The UK and the USA may share a language (mostly) in common, but when it comes to a number of cultural customs, the Atlantic Ocean seems like the smallest thing separating them.
Whether it's their unique accent that somehow carries over into their typing, their obsession with tea, or the fact that they put baked beans on their toast, Brits certainly have a way of making those of us on the Western side of the world scratch our heads with confusion. That's not to say that Americans don't have quirks of their own, but here at Bored Panda, we think Great Britain deserves some special recognition this time around.
Check out the top British moments that left Americans completely stumped below, and be sure to vote for the ones that you're still trying to understand as well.
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My nan came onto facetime while i was talking to my sister, chatted sortly and then said "I have to go, I can't drink my tea unless its scalding hot" Its July...
I am from the US and I have thought the same thing ( why do we call it math when it should be maths) and always assumed I was just overthinking. Then I learned that Brits use maths and now I feel less foolish. Also, I love eagle f****r. Laughed out loud on that.
Us British can sneak up on you like a ninja in the night or even an iceberg in open water
Translation: Friend it's hard to explain, it's just like one day you will be with your friends having a look in a sports shop (called JD) and you might fancy the curry offer that's on at the local pub (called Wetherspoons) but your friend Calum, who is a legend and awesome will be like "Guys let's go to Nando's (a resturant chain in the UK, cheap and good tasting food, hence it feeling a bit cheeky) instead." and you'll think "Great idea. Let's go for it."
That's probably because they never had to become an independent country.
Why is that so weird to Americans? You know what I find weird? That Americans make everything sickly sweet and have an unhealthy relationship with Maple Syrup. On bacon? Really people?
And you thought us Brits were straight laced and uppity. Mr Blobby is proof, do not mess with the Brits if you don't want the nightmares Freddy Kruger gets when sick.
Due to the common market trade agreements, there was something of a campaign a while back for food terminology in Europe: They basically wanted all British chocolate renaming as chocolate candy because it wasn't pure enough by their standards (too much milk fat and sugar, not enough cocoa).
Actually all over Europe it's pretty common to have your washing machine in the kitchen. If the bathroom is too small and there is no extra room, where else would you put it? Also in some apartments the water/drain pipes for washing machines are installed in the kitchen only, so you really have no other choice.
We've been watching Vera, The Loch, Unforgotten, Happy Valley, Scott & Bailey & Shetland and have added so many great new insults and idioms to our speech! It's fun yelling k******d and calling each other cow. I think I have developed a Scottish, Yorkshire, Puerto Rican accent.
That reminds me of something I read. In germany the waterworks have to perpare for the breaks during important football games.
Makes sense, but.... I'm sure U.S.A. doesn't have the same accent in each state, just like the U.K. accents vary by countries and regions. Even in one single city of London you can differentiate between particular accents depending on the part of the city, no? Sorry, I'm an overthinker. *shrug*
Im british and have never seen, heardor tasted this. And i think it sounds terrible
so... you know those little plastic packs that hot dogs come in have a salty liquid in them, right? They're not vacuum sealed in there all dry.
Yeah, Americans have this weird view of the British. In their TV shows EVERY British person either speaks in a really posh voice or is a cockney. WE DON'T TALK LIKE THAT!
when I first moved to the UK and switched on the TV I learned that this is a show about people who have some complaint that's "too embarrassing to show your doctor". But yeah, let's ALL have a look at that on national TV, why not.
It's correctly pronounced 'aitch', without the aspirant. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/aitch
That is my favorite TV show. I have NO CLUE what 90% of the things they are baking actually are -- never heard of them, never seen them. But the intensity with which they bake them is riveting!
And all this from a country that has a baseball tournament called the World Series that only teams from the US compete in. Obviously they see themselves as the entire world :)
recently found out its called the world series after an old newspaper call the world which was the original sponsor - still, they really should change it!
Load More Replies...A lot of rude people and a lot of rude replies. This was just supposed to be fun. Kind of disappointing.
I know, here we are in the year 2017, and respect and peace is such a far reach.
Load More Replies...Sod it! I am UK born and Bred... But I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND why the Yanks find it hard to grasp... But The Yanks ain't much better... How many Cereals WE CREATED HERE IN THE UK... Get to the states and get RENAMED for NO REASON!!! For instance - UK - Kellogs Frosties US - Kellogs Frosted Flakes? WHY???? There are so many more I can come up with... How about how We play Rounders, but the US made it Baseball? Why is Football in the US so much Like Rugby but teh game where you actually use your feet to kick the ball - and not your hands to pick it up and run with it is called SOCCER? There are so many silly idiosyncrasies... I just hoe we can all have a laugh at how DUMB we can ALL BE and appreciate our differences!
Soccer is actually a British term, originally. In the late 19th and early 20th century, there was an effort to try to establish a single set of rules for football, but there were so many variations, that they had to be divided into two groups. One was Association Football, called 'Soc football, for short: that word became "Soccer". Both words were used interchangeably, for years, but when footie became popular in America, there was already a popular sport, based looselyon the OTHER form of football, as popularised at the rugby School. So in the U.S., rugby became the dominant form, and in Britain, Soc football became the dominant form, and in each country, the popular form was called football, while the lesser form took on the alternate name. As to rounders/baseball, they're not the same game: they, and cricket, developed as separate branches of a game often known as "base".
Load More Replies...And all this from a country that has a baseball tournament called the World Series that only teams from the US compete in. Obviously they see themselves as the entire world :)
recently found out its called the world series after an old newspaper call the world which was the original sponsor - still, they really should change it!
Load More Replies...A lot of rude people and a lot of rude replies. This was just supposed to be fun. Kind of disappointing.
I know, here we are in the year 2017, and respect and peace is such a far reach.
Load More Replies...Sod it! I am UK born and Bred... But I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND why the Yanks find it hard to grasp... But The Yanks ain't much better... How many Cereals WE CREATED HERE IN THE UK... Get to the states and get RENAMED for NO REASON!!! For instance - UK - Kellogs Frosties US - Kellogs Frosted Flakes? WHY???? There are so many more I can come up with... How about how We play Rounders, but the US made it Baseball? Why is Football in the US so much Like Rugby but teh game where you actually use your feet to kick the ball - and not your hands to pick it up and run with it is called SOCCER? There are so many silly idiosyncrasies... I just hoe we can all have a laugh at how DUMB we can ALL BE and appreciate our differences!
Soccer is actually a British term, originally. In the late 19th and early 20th century, there was an effort to try to establish a single set of rules for football, but there were so many variations, that they had to be divided into two groups. One was Association Football, called 'Soc football, for short: that word became "Soccer". Both words were used interchangeably, for years, but when footie became popular in America, there was already a popular sport, based looselyon the OTHER form of football, as popularised at the rugby School. So in the U.S., rugby became the dominant form, and in Britain, Soc football became the dominant form, and in each country, the popular form was called football, while the lesser form took on the alternate name. As to rounders/baseball, they're not the same game: they, and cricket, developed as separate branches of a game often known as "base".
Load More Replies...