To ask overseas folk what British quirks they think are weird/funny?

[Burntmybiscuits]

Us Brits are always on our high horse, making light humour over the habits of other countries (particularly the U.S!), so I thought it would be funny to see what people overseas find 'unique' about us!

@Reginabambina
The weird moral superiority about using stare schools. You are literally forcing other people to meet your financial parenting obligations. You should only be using a state school if you can’t afford to pay your way.
I've genuinely never heard this opinion before. Where are you from?

@alloutoffucks Australia. Going on holiday isn’t the same as living somewhere for a while given then housing in built up areas where tourists tend to spend time is tiny in most places. I just meant in the sense that when I first cane to Britain and was presented with stereotypical 3 bed houses there my first though was wtf is this? Obviously I’m now used to it but I’d still struggle to live like that especially given the climate. It’s really really bizarre when you’re not used to it, similar to washing machines in kitchens.

I have never been to Australia but it is a pretty massive country with no that many people in it for the space. So not surprising you have the land to have big houses.
I know some places for tourists have small apartments, but I have heard lots of British people talking about hiring large places in America with large rooms. So I do think a lot do know they have small houses here. But I also know from a friend who did a self build that land here is pretty expensive. In a lot of countries with expensive land they have lots of apartments instead, but not here.

English parents are obsessed with their kids' bedtimes. If a kid goes to bed after 7pm they will cry all day the next day.

Separate hot and cold taps. I know the apparent reason behind it but come on, it's 2020 now.

Obsession with alcohol. Seems a weird cycle where adults go on and on about booze and then wonder why their teens are down the park getting drunk at age 15.

I've never heard of anyone rinsing their dishes, that's just weird

I STILL don't get this non-rinse thing. So... you put soap on the dishes, then put them on the draining board without washing the soap off, is that it? And this PP is saying to rinse the soap off would be weird?

What about when you wash your hands? Do you just lather on the soap then leave the bathroom without rinsing it off?

Australia has a massive state school system and I've never ever heard anyone express the opinion that you shouldn't use it if you can afford private. I think it's safe to say this is an outlier in terms of Aussie opinions on the matter

In my country, we are renowned for being "open, warm, friendly" etc. but people can be really impolite. It really bugs me. We barely even use our word for please.

In the UK, everyone is very polite (on the roads especially, haha) but not very warm or friendly.

I know lots of people are saying that British people do rinse dishes. My experience is you don't really. I was taught by my mum when washing dishes to make sure that I totally rinsed off all soap suds thoroughly. What I see here is most people either not rinsing at all or doing a half hearted rinse.

Also found it strange how much angst there is about getting kids to go to sleep. I was astounded when I started work and heard parents who had children as old as 7 saying their children did not sleep through the night and woke them too early in the morning. I soon learned to just smile understandingly rather than saying things like, just tell them they have to stay in their bed. It seems the whole house suffers for years, rather than maybe spend anything from 3 days to a few weeks getting the child to stay in their bed or their room. And that includes the child suffering.
I mean it is up to parents what they do, but it baffles me that this is so common and there is such angst around any possible solutions, as if the suggestion was to chain their child to the bed.

Disclaimer: haven’t lived in the UK for nearly 20 years, so things may have changed, but:

• packing your own groceries at supermarkets. I used to nearly be in tears as the checkout operators would fling items at me at high speed.

• bathroom carpets and power showers. WTF is a power shower? They were uniformly pathetic.

• parking facing incoming traffic. I LOVED this - there’s a spot on the wrong side of the road near school, just dive into it! It was hard to break the habit on returning to Australia.

• using the word “sickness” for vomiting. Just say vomit!

• calling a completely concreted back yard a garden.

I am a Brit living overseas in Asia. They find our obsession with fancy dress very weird, adults going to fancy dress parties outside of Halloween.

They think our version of Chinese food is very funny. Things like prawn toast and Egg Foo Yung. Chinese food in China is completely different.

They think drinking cold water is extremely strange - and think it is the reason why Brits get sick.

At the moment there is a big issue regarding masks. Everyone here is wearing a mask and has been doing so since early Feb- you are treated as insane and selfish if you don't wear one.

Fucking washing up bowls utterly baffle me! I remember when I first moved to the UK and saw one. Totally confused me then, and still does 15 years later.
Carpeted bathrooms.
The obsession with giving children baths every night.
Using titles. Nowhere else in the world will you be asked your 'title' to make a booking or fill out a form. WTF? The same with expecting children to call adults Mr or Ms So-and-so. We're in Australia now, and at my son's school all the teachers go by their first names. The principal is just referred to as Bec by the whole student body.
Soap operas.
Adults eating crisps.
Obsession with class.
Very little open plan living - even newer houses have small rooms.
Flashing your headlights to signal to another driver.
The horrific national diet.
Terrible relationship with breastfeeding, and breasts in general.
Saying 'are you okay?' as a greeting. I remember anxiously answering 'yes, I'm fine - why??' the first time I had that one!
Tea as a cure for everything (totally love that one!)
The obsession with having children in bed early.
Everyone practically flinging their clothes off in response to sunshine.

