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.
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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...
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.
Us British can sneak up on you like a ninja in the night or even an iceberg in open water
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."
That's probably because they never had to become an independent country.
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?
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.
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).
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.
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.
That reminds me of something I read. In germany the waterworks have to perpare for the breaks during important football games.
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*
Im british and have never seen, heardor tasted this. And i think it sounds terrible
Because it saves on plug-ware. I save pounds every year on not having to replace plugs for my sink.
Ok, I'm American and I do this... as did my Mom, also American. If you have a huge sink rather than a divided sink, this lets you wash dishes in the tub and rinse in the rest of the sink. Of course, I have a divided sink and I still use it... I honestly don't know why other than I hate fighting with the drain plug.
Ditto, this is just normal dish washing if you don't have a dishwasher XD
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There's a number of reasons. Stops things smashing or if they do break you can just empty the broken glass straight from the bowl to the bin rather than scooping it out of the sink (same goes for large chunks of food). Also, if you don't have a separate rinsing sink, you can tip any tepid rinsing water down the side of the bowl to avoid the rest of the water getting cold. Also allows you to remove the bowl when soaking stubborn pots if you need to use the sink for something else.
Because they generally only have one sink. So it allows them to continue to use the drain whilst they have washing up. ie. for tipping out the dregs of a cup of tea before adding it to the dishes.
Ok so I'm British and my family have a spare sink in our utility room and we have a plastic tub in it. Explain... pls
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your glasswear and china doesn't break on the metal of the sink, or scratch it!
Good point! I might have to start doing this, thanks.
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It's about conserving water. Plus if you have to ditch something down the side (dregs of a cup of tea anyone?), it doesn't contaminate the dishwater.
How is it conserving water? Here in the US we use a drain stopper, then fill the sink up with water, same as filling a tub up with water. We are using the same amount of water. And we have two basins as a kitchen sink, so you would just pour down the other side of the sink.
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Not uncommon here, in Germany, either, if you only have one sink. You save water and can still use the sink while washing up.
Denmark too. Since water is expensive and not an unlimited resource :-)
Marlowe, we don't literally fill the entire sink, just enough to wash the dishes. My sink is small and practically the same size as the tub shown in the photo. So it's the same amount of water. And we have two basins in the sink, so you wash in one and can pour things down the other sink.
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As a Dutch living in Belgium I can tell you that the British aren't te only ones.
You live in Belgium? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?!?! ;)
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Lots of Americans do to. They sell the plastic tubs at the dollar store.
i always have, great especially if you overfill, water goes down drain not on the counter and floor.
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Using a tub in the sink is common in Australia if you don't have mains water so have to rely on a rain water tank, primarily on farms and properties outside towns. It saves a lot of water and it's final use is to water the gardens. Sometimes it is even used to flush the toilet if the tanks are low due to drought..
German answer: because it saves water. We don´t like to waste so much water like the US :-P
So you can rinse without messing up hot soapy water. I did it for years before getting a dishwasher
I don't understand either and i'm British, it's just downright annoying.
Seriously, what? What are you putting in your sinks that makes it so unhygienic?
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because a double sink is a luxury. have to pour stuff down sink when washing up
I put a plastic tub in my sink because it's a single basin and it's hard to hand wash dishes without it.
Filipinos put plastic tub too on kithen sinks and that's what we use to clean our dishes.. and we just want to conserve water.
Reduces water use, reduces damage on the tableware, reduces risk of losing rings down the plughole if you're not wearing gloves, means you can lift the whole lot out of the sink either halfway through washing or if you haven't even started and someone needs to use it for something else, gives you the ability to have two separate containers of soapy water if you have some pans with burnt-on cack that needs to soak a while but you don't want to delay washing everything else, can use it for washing veggies, or soaking cold feet in hot water, means you can dump all the water directly down the plug hole in one go to reduce the risk of clogging.... Etc. Plus it's just a handy thing to have around and the sink is a convenient place to keep it when not needed elsewhere.
i dont get this comment lol people use these in the united states aswell if you live in an apartment with only one sink basin then you was your dishes in this then rinse them while washing ive used them a couple times my self
When u use the sink for doing dishes, u cant use it for anything else......
...so you can still empty water and liquids AND do the dishes at the same time. Its brilliant.
