10 American Habits Brits Will Never Understand

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Ruth Margolis - BBC America


http://i.imgur.com/ksAHNaz.jpg

Love Americans as we do, there are some cultural proclivities that will baffle British expats for as long as we live here.

1. Flossing
Digging sharp string between your teeth everyday is standard oral hygiene procedure in America. We know we’re supposed to do this too, but it hurts and it’s boring. Most Brits probably own a tub of floss, but only dust it off before a date or dental appointment.

2. Compulsive baking
This one I like, although I don’t get how people with children and jobs and pets find the time to whip up regular batches of themed, iced and elaborately flavored cupcakes, muffins and brownies. It’s America’s most family friendly superpower.

3. Sending personalized holiday cards
By this, I mean those creepy Christmas cards with a family portrait on the front. The children are wearing elf outfits while the parents grin unnaturally. Inside, there’s a run-down of the family’s year and, more importantly, its achievements. I’ve even heard of people inserting copies of their kids’ report cards.

4. Talking to strangers unprompted
This happens most often on public transport. I’ll be on a plane or train in the U.S., minding my own business, when someone I’ve never met will try to start a conversation. Short of pretending to be deaf and/or French, there’s nothing to be done.

5. Whooping
Americans like to let the world know that they’re having fun — or approve heartily of what’s being said or done in front of them — by contorting their vocal chords into a shape that will allow them to pump out obnoxious mouth hoots, one after another. One word: earplugs.

6. Compulsive sentimentality
Gushing public displays are usually meant well but give Brits the creeps. For instance, my husband and I recently checked out of a B&B after a two-night stay. Instead of bidding us farewell with a firm handshake and a receipt, the owner – a man in his 50s – latched on to me, then my man, for a prolonged hug. Just when we thought it was over, he announced, “I’ll miss you guys!” No, actually. You won’t.

7. Drinking milk
Moo juice is meant for putting on cereal, adding to pancake batter and pouring in tea. Americans must have missed the memo because they drink the stuff neat. To me, this is only slightly less absurd than eating a plate of salt and pepper for dinner.

8. Ordering supersize portions
In American cinemas, patrons load up with pails of soda so vast they require their own seat. They must have bladders the size of hot air balloons. Plates of food, meanwhile, more closely resemble those guilt-inducing, this-is-what-you-eat-in-a-week spreads laid out by TV diet gurus than a single course of a single meal meant for one person.

9. Taking home leftovers
Thanks to the previous point, doggy bags have long been part of American restaurant culture. I can’t quite bring myself to make off with my unfinished fare. It feels… icky. Plus, I’ve usually overeaten, and I’m convinced I’ll never want to look at food again. Naturally, I regret this decision in the morning.

10. Eating breakfast together
You know in films featuring perfect American families there’s always a scene where an implausibly jolly parent makes the kids pancakes in the shape of dinosaurs, then the entire household sits down to a sumptuous spread. Well, I am reliably informed that this kind of thing actually happens here. Breakfast is something Brits have if they’re hung over or if the hotel they’re staying in provides it. We’d never be so eccentric as to sit down and eat it at the same time — and in the same location — as our loved ones.

[Noraf45]

A lot of these are just plain wrong (And by that I mean very uncommon). Who even came up with this? If we are to assume this is a true view of what they think of Americans, I can only take these points to mean that Brits are unhealthy and antisocial.

[Muddy]

A lot of these are just plain wrong (And by that I mean very uncommon). Who even came up with this? If we are to assume this is a true view of what they think of Americans, I can only take these points to mean that Brits are unhealthy and antisocial.

Really? We do probably 6-8 of those..

[Pony]

Really? We do probably 6-8 of those..

I don't.

[Noraf45]

Really? We do probably 6-8 of those..

I do probably 1-2 of those. And talking to strangers is the only way you're ever going to meet anyone new. It's a huge problem today that people don't know how to interact with other people in a public setting. Just reach for their phone and hide from the world.

[Muddy]

We do..

1
2
3
4
5
7
9
10

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I do probably 1-2 of those. And talking to strangers is the only way you're ever going to meet anyone new. It's a huge problem today that people don't know how to interact with other people in a public setting. Just reach for their phone and hide from the world.

