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!

English “bread” is what Germans consider to be toast bread - not really to be eaten untoasted.
I am with them on this. It's sold under the ne "toast bread" where I am from.

@HotCrossBungle no It took me a while to realise "what was wrong"😂

Routinely making unkind comments about the US President (even if he is an idiot).

This isn’t a British thing, this is an entire world thing

Im a Brit living in the Us and this is what they find strange about me

Sorry..sorry..sorry as you walk down a busy street and have to dodge people

Butter on sandwiches instead of mayo
So little meat, cheese or basically anything IN the sandwich
Christmas crackers
Easter eggs

So much talking about the weather
Taking ages to get to the point in casual conversation

So much tea drinking 😁

@Alex That is what I do! Also our sink is ceramic and stuff can get chipped.

Being Irish I find funerals the biggest difference. Always open casket here and hundreds of people attend. Burial within a couple of days of death.

Hohohoho there is so much to list. cracks knuckles

The birthday cake thing others mentioned

Thinking that being an island makes them/you special or impenetrable. That didn’t even work 3000 years ago in Roman times when you were conquered!

Separate hot and cold water faucets.

Assuming everyone British is English.

Carpet everywhere in the house (not even talking about bathrooms). It’s horrible for allergies and there’s so much nice hardwood flooring lurking underneath there.

Drinking culture.

Office cake culture. Enough “naughty” treats and cake already!

Acceptance of mold in houses. Again, horrible for allergies and breathing.

Low wages.

Potatoes. Potatoes everywhere.

Oh and going for walks in the rain even if you dont have a dog that is desperate to go out

And not driving everywhere

@OmgThereAreNoPlanesAboveMeNow surely windows opening out not in is so that it doesn't rain in?

Funerals. British people are horrified by grief and funerals and etiquette around them and the shock of someone going to a funeral of someone they didn’t know. I’m Irish so funerals are a national pastime.

How much of this happens in practice though? We always eat the birthday cake at the party. Never wear shoes in the house (yuck). Don't eat chip butties (may have eaten banana ones once or twice). Our windows open in. Always rinse the washing up (yuck not to). Don't use a washing up bowl. I agree about people talking at work though. And there's a lot of humour at work.

Mayo in sandwich instead of butter is frankly disgusting 😂

Why have a bowl when you can use the sink?
Oh god the amount of germs that are in the sink!
We take the bowl out the sink, rinse the chicken and cut it up over the sink, spray the sink with anti bac (obviously) but I wouldn’t trust it enough to actually wash plates and such in! Yuk!

And seriously awful showers and very few mixers taps in the bathroom

The thought of my cutlery and plates coming into contact with the plug hole urgh shivers up my spine!

the bread is the meal whereas over here the filling is the meal and the bread basically just stops you from getting your fingers dirty.

That instantly makes me think of the crimped edge bit of a Cornish pasty!

I find English weddings strange. This thing of inviting different sets of people to different parts and having the whole thing last for hours and hours and hours.

^^ This . I'm in Australia and if you get invited to a wedding, you are invited for everything - ceremony, reception. Everyone goes to everything. No two-tier function with certain people going to certain parts . I do find that odd.

Just the smell of bacon, @damnthatanxiety. I accept I'm in the minority, but I honestly find it repulsive.

I'm an EFL teacher, so I'll try to list my favourites from over the years:

• French speakers think we all stop for tea and cake at 4/5pm

• French speakers also say we eat potatoes with everything (yum though)

• Koreans think it's gross that we fill a sink and wash everything in it; why not do it under a running tap?

• Spanish speakers think we're quite cold because we don't touch each other when we greet/talk, but they love our sense of humour. They also think we're obsessed with everything starting on time (that was the common excuse for being late to class!)

• Germans have told me that they think a lot of Brits have red hair, and they like that we don't try and talk to others on public transport

• Arabic speakers think we always discuss the weather (true) and love getting into the habit themselves, and also that we apologise too much (also true)

• in general, they think carpets are gross and think our homes are very dirty because we can't wash carpets (I've informed them about carpet shampooing and hoovers )

• they're all quite shocked at our propensity for drinking, but love British pub culture

• they're also surprised by how good our food is, and everyone who tries it loves a Sunday roast

• EVERYONE thinks our national dish is fish and chips! and most find the idea of mushy peas revolting... good, more for me

• not EFL but Aussies think it's really funny that bbqs are all-day events in the UK; for them it's a quick dinner

All of these were done in jest, not to be offensive. It's been really fun discovering how we're seen through other nationalities' eyes. Oh, and they're shocked at our summer weather (when it's good!). One Spanish guy told me the sun was fiercer than in Spain. (I said I think it's because of the UK lattitude.)

@emmathedilemma never had that problem.

Really. Windows on continent open usually in.

Everyone here thinks it's hilarious that whenever something bad happens I make a cup of tea. Someone dies, make a cup of tea, fall down the stairs? Cup of tea. They were VERY bemused when I'd offer tradesmen coming to the house tea or coffee, nearly got a name for myself.

Many have already been said: cakes, weddings, sandwiches.

The thing I found really weird when I first moved here ten years ago is 'supermarket wars' Posh people will go to Waitrose, Sainsbury's is more upmarket than Tesco, etc.

I also love how passionate people get over which supermarket does what best.

Where I come from you just go to the one nearer your house and that's it, no more thought goes into it. I love how much you guys love your supermarkets.

@HotCrossBungle Windows in Europe open inwards - no need for window cleaners! You can also either open then like a door or turn the handle and they then are shut at the bottom and just open up a bit at the top.
Brilliant, but British visitors should not be allowed to touch them, my pils managed to break one of our silly windows!

@Bungobingi but you'd still be washing the plates and everything after having thrown it in the sink?

Also isn't your washing up bowl dirty in your mind too, if you're putting it on top of your 'contaminated' sink? (Not that I think it's contaminated at all after you've cleaned it...)

The confusion continues!

I've been here for about 10 years now (from the US). Agreed about the birthday cake -- at my kids' parties their friends minds are always blown because everyone eats the cake before they leave. 😁

See also washing machines in the kitchen and teeny tiny refrigerators, but that's a space issue more than anything else.

There are lots of weird things because every culture is different, but there are a couple things that just aren't as good, namely British vacuums and toilets. The technology is there but I'm assuming no one is demanding it because the UK versions of these things are simply inferior (even in the same brand -- my Dyson back in the US, despite being the same model, was far, far better at sucking crap out of my carpets than my UK one is!). And the toilets are just too much work.

I love it here so much though!

@HotCrossBungle In Scandinavia windows open inwards so you can wash the outside glass pane from inside your house. I don’t understand why they open outwards here . It’s impractical.