Things That an American Notices in England | Unique & Different Aspects of British Daily Life

We visited the UK in December 2017, so I wanted to share some observations as an American visiting England. This was my second time in the UK, and I spent less time on this trip at tourist locations and more time with Fiona’s family just outside of London. This recent visit felt a lot more authentic than my first trip to the UK in 2012, and I felt like I was able to get a much better sense of the culture in England.
We hope you find these highlights and tips both fun and potentially helpful when visiting the UK!
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#england #uk #britain

[@markdenyer8072]

Uk power plugs are by a long way, the safest and smartest design in the world.

[@TripAstute]

So true. I watched the Tom Scott video on the UK plugs and was really impressed with the safety features built into the plug. Makes me appreciate them more! 👍

[@markdenyer8072]

@@TripAstute yes, tom scott is a fountain of knowledge. I like how all high amp appliances have a fused plug and the wire always comes out of the bottom of the plug so that if wire gets pulled it jambs in the socket and cant be pulled out. The switch on the socket means you dont have to pull the plug out in order to cut the power.

[@ethantyler8647]

True but have you ever stood on one

[@leemason8953]

@@ethantyler8647 haha many a times (bloody well hurts), worse than any Lego brick many many years ago I jumped behind my sofa messing about and landed bare foot on one and it stuck into the sole of my foot and I had to pull it out it broke my skin and for a couple of weeks I was limping about...

[@fionagregory8078]

yes we are best as we are British.

[@_ST4_]

I was shocked when I visited the United States to see a colossal ball of fire in the sky, something us Brits are completely unaccustomed to. Apparently you guys call it ‘the sun’.

[@TripAstute]

😂

[@tjh_lfc8326]

Phuzion1 I know I don't understand what these people are chatting about

[@_ST4_]

Phuzion1 I’m English mate.

[@_ST4_]

Phuzion1 I’m from the West Midlands, but I live in Newcastle-upon-Tyne as well and have for a number or years.

[@annmitchell4663]

Wow..I thought that was just an urban myth..smh.

[@apollo8389]

Military time in England is called 24 hour clock edit: i should probably say britain uses the 24 hour clock, but this was 11 months ago so i can’t remember what the video is about

[@TripAstute]

24-hour time/clock is definitely the proper terminology 👍

[@caryshunt8276]

I'm from britian

[@estellebarry9357]

@@TripAstute I'm from the UK and the military should use the 24 hour day.. All kids in the UKGB are taught the 24 hour clock( everyone should know it) out of the military Am and PM are mostly used 12.01 am 12.01 pm :) Its easy

[@ronkalkhoven2119]

Trip Astute We in the Netherlands use the 24 hour clock system aswell.

[@xs4tanx]

Military time and the 24 hour clock are different. Military time doesn't have the colon but 24 hour does. A small difference, but notable.

[@masnwrdl0511]

Finally, an American who knows that we don't speak like the queen and live in London :)

[@TripAstute]

Ha! I think we’re finally getting more awareness of northern accents, thanks to Jon Snow. 😄

[@masnwrdl0511]

@@TripAstute 😂 :)

[@jennyd126]

Trip Astute soz abar me northen ascent I like that you ain’t British bashing an offerdin a genuin rsview... nice one lar (much love, northern. Queen)

[@pissbean845]

Chop chop chorio ladie

[@alcoholicangela9120]

Gellatonoustube6 guessing you’re either joking or not British

[@JamiePiller]

I must say that this was a very respectful video. Many of this type just slate and mock the UK. Thanks for being a good guy about it.

[@TripAstute]

Thanks Jamie! We appreciate the feedback. Glad my admiration and appreciation for the UK came through. 😊

[@JamiePiller]

Trip Astute You seem to be a very nice guy. I hope you enjoyed yourself here. We have some beautiful places here bro. All down the South West coast is amazing. Cornwall and Devon and Somerset. My younger half brother was recently in New York with his girlfriend. He proposed to her in central park. I like Americans like yourself. You are very respectful. Thanks fella. 👍

[@camomiletea7357]

ikr

[@davidwhite4874]

Jamie Piller I never seem to see these "disrespectful" videos.......

[@JamiePiller]

David White So? Maybe look harder. Just because you don't see them it doesn't mean they're not real. How utterly fallacious.

[@ninjabreadman1993r]

As an Englishman, I LOST it when you were like "We went to Barcelona, Lisbourne...and Bath." And I'm like "One of these things is not like the others~" xD

[@TripAstute]

Ha, that's true. Though I have to admit that I loved Bath. Such a beautiful city, and the fact that it's a UNESCO World Heritage city is amazing! 😊

[@bea4937]

Lisbon

[@GeeCeeWU]

@@TripAstute I live in Bath, thank you for appreciating and loving my city.

[@CharlotteWeb100]

I got a laugh on at the same. To me it was like "We went to Barcelona, Lisbourne...and Tesco. Tesco's bangin"

[@sharperprospecting6980]

Hahaha me too.

[@MrHighgate123]

Most Americans seem to head for London if u want to see real England head for the lake district,explore the countryside and the small villages with lovely country pubs,head to York and the peak district then Scotland and Wales you wont regret it.

