Can someone explain the reasons behind these differences between Americans and Brits?

[kurstytemple]

I've noticed that Americans greet people often with, 'hey, what are you doing?' even when it's completely clear what the person is doing, ie, picking them up from the airport, bumping into them shopping. As opposed to the British greeting, 'hi how are you?'

Also Americans can say bye ONCE on the telephone yet us British folk seem to say bye about 1 million times repeatedly whilst hanging up the phone. For example, Americans - 'it was good speaking to you, bye'. Brits - 'it was good speaking to you, okay, you too, okay, bye, bye, bye, bye, byeeeee, bye, bu-bye, byeeeee'. What is that all about?

Additionally, I've been watching a lot of teen mom 2 and the court system over there just seems so much more straightforward and fair. Not sure if that's an accurate representation. But for instance, a person can go directly to the court for custody arrangements instead of all the faffing about before getting to that point, seems to be easier to get protection orders from someone and seems to be a bit more lenient with young people, making deals with them to ensure that certain convictions don't go on their record hence not making them unemployable. I still have to declare a breach of the peace I got at 18 pissed as a fart.

Anyway there's my ramblings. Anyone else noticed this or care to explain why the differences? Or point out any of their own for me to ponder

I thought it was just dh and I that said bye hundreds of times!!! Not sure about the court system no idea is that works.

I don't think they say "hey, what are you doing" but "how are you doing", I'm my experience anyway. Which is they same as *how are you".

One of my closest friends is American. I agree about the “Bye” thing!

She doesn’t do xxx at the end of messages and she can’t understand why we do. I remember her telling me you know when Americans are mad as you will get a “K” response or a one word response.

@Bumblenums1234 I lived in Arizona for 4 years and I definitely noticed it there. For instance if I bumped into someone in a shop, a lot of the time I would be greeted with, 'hey what are you doing?' And I never knew how to answer it as I always thought well it's perfectly clear what I'm doing. Most of the time I'd just say, 'oh nothing much, how have you been?' To move the conversation along.

Or say I had told my partner I was going out to dinner, he would call and say, 'hey what you doing' when he knew I was at dinner.

minor things done as a teen should be able to be written off... I think a lot of us could say there but for the grace of God go I (or my children)

I often don’t say bye on the phone at all. The conversation comes to a natural end and I hang up. If I do say bye it’s short and I don’t wait for a reply before hanging up.

I don’t get “What are you doing?” But “How are you doing?” Which now I think of it, I say now. My Canadian friend also says How are you doing too.

@RaspberryRoyale88 yes no kisses at end of kisses either, that's another. Also driving just seems to be necessity in the states, everyone seems to do it at such a young age.

*messages

American ex-pat here..
But where I live the greeting is ‘You alright? ( very rhetorical, they don’t actually have an answer. This is contracted to something like “Y’arrite?”
Courts stuff, who knows? I think it varies a lot state to state. Watch Philly DA on BBC 4 for some eye opening treatment of juvenile offenders, & not in a good way.
Brits do beat around the bush & use too many words to get the point across. I tell my staff to model their writing on Hemingway, but sadly, they often do not know who I am talking about.

Never heard anyone say 'what are you doing' as a greeting

I don't experience many people saying 'bye' more than once or twice, but I have a couple of friends who regularly do say it endlessly. I know it 100% isn't them meaning to be rude whatsoever, but I always think it comes across that way - as if they might think I haven't got the message that they need to go NOW, even though I've already said my brief 'bye-bye' and am about to hang up.

Like that bloke on The Fast Show who was utterly convinced that all of his colleagues were trying to chat him up every time they asked to borrow his stapler or needed a form signing

I've also never got on board with 'hey!' as an opening greeting. I'm fine with their 'hi!' having taken a stronghold in British English, alongside our (now more formal-sounding) 'hello' - and completely supplanting the good old 'Ahoy Ahoy!' - but 'hey!' is what you shout to somebody trying to steal your bike or peering in your window: not friendly at all IMHO.

I'm American- Californian. I've never heard or said, "Hey, what are you doing?" It's usually, "Hey how'ya doing?" Or "What's up/what's happening/what's goin' on?"
I only say hey back home, never here in the UK. For some reason (and this is just me being weird, I know), it really bothers me when Brits say 'hey'. It's like, it just doesn't work. I don't know... it's a me problem, definitely.
The millions of byes thing is just downright pathological.

The American enthusiasm for absolutely everything. OMG OMG Are you going fishing? OMGGGG are you REALLY! Heeeey everyone, these guys are going FISHING. Wow!! Thats so freaking exciting.
Brits are like "please stop shrieking".

We spent our holiday wondering why my cousins were acting deranged, they spent their holiday thinking we were depressed.

Another American - I don’t know anyone who says “hey, what are you doing?” as a greeting. I have picked up the British “you all right?” and my American friends and family look at me with great suspicion and get defensive because they think I’m implying something is wrong with them!

I don't understand the "bye" thing on the phone at all. I say "love you, bye" oe whatever. So does DH. My mother, OTOH, seems unable to finish a phone call without saying it at least 8 times.

I agree with the driving thing as well. I admit I'm an outlier, even by UK standards, DH & I are now in our 40s & don't drive, by choice. TBH I'm medically unfit but that's recent. We just never bothered, it's a big expense, we have reasonable public transport (we're not in London) & we've got other priorities financially. And it's not good for the environment. And I think we'd get really, really fat if we had a car. It seems weird that Americans let their kids drive & get married so young but not drink until they're 21.

Sometimes when I'm really bored I watch American court TV on YouTube. Really weird. Their courts are crazy. Saw one where the judge & one of the attorneys went out & had a fight in the corridor (didn't actually see the fight).

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll I really, really, really like your username.
You've nailed it. I never liked 'hey'... even when I use it at home, I've never ever been comfortable with it and I think it's because I find it dismissive. It bothers me more when Brits use it, I realise, because Brits are not dismissive at all. I find the greetings here so warm and friendly. I do at home as well, but Americans have a casual thing going on that 'works' for us. Brits have a special way about them and the 'hey' sort of ruins that. It kind of takes away from the whole Britishness of Brits, if that makes sense.

@ShitPoetryClub

The American enthusiasm for absolutely everything. OMG OMG Are you going fishing? OMGGGG are you REALLY! Heeeey everyone, these guys are going FISHING. Wow!! Thats so freaking exciting. Brits are like "please stop shrieking".

We spent our holiday wondering why my cousins were acting deranged, they spent their holiday thinking we were depressed.

It is very confusing for Americans that British people act like they have a massive chip on their shoulder.

In Belfast the greeting is 'What about you!' Often said with great gusto and enthusiasm. And frequently shortened to 'Bout ye'.

I definetely was not imagining that greeting although it may appear like it on here .

@kurstytemple

I definetely was not imagining that greeting although it may appear like it on here .

Probably a local thing to where you were living. I was in Seattle a while ago, and whenever you walked into a shop they said "Hi, welcome in!" I'd never heard that in any other parts of the US.

I travelled around the US for a while. I think Brits have more in common with Europeans than with US citizens. They speak the same language as us but are culturally different in so many ways (massive generalisation I know). Took me ages to realise that “how are you doing” didn’t require an answer about how I was actually doing! Never heard anyone use the greeting “what are you doing” though 😄

"the court system over there just seems so much more straightforward and fair"

You're taking the piss right? 😂

In my experience it's more like "what's up?" or "what's going on?", but, now that I think of it I do sometimes say "Whatcha up to?" If I am calling unexpectedly or talking to kids and want to engage them in conversation.