Things To Know Before Visiting Britain!

[Riggers]

So, Its pretty common for people to want to visit Britain (Especially you Yanks from across the pond xD), But here is some things you should probably know before you come over here to avoid a culture shock :P

1) The Royal Family

Now, Its not uncommon to see lots of hype in the US about the British Royal family, I mean, they are the only English speaking monarchy you know off, so it's cool for you guys, but believe it or not the average British person really does not care about them.

Whilst you guys consdier them a cool part of our nation with lots of history, to us, they are just a bunch of rich, useless posh totties who attract tourists and spend too much tax money xD. Seriously, British people don't care. The only time we do is when a Royal wedding / Jubilee happen's and we all get a public holiday and a day off work ;).

2) Free Refils

Now, In the US, It's pretty much a common thing that in restruant's and stuff, when you get a drink, You get refils for free. Most of the time you don't even need to ask, They will just come round and refil your stuff for you.

Well, In Britain, if you drink all your drink, and you are thirsty, There ain't no free rides on this big red bus! xD. You're going to have to BUY yourself another drink. There are no free drinks in this country ;P.

3) Leaving Tips

Now, In my many ventures to the states, I have noticed, when you buy food or something, it will say on the bill ''Reccomended tip'' or something like that, And you actually HAVE to pay a tip. And, I thought ''How awfully cheeky''.

You see, In the UK, You don't have to leave tips, And if you do, They make such a massive deal out of it, If you slip a waiter £5 or something, You will have absolutely made his/her day, He will more then likely spend the following minute or two asking ''Are you sure!?'' and ''Thank you so much!!'' because tips are so uncommon here.

So, Don't worry about not tipping like you have to in the US, Just be aware if you do tip, You will SERIOUSLY make a waiter / service person etc. a VERY dandy little bunny indeed! :P

4) Manners

Now, In my time in the US, This horrified me. y'all lack some serious manners.

In Britain, You say ''Please'' and ''Thank you'' before and after EVERYTHING. If you don't , You WILL get nasty looks.

When i was in the US, If i were to say Please and Thank you as much as i do over here, I got weird looks like i was some crazy person, but over here you are considered ignorant if you don't. You cannot say please and thank you enough.

And here is one big thing in Britain. YOU ALWAYS HOLD A DOOR OPEN.

In the US, if i held a door open for girls, That considered as a form of flirting..... like.... What !?..... Flirting !??!?!..... If you are in the UK, and you are next to a door, And someone is behind you, You stop and hold that door open for them. It is not optional, you just do it, Not to make them happy, not to make you happy, not to flirt, Because thats the 'Non-Prick' thing to do xD.

A good rule of the thumb is, If they are more then 30 seconds walk away from the door, Don't hold it open as it will be awkward as they do a cute little skip run to do the door to make you wait less, But, If you walk through it, and slam it in there face, You are a bad person.

5) Sense of humour

Now, Despite the US / UK both being western nations, The sense of humour may differ greatly.

When I was in the US, I noticed a lot of jokes to me were very..... 'sarcstic' and kinda lame? xD. Like, People would say stuff to me they thought was hilarious and they were wetting themselves just saying the joke, And im sitting there with a blank face thinking... ''.......... what's the joke?....''.

In the UK, You will find a lot of jokes are..... I don't want to say 'Racist'. But.... ''Proud'' xD. If you went to the UK, and told a joke about... I don't know something you ate. You won't get much laughs, If you told a joke about ''how bad those Canadians are at football'' or ''how much those indians suck at cricket'', People will piss themselves laughing xD.

You get bonus points for making a joke about a different part of the UK to the part you are in, So if you are in England, pop out a joke about Scotland, if you are in Scotland, make a joke about wales, if you are in wales, say a joke about Ireland. Be sure to make the region you are in seem better then the one you are joking. Otherwise noone will laugh.

Jokes here are meant to mock others who aren't where you are from xD. But, Dont get carried away and just be racist, Otherwise you will probably end up getting punched.

