Americans vs Brits

[WeirdHandDryers]

What’s the difference? Because there is a massive difference but I can’t put my finger on what it is! I love America so this isn’t an American bashing thread, would just love to know if anyone else sees the massive difference between the average Brit and the average American?

Also, I've NEVER heard an American slag Brits or Britain off.

The anti American sentiment and snidey comments from some Brits seem even more churlish in light of that.

I have heard anti British remarks

More political about the ridiculous NHS and the BBC being a communist run organization

I've forgotten where I read this but it's always stuck with me. In the UK, kids often have to study the book Kes. In the US they often have to study Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The message of Jonathan Livingston Seagull is, more or less, 'Don't abandon your dreams. The message of Kes is, more or less, 'Abandon your dreams'.

And that's the difference. In the US they think it's important to teach kids that they should never abandon their dreams. In the UK we think it's fine to teach kids the reality that dreams often have to be abandoned.

Nick Hornby, apparently. It's a much better summary than mine.

Americans are different to British people because Americans are America. Not British.
It's a complete different country. A complete different nationality.
The same can be said for the average Brit vs Australian/Spanish/Japanese/Austrian.
Every nationality is different. Even British people are different in different parts of the country! Is it because we share a common language that similarities are expected?

brand names for things? I give you... Hoover. Both as noun and verb!!
My American relatives would be baffled by it.

I think this is because there is no minimum wage.

We have a national minimum wage in the US and it covers wait staff in restaurants and other service occupations. A restaurant can have a base pay that is lower than the minimum wage, taking into account an estimate of what the employees tips would be. But if the total including tips does not work out to minimum wage, the restaurant has to make up the difference with additional pay.

Different cultures. And different ones within each country, too. Like the US drinking much less alcohol is true on average, but my family are Catholics of Irish/Russian /Polish stock and could drink your average Brit under the table, as well as swearing much more than Southern evangelical types.

I always find it odd in New York, which on the whole is more similar to London than the rest of the US, because they manage to combine great politeness with loudness, whereas in England polite=quiet. And the racial segregation is much more extreme there - I went to a supermarket in Northern Manhattan where I was immediately identified as foreign because I was white. Ended up chatting with a bunch of black ladies who couldn't believe in London white and black people go to the same stores, and definitely didn't believe half my street is black-white mixed race.

The type of people who say things like 'loud, rude, obnoxious'... etc are generally the type of people who haven't visited the US (or many other countries) and so their observations are based on lazy stereotypes ...

While I obviously can't speak for everyone, this largely matches my own experience

In fairness I've known one or two (usually those who never left Orlando and their Plastic Pal) who've been and disliked it, but IME the real vitriol has usually come from those with no practical experience of the US at all

The same often applies to "I couldn't go because of "Trump". FWIW I'm no admirer either, but do folk really believe the man and his beliefs infest everything??

@bridgetreilly The message of Kes is, more or less, 'Abandon your dreams'.

I had to study Kes at school and also read JLS (through choice) at a similar age. My memory of Kes is of a completely shit book, it was far too depressing. JLS was a book I took pretty much at face value at that age; I read it again this year and realised it's just as shit as Kes but at least Kes has a reasonable portrayal of the shit life that a child has.

the US drinking much less alcohol is true on average, but my family are Catholics of Irish/Russian /Polish stock and could drink your average Brit under the table

That brings back happy memories of a house swap to Boston, with a family of Irish background. The wider family were SO kind that I invited them all for drinks one evening as a "thank you", and knowing the reputation I bought an insane amount of booze - far more than anyone could possibly need

They drank the lot ... and I couldn't even get to the store for more as I was too plastered to find it by then

tips. Americans mostly want money for doing something that is expected for doing their job. Making out tourists are cheapskates for not wanting to throw away their money for nothing.

It’s job creation user. Common in cultures with little benefit safety net

188 posts it and no one has mentioned the major difference.

CINNAMON

Americans are obsessed with the stuff. Sprinkle it on every-bloody-thing. I wouldn't be surprised if they sprinkle their naked selves with cinnamon before sex.

sprinkle their naked selves with cinnamon before sex.

I've heard of vanilla sex and spicy sex but never cinnamon sex.

Making out tourists are cheapskates for not wanting to throw away their money for nothing.

No. Just want to be paid for doing their jobs. Their base pay is lower because tipping is anticipated to make up the rest. I'm not fond of the system either, but you should tip in the US unless you are ok with depriving service staff of part of their wages.

One of my best friends is American. She asked formmy help to shorten a statement for an appeal. Had to be 240 words and she was 60 over

Dear god. I love her so much. Those words were gone in sixty seconds
Here’s a snippet 💖

I always joke with my ‘gang’ that they say 10 words to my 1

I do not think of the US as one culture, anymore than I would think Scottish people the same as English.

Scottish and English people are largely similar. Much bigger differences between Americans.

The biggest difference I've found, well it's hard to word it, but understanding that differences exist? For example I grew up watching Friends, Simpsons, Buffy, whatever alongside UK made TV. So I knew that here schools go by year, uniforms are worn, school college university etc, and the US goes by grade, college means university and 'going to school' can mean university level. I've met a few Americans who simply don't know other countries have different systems, if I've asked for clarification I'm treated like an idiot until I let them know that no, we do it differently here. I've also been told off or teased for 'spelt' and 'cheque' until I mention that's how we do it, whereas I've never seen anyone correct 'check' because I just think British people have had more exposure to the fact that America does it differently. I think on any given day a good percentage of our news stories will include America in some way, I doubt it's the same there.

Scottish and English people are largely similar
Orkadians are as different from Glaswegians as Liverpudlians are from people from Cornwall.

And Glaswegians and Liverpudlians are remarkable similar. I know some people think the Scots and English are hugely different, and there are of course differences, but having lived in both countries I do think they're more alike than different.

Something that stands out to me hugely when my American family stay with us is that they are very open about how they are feeling. For example, they tell us how much they have missed us, how much they love us all and how much they cherish the time they have with us. We all stand feeling a tad awkward (albeit appreciative) at the confident sharing of emotions. I think brits age a lot more reserved

I was born in America, but have lived in England for many years. It took me a long time to understand the way Brits think and speak. It still doesn't come naturally to me - for instance, when someone cancels an appointment with words like "Oh I'm just not sure I'll make it now" or "I'm running very late" I used to take these phrases literally and try to find ways to help them or change my plans to accommodate them. I know understand that they are actually saying they can't/won't come at all. That has cut down on the unintentionally awkward conversations.

I love English people, I'm happy I live here, but I will always, always feel like an outsider.

Regarding the point made by Troels. I noticed far far less swearing in general in the US. You'd be in town or the park and not subjected to f' this, f' that like at home. In turn our relatives are horrified by the public use of bad language when they visit here.