Differences between Brits and Americans

I think there are some major differences that are surprising when you think about them.

For a country who is fairly new and who's people, or a lot of them, love history and tradition, they don't keep any old buildings because they are old. A lot of the legendary hotels, the sands, the international have been demolished in Vegas. I've been to Memphis twice and it's clear that the sun studios (where elvis, Johnny cash, Roy orbison, and others started) basically where rockabilly was invented, only survived by accident, being on a street which was yet to be developed. The pathing stones had the year they were made stamped on them, so you knew bb king, Martin Luther king etc had walked on them...they were there in 1989...gone 2004.

They are also ridiculously parochial, having little idea of world geography in 1989 I had to repeatedly explain where Bristol is. In 2004, despite watching a lot of tv and the news there, it was only 2 days later the Madrid bombings were mentioned.

But I think the huge difference is with work. The Americans have few public holidays (which is why they are so big in us tv and films) and very little time off work, only 2 weeks max. Therefore, they spend a lot of time at work and it's key to who a lot of them think they are.

Nobody in their early 20s in the UK would flounce off because some other 19 year olds were drinking 2 beers. It just wouldn't happen.

It wouldn't happen in the UK because it's not illegal in the UK. My guess is that the over 21-year-old might have departed the scene to prevent the possibility of being accused of providing alcohol to underage people or facilitating the consumption of alcohol by underage people. By remaining on the scene, they could potentially open themselves up to criminal liability, loss of job, etc.

I lived in Jersey City and worked in NY for five years in the first half of the 1980s. And I loved it. I genuinely liked most of the people I met, from high to low, because for the most part everyone tried to be pleasant. I knew all sorts of everyone, from teenage girls (not naice middle class ones) to senior executives on Wall Street. In retrospect, it was a massive crash course into DEI. My lasting friends, that I am still corresponding with, do tend to be well educated well travelled east coast denizens still living in the NE. They are solidly Democrat, but were generally very well paid in professional roles while they worked, and they understood the importance of saving into their 401K pension scheme ( a bit like a SIPP). I also knew, because I lived in a very blue collar building, that being the same to everyone mattered. My sister reminded me this weekend that the route to the local subway from my apartment took you past the local state prison, so it was sensible to walk where you were less visible to the inmates, unless you wanted a hail of catcalling. It was an okay place to live in general, but it was not Connecticut. It wasn't dangerous, but walking home alone after midnight, you would be alert.

There were no kids on the camp. It was the week before they arrived. We were having a party to get to know each other and allowed 2 beers each (whoopy doo!) Even 2 beers when there were no children there was enough to outrage a young American. The OP asked for differences - you have a huge one right there. Nobody in their early 20s in the UK would flounce off because some other 19 year olds were drinking 2 beers. It just wouldn't happen. Nobody would bat an eyelid. Nonenof us were even slightly drunk but he was disgusted by it. There is a huge cultural difference in this respect.

Also the sleeping in a car thing: it didnt cross my mind that this would be a probelm. It's just odd.

No need to take it personally. OP asked for differences and I've given some examples of my experience.

I find that interesting because I first encountered the name Imogen as a child... in What Katy Did. An American book as far as I know! So i always assumed the name was used over there.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you don't live in the North of England, or Scotland!

I think this is a fair point. When I lived in the UK, I lived in Scotland. The random chatting with strangers that happens in the US, especially in the South, was often a feature of daily life in Scotland (especially in Glasgow, but even in Edinburgh). The culture shock was the first time I went south and discovered that this was not the norm in many parts of England.

I also moved to the US for husbands work pre-Brexit, and now we are back home in the U.K.

At first I found most people super friendly. Other Mums at the school and preschool were quick to invite us over for lunch or to hang out at the park. Once I started working myself though I found exactly what you describe. Everyone was friendly and polite but I couldn't get to know anyone as everything was very surface friendly and with no depth. I actually missed being able to have a moan and just be real with people. I found that any moaning was taking that you were deeply unhappy with something, whereas us Brits love a good moan about something. In the end I just found the vast majority of people to be shallow and that the initial friendliness is just politeness in a way us Brits don't have.