6) Drinking Culture

Now, I have noticed, That in the US, And a lot of other countries, When you drink, you do it to have a good time with friends and enjoy yourself and make the most of your lives.

Well..... Not here xD.

In the UK, If you are drinking, you have but one single objective

To get as absolutely, completely and utterly wasted, in the shortest possible amount of time, until you throw up and pass out, only to repeat it the next day. We don't drink for fun, We drink to drink xD.

Another thing you should know, In the UK you are aloud to drink in pubs / clubs and stuff at 18, And if you are 16 you can drink Wine, Cider or Beer in a restruant (But you need an over 18 to buy it for you).

So, Don't be shocked when you see 16 year olds walking round drunk xD. Its very very common here.

7) Castles / Landmarks

I see this a lot, the whole ''omg i want to go to the UK they have castles''

Well, Believe it or not.... we don't actually care about castles. To us they are just busted up old piles of rocks and bricks xD.

I mean, The island where i live has more Castles then i can count, a lot of them are offshore fortress' that use to be Naval forts, These things are huge things with islands of their own, But guess what.... we dont care about them xD. They are just castles to us. Big whoop xD.

So don't be shocked when your awesome castle adventure has Brits saying ''Why the heck would you want to visit that? thats so boring....''. :P

8) Smile

Now, This various where abouts in the UK you are. If you are in a city such as London, Liverpool, Manchester (Etc etc), just ignore this point, BUT, If you are in the countryside (Which is the majority of the UK), In a town / rural area where the populations aren't that high, You will find the communities are VERY close nit.

And, If you walk down the street, When you are close to people (Within a metre or two), You will be looked in the face, And they will smile at you. Do not be scared and think ''omg are they flirting ?, Why did they smile ?!''.

Its perfectly normal, Infact, its abnormal if you don't, People will think you are a miserable bugger if you dont ;).

Seriously though, ALWAYS smile to people, Even if you don't know them and they look scary, Smile at them. This goes along with the ''Manners'', When you are in a shop buying something, Smile at the cashier. Its very normal.

9) ''Chavs''

Now, In Britain, there are several things you should avoid, But, The one you want to avoid the most, Is a thing that we call ''Chavs''. You often find them in cities, normally on the poor side's of town. You can often tell who they are by what they wear / how they talk, They will usually wear clothing like this (Normally Joggers / tracksuits or ''Trackies'') and be in groups.

I am not trying to pick on these people, And some of them are nice people, But, a lot are not. You will find most people like this in the likes of Liverpool or other MAJOR cities on the outskirts, And you are best avoiding them, They won't hurt you or anything, But..... I wouldn't go near them personally xD.

The reason i say this, In Britain, There is a very defined 'Wealth Gap', There are your people with jobs and stuff, Then there are your 'Chavs', These are people who live on Government handouts and in council houses, And normally they hate people who have more money then then, And are the type of British people who speak like ''m8 i swer i wil 1 smak u''.

Don't be scared of them, Just dont get involved with them xD. They are usually very very cocky and act a lot bigger then they really are (When i was in school, 'Chavs' and 'Non Chavs' would often fight alot).

I know this point may seem like i am picking on these people, But, Its hard to understand if you don't live here, There is a MASSIVE cultural divide between these two parts of society, And generally both sides dislike one another. With the ''Chavs'' often being more hostile then the Non Chavs. (All those riots in england a couple years ago where half of the stores in london got robbed and set on fire was famously branded a ''Christmas for Chavs'' due to all the theft).

Anyway, Moving on!

10) ''Patriotism is a virtue''.

Needless to say, In a nation that only a hundred years ago controlled 1/4 of the entire planets land mass, British people are VERY patriotic about our Military,

It is common sight in the UK in cities like London, to see Uninion jacks on most streets, Whilst Parades of ''British Grenadiers'' (You call them ''Redcoats'') are a weekly, if not daily occurance.