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! I had a chance to visit the New Forest on my last trip over. It was amazing! Hoping to explore more of the UK on my next trip over. 👍

[@ruthie504]

And the South West go that bit further than Bath and visit Bristol and on down to Devon and Cornwall.

[@robcooper4835]

@@ruthie504 ahhhhhh cream teas, you haven't visited the UK without one.

[@TheTeufelhunden68]

Wales, yes. Port Murion.

[@jlambert_2072]

Yes ! Big up the lake District 😂

[@YARROWS9]

I'm Scottish and think my country is beautiful, but I holiday in England when I can. The people are so warm and friendly. I love the lake district and Derbyshire.👍🏻👍🏻

[@sldmn9657]

Hong Kong Phooey I’m from England and I love Scotland 💙

[@YARROWS9]

@@sldmn9657 Visit Isle of Arran, Argyle, Isle of Skye and the Highlands. You will not be disappointed my friend.

[@sldmn9657]

Hong Kong Phooey Thank you! I will remember that when I am next up there!

[@tommyg2630]

No fucking way are you scottish!!!

[@BaddaBigBoom]

I was born in Scotland but live in England, so naturally I go on holiday to Wales :-)

[@xtaneshax]

Finally an American who recognises our tiny island has so many accents & dialects, and that we don't all talk middle class London.

[@TripAstute]

Yeah, I was so amazed that a person's accent in the UK can oftentimes be traced to a specific town, rather than just a region. It's really interesting! 🤓

[@willrichardson519]

@@TripAstute there is an app from some Cambridge University guys, English dialects, Adrian Leeman. Take the quiz and it shows 3 places you may come from. Reasonably accurate for me, upper Thames valley, edge of the Cotswolds, Oxfordshire. Obviously I don't "have" an accent, really. Lol, but I am.picking up some Notts, wooz instead of woz for was. Troost instead of trust.

[@geoffpoole9107]

Thanks for producing and presenting a video that didn't make a trip to the UK sound like an anthropological expedition; about how we eat food with rude names, drink tea incessantly etc. I have family from Virginia coming over this year and your video has reminded me of things to tell them about. All the best to you.

[@BlazertronGames]

To be fair, there's probably a lot more american accents than you'd think. When I hear an american accent, I usually don't consider it another accent, unless it's something like a southern accent, or a brooklyn accent. There's probably a lot more.

[@BlazertronGames]

@1989hpc And? Who gives a shit? When someone goes on holiday they don't go to the fucking suburbs and start working on a farm.

[@adethrush4350]

By far the best "American in England " post ever , too many of the others just criticise my country but this one didnt , it just as the title suggests focused on differences not the normal "what i like" or "didnt like" ! Great respectful post .

[@TripAstute]

Thank you! I really appreciate the feedback, and I'm glad that my admiration for the UK came through as well. 😊

[@planetmaxretroreview]

Ade Thrush i agree, this was a refreshing change i really enjoyed this video. It's always nice to hear that sometimes people do things differently and not wrong because its different.

[@colinp2238]

Ade My thoughts exactly but there's one other American guy that does fair commentaries on a channel called Wolter's World and as the name suggests he does it for many countries in the World.

[@ColinsCookingChannel]

I always flinch in these kinds of videos when our cuisine comes up, but yeah, he was positive about it rather than looking for something to mock or put down.

[@lodgewhite]

Totally agree. Being a Brit myself i found it rather interesting how you thought of us. As Ade said you didn't criticize us. Though one thing, those "huge" plugs we have are much safer than the U.S counterparts :P

[@sbradley666]

lol didnt even know a 24 hour clock was called military time

[@TripAstute]

It's commonly referred to as military time in the US and Canada because we rarely see the 24-hour time format used outside of the military and law enforcement (though it is actually used in other industries and occupations). We also have a lot of veterans in the US, so I'm guessing that's how it's become associated with the military.

[@Wtf0069]

@@TripAstute So-called Military Time is in fact Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). If you ever visit Greenwich in London you can physically see the actual line itself!

[@TripAstute]

Yeah, I’d love to visit Greenwich. It’s such an important location given the use of GMT and UTC around the world. 👍

[@Harry-xu2yn]

It's not, It's just called "the 24 hour clock"

[@vtbn53]

@@Wtf0069 No, you are confusing two different things GMT or UTC is the time at the prime meridian, Military or 24 hour time is simply a recognition that there are 24 hours in a day and does away with the need for am and pm. The Military term for GMT/UTC is "zulu" time.

[@gilladamson3722]

I like this video as it’s quick and to the point without a lot of faffing around each point. Thanks.

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! We appreciate the feedback. 😊

[@sophiewestmoreland6086]

Thank you! As a Brit it is so refreshing to have a non-patronising, non-stereotypical differences video, that wasn't all about tea, or the Queen. Thank you again Sir.

