 30 years ago and was shocked about the washing machine in the kitchen. However, there is one big difference between North America and the UK... That being space... If you think about it, the UK would fit into the province of Alberta nearly 3 times (sorry - I grew up in Alberta - so my reference point) The UK has just over 65 million inhabitants. In Alberta, there are just over 4 million inhabitants. So, therefore, most homes in the UK are packed into a much smaller area and have far less floor space. This means that it is generally less likely that people have room for a laundry room. And by the way, most UK homes don't have basements, so that rules out that space. This is also probably one of the reasons that in the UK, they use plastic tubs in the sink... Space... Most older UK homes don't have a double sink. Then I suppose the rest is tradition. If your mum used one, then you probably will as well.
matryoshkadoll 8 years ago
In the UK, there are different types of crossings with different rules. You have a standard crossing, like at traffic lights. Then you have the pelican crossing which you have to press a button and lights stop the traffic. Finally you have the zebra crossing which has a lit pole and a crossing resembling the lines of a zebra - hence the name - and a person only has to walk up to the crossing and cars must stop immediately. This zebra style crossing is common - not always with the lit pole- accross much of Europe.
Ulrike Weber 8 years ago
What's wrong with "zebra crossing"? In Germany we have the same term "Zebrastreifen" (= zebra stripes).
Angela Doore 8 years ago
We do not all talk street in England I understand it but I dont talk like that. Plastic wine glasses are popular as they are disposable after use
David Pincott 8 years ago
#7... as a welsh man I can say we try really hard to forget about england but the buggers over the bridge still insist on sticking their noses into our business
Richard Vernon 8 years ago
The power thing is true and its all to do with the fact that major British sporting events don't stop every 10 minutes for a TV commercial break like the US ones do. So when half time comes about in any major football or rugby event, everybody goes into the kitchen and turns the kettle on to make a cup of tea (or Coffee in my case). We have a couple of special power stations in North Wales whose role is to deal with the power demand spikes when they happen.
Tim Bruggeman 8 years ago
To the people who think the World Series was named after a newspaper, that is FALSE. It's an old wives tale. To the people who bristle about us calling the World Series "world" by all means put together a team and challenge the World Series baseball champion team. The after they beat the living c**p out of your team, will you allow us to call it a World Series?
Ron Gillespie 8 years ago
What, you think our Cuban and Puerto Rican team couldn't beat your team made up of Cubans and Puerto Ricans?
Load More Replies... Frank Bromley 8 years ago
#30 is mind blowing not as mind blowing as what a CHip butty is and why the eff we didn't think of it first (frenchfry sandwich )
Frank Bromley 8 years ago
#30 blows my mind also a chip butty is a french fry sandwich on buttered bread with ketchup mustard and or brown sauce on it ....i have no idea how they came up with that before us
Sean Denny 8 years ago
Who the heck stamped American Style on a jar of pickled meat? There is nowhere in this nation where you will find hot dogs in brine jars. They are in plastic ziplocked hotdog pouches and usually double sided (4 dogs per side).
Cheryl Clair 8 years ago
As an American living in the Republic of Ireland, I found this whole thing hilarious. My question is, why can't Brits "th" instead of replacing it with a v or and f.? As in Mover instead of mother birthfday instead of birthday?
The Illuminati 8 years ago
I have never pronounced any of those words like that, and neither do the majority of British people. You know, I think you may have been watching too much Eastenders.
Load More Replies... silasozzie 8 years ago
Americans should google 'toilet flushing at half time in the superbowl'
silasozzie 8 years ago
Americans should google 'toilet flush problems at half=time in teh superbowl'
Dharmamitra Smon Gorvin 8 years ago
Do Americans have or understand regional names for people. I'm talking about calling someone something dependant on where they come from. Do you know what a scouser is? Or a Deedah? Or a Geordie? Or a Jock.. Do you guys have anything similar?
Amanda Sango Hibbs 8 years ago
Northerner, southerner, Texan, Californian, and Alaskan. The rest is from ______(say region or state here).
Load More Replies... Dharmamitra Smon Gorvin 8 years ago
Do Americans have or understand regional names for people? I'm talking about calling someone something dependant on where they come from. Do you know what a scouser is? Or a Deedah? Or a Geordie? Or a Jock? Do you have anything similar?
Mark West 8 years ago
As opposed to all Americans being Yanks, a Yankee is someone from the East Coast north of the Mason-Dixon line. Also known as carpet baggers when they move south of said line.
Load More Replies... Cindi Beattie 8 years ago
Too funny. I got to visit Britain in 1993. The conversations are hilarious. They had shrimp sandwiches in the vending machine at our hotel for just one pound. They were delicious. Jizz.
Kathleen Ramsey 8 years ago
I went to Europe and England was my favorite spot! Loved the scenery, the history and the people.
Nick Boulton 8 years ago
I love you America, you're so fantastically daft and never met one of you that I didn't like. Xxx
Tery Briggs 8 years ago
so what are the "xxx" for anyways? Are you blowing kisses? =P
Load More Replies... Darla Markle 8 years ago
I love to actually see differences from americans. One day I'll get to finally visit Britain, hopefully.
Paulette Sourisseau 8 years ago
SO: What about putting the plastic tub in the sink to do dishes? You got us here using that as enticement & then didn't address it! What gives?
Paul Barton 8 years ago
So you can still throw stuff down the plug hole. Tea dregs etc. Milk your kids forgot to finish. Water in tub stays cleaner longer. Logic.
Load More Replies... Vera Kostadina 8 years ago
I come from country where wine is made for for many centuries. Nobody, but nobody would buy wine packed in plastic glasses.
RaeAnn Childs Perrault 8 years ago
You don't wash your dishes in the bathtub so whyyyyy would you not put a bucket in the sink that's washed your baby's stinky off? ! Geeezzz. ..
Sarah Richards 8 years ago
It's not a bucket. It's a tub just for dishes. I wash mine with bleach twice a week and I rinse it every time it's used.
Load More Replies... Cathy b 8 years ago
I guess we can play like this with all the different french speaking countries : Belgium, Swisserland, Quebec etc... Or the portugues speaked in Portugal or in Brazil... Americans just forgot that the first english migrants were probably speaking like this 250+++ years ago. All the languages changes are mostly due to a mix with other people coming from other countries. Languages are not frozen and continue to evolve for the better and sometimes the worst.
Claire 8 years ago
...unless they are religious languages such as Classic Arabic and Biblical Hebrew. Otherwise yes. Linguistics is fascinating.
Load More Replies... Julie Obermiller 8 years ago
American born and bred but I have an affinity for all things Brit and the BBC is a must. I find the language and custom idiosyncrasies to be delightful! Every country has their pet names for things others will never understand and things we do and say here in the US boggle minds across the world! Why not just celebrate the differences and have a good laugh? People these days are so critical and snarky! Love the Brits!!! <3
lasagna's underrated 8 years ago
Now that I think about it. Both of my parents are American, but my grandfather came from Britain in the mid-1900s, and my mother has British ancestry, but America was first a British colony. So that means, I'm mostly British. Wow, what the Internet can make you realize. I don't know why I didn't figure this out sooner.
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