If you are in the UK, I would avoid insulting its military or you will seriously turn some heads, Not too long ago, An Ex-soldier called ''Lee Rigby'' was killed , And this is 1 Soldier (if this happened in the US it would probably be news for an hour and then forgotten), But, This soldier getting murdered, Sparked national outrage and was in every paper for the better part of a month, We even had Minutes of Silence for Lee Rigby and his funeral was a national event.... Seriously..... we are that proud of our Army.

So yeah, Never insult the British Armed Forces, As a nation we are fiercely patriotic about it, They are one of our proudest features that has quite rightly defined Britain over the past few centuries and the famous ''RedCoats'' are a powerful symbol all over the world.

Thank you for Reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Oh, And don't forget to try some 'Fish and Chips', They will change your life xD.

[ccp16]

As an American who has been living in the UK, some of these things are pretty spot on, some not so much... I do live in the North though, sounds like you may be a bit more of a Southerner...

1. I had a really great talk about the royal family with a lot of people here, and I had no idea how funded they still were! no wonder you guys I hate them (I agree now too, 21st century and there is still monarchy? crazy)

2,3. One thing I would add is that often you have to ask for the bill! I learned the hard way just sitting there waiting for the bill too many times...

4. For one, I don't think people are any more polite here at all with please and thank you or holding doors open... In fact sometimes I think people are completely oblivious I am even there far more often than. Honestly, I think it is a miracle people don't bump into each other all over the place, if I did not constantly move out of the way while walking, I would be knocking people over! I also think people here smile waaaaaaay less as well. More grumpy if anything.. And isn't it always a stereotype that Americans are the overly friendly to the point of being annoying?

5. I have had many a discussion on humo (u) r here... I think British humor tends to be far more subtle and dry. Lots of really claimed comedies take a me a bit to really 'get' before I start actually laughing out loud. More often I just sit there thinking, 'this is really clever and I know it is funny, but just not laugh worthy'. And not to say anything against good old fashion British wit, but I know many Non-native English speakers here, and many prefer tot he US humor as it is just more in your face and laugh out-ish, but not as smart.

6. I think if anything, you are far more relaxed and casual drinkers. It is faaaar more common here to have a pint with lunch or dinner than in the US, where I feel like we mainly drink on a Friday or Saturday night out. Heck, my Uni has three pubs in the union! and I meet with professors over a drink to discuss essays! insane! (but I like it).

9. Love the bit on Chavs, I love that word... and lads, better than saying Frat dudes or dickheads haha (maybe hooligans?)

Other than that, fun take! I feel like I should make one for brits going in the other direction... seems a big thing to do during Uni, a summer trip around the States

[ccp16]

I also want to add that you guys are far more obsessed with social class as well. Everything seems to be a class thing here! and people care more about what you were born into versus what you are from what you made of yourself, but that goes back pretty far I think...

[Riggers]

^I would make this MHO if it was a question xD.

Cheers for the opinion dude, I appreciate it.
And i live on the Isle Of Man, So, There may be some cultural differences that vary place to place in GB ;)

[ccp16]

Oh thanks! But I do have a bit more of an advantage having lived in both! Heck I was pretty invested in your elections actually, I now care a lot about the politics here. I am in Leeds, so deep northern stuff all around me, I have flown over the Isle of Man a few times back and forth to Ireland.

but ya, good take indeed!

[Riggers]

Thank you, And leeds? Grrrr, Your Rugby team sucks ! xD.

[ccp16]

Now Rugby and Cricket are two things I have chosen to miss out on some... I went to a rugby match and it was insane. Just pure, no rules, fighting basically haha but I am not really into US sports either to be fair.

[Riggers]

Oooh, I love Rugby (Even though I'm Manx, my parent's are from Liverpool + StHelens), And, St. Helens and Leeds almost always play each other in the finals (Fair enough leeds wins 90% of the time, Thus the hate xD).