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! We appreciate the feedback. 😊

[@ey7290]

Trip Astute about the plastic money, a lot of us brits hate it, it's very inconvenient and annoying to pull plastic out of your wallet

[@METALFREAK03]

@@ey7290 plus it's smaller and like monopoly money lol. The new 20 quid note is coming in October. My theory is the state want to get rid of cash. So they are making them unbearable that people go cashless and paperless.

[@Johnnys_Jacket]

Agreed finally a video that appreciates us bits and don't think we all have posh accents

[@millie649]

Aaron Brall it falls out of your pocket LITERALLY HOW ANNOYING!!

[@Scamper10]

Thanks for not hating on Brits. Most Americans do. Also, if you're wondering why our plugs are so big and the sockets (outlets) have switches, UK plugs are the safest out there!

[@TripAstute]

So true. I watched the Tom Scott video on the UK plugs and was really impressed with the safety features built into the plug. Makes me appreciate them more! 👍

[@rick081956]

Always enjoy the UK for a visit. Don't believe we don't like, we just like to "bust your chops".

[@Johnnys_Jacket]

I'm a brit as well I'm glad he doesn't make fun of us

[@carolannetitmus8878]

I have spent half my life in America and as a Brit I do not know where you get the idea they do not like Brit's Far from it they show us far more respect than we do them. They are also far better manored .

[@alrafter1593]

UK plugs need to be safer because our domestic voltage is about twice that of the US.

[@ashley-reaction720]

When your a brit seeing A US flag to represent the english language *Angrey Tea Noises*

[@TripAstute]

Yeah, it should definitely be the UK flag. You invented the language! 😊

[@KompridiCR]

Sooo relatable, cause im a brit and it REALLY annoys me.

[@juliewalker2560]

i hate when people say we all drink tea and we all sound posh. in yorkshire it's bovril (google it) and we certainly don't talk bloody posh 😂🤣😂

[@ashley-reaction720]

Same I hate the stereotypes use brits get.

[@BigUriel]

​@@TripAstute Technically should be the England flag, since Scots, Welsh and Irish didn't use to speak English either.

[@PirateDogAMV]

If you look left and right, either way you will see a car coming despite what side of the road.

[@TripAstute]

Yes, that's definitely true. Though I think it's still a bit disorienting when you're first getting adjusted to the different traffic flows. I know that I naturally start looking in a certain direction in the US when I cross a road since I expect traffic from a specific direction.

[@xhogun8578]

Unless it's a one way street

[@MOFH89]

I'd glad you identified British as a whole. Most Americans think Britain is England only and not Wales and Scotland also. Thanks

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! I know I messed up on the terminology though (i.e., UK vs GB vs England/Scotland/Wales/N. Ireland). I ended up doing a follow-up video since I felt bad about it. 😊

[@MOFH89]

At least you saw your mistake. Also most people don't realise the UK has Northern Ireland, but it's not apart of Britain. Anyways good video

[@davidpar2]

Lol. Most Americans think primarily of England when they think of “Britain,” but most Americans don’t think Britain is “just England.” Big difference there

[@robbiebanks844]

Naivety at its finest

[@RalphReagan]

I decided long ago to not recognize the union of Scotland and England. And I support the Independence of Wales and Cornwall

[@charward389]

As a British girl I’m so happy you acknowledge that their is a lot more places in the United Kingdom than just London.

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! We appreciate the feedback. 😊

[@TripAstute]

Yeah, I’ve been back twice since this video. I spent some time in the New Forest on my last trip, which was very beautiful. Also went to a wedding in Reading and in Waddesdon. Oh, and I enjoyed visiting Bath as well. I haven’t had a chance to venture north, but hoping to on my next trip over.

[@davidwrighton3914]

I could tell that you was British because you don't know the difference between their and there---STOP abusing our language.

[@charward389]

david wrighton as the grammar police you should know that that was grammatically incorrect “That you was British” makes no sense “That you were British” and you would have got a thumbs up who looks like an idiot now

[@charward389]

david wrighton would you look at that I used was correctly unlike you.

[@cathyd3832]

I’m British and everything here was true. And I’m the same I find it difficult to understand Americans. One thing I noticed when I went to America is that the parking spaces were 10 x bigger than the ones in the uk

[@TripAstute]

Yes, everything seems a bit larger in the US ... though people still tend to park horribly in the large spots! 😄

[@annnunley9777]

Bigger parking spaces because of our large SUV's and long pickup trucks' they need more room, which I kinda hate because I have a little compact car and can't see around them !

