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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.

#1

American Vs British

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Lauren Southwood
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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...

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    #3

    American Vs British

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    didi
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Actually quite useful: "biweekly" is confusing as some may consider that as twice a week or every 2 weeks. "Fortnightly" can only mean once every 2 weeks.

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    #5

    American Vs British

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    E Menendez
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    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.

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    #7

    American Vs British

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    Nicola Morley
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Us British can sneak up on you like a ninja in the night or even an iceberg in open water

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    #8

    American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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    loveandbones
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    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."

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    #10

    American Vs British

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    Xmayze
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Someone told me a lot of Americans don't even own a kettle, I'm slightly scared to ask if that's true....?

    Melissa Nunya
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We make our tea without kettles. First, you throw it in the harbor...wait a min

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    Intensive Panda
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    f*ck atomic clocks, you know its 16 o'clock in UK if you have an outage

    Janine Randall
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Same theory as when the Super Bowl is on in America. All the flushing at halftime causes water shortages.

    EvieNiffler
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    For those of you who want these sources; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_pickup https://www.geek.com/geek-cetera/tea-time-in-britain-causes-predictable-massive-surge-in-electricity-demand-1535023/ Though Netflix and iPlayer have made these surges less necessary/frequent.

    GoldenAngels
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nobody uses kettles anymore we just have those coffee makers that you put the little cup thing in.

    Mark Penrice
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Because they don't have similar for all the fridge lights turning on in the US during the superbowl? :D

    Brandy Summerlin
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm American and consider myself a normal person- most days. I boil water in a stovetop kettle and steep tea with a strainer ( sometimes tea bag) in a ceramic mug. It seems like a lot of Americans use the microwave but I don't own one of those by choice so IDK.

    Ian Mooney
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How else do you think a tiny plot of land conquered so much of the world..... TEA POWER.

    Mistrz Varflock
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Here - I checked it for you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_pickup

    Sophia Gentile
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I’m American, and we use an electric kettle, and have a full cupboard full of tea. We use sugar and milk, or honey instead of sugar. And drink out of jokingly decorated mugs. (Someone here said they just put it in the microwave. That’s not common here right? Bc if it is I didn’t get the memo.)

    Janet Katz
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I am a tea drinker, which I learned from visits to the UK and I did get an electric kettle. I got that habit from living in other countries. I saw a survey and more people in the US use electric kettles than kettles on the range (hob) now. The tea might not be the black tea you see in the UK (I do) but it's tea. More coffee drinkers, though.

    Karen Hauck
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    " 'Twas brilling and.......". Lewis Carrol, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Translation/ it was 4pm, time to start grilling something for tea.

    Merilyn Horton
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I freaked out in Las Vegas when my hotel didn’t have a kettle in the room. Had to buy hot water from Starbucks! (For my tea bags)

    Shannon McKee
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Most Americans use teabags. They boil the water in a pot on the stove and pour the water over the teabag in a cup.

    Susann Campbell
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I watch this and just thought, well they sure do have everyone trained and I mean everyone.

    Jocelyn King
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not weird at all, we buy wine by the plastic glass in the liquor stores in Canada

    Daniel Law
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They boost power here at peak times too. My internet slows way down too. All the school kids getting home during the school year.

    didi
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What? Did I miss something? Planes aren't powered by the national grid.

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    #12

    American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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    Claire Kidd
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    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?

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    #13

    American Vs British

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    Steve
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Pulp" is a band. "Juicy bits" are simply juicy and awesome. I'm ok with this one :D

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    #14

    American Vs British

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    TC
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I suppose people in the USA get a compulsory tip because the don't earn enough from their employers and have to life on their clients charity...?

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    #16

    American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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    Fire Bird
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you youtube Anglophenia she explains why there are two taps. They didnt want the hot water being contaminated by the cold water as they had seperate tanks. This was back in the day, they just do it now as nostalgia thing.

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    #18

    American Vs British

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    Nicola Morley
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    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.

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    #20

    American Vs British

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    didi
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    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).

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    #23

    American Vs British

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    Brigitte
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    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.

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    #24

    American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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    ispeak catanese
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    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.

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    #26

    American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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    Ninshi TheImp
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That reminds me of something I read. In germany the waterworks have to perpare for the breaks during important football games.

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    #29

    American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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    Daria B
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    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*

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    #30

    American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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    #33

    American Vs British

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    Steve
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Because it saves on plug-ware. I save pounds every year on not having to replace plugs for my sink.

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    #34

    American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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    Cynthia McDonald
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    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.

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    #35

    American Vs British

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    Hans
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    faith sadly did not understand the concept of an egg cup. They are for boiled eggs, which are then eaten with a spoon.

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    #36

    American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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    Claire Kidd
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    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!

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    #38

    American Vs British

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    Steve
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Celebrating the day King James I survived what was essentially a terrorist plot to blow up the House of Lords. Interestingly we celebrate by blowing stuff up whilst freezing our collective backsides off and waving sparklers about.

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    #39

    American Vs British

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    Ines Äffchen
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    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.

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    #41

    American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

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    #43

    American-british-cultural-differences-confusion

    verityglasses Report

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    Neil Adams
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's correctly pronounced 'aitch', without the aspirant. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/aitch

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    #44

    American Vs British

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    Cynthia McDonald
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    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!

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