I don't talk to strangers and I have a good reason why....I fucking hate people :)

Case in point...at the EXPRESS LINE at the supermarket yesterday...there were 4 people ahead of me, 2 of which clearly had more than the 15 items limit and the first guy in line was some old Asian dude that paid for his 2 items with exact change....USING ONLY CHANGE! And he counted it out onto the counter one....fucking...coin...at...a...time. Then, the bitch that had more than 15 items had a bag of apples as one of her items. The clerk rang it up and the bitch said, wait, aren't those 99 cents/pound? Clerk: no, there are other apples that are on sale, but not these. Bitch: are you sure, I saw a sign back there. Clerk: nope, it's the other apples that are on sale. Bitch: well, you're sign is misleading then, let me see the bag. Clerk hands bag to bitch who takes THREE FUCKING APPLES OUT OF THE BAG and then says, okay, I'll take these. She was bitching and holding up the entire line over approximately ONE FUCKING DOLLAR'S WORTH OF APPLES!

And this is just one of the many reasons I hate people and if I ran the world, these people would have all been instantly executed on the spot :)


[/rant]

[redred]

1. Flossing do that

2. Compulsive baking the other half and my little girl do a lot of this

3. Sending personalized holiday cards i'm not a woman i don't send cards

4. Talking to strangers unprompted i'm not a people person why do i need to speak to someone i have no interest in

5. Whooping :usa:

6. Compulsive sentimentality :ghey:

7. Drinking milk don't like the taste of milk

8. Ordering supersize portions i can only eat so much the rest is a waste

9. Taking home leftovers ,how do you reheat a good steak after you take it home?

10. Eating breakfast together i don't eat breakfast but do sit with the little one while she has hers

[Muddy]

Wow, Lance..

[Acid Trip]

A few of these from the American point of view.

1. Flossing We prefer English people don't floss. That way when you smile we know where you are from.

2. Compulsive baking Sheer jealousy. We all know English food tastes like shit so you are jealous our women bake.

5. Whooping We make noise to remind you of how superior we are. You don't even have the balls to tell us to shut up.

7. Drinking milk This is why we are bigger, stronger, faster, etc.

9. Taking home leftovers Again, English food tastes like shit. Reheated shit is worse than the regular shit they eat.

10. Eating breakfast together More jealousy that we actually spend time with our families.

[redred]

:lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Wow, Lance..

Not enough emotion? :-k

[Muddy]

Not enough emotion? :-k

Such anger, Bubba! :lol:

[FBD]

1. Flossing
Digging sharp string between your teeth everyday is standard oral hygiene procedure in America. We know we’re supposed to do this too, but it hurts and it’s boring. Most Brits probably own a tub of floss, but only dust it off before a date or dental appointment.
Now that is absolutely disgusting. If you want bad breath, dont floss. Have fun walking around with rotting crap in between your teeth, no need to clean that stuff out, right? Why's my breath smell like old cauliflower again? [-(


2. Compulsive baking
This one I like, although I don’t get how people with children and jobs and pets find the time to whip up regular batches of themed, iced and elaborately flavored cupcakes, muffins and brownies. It’s America’s most family friendly superpower.
Its called a mixer, maybe you've heard of them, they make all of that time you spend mixing shit disappear.



9. Taking home leftovers
Thanks to the previous point, doggy bags have long been part of American restaurant culture. I can’t quite bring myself to make off with my unfinished fare. It feels… icky. Plus, I’ve usually overeaten, and I’m convinced I’ll never want to look at food again. Naturally, I regret this decision in the morning.
When I go out and buy a good meal, I want every last fkn bit of it, in fact, most places give you portions that are like twice what I would normally eat - if you're going to pay for a meal, why not make it last 2?

and why the hell wouldnt I want to look at my wife's tits across the breakfast table every morning??

[Acid Trip]

and why the hell wouldnt I want to look at my wife's tits across the breakfast table every morning??

Your wife puts her tits across the table at breakfast?! I need to tell my wife she's doing breakfast wrong...

[FBD]

haha, from across the table, its a very nice view. although they arent always bare :mrgreen:

[Muddy]

haha, from across the table, its a very nice view. although they arent always bare :mrgreen:

A pictures worth a thousand lies.. :lol:

[Pony]

1. Flossing
Yes

2. Compulsive baking
Never

3. Sending personalized holiday cards
Never

4. Talking to strangers
Sometimes, depends on the environment

5. Whooping
Occasionally @ sporting events, etc.

6. Compulsive sentimentality
nope

7. Drinking milk
not since I was forced to as a kid

8. Ordering supersize portions
nope. Usually order the smallest size available

9. Taking home leftovers
Rarely. Depends on the meal and how much is leftover

10. Eating breakfast together
never, not even as a kid growing up.

[redred]

:britain: pony is one of us

[Leefro]