[@cathyd3832]

Ann Nunley thanks for letting me know

[@kimberleysmith818]

That’s because they have ginormous cars! Although cars are becoming like that in the UK. Me and my partner were driving through the Cotswolds villages and we have a small car but he was like omg why are people driving these huge cars I’m in the gutter 😂

[@brendadrumm9708]

Everything is including their waistlines

[@Turbo1985]

American: Everything's bigger and better in the US! *sees British plug* "Oh..." 🤣🤣😉😉

[@TripAstute]

😂🤣

[@user-ei3dq2dw6i]

🤣🤣🤣

[@Deggter]

*Well some things are certainly bigger...*

[@Turbo1985]

@@Deggter like medical bills and egos? 😂😂

[@soSAMuksUKslotchannel]

“Military time” isn’t communicated verbally a lot in the U.K. but we do use it on phones etc mainly to avoid the mix up of 6am or 6pm, but I wouldn’t say to the wife let’s meet at 18:00 verbally

[@TripAstute]

Yeah, most Americans wouldn't even know how to read 24-hour time. It's so uncommon in the US, and while it's the default format for electronics and appliances outside of the US, everything comes loaded in the 12-hour format in the States, so a lot of folks never get exposed to the 24-hour clock (unless they spent time in a job that requires it, like military, law enforcement, or aviation). 😊

[@wisteela]

And timetables

[@Rosie6857]

We don't refer to it as military time but simply as "the 24-hour clock". It's only devices and timetables that use it but certainly pretty well all Brits are familiar with it. Thanks for a most open-minded view of this funny place.

[@karlosbricks2413]

Yeah, but if someone asks me the time, around 50% of the time when it's not a round number I'll just say''seventeen twelve'' rather than ''five twelve'' because, although if it's 13:15, I'dd probably just say ''quarter past one'' as these are much longer when you go above twelve, nobody would have time for ''half past twenty-two''. And, this was the first time I've heard anyone say''military time'' I lived in china and there too, they just 24 hour clock rather than military time, as for us, it's just for the military, everyone uses it.

[@Blackbooks78]

It's not so much communicating time verbally but that you are able to look at a clock and understand what it means. I always get tripped by the Americans putting the month before the day in a calendar date.

[@BeHappy-sx5jk]

I like how he didn’t disrespect either of the countries

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! I definitely messed up on the terminology though. I actually did a follow-up video since I felt bad about it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKepqquff8d3f9E

[@TheDGr1001]

Either of the countries, there are four in the United Kingdom.

[@BeHappy-sx5jk]

Well if I said either of the 5 countries then people would get confused

[@TheDGr1001]

@@BeHappy-sx5jk There are ways to do this.

[@Ecoean]

As ethnic minorities, we are more open minded. He has a thick accent, so he's probably asked often if he's foreign in the States on top of his ethnic looks.

[@fionagregory8078]

we have good health and safety in UK.

[@oliviadaly4795]

Health and safety have gone too far in the Uk now. Although the NHS is brilliant there are so many health and safety rules

[@kevatnorthfield]

you mean far too much

[@rml4289]

@@kevatnorthfield if you think its excessive in the uk go to australia mate, its much worse

[@Coys319]

R M L everything in Australia is trying to kill you though, that’s understandable.

[@rml4289]

@@Coys319 not in the major cities though, australians in the major cities are terrfied of everything, if a splash of rain appears tbe construction workers pack up and go home, you have one beer in a bar and get thrown out for being too drunk, maybe thats just sydney but theyre soft lmao

[@58jennypenny]

I love your video, I am English, and love hearing what people from other countries think, the 'plug' amused me, never thought about that before...

[@TripAstute]

Thanks, Jenny! Glad you enjoyed the video. 😊

[@LG-cz6ls]

@@TripAstute Glad you enjoyed your time here.

[@Daz555Daz]

Whilst the UK plug is probably the safest and "best designed" in comparison to all other versions, it hurts even more than Lego when you stand on it.

[@TripAstute]

Yeah, a couple of people have reported the same experience! It hurts just thinking about it. 😆

[@Jadez1207]

My sister once stepped on it and it impaled her foot

[@TheLoadedDog]

I wonder about safest. I imagine the huge holes required in the wall socket would be much easier for tiny kids to poke metal things into. Difficult with our Australian ones, and I assume US ones. They're certainly impressive though.

[@AlmostUselessPenguin]

It is actually more difficult to poke stuff in because the longer prong has a 2nd function in many sockets where the bottom holess are sealed until you put that prong in which opens the other holes.

[@George-li1yv]

Thanks for pointing out the accents, most people don't usually credit it.

[@Chalky.]

EXLM Aquarius That's probably because in most videos of Americans going to Britain they'll stay in London.

[@Jvrr]

Yeah, it really frustrates me to hear Americans say "British accent" when what they really mean is a formal (perhaps more upper-class) English accent. Even if you disregard the fact that Scotland, Wales and N.Ireland each clearly have very distinctive accents and are all still 'British' England itself has a variety of different accents. It appears that a lot of Americans are completely unaware of the variety of accents there are.

[@George-li1yv]

Joseph Challenor Yeah they're talking about Received Pronunciation (RP). Which is basically the queens English. RP is rather uncommon nowadays.

[@Jzphh]

Even different sides of London have different accents lol. It's mostly because of the same British steretype portrayed in American media so I don't really blame the american layman

[@chriszanf]

A good website to go look at is the British Library's section called "Sounds Familiar" where they have recordings of all different accents and dialects from across the UK and you can select by using the map www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds/

[@welshpete12]

If you are coming to visit the England from abroad . Don't spend all your time in London . See some of the rest of the country , which is very different to London . And there is Scotland , northern Ireland , and Wales to see which all have their own personality . And no it's not raining all the time :-)

[@yoshikillerr]

"Marks and Spensers market" hahaha that's so cute xD

[@TripAstute]

I know, right? I'm still learning. 😄

[@Zikar]

It's interesting that you call it military time. We generally just call them 24-hour clocks, or 12-hour clocks. Unlike the military we also don't say "21-hundred", just "9 o'clock" so that might be part of the naming convention. Nice video, I always like seeing how others view our little corner of the world.

