Can someone explain the reasons behind these differences between Americans and Brits?

[kurstytemple]

I've noticed that Americans greet people often with, 'hey, what are you doing?' even when it's completely clear what the person is doing, ie, picking them up from the airport, bumping into them shopping. As opposed to the British greeting, 'hi how are you?'

Also Americans can say bye ONCE on the telephone yet us British folk seem to say bye about 1 million times repeatedly whilst hanging up the phone. For example, Americans - 'it was good speaking to you, bye'. Brits - 'it was good speaking to you, okay, you too, okay, bye, bye, bye, bye, byeeeee, bye, bu-bye, byeeeee'. What is that all about?

Additionally, I've been watching a lot of teen mom 2 and the court system over there just seems so much more straightforward and fair. Not sure if that's an accurate representation. But for instance, a person can go directly to the court for custody arrangements instead of all the faffing about before getting to that point, seems to be easier to get protection orders from someone and seems to be a bit more lenient with young people, making deals with them to ensure that certain convictions don't go on their record hence not making them unemployable. I still have to declare a breach of the peace I got at 18 pissed as a fart.

Anyway there's my ramblings. Anyone else noticed this or care to explain why the differences? Or point out any of their own for me to ponder

@lilybunnyc

Another American - I don’t know anyone who says “hey, what are you doing?” as a greeting. I have picked up the British “you all right?” and my American friends and family look at me with great suspicion and get defensive because they think I’m implying something is wrong with them!

I once asked an American couple on the tube 'are you ok there', as they seemed a bit lost / confused. They looked at me as if I was mad, and said a bit huffily 'yes we are fine thank you'. But then proceeded to say they were lost and could I help them. I think they took my 'are you ok' to mean, is anything wrong with your health or something similarly serious!

I don't know why people think Brits don't shower every day. I think the vast majority do.
From watching teen mom (which I know isn't a completely credible source) it does give the impression that American fathers are expected to pay child support and actually see their children. Although that might be because they want the payment from MTV for filming.

@ginghamtablecloths I love that your impressions of New York come from Cagney and Lacey! That takes me back (I grew up in New York around that time)

When I moved to the UK I very quickly trained myself to stop greeting people with Hey what's up. And to not say fuck as every 10th word. And to say cutlery.

@NeonDreams, I actually think a majority of Brits probably do shower every day (or at least have a ‘strip wash’… this might be more in the older generations as it goes back to the days when people didn’t have showers, only baths and it would be incredibly wasteful to fill a bath up every day just to wash your face, pits and bits).

One thing to consider is that Australia is a great deal warmer than the UK (which is also why we don’t need air con). Hot weather = sweaty people and so showering more frequently might be expected.

Personally, I shower every day, sometimes two or three times as I teach exercise classes. However, other people’s showering schedules are none of my business and I trust people to make their own choices regarding their hygiene needs.

Also, how are you producing so much waste for your bins? 😕

@LegoCaltrops you do realise that's a fiction for television? Lawyers and judges don't get into fistfights in American courts

Nope never say bye a million times…that’s weird.

@mindutopia

Also, yes, to the poster who brought up how Brits say 'you alright?' as a greeting. I worked abroad with mostly British colleagues before I moved to the UK. I completely didn't understand what this meant. I truly thought that every time I saw my colleagues they were asking me if I was alright/okay. It made me really self-conscious that I looked like I wasn't alright - I thought I must seem like I was about to burst into tears at all times because everyone was always asking me if I was alright. I thought I seemed like I was behaving like I was alright, but was freaked out that people seemed so concerned that I was (and had to keep asking about it constantly!).

This is really interesting It never occurred to me and good to know!

Brits - 'it was good speaking to you, okay, you too, okay, bye, bye, bye, bye, byeeeee, bye, bu-bye, byeeeee'. What is that all about?

I am English. I don't do this and I HATE it.

Who the HELL started it - it's fucking ridiculous.

I'm Australian and in the summer I shower daily, often twice. In the winter, meh, it's better for my skin and the environment to skip a day. This last winter I barely saw anyone from one week to the next so only showered if I'd worked up a proper sweat or had to leave the house.

@travellinglighter

Usedupusername

Or it could be African Americans grow up in poorer economic circumstances, are targeted by the police more and don’t get decent legal defence. Read James O’Brien’s how not to be wrong or any book on racial injustice in the US or U.K. and it might help you understand the disparity in justice in both countries.

Oh yeah, this is why they are both more likely to commit and be the victim of murder. Please.

I know these are difficult stats but I hate the handwaving away of a real problem. It solves nothing.

Oh, but it doesn’t affect white people so who cares if a bunch of young black men kill each other, amirite? (That’s largely the unspoken attitude there by people who should actually care)

It's "hey how are you?" But don't respond with "fine thanks" as you will get the most bizarre looks.

So yeah, I used to say, ‘whatcha doing?’ as a greeting. It wasn’t literally asking what you were doing, just a way to be friendly and engage in conversation.

@kurstytemple

I've noticed that Americans greet people often with, 'hey, what are you doing?' even when it's completely clear what the person is doing, ie, picking them up from the airport, bumping into them shopping. As opposed to the British greeting, 'hi how are you?'

Also Americans can say bye ONCE on the telephone yet us British folk seem to say bye about 1 million times repeatedly whilst hanging up the phone. For example, Americans - 'it was good speaking to you, bye'. Brits - 'it was good speaking to you, okay, you too, okay, bye, bye, bye, bye, byeeeee, bye, bu-bye, byeeeee'. What is that all about?