Back when i was Obese, i use to play rugby (Because i was just a bowling ball haha), But, As i started loosing weight i had to quit because i just couldnt ram people down anymore :/.

[Decemberxbluex]

Dude, you should seriously do a Take on being an American living in the UK, and what American visitors should expect.

[abacaxi84]

I agree with a lot of this take. I was living in the US for 2 months, at the time of the Royal Wedding, and people kept asking me if I was "excited" about it. They seemed baffled when I said, no I think the royal family are waste of tax payers money and I'd prefer it if my country had an elected head of state, like you do in the US.

I could summarise the average Brit's feelings about the Royal family, with my Dad's reaction when the queen mother died: "Well, that's f***ed up the TV schedule for the next week then."

Regarding drinking: it's not as extreme as the author paints it, not everyone here is an incessant binge drinker, but we Brits are certainly less prudish about alcohol, in general, and there are way more situations in which it is socially acceptable to drink in the UK than in the US.

I had waiters/waitresses in the US look at me like a crazed alcoholic for ordering a beer with my lunch. Lunch time drinking is 100% normal in the UK. It's even common for people to have a beer in the pub at lunch hour and then go back to work afterwards. People very rarely get plastered at that time of day, they just sometimes fancy a beer with lunch.

Also, if you invite a British person to dinner, or any kind of social gathering at your house, they will show up with a bottle of wine, or similar, because you'd be committing a massive social faux pas NOT to bring a bottle in the UK. However, I had an ocassion in the US where the hosts clearly thought I was odd for bringing them a bottle of wine to their gathering.

[tenofthepeaks]

i'm a brit, i don't care about prince william or harry or the queen.

[QuestionMan]

I went to the UK last year, people seemed to really like it that I spoke English and that I called the subway, the metro even though you guys call it the Tube in London for some reason.
I didn't understand 3 things when I was in London.
1) Where are alll the English people? Most people were either tourists or EU immigrants.
I kept hearing that living in London is expensive, I get that but it's your country's capital and there are very few British people except for some areas.

2) Why does the food and the tea suck?
Seriously I had to go to a French restaurant because British food was unbearable. The black tea tasted like something out of the sewer. I only drank Red berry tea (since that's the only fruit tea that was available) at Pret.

3) Why do people smoke EVERYWHERE?
In Canada there are a lot of restrictions on smoking making it very expensive and it is only allowed in specific areas. In London there would always be people smoking in front of me and the wind would push the smoke in my face.

Other than that I liked my trip to the UK.

[Ozanne]

Many years ago, I worked for a company managed by Brits and I became friends with most of them. I'm sorry, but I never could get past your Number 5 (Sense of Humour). You say Yanks need manners, but your sense of humour just seemed awful to me. I was insulted all the time by these Brits, to the point where I wondered if I wasn't outright being bullied.

Finally one day, I thought I'd fight fire with fire. After being insulted by one of them yet again, I came back with, "That's fine coming from someone who is a donkey nut-licking, knuckle-dragging, open-mouth-breathing, cuntburger." Suddenly, the gales of laughter were everywhere. Honestly, that's what it took: insulting the puke out of them back and I was accepted. Bizarre bunch you are. LOL

[Riggers]

Omfg, 'Cunt-burger'' xDDDDD.

This is what i mean matey, Our sense of humour is a lot more... 'Rough' then yours, You cannot tell a simple joke here and expect to get a laugh, But if you insult the fuck out of someone, That shit is hilarious xD. I can understand why you would feel like its bullying if you didn't grow up with it. In Britain, we call it ''Banter'', The objective of which, Is just to insult the living fuck out of each other xD.

[Ozanne]

Sense of humour varies with the Swiss. I get it. If it meant our friendship, cutting them off at the knees, then I was willing to do it. LOL

[Pete671]

I laughed out loud at that!