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! 24-hour time/clock is definitely the correct terminology. It's commonly referred to as "military time" in the US because we rarely see the 24-hour time format used outside of the military and law enforcement (though it is actually used in other industries and occupations). We also have a lot of veterans in the US (including myself), so I'm guessing that's how it's become associated with the military. 😊

[@mememaster147]

Trip Astute+ 24hr time tends to get used for 'official' things like train timetables so everybody's used to it. Outside of that, you'll find both 12 and 24hr time used in different places. I'm sure the mish mash of metric and imperial (English) measurements was interesting for you.

[@martinavery1609]

Never heard it called military time here.

[@snifflytooth]

Trip Astute d

[@ThecrackedBrick93]

Zikar yeah not Military Time just 24hr clock

[@D_4_N_]

as a brit, this is one of the only 'american tries britain' videos i actually enjoyed. thanks, man. loved it.

[@TripAstute]

Thanks Daniel! We appreciate the feedback. Glad you enjoyed the video too. 😊

[@D_4_N_]

No worries!

[@Andy123x]

0:31 For anyone confused, only one of those is in the UK 😁

[@ninamarysan1]

Great video! You avoided the cliches and I found this a really interesting video as a Brit.

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the video. 😊

[@Cooke125]

Finally a honest decent review on my country, thank you lad

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! Glad my admiration for the UK came through in the video. 😊

[@floydroseofyournightmares4833]

Uk isn't a country but

[@joe_-cz2zl]

@@floydroseofyournightmares4833 I think it is

[@floydroseofyournightmares4833]

propa mental boxing barry it's a kingdom

[@joe_-cz2zl]

@@floydroseofyournightmares4833 No it's a country in Europe

[@Pansyboyify]

Rather pleasant review. Polite and not condescending which is a breath of fresh air.

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! We appreciate the feedback. 😊

[@disoriented1]

As another USAer, thanks TripAstute for being a 'goodwill ambassador'! Although many of us are rude and thoughtless, it is not a prerequisite of being from the U.S.

[@simac8640]

agreed, well thought out

[@LG-cz6ls]

@@disoriented1 In my experience, American tourists can be a bit twattish, but nowhere near all of you guys. Top tips; don't step into the road to take a photo or call something or somewhere "quaint", or try to say you invented the English language and you will be fine. We love your accents, but that is not an excuse to be rude or jump a queue. Try the food, it isn't what you might have been led to believe it is. Travel around the country/ies, not just London. The UK is beautiful. Oh, and definitely try black pudding when you have a fry up. Don't be put off.

[@jensm4026]

It was so try about accents. I am from a small town in South Nottinghamshire. Me and my sister were watching a programme the other day,and I remarked to my sister "he sounds like he's local" She replied "They already told us he's local he's from Melton Mowbray "(which is about 12 miles away) I replied "No I mean LOCAL!" (We googled him,he was from 3 miles away)

[@TripAstute]

Yeah, I was so amazed that a person's accent in the UK can oftentimes be traced to a specific town, rather than just a region. It's really interesting! 🤓

[@jensm4026]

@@TripAstute definitely! I am on the border of Derbyshire and nottinghamshire(less than a mile when the border). And I went to school in Derbyshire, in Shipley,. I can tell you everyone and the accent,for every difference for about 6 miles inn l directions. I think if you live in a city or nearer a city the differences are less of a noticeable difference. You have gained a subscriber today. I like you gentle approach. X

[@jensm4026]

@@TripAstute the local accent is definitely VERY specific,but then it literally(and I mean that in the true sense of the word) changes every mile you go! It's fascinating even for me,that we talk with a different accent to the town a mile away.

[@eileenboles8645]

@@jensm4026 really interesting

[@lordcoe5577]

I went to America years ago when I was 11 I think, and I was genuinely shocked by how wide and straight the roads are. Every city no matter how big or small felt like a chess board. The existence of blocks is really unusual to me.

[@TripAstute]

That is definitely the case in most US cities. Though I believe that Washington, DC, was built with the intention of being confusing/non-standard (in case it was ever occupied)! 😄

[@PaulTasker]

I loved the respectful way you spoke about our country. Your programme was highly entertaining and extremely well-informed.

[@TripAstute]

Thanks Paul. We appreciate the feedback. Glad my admiration and appreciation for the UK came through in the video. 😊

[@SamuelLiebermann]

Besides the part where he shows a map of the UK while calling it GB. 4:30

[@folkme3042]

I've also found it amazing that a country as small as the UK is home to such a variety of accents.I'm from Wales by the way so you would definitely have problems understanding my accent lol. Very interesting video though.It's always good to get a different perspective on familiar places and things.Great job!

