Confusing Things That British People Do That Baffles Americans

Cricket

You might hear a Brit say something like, "Let's all go down to the cricket pitch." This is the equivalent of an American suggesting they all go down to the football field. In the UK, fields are for sheep and pitches are for sports. It does not mean that cricket is like football, though.

Putting Washing Machines In The Kitchen

There are no laundry rooms in Britain. Everyone just squeezes tiny washing machines in their kitchen. Yes, they bring their dirty socks and underwear to the very same place that they eat. Most do not have a dryer either. They lay their clothes out on drying racks or hang them on the line during periods when it might actually stop raining.

Not Tipping Bar Staff

This one is really nice. When you have a drink in the UK, you only have to pay the price of your drink. Bartenders are well paid and do not rely on their tips to live. It also means that you will not see an extra charge on your tab that tips the bartender whether you wanted to or not.

Juicy Bits

In America, you have two choices when it comes to your orange juice. You can have it with or without the pulp. Brits do not have pulp, they have juice bits which sounds a lot more appetizing.

Going For A Cheeky Nando’s

Every Brit has eaten at a Wetherspoon's or Nando's. They are the British equivalent to a Denny's or IHOP in the States. The only difference is where you might order a club sandwich at Denny's, while at Nando's you would order a Portuguese style peri-peri chicken because Europeans are just so fancy.

Asking For The Toilet

While it sounds a bit crude for Brits to ask where the toilet is, if they ask for the bathroom, it means they want to take a bath and not a quick tinkle. Asking for the bathroom when visiting someone could get a bit weird.

Saying Maths Instead Of Math

For real! Why would anyone want more math?

Asking If You’re Alright

Brits constantly ask people if they are alright. It can leave foreigners wondering if they look sick. Something must be wrong, right? Especially if everyone keeps asking the same thing. As it turns out, "are you alright?" is a mash-up between "can I help you?" and "how are you?"

Pancake Day Without Pancakes

Brits may think they are celebrating pancake day properly, but they could not be more wrong. They serve thin crepes with lemon juice and sugar, and they no way resemble a proper fluffy pancake covered in syrup and butter.

Ending A Text With An X

Americans just do not get why British people end every text with an x. It is only more confusing once you know that the x means a kiss. Who ends every text with a kiss?

Sinks That Have Two Taps

This really has more to do with old buildings with old plumbing than anything else. It is rather annoying but a common occurrence. Perhaps it is time for the whole country to get a home makeover.

Different Curse Words

There are a ton of differences between the American and British English language. You are going to be baffled by the number of common words used in America that are cuss words in Britain.

Being Incredibly Timid In Public

The Brits are known for their giant imperialist empire, and yet modern day citizens can’t muster enough courage to ask someone to get out of their way. Is it being polite? Does everyone suffer from anxiety?

It’s like a British person will go to the grocery store for milk, but someone else is looking at the milk, so they have to pretend to be interested in yogurt until the milk area is clear. Americans would just barge in and grab that 2%!

Beans On Toast

Brits are known to do some really strange things with their breakfast. They only toast one side of the bread, and they absolutely love their morning beans. Americans use beans as a side dish for suppers usually combined with coleslaw, cornbread, and some BBQ pulled pork.

Adding A “U” To Everything

It really does not seem to be very efficient.

Quaint English Villages That Aren’t What They Seem

We can probably blame Agatha Christie for this one.

So Much Tea

The stereotype is very much true. Brits do drink a ton of tea even in the summer. You might even find it hard to find a bottle of sweet tea as well. British people believe that tea should be hot, black, and maybe with a drop of milk. That is just how they like it.