In the US we have two basins for the sink, so you wash in one and pour liquids down the other.
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We also do that here in the philippines. 1st it's because we brush our teeth and spit at the sink, when we wash our plates food residue are being drained to that sink. We cannot afford to let the bacteria transfer to our washed dishes. 2. To save on water, it can be used to water the plants.
What the fresh hell? Thats like placing a plastic tub inside your tub, makes absolutelu no sense.
Less room, less water. Should be easy to understand, really.
Load More Replies... I really have no answer to this question. I don't know why we use washing up bowls but I use one, lol.
To be honest I have no idea and have often wondered myself, being British.
incase you break a glass or plate, easier to throw it away than clog up the drain!
This is something I do not understand. It may have sense if you want to soak things. Otherwise you just have a tub full of filthy water. I am aware that the idea of hygiene is not paramount in UK, but this is one of the worst.
Two reasons: 1) To help protect china and glass from chipping or breaking in the metal/stone sink; and 2) To enable you to change the washing up water quicker and easier
My mexican mom does this. I don't know the full reason but she doesn't have a dishwasher & she does like to hide the whole tub with dirty dishes in it under the sink (if unexpected visitors arrive).
I'm from the U.S. and I do this. Most of the people that I know, who don't use dishwashers use this.
we use this while growing up... the tub is so the used plates are not in contact with the sink... the sink is dirty
Ive known LOTS of people in the U.S. that do this as well...useless.
Americans do this too. I used to before I had a dishwasher and I don't even know why.
I use a bowl on the worktop and rinse suds off under the tap. Only because I can't bend to reach the bottom of the sink. Have to fill and empty it with a jug.
I'm American. I've done this for years when I had only one sink in the kitchen.
It means we don't really have to stick our hands into the dirty water looking for the plug just tip the bowl
I thought it was to use less water. Or is there another reason they do it?
lol, fiurst thing I bought after moving to the US.. was hard finding a bowl that fit in the sink though >.<
Sinks were different before, it's problably a legacy thing. In my grandparents home in Spain the kitchen is the same as in 1950 and the sink is very low (2 cm or so) and no stopper, just a 2 cm round hole with no stopper. If you have an old sink like this, the tub is convenient. And before plastic they were made of metal, same as tubs for washing the clothes before washing machine or even for washing a person before we all had nice bathrooms with hot water. It's not so long ago, come on.
My life started in a house without an indoor bathroom, so bathing was done in a large round metal tub in front of the woodstove in the kitchen. 1960-1970. Same tub used as the rinse tub for my parent's wringer washer.
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I have a double sink, yet still use a dishtub for soaking & handwashing. Easier to clean than the stainless steel, protects the enamel in old sinks, and seems more sanitary (debatable, but I feel better when my sink isn't coated in greasy/sticky/rotted food waste)
not only in Britain, in the old days people used to do that on the continent too. I spent years talking my mother out of it. And guess what : one of my last girlfriends did the same. She said : it saves water....... ?????
We had a farm house sink in the kitchen of our old house. Needed a wash tub there, but with a double sink, no need. Fill one side with soapy water, rinse in fresh water on the other side.
It stops the plates chipping against the sink as you wash them.
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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.
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!
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.
It's correctly pronounced 'aitch', without the aspirant. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/aitch
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!
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 :)
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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A lot of rude people and a lot of rude replies. This was just supposed to be fun. Kind of disappointing.
I know, here we are in the year 2017, and respect and peace is such a far reach.
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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!
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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The word 'fortnight' is from Old English meaning fourteen nights. I found some of the responses highly amusing!
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
Started off like innocent fun then went dark. I'm neither British nor American but felt uncomfortable reading some jokes.
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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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.
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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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.
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.... -_- )
Fannypack would not work over there. F***y means something....entirely different.
yup you guys keep your f***y in the wrong place :)
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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.
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.
Don't worry about the hot dogs nobody buys those....Just like we don't buy American cars :D
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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
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.
If Trump had his way, we would become the 51st state. Perish the thought.
American fireworks is to celebrate a plot against the government, too...only theirs succeeded.
I CAME HERE BECAUSE OF THE SINK BIN PREVIEW AND IT'S NOT EVEN PART OF THE ARTICLE. DAMN CLICKBAIT. boring-pan...5480d4.png 
"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?!
