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!

• Eyebrows being so thin.
• Why is Magdalene College pronounced so oddly? And how do people discover this?
• Why isn't there mixed temperature water in the bathroom/kitchen coming out of the faucet?
• British women seem to have a much higher pitched voice register than in many other languages.
• No kissing acquaintances on the cheek.
• How can the British know and care so little about Northern Ireland after all the trouble they went to have and hold it?

The separate taps really did have a point before when people had the tank thing in the attic. Because something could have fallen into the water there and make it undrinkable, pipes and taps were separate so the cold drinking water wasn't affected.
Apparently.

I know this is not everyone or even the majority of British people but, the ability to be intelligent and highly educated yet ignorant about places outside Britain.

YES! This!!!

Such a self-centered, inward-looking nation compared with others.

“Going for a curry” - when I first came here and was invited for a meal, but it was specifically “a curry”. I found that so odd. I was used to discussing with a group of friends what restaurant we’d go to - not the very specific predetermined ‘going for a curry’. I get it now but it was odd, I was like ‘but I don’t even like curry!’

Crisps as an everyday staple (a little bag with your packed lunch or in a meal deal) is still odd to me, for me crisps are a party / occasional food and you’d have multipack crisps at a birthday party when you’re little. Delicious, don’t get me wrong, but probably not the best every-day habit

Not being able to get decent bread - to be fair it’s easier now! - but I’m from a bread culture and everything here was like toastie bread. Which is fair enough because you toast it. We didn’t even have a toaster growing up

@Elouera

PIL have no screens on any doors or windows. I'm always horrified walking in from May-Sep to find a constant stream of flies circling their kitchen.

THANK YOU. It’s so gross and annoying.

onceandneveragain depending on where you work or if you have to travel, most places will allow you the morning off to attend if you make up the time and can't use a/l. If not you go to the removal mass or reposing house the evening before the funeral.

When I lived abroad people laughed at me for saying "oops" eg if I dropped something or whatever. I got really paranoid about saying it!

Also I was derided for the insufficient number of public holidays in the UK.

@edgeware I wonder if we are from same country based on your crisp and bread stance😂
I actually had a thread about the UK snacking/grazing thing.

I find it odd that cats allowed to roam freely, but that dogs are kept indoors or confined to the garden. Why is this a convention here?

I am impressed by the generous use of real butter and real cream in many inexpensive mass-produced sweets.

@SchadenfreudePersonified yes, you do. It just depends on where in the country you are. Tons of flies too.

No mozzies, cockroaches or flies to speak of round here. But I'm just wishing I had a screen to ward all the bees off.

Sending a card for every occasion you can think of
Apologising for everything
Adding please or thank you to every sentence ( yes, PLEASE no, thank you).
Being super nice to others even if you secretly hate them
Small talk
Million ways to describe the weather
Making friends with other school mums and socialising for your children
Asking wedding guests to pay for their drinks
Queuing for everything and being appalled with people jumping the queue
Putting milk in your tea
Preparing for Xmas 6 months early despite not even being religious

I remember well a German friend’s reaction when she learnt that at Christmas dinner we sit around with paper crowns on our heads 😂. It is fucking bizarre when you think about it!

Combined washer/dryers - horrendous appliances.

Will never understand why U.K. bathrooms don’t have a cupboard with a concertina door that contains a laundry sink, washer and dryer (latter turned upside down & suspended at head height). Even small apartments in Australia have the contents & functionality of a utility room only seen in bigger suburban houses in the U.K. It’s absolutely grim to hand wash smalls in your kitchen sink & have dirty clothes in the same room as food prep.

Oh yes. The "keeping dog outdoors is animal cruelty" thing. Ours were always out and came in for a while each day. Only people i knew who had dogs inside were people with tiny dogs, not proper dogs.

The windows thing I think relates to space, as opening inwards restricts the usable space in the room (same with doors). Also if you have blinds or netting/voile then these can be in place while the window is open (a MUST for privacy some places). Ditto washing machines - my bathroom just about fits a bath and a basin and the loo is separate so no room for a washing machine there, plus the kitchen has the water & waste plumbing already there; most houses don't have an additional utility/mud room & not really anywhere else to put the washing machine.

Carpets is a climate thing I think. Floors can be cold without them in this chilly dank climate, and any insulation is A Good Thing and keeps the heating bills down.

A lot of make up especially on young women. Layered on like frosting on cake.

Alcohol - drinking in the pub at LUNCHTIME.

The whole club look - summer clothes like short skirts, backless tops, very high heals, no tights in the MIDDLE OF WINTER.

The pride in being a little island that will fight the big fight and carry on. Ignoring the fact that it was the largest and one of the most cruel Empires the world has ever known1

The self-deprecation - it took me quite a while to 'get it' and not find it embarrassing

No mozzies, cockroaches or flies to speak of round here. But I'm just wishing I had a screen to ward all the bees off.

I miss security screen doors - means you can get air flow into your home whilst keeping the front/back door securely locked.

@edgeware- I agree with the crisp thing. I've been served crisps on my plate as part of a main meal! Very odd!

@@Bungobingi
We take the bowl out the sink, rinse the chicken and cut it up over the sink, spray the sink with anti bac (obviously)
That is absolutely disgusting and revolting and will spread salmonella everywhere. Your food hygiene is non existent

Alcohol - drinking in the pub at LUNCHTIME

Yeah. Not just Brits

Dogs indoors is relatively recent. Two generations ago in my family it was unheard of - the country folks had them outside, the city folks just didn't have them.

Whoever washes the chicken. You do not wash chicken.

MayFayner We are the same in SW.Scotland. My friend works for an English company, he is one only of 3 staff based in Scotland. He is local and the other 2 staff are English. His boss at H.Q cant believe he has so much time off for funerals, he doesnt grasp that people will remember for generations that you didnt attened their family members funeral.

Lack of sick leave. I read threads on here about the Bradford factor in horror. In Australia, at least everywhere I and my friends have worked if you need a mental health day or you have a cold and are a bit run down you take a sick day. If it’s excessive you might be counselled by your boss but in the UK it seems like the ultimate work sin and you might be sacked immediately If you’ve been in a workplace less than two years?! Insane and so unhealthy.