[AleDeEurope]

I agree with everything except #4. I went to London and manners were something I rarely saw, perhaps cause it was London, but damn, people were rude xD Even the people at the reception didn't like helping us.
On the other hand, I've never seen better manners than in America. I live in Chicago and I'm extremely surprised to how respectful and full of manners most people are. Even at 8 am when the trains are packed, people hold the door for the one behind it, and every time someone bumps into someone else, they quickly apologize. "Thank you" and "you're welcome" are something I always hear. I don't know what part of the US you've been, but at least here in Chicago I've seen great manners and lots of respect for others, even my father was surprised about this, and he works at a hotel as a manager and always says British people lack manners xD

[AleDeEurope]

by the way, I didn't wanna sound mean or anything, this is just my experience, as I've met British people that were super nice, but when I visit the country, I found something totally different.

[Our_Dilemmas]

I think that could have been because you were in London. I am from about a hour outside London and even i find people in London rude! I think most of the people in London aren't actually from there either.

[AleDeEurope]

@Our_Dilemmas That's what I thought, cause I was warned before going to London that people were usually rude. I went to Oxford too during the same trip to London and I did find better treatment there, so yeah, maybe you're right and it's just London.

[26ukdude]

Londoners are known for being horrible, I'd never want to live there, its not uncommon where i live now, a small town int he north, to smile and say hi to people walking past, and strike up conversation with random epople at the bus stop or in a queue. That would never happen down South in England.

[Riggers]

Yeah, There are a lot of miserable ''City-Wankers'' in london xD.

In the country and rural towns is where you will find the nice Brits ;)

[26ukdude]

Well I've lived here for 28 years, 23 of them in the South and the past 4 (im just 28) in the North, you are pretty much spot on, a couple of things I would correct you on is

1) A lot of people DO like the royal family, mainly older middle class people though and

2) Chavs aren't just in the massive cities or their suburbs, they are in virtually every town there is. But the general rule of thumb is, the more deprived an area is in addition to its size, then the more hardcore and more violent/cocky/twattish they generally are.

And dont bother to leave us tips no one will care, and we drink A LOT, you will probably be shocked at this.

[26ukdude]

Forgot to mention, very few (especially young) people are relgious or bother going to church.

[Riggers]

^ What he said, All excellent points.

[tenofthepeaks]

this guy has it... the OP doesn't.

[iNeedAUsernameNow]

This is the best "British tips for Americans" type article I've ever read in my life. When I saw "The Royal Family" being the first point I was like "oh look at this bullocks" but then I read on and was extremely impressed.

I lived in England for 4 years and can say this is definitely very accurate, but I do have to agree with @Jxpxtxr about the food there. Most of the good food Brits have aren't foods that originate from Britain (chicken tika masala, kebabs, jamaican patties, and west indian foods are all great).

I'd strongly advise Americans to stick with baked potatoes, bangers and mash, a roast, or fish and chips and not to venture too far from a cornish pastie. British snacks and drinks are fine, but your entrees are severely lacking in flavor.

[Phoenix98]

Good to know if I ever visit, I will say this it probably wasn't the fact that you said please and thank you, it was more that you had the accent so people knew you weren't from here lol. In my town we are the same way as you are in Britain we always say thank you and all that proper manners, people are refereed to as folks and women as ladies and gals lol.

We have the military thing in common as well, me as well as a lot of other Americans are very patriotic.

Good mytake, will be useful if I ever visit one day.

[Riggers]

Glad ya enjoyed it matey ;P

[Phoenix98]

Mhmm.

[Username-Exists]

I take issue with your statement about the royal family.

"to us, they are just a bunch of rich, useless posh totties who attract tourists and spend too much tax money xD. Seriously, British people don't care"

you do realise they pay tax? They are not tax exempt anymore. also, are you aware of the amount of money they generate through tourism? They are so beneficial to our economy its unreal.

They also do a lot for charity. Seriously, people need to realise what an asset the royal family are.

[oracle12c]

It's not an insult to say the British Armed Forces are not really anything special any more, and certainly not up to US standard at all.