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.
Turks drink more tea then English, why people act like they drink tea like whole day.
Turks drink more tea then English, and I dunno why world act like English drink tea whole day.
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.
Wait... wine by the glass in convenience stores? I thought it tea, only tea, all the time!?
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.
Trump - in America its a president, in England it's a fart....... but no real difference there!
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)
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!
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
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!
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.
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.
What's wrong with "zebra crossing"? In Germany we have the same term "Zebrastreifen" (= zebra stripes).
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
#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
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.
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?
What, you think our Cuban and Puerto Rican team couldn't beat your team made up of Cubans and Puerto Ricans?
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#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 )
#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
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).
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?
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.
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Americans should google 'toilet flushing at half time in the superbowl'
Americans should google 'toilet flush problems at half=time in teh superbowl'
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?
Northerner, southerner, Texan, Californian, and Alaskan. The rest is from ______(say region or state here).
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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?
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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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.
I went to Europe and England was my favorite spot! Loved the scenery, the history and the people.
I love you America, you're so fantastically daft and never met one of you that I didn't like. Xxx
so what are the "xxx" for anyways? Are you blowing kisses? =P
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I love to actually see differences from americans. One day I'll get to finally visit Britain, hopefully.
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?
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.
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I come from country where wine is made for for many centuries. Nobody, but nobody would buy wine packed in plastic glasses.
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. ..
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.
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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.
...unless they are religious languages such as Classic Arabic and Biblical Hebrew. Otherwise yes. Linguistics is fascinating.
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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
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.
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 :)
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... A lot of rude people and a lot of rude replies. This was just supposed to be fun. Kind of disappointing.
I know, here we are in the year 2017, and respect and peace is such a far reach.
Load More Replies... 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!
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... The word 'fortnight' is from Old English meaning fourteen nights. I found some of the responses highly amusing!
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
Started off like innocent fun then went dark. I'm neither British nor American but felt uncomfortable reading some jokes.
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... 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.
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... 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.
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.... -_- )
Fannypack would not work over there. F***y means something....entirely different.
yup you guys keep your f***y in the wrong place :)
Load More Replies... 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.
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.
Don't worry about the hot dogs nobody buys those....Just like we don't buy American cars :D
Load More Replies... 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
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.
If Trump had his way, we would become the 51st state. Perish the thought.
American fireworks is to celebrate a plot against the government, too...only theirs succeeded.
I CAME HERE BECAUSE OF THE SINK BIN PREVIEW AND IT'S NOT EVEN PART OF THE ARTICLE. DAMN CLICKBAIT. boring-pan...5480d4.png
"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?!
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.
Turks drink more tea then English, why people act like they drink tea like whole day.
Turks drink more tea then English, and I dunno why world act like English drink tea whole day.
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.
Wait... wine by the glass in convenience stores? I thought it tea, only tea, all the time!?
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.
Trump - in America its a president, in England it's a fart....... but no real difference there!
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)
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!
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
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!
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.
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.
What's wrong with "zebra crossing"? In Germany we have the same term "Zebrastreifen" (= zebra stripes).
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
#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
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.
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?
What, you think our Cuban and Puerto Rican team couldn't beat your team made up of Cubans and Puerto Ricans?
Load More Replies... #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 )
#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
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).
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?
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... Americans should google 'toilet flushing at half time in the superbowl'
Americans should google 'toilet flush problems at half=time in teh superbowl'
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?
Northerner, southerner, Texan, Californian, and Alaskan. The rest is from ______(say region or state here).
Load More Replies... 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?
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... 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.
I went to Europe and England was my favorite spot! Loved the scenery, the history and the people.
I love you America, you're so fantastically daft and never met one of you that I didn't like. Xxx
so what are the "xxx" for anyways? Are you blowing kisses? =P
Load More Replies... I love to actually see differences from americans. One day I'll get to finally visit Britain, hopefully.
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?
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... I come from country where wine is made for for many centuries. Nobody, but nobody would buy wine packed in plastic glasses.
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. ..
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... 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.
...unless they are religious languages such as Classic Arabic and Biblical Hebrew. Otherwise yes. Linguistics is fascinating.
Load More Replies... 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
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.