[@CharlotteWeb100]

Things that surprised me most about how surprising it was for a young lass from the US visiting our little neck of the woods. Lack of flags. Think she was expecting to see union jacks draped everywhere and it really took her aback how few flags there are at all unless it's November or we've got to at the least the world cup quarter finals. Lack of God and loving the Queen. Again she expected to see signs of God not just around churches. She was most surprised that not all classes in all schools and colleges don't start with prayers and a loud roaring rendition of “Land of hope and Glory” Train / public transport etiquette. She was so taken and surprised with the generally unspoken, unwritten but understood rule about getting on and off trains. Passengers on the platform waiting to get on stand aside to allow those getting off to get off. You gesture to anyone that was already there before you to go ahead or for anyone with a pram, bike or wheelchair you wave to the conductor that someone needs a ramp access or alternatively grab a wheel and lift up and safely over the gap into the carriage. Stick shifts. "Wow everyone here seems to know how to drive a stick-shift?!" A what? A car you mean? Yeah we mostly drive normal cars some are auto and some are semi-autos but mainly we learn and drive manuals" "Manuals??" Poor girl had a crash course lesson in car gearboxes. Lack of parental controls / age restrictions. Not all but many parents are stinking liberal hippies like us and don't have any parental controls or restrictions at all. Just boot up a PC, laptop, tablet or whatever - find whichever one isn't being used and knock yourself out. We don't mind too much what you do as long as it's not serious weird ass shit. Her hearing “Help yourself to a tea, coffee, beer or whatever” 18 is the legal age for buying alcohol here which throws some people off anyway but a lot of teenagers 16 or so drink responsibly at home. Dogs / lack of dog parks. Absolutely amazed at dogs routinely walked off-lead around here but all under control and owners having similar dog owner / walker etiquette as with trains. For some reason it struck her most how well-behaved, well-trained and happily our dogs trotted alongside us and when called or given a simple whistle they came straight back. You see an unfamiliar dog walker, you sit your own down and place a lead on in case the other isn't friendly or the owner is nervous. Most people shout “It's OK he's friendly” in which case you happily let yours go say hello or politely call back “Mine isn't he's a twat and will rip the throat out of any dog he sees but thank you!” Swearing. She had never in a million years expected the language which we don't even notice. British people swear better than anyone on the planet and quite a lot.

[@TripAstute]

Those are great observations! It is funny how conservative and puritanical we are with parts of our culture in the US. Even though we are culturally so similar, there are aspects that feel completely different! 😊

[@CharlotteWeb100]

Ooh forgot one other thing. Seeing dog and duck display at our local show. She was mesmerised watching happy waddling ducks gently ushered around the ring, up onto a bridge.. over a little bridge and pond finally through a little tiny wooden pen / gate. "They herd ducks are you kidding me?? They don't eat or attack them?? Have never seen dogs herding ducks man that is so cool my folks won't believe a word" She showed them this clip and they still insist it's not genuine. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHiyeIKuqbNloq8 People visiting the UK should go see all the main attractions in London but if poss, set aside extra time to hop on the train and see rural England. *Do need to stress what may seem an obvious thing to most but please don't think all this comes naturally or easily. These dogs are trained, intense dogs that don't just come out for fun at shows and competitions. They do this every day - almost all day and in all weather with the same owner or handler their whole lives. They're like Marines of the dog world.

[@willrichardson519]

@@TripAstute the earliest migrants were relatively religious, they wanted religious freedom...from an established church, but got...well, what there is now.

[@Teverell]

Lack of flags is because we know what country we're in and don't hve to remind ourselves every few metres, dammit!

[@MrRjhyt]

Swearing works better with a Scottish accent. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXqzqX-wm9xprbc

[@zoranmilovanovic5457]

When I visited the US I found Americans most friendly. I was however intrigued when they asked me if it snowed in England and have I met the queen? Ricky Gervais is not wrong on that! Still, I was amazed that Americans were genuinely interested in us. Monty Python James Bond, The Beatles, and The Prisoner got mentioned. I enjoyed it in America and have been lucky to have been all around the country. I definitely found the place friendly and that is for real. My favourite place was Albany New York although I never experienced a bad place I visited. Savannah comes second. Gosh this sounds sycophantic but believe me I don't have to be this and these sentiments are genuine.

[@TripAstute]

Glad you had a great experience visiting the US. Hope you get a chance to visit again soon! 😊

[@MartinT5600]

I've been to the US a few times and they are always lovely and friendly

[@kimberleysmith818]

I’ve visited the US numerous times and they are also so welcoming and friendly. Three times to Florida and once to New York. I did notice in New York they seemed to be more aware of other areas of Britain. So we went not long after St David’s day (Patron saint of wales as we are from wales) and the amount of Americans who knew numerous places in Wales and knew about St David’s day was lovely (even to me who isn’t actually welsh). Overall I find the Americans a lovely bunch of people when I visit. Nice to see a great video about us Brits from an American. Was also good to see not just London discussed!

[@daisyle125]

Im a Brit(high schooler) who now lives in America/Alabama. The school that i go to is public and poor(Thats what my classmates tells me). Been to Florida Panama city(hate it). Not to be races or anything but black ppl here are loud come pair to my black classmates in Leeds.