I was in the Pacific North West.

CandyCane457 · Today 17:48

I was really thrown at first thinking he was confused and thought he recognised me or knew me, then just realised he was friendly!!

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you don't live in the North of England, or Scotland!

Re language, it's macaroni and cheese in the USA an macaroni cheese in the UK, although it seems to be changing here. There's a "Mac 'n' Cheese" stall in the Grainger Market, (Newcastle) but ar £7.50 for a small tub, they can get to fuck!

I make a cheese sauce normally and grate cheese on top. I also add a fried onion, or leak.

I'm totally going to try the version with eggs.

I’ve actually found the Americans I’ve met huge oversharers. People sitting next to you on a plane and telling you their entire family story, leaving nothing out, really trauma dumping on you.

Or being incredibly open about their dating life - while meeting someone for the first time in a work context!!

I’ve had to separate American men in the office because their dick waving contest about who is the bestest actually escalated to punches.

Overall though… Such different cultures!! Especially recently it’s become so apparent how they have very different ideas, for example in gender roles, religion etc.

Well that’s how it’s coming across. And being insulting. I’m sure you’re a pleasure to know. Pretty sure the chances are low. I hope.

I actually think this thread has been rather good spirited! Save for a few nutty posts. Much nicer than the usual 'Americans are weird and wrong about everything' threads

Well yes, of course I'm making generalisations because that's the point of this whole post.

You'd have to pretty dense, or willfully ignorant, to not realise that my experience doesn't mean that every single American is the same. My experience is my own. I'm surprised this needs to be explained to you.

That also includes the Irish, Italians, Greeks, Scot’s the English and all over the continent. Making generalizations is just like making assumptions. You don’t know these people. You’re putting people in a little box according to what you perceive they are like without knowing them. What a small world. I thought we’ve moved on from the 50s and 60s. I guess not.

You're talking about 3 very big multicultural cities there. Maybe Texans would have more in common with people from rural Co Durham 🤷

Um, well, pit villages, inner city London, Hungary, Ireland, Texas and New York are all made up of individuals. Having lived in two of those places and travelled to all but Hungary, I disagree with you. I, as someone from New York, have more in common with people from London and Paris than with 95% of the Texans I've met.

I'm sure you know better, however. Thank you ever so much for illuminating me about my own experience.

Agree with this. It is why they see discussions like this as anti American, when in reality British people are very harsh about their own country.

No, your points are that Americans are as different as different European countries. The pit villagers and inner city Londoners are still more alike than a Hungarian and someone from Ireland. You're trying to say that a Texan and a New Yorker are more different than anyone in Europe.

@mathanxiety That is the ideal situation, not what happens though. Insurance companies declining anti nausea medication for a child receiving chemo as they do not think it is necessary. Medics spend a lot of time arguing with insurance companies for their patients.

Very straitlaced work events in the US compared to the UK!

Source: spent time in the New York office of the law firm where I trained.

They voted Trump in.

We (sort of) voted Johnson in.

Maybe not that much difference between us then. 😁

I have some lovely American friends. They're enthusiastic, generous, loud and very flamboyant. They love the Royal family and love our traditions and get excited at the thought of seeing something over 150 years old.
I think the main difference is they get very defensive at any criticism of America (even if they agree with it). Whereas the Brits tend to join in with any criticism of the UK.

Tinieke, the tiktok chef, has the best mac n cheese recipe I’ve ever tried :)

Sorry about my earlier link. Here's another site with essentially the same recipe.

https://www.food.com/recipe/southern-style-macaroni-and-cheese-506984

I was blocked by the paywall, unfortunately.

Yes, it has eggs. It's basically a custard.

It is sad. I remember everyone clearing in front of their houses when I was a kid. There was no slipperiness because every road had a bin of grit at the end of it and you could just go and get some and put it in front of your house on the pavements.