To ask overseas folk what British quirks they think are weird/funny? Thread 2!

[Burntmybiscuits]

First thread is now full: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3874603-To-ask-overseas-folk-what-British-quirks-they-think-are-weird-funny

But I've had some requests for a 2nd one. Here it is!

“We got crackers confiscated at the airport once for being explosive. Christmas ruined!” I’m now weirdly wondering about the effect of cabin pressure on crackers!

Perhaps the little toys would pierce the fuselage.

This is a topical one, I'm a brit in Canada & I've just introduced a couple of my friends to mumsnet. They can't believe the angst about people using their gardens, being pissed of the neighbours kids are making noise in the garden & BBQ'S. We pretty much BBQ 4/5 days a week rain, shine or snow its a quick way to make dinner. My kids have been out in the garden pretty much all day for the last 3wks making noise, saying hi to the neighbors, no one is pissed off about it. Probably because we're all stoned!!

New partner - New baby seems to be another thing that I see a lot of among British people, but not so much among the immigrants I know.

Perhaps the little toys would pierce the fuselage😂

I was thinking more the explosive thing

Does anybody else in Britain NOT call it a "washing up bowl"? It's a basin!!

Or is it just my family/ this area??

My Spanish and Italian students are horrified with pineapple on pizzas!
Also had a very interesting conversation with a young student who thought that horse radish (for roast beef) was made from horses!

I would also 2nd what a poster above said about hanging out washing. When i first moved here my neighbor offered me her old dryer. She assumed i couldn't afford one as i always hang my washing out. Its not allowed in some municipalities

The term 'doggy bag' is a US import.

My parents lived in the states for a while in the 80s and when they came back to the uk
The waiters look at them like aliens because they asked for them and it was h&s . So they convinced them it was for the actual dog

Ziplock bags were another thing which they had in the us but didn't arrive here till the 90s. Could be wrong just because you haven't heard of something doesn't mean it didn't exist.

I love this thread! I'm only halfway through the first one but I'm working on it. I'm British, but I'll contribute a few things my European friends have commented on. They all find washing up bowls bizarre and unhygienic. Apparently in Sweden, front doors and room doors open outwards, so there's more space in the room, which seems sensible to me. My French friends are horrified at the pace at which we do things like walking to the bus stop - I was accused of acting like a Parisian. My Italian friend finds the sandwiches obsession peculiar, as she's used to eating "properly" at lunch time, and the concept of porridge both baffles and intrigues her. One of my own observations is that there is a lot less physical contact with my close British friends than with my European ones, which having got used to a more tactile friendship, I find a bit sad. One of my closest (male) friends is Polish/French-speaking Swiss, and he will often kiss me on the top of the head for example when we hug, which as a Brit I found strange at first as I would only ever do it with a romantic partner or very close family, but now I find it endearing and wonder why we don't do that sort of thing as a rule

Ooh I just remembered another (topical!) one - according to the Italians apparently our Easter eggs are substandard as they aren't tied up with pretty ribbons and do not contain a "surprise" toy

@Sonichu in my family the washing up bowl goes in the sink and the basin is the sink in the bathroom, absolutely no idea why now I com to think of it.

I guess language gets mangled as people move and come together from different areas too. My paternal GP one was from rural Ireland and one from Dublin and maternal set one was from Wales and the other Scotland so my parents handed down a mixture of language and habits from across the British Isles. No idea if it's what others do though.

"All my friends not from the UK are shocked at this."

I used to live in Belgium and they also had separate invites to separate parts. A friend of mine was invited just to the apero part of a colleague's wedding. She was expected to give a cash gift and got one drink in return and then had to leave before the dinner. Having to leave before is worse than arriving later.

My relative from abroad was baffled by every single website on her phone having to ask you to accept cookies when she came to the UK. She thought she'd changed her phone settings somewhere.
It is hugely frustrating actually. I can't remember the last time I visited a website on my phone and didn't need to click at least one poxy little thing to even start reading it.

@OmgThereAreNoPlanesAboveMeNow I have to disagree.

I think there is 100% a place for evening guests. People who you are friends with from say work or a club who you enjoy a drink with and a giggle and would like to share a drink and a dance with on your wedding day but wouldn't invite to the full and more formal part of the day.

I'd only ever think inviting people who are local to this part so there is no accomodation or more costs than a night out (nice outfit but not a special buy and taxi ride home). I wouldn't expect a gift from anyone.

" I realise the majority of the time its cold, but during the summer, the lack of any air flow or fans put me off many places."

It's hardly ever needed. I hate how some countries have very hot weather outside and then freezing temperature inside. That's not healthy either. I actually think we have too much air con in Britain. It's not needed most of the time.

"They all find washing up bowls bizarre and unhygienic"

They probably have double sinks though. If you only have one sink, you need a bowl.

"I can't remember the last time I visited a website on my phone and didn't need to click at least one poxy little thing to even start reading it."

The recent increase in that is from GDPR, would be the same all over Europe.

Re. doggy bags, I think it's still not totally accepted here and until recently asking for one was seen as a bit of a faux pas.

Why is a washing up bowl more unhygieninc then sink, (or basin.)??

I think the world needs less air conditioning so I hope we don't get that habit. I always tell people to use British air con which is a cardi - put it on if you're cold, take it off if you're hot.
Up thread someone said we give our kids Calpol all the time, neither of mine ever had it, but that we should use nasal spray. That's terrible stuff, I had to wean DH off it

Someone asked why they mustn't hang washing outside or even in the garage in California - I assumed it was a bit offensive to hang your smalls in full view. Can any Americans enlighten me to whether that is the reason or not?

"Accept Cookies" is an EU rule, as is the appalling 'right to be forgotten' which tippexxes history and renders searches meaningless.

Oh yes
washing up bowls - yep
wedding invites to "evening do" - yep
paying for drinks at a wedding - yep
washing machines in kitchens
no power points in bathrooms (i get it but different)
the weird "airlock" in houses (porch)
letterbox that is an actual hole in your house
charcoal BBQs
chips
cooked breakfasts
big dogs in such small houses
having to snack on train journeys more than 1 hr
going to the beach for the day and not going in the water
garages but not for cars
So many!

Regards toys in ester eggs, Kinder eggs are banned in the USA because they are 'dangerous.'

(unlike guns.)

The portion size of takeaways for US vs UK reminded me of our US trip. Two medium sized pizzas were enough for 2 meals for a family of 4. Just pizzas. We didn't order any sides.