I’ve never used a washing up bowl, surely after washing one thing, everything else in the bowl is just covered in whatever was on the first thing? Seems counterproductive and rinsing after wouldn’t clean things properly.

I rinse things under the hot tap (if they need rinsing) before I wash the dishes.

Oh forgot the INSANE real estate system! The 'chain' concept! And the fact you can pull out of a sale after agreeing to it. Nightmare!

@Reginabambina: are you from a culture that favours social and financial inequality, or relatively new to democracy? Some of what you offer up as "unique and funny British quirks" is far from from uniquely British and the sign, in fact, of civilised societies the world over. Such as decent healthcare (to be rightly proud of) that is free for all at the point of entry, good state education for all, not simply those who can't afford to pay for it, and a welfare state that supports those with fewer means according to their need. Your comment on class is somewhat quaint, for want of a better term - It’s like a national excuse for not trying harder just blame the upper classes for conspiring to keep you down (even though they pay for everything from your healthcare to your education

And I think you will find that your views on the NHS are falling very short of the mark in the current climate.

Enough said as this is meant as a light-hearted thread.

@Roussillon849 well said. I agree but don't want to add anything else. I didn't read the whole thread (26 pages!) But, yep, agreed x

@Roussillon849 the NHS offering us very very poor. I was downright shocked by it. Likewise with the state schools it’s not so much about the quality, the quality actually seems very good all things considered but more the fact that wealthy parents aren’t asked to pay for it.

@Maverick101 I’ve only experienced that moral superiority from a small handful of people in Australia (coincidentally all British decent). Most people take pride in supporting themselves but obviously no one begrudges people using state schools if there is no suitable self funding option. It’s a bit ironic though because the private system is partly subsidised so most aren’t fully paying anyway (but obviously it’s much cheaper for the taxpayer). It’s not so much the use or lack thereof of state school but rather the obsessive bragging that I find weird. I can understand being a bit smug about sending your child to a really good fee paying school (I’d judge obviously but at least it makes sense). But being smug about making your child a martyr on the alter of class relations is a very British thing.

Everyone asking me if I'm alright. I'm used to it now but at first I thought I must look miserable or sick and that people were very concerned about me.

The washing up bowl. Why is it a thing? You put the water down the sink afterwards anyways.

Tiny little washing machines.

Obsession with school uniforms even for tiny children.

Separate tea / supper for adults and children in the same family.

Going to the beach in the freezing cold and hiding behind a half tent thing.

And wait bread sauce.... wet bread as a condiment. Yum

Great idea for a thread!

I’m British but I’ve lived overseas and also interactions with folk from other countries has led to some revelations eg:

Canadian mh nurse who couldn’t get head around us having basins in the kitchen sinks and not rinsing dishes.

Kiwi colleague who yes found the birthday cake thing weird but also us having washing machines in kitchens rather than utility rooms.

I'm still unsure what the different between brown sauce and BBQ sauce is?

Brown sauce is spicier bbq is smoky

Paying for fuel after you have put it in your car. In the USA you pay first well you learn something every day! How does it work if you go over/under the predicted amount?

@MayFayner here in Scotland it’s somewhere between the 2, we’ll go to a funeral even if we didn’t know the deceased that well if we know the bereaved loved ones to support them. Maybe due to large Irish diaspora here?

and don't understand the British aversion towards single storey homes.

MUCH MUCH less land here remember. So bungalows (one storey single family units) tend to be expensive.

@Burntmybiscuits I have several expat/emigree friends who have their preferred teabags regularly posted out to them. Yorkshire tea and scottish blend are especially popular.

One British trait I've become aware of since becoming good friends with an American, is "good natured ribbing" of people that we actually like. haha! Yes my dd picked up on that one quite young

Dd ‘you don’t like her do you mummy?’

Me ‘what makes you think that?’

Dd ‘you were too nice to her, when you really like someone you totally make fun of them’

what do you do if theres a bit of tea or coffee left in the cup and the sink is full of soapy water , surely thats why you need a bowl so that you can tip it down the side exactly! I’m also thinking with the rinsing if you’re only using the sink surely you’d overflow?

Most sinks have that separate little tiny sink at the side for that reason don’t they? I think I’ve had it most places I’ve lived.

Most places in Uk don’t have that, certainly cheaper/rented/social housing properties don’t.

Oh and the individual hot and cold taps in the bathrooms. I don’t even understand this! I’d love to have mixers but renting so not up to me!

This isn’t a British thing, this is an entire world thing I have to agree here, my many non Brit friends/family are just as scathing - and that includes the American and Canadian ones!!

Taking ages to get to the point in casual conversation OMG for the ultimate in this they need introduced to my mother! She can take days! On one occasion took her 3 weeks!

I must admit to window envy, loved the tilt or open ones in Europe as shown upthread which did indeed open in the way, much easier to use and clean than daft British windows.

Old people's care homes. Other nationalities look after their own families I’ve heard this claimed before but it’s not true, there are care homes in most countries of some type I believe. I’ve certainly worked in some overseas.

Carbs on carbs (macaroni cheese with chips Scots eating habits would blow your mind? We triple carb 😂 macaroni cheese pie with chips and possibly baked beans too.