Additionally, I've been watching a lot of teen mom 2 and the court system over there just seems so much more straightforward and fair. Not sure if that's an accurate representation. But for instance, a person can go directly to the court for custody arrangements instead of all the faffing about before getting to that point, seems to be easier to get protection orders from someone and seems to be a bit more lenient with young people, making deals with them to ensure that certain convictions don't go on their record hence not making them unemployable. I still have to declare a breach of the peace I got at 18 pissed as a fart.

Anyway there's my ramblings. Anyone else noticed this or care to explain why the differences? Or point out any of their own for me to ponder

I'm American and you are massively generalizing.

And I wouldn't interpret the court system by watching trash reality tv.

One misheard comment from an episode of Teen Mom and OP thinks that's a cross-cultural debate.

Also, yes, to the poster who brought up how Brits say 'you alright?' as a greeting. I worked abroad with mostly British colleagues before I moved to the UK. I completely didn't understand what this meant. I truly thought that every time I saw my colleagues they were asking me if I was alright/okay. It made me really self-conscious that I looked like I wasn't alright - I thought I must seem like I was about to burst into tears at all times because everyone was always asking me if I was alright. I thought I seemed like I was behaving like I was alright, but was freaked out that people seemed so concerned that I was (and had to keep asking about it constantly!).

Yes! Try it being the first time meeting your British boyfriend’s family and being asked this all night and already being self-conscious and on my cycle. He was working in the States when we met and he didn’t realise it til I asked him about it. He then realised why the people in the office looked at him funny when he greeted them that way.

I’ve noticed that Americans greet people often with, 'hey, what are you doing?' even when it's completely clear what the person is doing, ie, picking them up from the airport, bumping into them shopping. As opposed to the Brits greeting, 'hi how are you?'

Many Americans do say “hi, how are you?”. Many will also say “Hi/Hey, HOW are you doing?” as a greeting. A lot of it is regional just like it is here in in the U.K.

@LuxOlente

One misheard comment from an episode of Teen Mom and OP thinks that's a cross-cultural debate.

@LuxOlente sorry? I lived in Arizona for 4 years where people said it all the time. I also still keep in touch with my stepmum who is still over there and she still says, 'hey what you doing?' as her opening line on the phone. Thank you for your rude comment though strange.

@LuxOlente

One misheard comment from an episode of Teen Mom and OP thinks that's a cross-cultural debate.

You'd also have known that had you bothered to read the full thread, heck there's even a filter button to just see the OP replies. You should have done that before leaving your snarky comment.

My American friends scoff at me buffering bread. I scoff at them for NOT buffering their bread 😆

*buttering

It's a foreign country. The only thing we have in common is the same language.

the court system over there just seems so much more straightforward and fair
Not sure Britney Spears would agree with you on that one.

@UsedUpUsername

So yeah, I used to say, ‘whatcha doing?’ as a greeting. It wasn’t literally asking what you were doing, just a way to be friendly and engage in conversation.

So what kind of reply do people give to that? I'm not sure I'd know how to answer other than saying what I was doing.

....I also sometimes find it quite awkward when people give a really rhetorical "hi, how are you?"
I know they don't really want an answer, so i don't want to go "good, thanks", but likewise it seems rude to say nothing 🤷‍♀️

@LadyFidgetAndHerHandbag

I'm Australian and in the summer I shower daily, often twice. In the winter, meh, it's better for my skin and the environment to skip a day. This last winter I barely saw anyone from one week to the next so only showered if I'd worked up a proper sweat or had to leave the house.

Well you've totally undermined @NeonDreams argument.

I assume that you are entirely representative of the Australian population - just a PP's mum was representative of all Brits?

Aircon certainly isn't "Bad for your health" when it's over 35C! I didn't need it in the UK generally but it is a necessity here just like heating. Many American homes, especially in warmer climates, have heat pumps that do both heating and air-con through the same ducts. There's now a bit of a campaign going on against gas heating as it's bad for air quality and the environment--though if I lived somewhere colder I would prefer gas heating.

When we moved here I certainly appreciated window screens, again a necessity here not just for flies but for things that will bite you.

I do have a clothes drier in my yard--but because of weather, pollen season, etc there's fairly large chunks of the year where I'm very glad to have a tumble drier. I certainly would have been happy to have one in UK winter when it was wet outside and I had to dry things over radiators. I'm now Americanised enough to consider it tacky if I can see your knickers on the line over the fence, but not American enough to think it's tacky just to have the line. :)

@mathanxiety

Passing the driving test is a high school graduation requirement in my state. You can do the course in most public schools, either during your sophomore year or during summer school.

Students at private schools which do not own a fleet of Driver Ed cars or a driving simulator lab do private lessons at driving schools or they enroll on their local public high school for summer school driver's ed.

Drivers ed is a semester long class round here, and it's done five times a week when a student would ordinarily be doing PE. Students have to first pass the written portion of the driving test, then do simulation, in-car and classroom study. They are supposed to do as much practice with a qualified driver as possible alongside the classes.

After you pass the school test you take your certificate and DMV permit, along with your log showing 50 hours of driving practice in varied conditions with a qualified driver to the DMV where you can be spot checked - asked to do a road test. My DS had to do one and passed. Your licence must be renewed at 21.

Always interesting to see how different each state is with this.

I don't think any high schools round here have drivers ed cars or a driving simulator lab. You also don't have to pass a driving test to graduate high school. You have to get 75 hours of driving practice before you can take your road test, and you don't have to renew your license at 21.

The simulator sounds like a good idea - I've never heard of that.