The size of your forces alone is well... pathetic, for a nation with world domination dreams. UK will only be able to bash smaller countries like Denmark or Island, good luck having a hot war with Puttin alone without the Americans... you will loose in a heart beat.

Nice take by the way, very true. Most parts of the take does really apply in most of northern Europe.

[Riggers]

I said we are proud of them, not complete retards who claim it to be better than the likes of the USA. We spend 2% of our budget on defence the US spends 57% yet both nations operate with similar efficiency and combat record.
As for special forces, I would advice you to look at the service history of your seals and compare them to the SAS and see for yourself, there is no question which one is the more battle hardened force.
And, not up to US standard? You can't be serious, for example, US Marine training is 12 weeks, whereas Royal marine training is 32 weeks.
Both are very well trained troops that excel in combat,
Sure, on size and weaponry the US takes the lead by a long shot, but on service record and individual training the British take the lead.
Britain has never been about big armies, rather small well trained ones, whereas the US goes it the strength in number tactic.
It's a case of quality or quantity. Both have there pros and cons

[oracle12c]

@Riggers
Denmark is no military power at all, we couldn't win a war against an anthill - our seals included.

Yes, UK forces are more cost effective and of high quality compared to most nations. But as you say, "Sure, on size and weaponry the US takes the lead by a long shot,"... and that is what I am saying.

The size of the UK armed forces makes is hard do anything but defective actions, unless in a coalition with you big brother the mighty US of A.

UK weaponry is of very high quality by the way, your tanks and aircraft's not to mention your ships, rivals that of US, France and Russia. It'd the size and budget that really make you forces... well nothing special - any more, used to be different during the colonial times, I know the British empire was the greatest in history and the Commonwealth of Nations is still in existence and very much alive today.

UK army size is around the 30th or something like that, even puny Israel have a larger (and an quality efficient fighting force).

[Riggers]

My point from the beginning was never we believed our army to be the best in the world, I'm not a blind patriotic dipshit xD
As you said your self, given the low budget the BAF receives, it operates to a higher standards of other nations military of similar military spending.
Imagine if Britain also spent 57% of its budget on defence, it would undeniably be a joint superpower with the US, but that's just economically impossible.
What makes the British army powerful is the allies it fights with, together they are a force to be wreckoned with and that has been proven in the past,
A quote I love is
"WW2 was won with Soviet blood, American Money and British defiance".
Both Britain and America have elite troops with phenomenal technology, we got Typhoons, you got raptors, we have Challengers, you got Abrams, we got QueenElizabeth carriers, you got Nimitz,
The only difference is, you guys got a fucking lot more of them all xD

[oracle12c]

Indeed presuming by "you", you mean the Americans, Denmark got shit we couldn't take an anthill if our life's depended on it.

Yes a Anglo-America dual world power, is the superpower of our time. It's funny though, the UK uses to be the farther and the USA the child, now the UK is like the little brother of the US.

But don't worry about Britain's low defence spendings, welfare is far more important than military power for most citizens.

I'll still choose UK over US:

www.huffingtonpost.com/.../...-smack_n_849639.html

[FatherJack]

Correct about British Armed Forces being better trained , the infamous P Company ( Para training ) is much harder than the US equivalent ( I passed this back in 1990 ... only just I think !! ) , one key reason is we have much less heavy support than the 82nd Airborne Division. I don't give a flying one about the Royals either.

[Riggers]

Haha, nice @FatherJack, I have a buddy who was Marines (Rum drinking bum bandits xD), and he's giving me shit because i want to join the Royal Tank reg.
I was looking at joining the Paras, but I just ain't phsically cut out for it :P,
I'd take a challenger over a parachute anyday haha.

[26ukdude]

We dont have the numbers you have, you are correct, but we aren't trigger happy and our police dont shoot unarmed (black) people like yours do, and the forces and services we do have are extremely efficient and deadly. Many special forces around the world base their training regine on that of our SAS, who are generally considered to be the best in the world. The 90% fail rate for admission speaks for itself on the harshness of the training.