[@SRBOMBONICA86]

Why do you have Serbian name,we Serbs are not British wtf.Loser and traitor of his own ethnicity,you will never belong anywhere

[@l3gionmusic814]

There's usually a lot of rivalry and competition between our two countries, which can make it hard to stay positive and respectful, but I loved the fact that that's exactly what you managed to do. You were never bias, never offended anyone and made a great video. Got a like from me mate.

[@TripAstute]

Thanks for the feedback and kind words. We really appreciate it. 👍

[@signalfire15]

No, there isn’t. Our countries are allies, not rivals. The rivalry is in your head. Brits feel competition with Americans but ask an American if they think Americans and Brits are rivals. We have nothing but nice things to say.

[@l3gionmusic814]

@@signalfire15 Your point usually disintegrates when the question of "who's military is better quality" is brought in to play.

[@l3gionmusic814]

@@signalfire15 Also, in terms of politics and logistics, there is massive rivalry and hate between our two countries. www.quora.com/How-did-the-Americans-help-the-British-recover-after-WWII/answer/Steve-Soutar-3?__filter__=&__nsrc__=2&__sncid__=3381916058&__snid3__=5545731586&comment_id=111911246&comment_type=2 There was WW1, WW2, their refusal to share our own joint research programs and the Suez Crisis just to name a couple of examples.

[@signalfire15]

@@l3gionmusic814 And how many instances in the life of an average American do you think that question comes up? No American is going to bring up the military in casual conversation. And even if this question does come up, why would you be bothered by an American believing that their military is better? The vast majority of American tax dollars go towards military spending. We invest a significant amount into our military, of course we would believe our military is stronger than a country who does not spend as much in tax dollars nor have as many people to build the kind of militia that America has. The only time this question would be brought in to play is by a British person who is trying to antagonize or rile up an American and force us to defend ourselves. We are defensive of our troops. Everyone knows that. We only say bad things about Brits if we are in defense mode. If you ask British people what they think of Americans, the majority of the comments are negative. If you ask Americans what they think about British people, the majority of the comments are positive. The rivalry exists because British people hate Americans. It's not the other way around. I literally challenge you to come to America and ask every American you encounter what they think about British people and you will find nothing but friendly people who say nice things - "great accents, nice royal family, they drink a lot, very posh and sophisticated" etc.

[@Ianjowett1]

being a yorkshirman i love the fact we have our own regional dialects. its almost like each county is a different country. not only the way we speak but foods too.

[@TripAstute]

Yeah, I was so amazed that a person's accent in the UK can oftentimes be traced to a specific town, rather than just a region. It's really interesting! 🤓

[@Ianjowett1]

even in yorkshire we have different dielects too. for such a small country its amazing. sometimes it needs to be shown by others from other countries as we are so used to it. hope you had a great time here in the uk

[@LA-km5ju]

Sheffield ftw

[@Apex180]

up the tykes ;)

[@roryfollinpiano2161]

Laurence Andrews yes, just yes

[@sameyers2670]

As a Brit watching this can I say thank you for making such a respectful video

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! Glad my admiration for the UK came through in the video. 😊

[@sameyers2670]

Trip Astute If you are planning on having a return trip there are many nice places in this country outside London, The Cotswolds, the Lake District and Yorkshire are all nice places to visit.

[@TripAstute]

+Sam Eyers Thanks for the tip! I am definitely hoping to explore more places when I visit again. 😊

[@mysteryegg340]

Agreed. Most other videos like this are usually mocking us or being really condescending. This video was quite refreshing and pleasant to watch. Subscribed.

[@tardeliesmagic]

Birmingham is a great place to go also and if anyone goes to "The Bull ring" the bull there isn't really a bull...wink wink lol Really cheap beer and ale/stout there and you'll get 2 decent drinks for less than a fiver! I live 26 miles outside north London and it's not cheap nor expensive.

[@ameliamarshall5377]

Omg “I doesn’t contain scotch” 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 it’s called a scotch egg cos it’s from Scotland not cos it has scotch in it 😂😂😂

[@TripAstute]

Interestingly enough, a couple of folks have commented on this video that scotch eggs are actually English (with influences from Indian cuisine): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotch_egg Not sure if it’s 100% accurate, but I found it fascinating! 🤓

[@clairee4939]

Hahaha!!! :-D Scotching being the tradition of covering things in sausage and breadcrumbs!

[@michw3755]

Scotch eggs aren't Scottish, neither is haggis I've recently found out, the Scottish will be wanting another referendum now😂😜

[@Minchxr]

I hope you’re not British and just said that mate.