Sandwich fillings -
fried eggs (boiled makes sense but fried doesn't)

Again, visit Scotland and experience the delight that is the “hot roll” - crusty bread rolls (some even like burnt ones which is a whole other thing!) filled with whatever assortment of cooked breakfast items you’d like, items like:

Potato scone (tattie scone)
Fried or scrambled egg
Black pudding
White pudding
Bacon
Lorne (square) sausage - I was crazy happy to discover veggie version of this.
Link sausage (“normal” sausages)

My favourite is fried egg & tattie scone

Also, my father-in-law and his talk about the "immersion heater" and I still have no clue what that is electrically heats the water for baths etc pain in the arse! Very expensive and time consuming way to heat large amounts of water. Cause of MANY family arguments when they were more common “you’ve used all the hot water! You knew I was going in after you!” Both my grandparents had this nonsense with large families and an immersion heater generally only heats enough water for 1 shallow bath! Most Uk houses didn’t have showers then (50’s 60’s 70’s)

The holiday thing - its because our weather’s so shit! Scots are VERY big on holidays, chasing the sun as we’re rarely favoured by it!

@Enko I LOVE Your birthday cake thing my dd would have too growing up. Actually she still would now and she’s 19!

Also, WHY do so many places insist on serving earl grey with milk that is NOT meant to have milk in it. I love earl grey tea too and don’t understand why establishments capable of serving a ‘half whip light foam 2 squirts of syrup latte’ can’t do something as simple as NOT put bloody milk in earl grey!

Re Flødeboller may not be quite the same but try some tunnocks teacakes as you may find they’re quite similar. I miss super dickmanns which is a similar German treat.

Built in door mats inside the home?! Door mats are an outside thing to me. Wipe your shoes off before you go in the home. again - our shitty weather! Most houses certainly until fairly recently didn’t have a porch or similar so that would mean your idea of having the doormat only outside means lacking the ability to dry off bottoms of shoes before storing away and the wet can make them deteriorate. But then i think our shoes are pretty shit! In other Northern European countries where it’s also cold/wet/snowy the shoes are MUCH better.

TL:DR: it was the French that started it! 😂😂 proving another British trait I’m afraid - whenever possible blame another country!

For all the brits enjoying this thread I heartily recommend if you haven’t already read it, Bill Bryson’s “notes from a small island” very well observed and very funny.

Have to say I also agree with children eating the same as adults just smaller portions. I did that with dd and chose cafes/restaurants that didn’t do that separate kids menu nonsense as what was on the kids menu was mainly shite she didn’t like!

@Arthurdentsspacetowel totally agree with your post at 1833, we’ve an appalling attitude and infrastructure in Uk in relation to flats - construction and maintenance. My grandparents lived on “schemes” in glasgow that were designed not just to house people but create and support communities - recent and current govts don’t care about the people living in flats.

The prepated meters tend to be for people who’ve not paid in the past. please don’t perpetuate that myth. Most on prepaid meters are poor but they’re not necessarily on them for defaulting.

I will never get used to people in the UK saying "Are you alright?" or "Are you OK?"

I love this. I do it all the time!

On another thread, someone has called drawing with chalk on the footpath "common". That class snobbery is something I could never get my head around and something I do not miss.

Yeah nah @Reginabambina your wayyyy of the mark with those (ridiculous) attitudes re state schooling if your from Australia..... you must be from Sydney....

*youre sorry public school educated 🤗

Oh and my danish girl guide colleague thinks its strange that we have whole shops devoted to greeting cards and wrapping paper

I find that very strange too. They sell totally unnecessary crap IMO. Card and wrapping paper are sold almost everywhere.

I don't really get the birthday cake thing. We do the candles, cut the cake and eat it.

Gravy is a bit strange if people still have it as I did as a child ie. on every meal that's not a salad. It went with the meat and two (very over cooked ) veg. Now we only have it with a roast or bangers and mash.

What's normal varies quite a bit within the UK. I would never have gravy or curry sauce (yuk!) with chips. But in Cardiff I got really strange look when I said I wanted fish and chips with salt and vinegar and brown sauce. There was a strange rissole type thing on the plate too. Others find it strange that I would happily eat fruit cake and cheese together.

I first realised that NOT rinsing suds off plates was a thing, when I was given a glass of water, then vomited from the amount of suds still left in the cup!

School uniforms with mini, cut off-ties. I understand the safety aspect for woodwork/cooking etc, but just don't have a tie if its only 15cm long and looks ridiculously short.

Carpets on the floor are warmer. We have a coldish, wet climate here, the air is damp. Hence carpets on floor.
We also have windy weather most of the time - being next to an ocean, might be why windows are designed as they are.
We also don't have cheap power like the US, imagine in the UK having a large, airy, open plan house with air heating in every room and the heating /cooling runs 24/7 - bills would be horrendous. Not talking about modern insulated house but the other 95% of UK housing.
Windows opening out or not - could this be to do with fly screens that you get in US, Australia, Canada? Don't need them in the UK.
I like to wash my face at bedtime - you can't wash your face properly with a big mixer tap in the middle of the sink, so I prefer separate taps.