[tenofthepeaks]

lol.. who says we want to dominate the world?

[Anonymous]

I reallllllly want to go to the UK, especially the countryside and "boring" castles and such haha. I'm a little concerned because I'm a Muslim and wear hijab - but I'm also white so maybe wouldn't stand out as much - I don't know, no one seems to mind me in general around the U. S., thank God, but I'm thinking people might not be so welcoming in a smallish British town. What do you think? I've just heard so many bad things (from the media of course) about reactions to Muslims.

I look super British, face-wise, if that makes a difference... well British and Eastern European. And I'm very friendly :)

[Pete671]

There a few idiots but UK is very multi-cultural, there are mosques in probably every large town, it does happen that they get vandalised sometimes, but police are very very supportive of minorities here, assaulting (even verbally) a minority person is classified as a hate crime and usually dealt with robustly,,,

[YourFutureEx]

''how much those indians suck at cricket'' -Excuse me, where is your World cup trophy? LOL
___________________________________________________________

by the way I loved your take. Even tho I knew some of these but I learned a lot from it. Awesome work :)

[lonerider]

I was gonna ask the same thing lol

[Riggers]

Cheers matey, And, Dont take it to heart, I dont really like cricket, but i am aware that India is very good.

[NeglectedDyldo]

I disagree about castles.

Yes, most people in the UK aren't fascinated by them but they are cared about in that if someone said "Right, we're going to demolish Edinburgh Castle and build a school" there would be public outrage.

Also, If you're in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales and you're going to make a joke about anyone it has to be England.

;)

[Riggers]

Haha, I dont think thats because people care about them, I just think its the hole... ''Dont realise what you had until its gone'' thing.

Sure, We dont care about them, But, If you were gonna take em away we would!, And the moment they were saved from being taken away, Everyone would immediately stop giving a shit about them again haha.

[NeglectedDyldo]

I don't mind them, there's a few castles I'd like to visit actually but the reason we aren't fascinated by them like Americans is - we are surrounded by them. There's none in America, so it makes sense that they would be intrigued.

[lePoivre]

Hey, we have manners in the U. S.; they're just not English manners =P And I have to ask: When referring to someone or something from England, is it better to use the word "British" or "English?" I've heard one or the other is considered to be somewhat offensive.

[Riggers]

English reffers to people who are exclusively from England
Britain means people from all over (Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, Channel Islands).
You can go wrong if you called, I don't know a scottish person English, and you would probably annoy them with it, So just say British ;)

[_Zara_]

I'm pretty sure if you're just refurring to England you say English but if you're referring to Britain (England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales) then you say British.

[BelleGirl21]

I liked this take and I plan on visiting as soon as possible.
I also think the royal family is a bunch of posh totties.
Here in the west people are very very courtious and respectful. I always say please and thank you. I wave and smile at everyone! We are so different afterall.

P. s. I love British humor! :)

[Riggers]

You should do just dandy here then xD.

Good luck on your adventure matey! ;P

[micheal727jovanie]

I think this take is ignorant I lived in the US all my life and there are so many things you got wrong. For one you don't have to tip a waitress/server its a nice gesture but not necessary. it makes their day when you tip them trust me everybody needs money. Also We do "proud jokes" all the time. We have manners as well. I don't know what part of US you went to? Lmao

[Riggers]

Florida, Miama and NYC.
The purpose of this take was not my knowlege about the US, But telling you what to expect in the UK.
And when i was in the US, EVERY restruant we went out too said on the bill ''Reccomended Tip'' and stuff. Something which dosent exist over here.

[micheal727jovanie]

Lmao so you went to every single restaurant in Miami and NYC? You got drunk with everbody too huh? Whatever I wouldn't be suprised If I went to the UK...

[Riggers]

Did i ever say i visited EVERY restruant and got drunk with EVERYBODY? -_-

[oracle12c]

"We have manners as well"... right, but they are different from European manners. Many Americans eat fast food like a pig and don't know etiquette when dining in a restaurant. I am not saying all Americans nor that you don't have manners, but they are certainly not European manners.