Thought Flossing was something to do with Sheep shaggin

Best Ask Hugh about that

[FBD]

A pictures worth a thousand lies.. :lol:

hahaha...unfortunately for yall, she doesnt allow photos. but yeah, it is quite a rarity that they're bare across the breakfast table...but that doesnt mean it hasnt happened :razz:

[PorkChopSandwiches]

We do 1 and 9

[Teh One Who Knocks]

hahaha...unfortunately for yall, she doesnt allow photos. but yeah, it is quite a rarity that they're bare across the breakfast table...but that doesnt mean it hasnt happened :razz:

I'm dating Candice Swanepoel and Adriana Lima and they both walk around the house naked all the time, I'd prove it but they don't allow photos :hand:

















































:dance:

[FBD]

:meatspin: yall know damn well you aint getting a bare pic :lol: even if I were the sharing type, I'd have my ass in a sling for doing that...if such pics existed :lol:

[Goofy]

5. Whooping We make noise to remind you of how superior we are. You don't even have the balls to tell us to shut up.


Shut your fucking mouth biatch :x




:dance:

7). I fucking love milk, have a glass with my dinner every night :thumbsup:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

7). I fucking love milk, have a glass with my dinner every night :thumbsup:

:agreed:

[PorkChopSandwiches]

I find milk to be disgusting. I dont mind cooking with it, but drinking another animals lactation. :puke: give me breast milk anyday

[Jezter]

I find milk to be disgusting. I dont mind cooking with it, but drinking another animals lactation. :puke: give me breast milk anyday

You love cheese tho, don't you?

[PorkChopSandwiches]

Yeah, but thats not raw.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Neither is milk :roll:

[PorkChopSandwiches]

Its nasty

[PorkChopSandwiches]

I'll stick to my chicken abortions

[KevinD]

1. Flossing

Only when my wife reminds me, or when I have a really annoying piece of corn stuck between my teeth.

2. Compulsive baking

I don't bake. My wife does, but I wouldn't say it's compulsive. I usually have to beg for it, lol

3. Sending personalized holiday cards

Only when the kiddos were young to grandparents. Perhaps because Britain is such a small island, you don't understand how big the US is. To drive from my house to my grandparents home was 10hrs.

4. Talking to strangers unprompted

Only when drunk in my case.

5. Whooping

See #4

6. Compulsive sentimentality

See #5

7. Drinking milk

I love milk, especially real, fresh milk (aka, non store bought)

8. Ordering supersize portions

Sometimes, but that may be my only meal all day.

9. Taking home leftovers

For the dogs of course. That's why it's called a doggie bag...:facepalm:

10. Eating breakfast together

Every chance I get. Lunch? not so much, but dinner? Every night I'm home.

[deebakes]

#1 :pmsl:

[Noilly Pratt]

As a Canadian who was raised by British parents, I'm not surprised I'm a little bit both.

1. Flossing

VERY occasionally. I use a Dental rinse and yes I get the lecture from the Doc, but I've had no cavities the last 3x I've gone to the dentist. So there. :nana: (to the dentist, not the reader!)

2. Compulsive baking

I put Pizza and make Hamburgers in the oven, but I don't bake and my wife is not comfy in the kitchen. She does bake biscuits every now and then, but that's about it.

3. Sending personalized holiday cards

We don't do cards to people usually.

4. Talking to strangers unprompted

I found recently in the UK that people were fairly friendly and did engage us in conversations. I found this as well when I lived there for 2 months. I find this in Canada too. So, don't understand this one.

5. Whooping

This is true. I don't "Whoop" only maybe at concerts. And it better be a damn good performance.

6. Compulsive sentimentality

With family and close friends, sometimes yes. But strangers...no, I'm not comfy with PDA's

7. Drinking milk

Very occasionally, but I prefer Cranberry or Cran-Raspberry or even Lemonaide.

8. Ordering supersize portions

We have them here...good leftovers.

9. Taking home leftovers

See above. My lunch was last night's pizza leftovers and salad. You can better justify the higher cost of a meal if it's a dinner AND a lunch.

10. Eating breakfast together

I work at 7am...family's usually not up then. Never ate breakfast together with the family in the UK, either. On the weekends, maybe sometimes - when the rare occasion happens and my wife feels like making pancakes.

[Noraf45]

I find milk to be disgusting. I dont mind cooking with it, but drinking another animals lactation. :puke: give me breast milk anyday

I can't stand simply drinking plain milk. I'll drink it chocolate or strawberry, and I'll put it in cereal, but I can't handle it straight.