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!

My students are convinced we eat a full English breakfast everyday. Also horrified that we eat marmite and would give it to small children. Have since discovered that those who have actually tried it, spread it like Nutella

People who present the weather forecast look like “normal” people. I think they might even be experts. In the Czech Republic they are models looking for a way to get on TV screen. It was refreshing to see the English model.

The drinking culture one I don,t get . I mean I worked in FRance and def saw drinking culture. I have been chased by groups of Drunk men twice both in France not England. Where I worked the locals knew which roads to avoid so they did,t get caught for drink driving. So yes very much does happen abroad.

An American friend also says all our crisps taste of vinegar.

Well I don,t see why they would as they don,t all contain vinegar.

I'm with @Drbrowns I don't understand the English culture of not wanting to bother the doctor. You'll be deathly ill, unable to leave the bed, and convinced you just have a little cold.

@Hagbeth I rinse the plates etc after washing. Though a colleague did criticise me for doing that once. I thought everyone rinsed

several people said they couldn't understand why we had pubs instead of cafes with alcohol. I think cafe culture is much less established in UK because of weather.

I don't think its the weather, many colder and wetter countries have cafe culture. Plus just look at how popular beer gardens are. I think it has more to do with town planning. I never got used to that many english town centres have a busy main road running right through it. With a narrow pavement between shops and road. Leaving no space for terraces and if it did have space you would be gassed by all the car fumes. Many of the towns I lived in in Europe have town squares with no cars or restricted times for car traffic.

Is the electricity thing related to fuse boxes? I was shocked that RCD circuit breakers were a relatively new thing here when I moved here 10 years ago.

It’s still stupid though, the U.K. is literally the only place I’ve visited that doesn’t allow for plugs in the bathroom. It’s perfectly safe with a RCD circuit breaker these days.

In fact, if you are ever stuck trying to get a Dane to talk, you can just ask them about their opinions on home renovations, such as relative pros and cons to, say, splashback vs ceramic tiles in a kitchen, or something about taps. They absolutely love it. They go mad for it. They invite seven foot people called Soren over to give you another earnest perspective on drain brackets. It's their version of talking about the weather. Then you don't have to say anything for ages and you can eat all their cake while they are busy educating your idiot English face on how to house right.

@purplebunny2012 well, yes, that was my point. The culture here is that sick days are not acceptable and it leads to some people proudly proclaiming they haven't had a sick day in 15 years, or whatever. I've worked in several other countries where a) it wasn't a problem to be sick and b) you wouldn't ever boast about your health.

I've got kids in school here and it starts young. Parents sending their kids to school even if they have to give them Calpol in the morning, attendance awards, letters from the school if attendance falls below 95%. It's a cultural thing. While I love living here, that's one thing I find bizarre and actually not good for people. Soldiering on and carrying your germs everywhere is not particularly admirable to me.

@forkfun
I agree, I think it's completely shameful that we have to slave for a living. It is not healthy in the least

The bathroom plug thing is definitely related to RCD adoption. They became compulsory in Australia in 1991, Austria in 1980, Denmark in 1975, Germany 1984...

Meanwhile the U.K. waited til 2008 to bring them in!

Yeah. There was no way we would have gone to school while on antibiotics.

Every where has its quirks. I think some of these are just people not getting what they are used to, and sorry, but if you live here you have to get used to the fact that we sell the bread we like in UK, not the bread you like.

It took a lot longer than I expected for this to get to ‘if you don’t like it fuck off!’

People are saying that these are things that they, from other places and cultures, find quirky or a bit odd, or that took some getting used to, or that they didn’t quite understand when they arrived (or still don’t). Not that they’re objectively bad, just that are very different.

Deep breaths.

I’d forgotten the quirk some British people have of thinking that if an immigrant doesn’t think everything in Britain is superior to their home country, or dares to comment on some aspects of living here that they find different or quirky or weird, they should fuck off home immediately.

Luckily my DH and I have no troubles taking the piss out of each other’s cultures. As I say, just some people who struggle with it.

@steppemum

* several people said they couldn't understand why we had pubs instead of cafes with alcohol. I think cafe culture is much less established in UK because of weather.*

Parts definitely.
Coastal, south, south east in particular - very very much alive and thriving!

@JassyRadlett

Well said!!!

My MIL always complains that we eat too fast in the UK. She says it should be a family event for socialising. Which, it is, but the eating part happens quickly (surely it gets cold and gross if you eat it slowly like she does )

JassyRadlett - may I offer you a nice chilled ?

I don't think the lack of cafe culture can be solely explained by the weather. There's much more if a cafe culture in the Netherlands (& I think parts of Scandinavia also) and the weather there is pretty similar to that in the south of England. As another poster said, I think it's much more to do with town planning and the dominance of cars in town centres.

And yes, I love pubs & tea rooms, but I do think there's a certain type of continental-style cafe that I miss in the UK: the type of place where you can have breakfast while reading the paper, go for coffee & cake at 11, have a light lunch with a glass of wine on the side, or a snack & beer after work, and somehow does all those things reasonably well.

Although, have to say, immigrants in NZ, Australia and no doubt US and Canada, get the same message!

Eating pizza with a knife and fork, but cake with your fingers.

That top hole isn't even wired. It's a safety (yet another one!) which unlocks the actual wired holes
Umm, yes it is. It's the earth connection that protects you from killing yourself with a faulty appliance.

Localocal truth!

Umm, yes it is. It's the earth connection that protects you from killing yourself with a faulty appliance.
Can't be because some plugs have plastic thingy, not metal one for top hole. 🤔
Plus I would have gotten shocked quite few times😂 you can feel something move when you stick stick in and that opens the bottom to so plug slides in.