[micheal727jovanie]

"Now, I have noticed, That in the US, And a lot of other countries, When you drink, you do it to have a good time with friends and enjoy yourself and make the most of your lives.

Well... Not here xD.

In the UK, If you are drinking, you have but one single objective

To get as absolutely, completely and utterly wasted, in the shortest possible amount of time, until you throw up and pass out, only to repeat it the next day. We don't drink for fun, We drink to drink xD.

Another thing you should know, In the UK you are aloud to drink in pubs / clubs and stuff at 18, And if you are 16 you can drink Wine, Cider or Beer in a restruant (But you need an over 18 to buy it for you).

So, Don't be shocked when you see 16 year olds walking round drunk xD. Its very very common here." Nigga all countries drink to get wasted. From Ireland to Germany. Russia, El Salvador, Mexico. Especially America. There is no difference. Go to Mexico my friend mofos will drink the whole week.

[micheal727jovanie]

El Salvador you see fuckin kids drinking. and America bro you just don't know. Yeah we got different objectives. Getting wasted or getting laid. US Is different but a lot things you do we do. It just depends on who you chill with...

[Bards]

FLORIDA LOL YEAH ALOOOT OF PEOPLE ARE RUDE.

[chuppachup]

I agree with most of this but there's a few differences, possibly because I'm from Scotland.
#8 is very true, about the close knit communities. I visited a village quite deep in the countryside and I was literally the blackest person there. I didn't see one other non-white face and I got a load of stares, especially from the old people lmao

[Yc2K15]

Perhaps mention that the tube is not an exciting adventure, that it is quite dangerous in certain places and that You can't yell out TAXIIIIIIIIIII and assume one will magically appear!

[Yc2K15]

Oh and also, they know that you are American, they have been listening to you announce it all day with you extra loud talking.

[Riggers]

Brilliant xD

[progboy]

I would have to disagree partly with number 3. Restaurants have generally started to include a 10% or 12.5% service charge which you can take off if you really want but it would cause a bit of a fuss in all likelihood. Before that practice became commonplace it was certainly normal and expected to tip around 10%. I'm sure if you were to tip over and above the service charge already in the bill then you're right that the waiter would be happy with that.

[abacaxi84]

The key difference is that restaurants HAVE to pay wait staff minimum wage in the UK, so, unless it's a mandatory service charge, as you described, a tip in a UK restaurant really is an optional extra. In the US, their wait staff don't get paid a living wage and so tips make up the bulk of their salary. Also, we don't tip barmen for every round of drinks that we order in the UK (I find that particularly bizarre in the US).

[progboy]

That's a good point. I think I offended a few bar staff in the US because I didn't realise they expected a tip. It took me a little while to work out why they would give me 5 $1 notes for my change instead of 1 $5 note. I figured it out eventually though so there are some bar staff there that don't think I'm a stingy bastard!

[Anonymous]

This has been an interesting Take! I have always wanted to travel to the UK. I even dated a Brit for a few years. While he did tell me about some of these (I am polite and whatnot to begin with, but the chavs was new to me), it's good to get a refresher I guess you can say, before I plan my vacation trip there.

[Pete671]

If you do try fish and chips, don't buy it from a "chippy" that is open on Mondays, traditionally this is because fisherman had Sunday off and there just wasn't any fish to fry,,,
Now it's just a custom really,,,
Also sales tax is included in the advertised price,,,
And avoid £50 notes, a lot of smaller shops won't accept them, and larger stores often want a supervisor to check them, there is no suggestion you would be trying to pass a fake, it's just annoying having to wait,,,

[DanHart]

You forgot Chips and Crisps with vinegar !
And the French who are the number one archenemy !
And Chavs are usually very kind to me !
They also make great soccer fans by the way !
Lol

[Riggers]

Haha