[@michw3755]

@Craig 75 the programme I watched didn't go that far back, but the first known recipe used in the UK was recorded in an English cook book, of course the Scottish got their sporrans in a twist and refuted it, what a shocker 😂

[@misterfranglais6129]

I live in the uk and when I visited the US this summer I noticed that when you buy an item they charge extra tax weather in the uk it’s included in the price, Also the portions are bigger and everything is cheaper and tipping is practically a must. One last thing is that although America has a few dialects and creoles, a lot of stuff is written in Spanish on billboards for the Latino communities to understand

[@TripAstute]

Great observations. 👍

[@StephB29]

Also trying to get lemonade is a nightmare in the US 🤣

[@uncleshome3315]

You really respected the English culture and terminology, I really appreciate that mate

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! I'm happy that my admiration for the English culture came through in the video. 😊

[@andrewdoubtfire4700]

As a Brit, I can never understand why in the US, Emergency Exit signs are red instead of the UK / Europe standard of green. Red signals danger, why would you run to danger? I know the sign says EXIT, but not everyone can read.

[@TripAstute]

That's definitely an interesting observation. I never thought of it as being unique. I think we tend to associate the color red with special attention (e.g., red phone in the white house, fire trucks, stop signs, etc.). Also, green tends to signify "go" in the US, which might be a problem with emergency exits (which are only to be used during an actual emergency). Regardless, the differences are definitely interesting! 😊

[@inkey2]

hahaha they just installed illuminated red exit signs everywhere in the halls of my condo building... so many of them that it's an absurd overkill.

[@PC4USE1]

I would think that it is because they are "fire exits". usually to make them easier to see and be associated for use in fire.

[@dro3m]

Red is a easier color to spot then green.

[@olivia16000]

If your can’t read the word exit then you probably shouldn’t be driving.. my uncle has dyslexia and he drives so I kind of get it but still.

[@alexdesousa7966]

I've the opportunity to travel to the US on several occasions. Everywhere I went people were charming, friendly and welcoming. The only thing I found scary and very intimidating was the sight of guns. It's extremelly sad and heartbreaking to hear the huge number of lives, especially young lives who are victims of gun violence. Also the amount of police officers who fall victim to that. I feel something more drastic needs to be done to curb these shocking numbers.

[@TripAstute]

Thanks for sharing your experience! As an American, I have to agree as well. The number of people who die of gun violence in the US is staggering and unacceptable. 😬

[@monkeydui7241]

Where’d you see guns?

[@Selkie15]

As a Brit visiting the US, the most striking thing to me was the wildlife. I spent a few weeks in Southern California, and despite the drastic change of climate, it felt familiar due to everyone speaking English, and the fact I spent most of my time there with a friend who used to live in the UK, but now lives out there. It didn't truly feel like I was in a different country for a few days, until I saw a pigeon. Just a normal pigeon you get everywhere else in the world. I was having a smoke on the balcony, watching this pigeon just do it's thing... And then a goddamn eagle swooped down and ruined its day. It completely threw me. Later that night I saw a small pack of coyotes hanging around some bins in the apartment complex, which was backed onto the foothills. Later that week we went hiking, and ended up coming across a mountain lion. Not to mention the dozens of lizards I saw skittering about like you'd see squirrels in the UK.

[@TripAstute]

Wow, I'm amazed that you saw a mountain lion. I grew in Los Angeles and have yet to see one while hiking. You are correct though -- there are a lot of predatory animals in the US, especially in the Southwest. 😬

[@bobthebeat2008]

Im a Brit, and he's spot on with all of these! ☺👍

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! We appreciate the feedback. 😊

[@mrhazag6373]

bobthebeat2008 apart from scotch egg

[@Creme..]

Honestly not everyone is polite I don't get why Americans assume we all have posh accents or is that me

[@lewwho1647]

@@Creme.. that's just you bud although alot of Americans like some British accents

[@Creme..]

Sure whatever

[@abk.6071]

If you step on one of those gigantic plugs you're a gonner

[@TripAstute]

It hurts just thinking about it! 😆

[@incognito3223]

Abyan Khan omg ikrrrr

[@sonofcy]

They're worse than Lego

[@felinemiow7066]

Ouch! 🤣

[@ronniemitch1425]

yep I know! it takes your away but not in a good way Lol!

[@caitlinpepper2381]

I do live in England up in the northeast. I have never been to the USA before but we have been to Tenerife,Spain. Yes I have been to London only twice. The first time was for a holiday and the second time was for capital FM’s summertime ball.

[@TripAstute]

I definitely want to visit the northern part of England. I've heard that it's culturally quite different than the south. 👍

[@kmc79228]

£10 for that tray of sandwiches... no way would I pay that. Find a tesco. way cheaper

[@simonorourke4465]

Well that's what you get when you shop at mark and Spencer market lol 😅

[@khadijah6297]

So true lol

[@reddragon3132]

You mentioned the size of the plugs. They're actually one of the safest designs in the world but damn do they hurt to step on

[@TripAstute]

Yes, I can't even imagine how painful it would be. It hurts just thinking about it. 😂

[@SproutyPottedPlant]

Who keeps plugs in the middle of the room?

[@ilaria298]

Or when you drop one on your toes 😭

[@justinfung4351]

Tom Scott?

[@reddragon3132]

Justin Fung Yep

[@nickywatkins2061]

I laughed at the description of our British food names as 'slightly inappropriate'. I was like 'Yeah... that sums us up' 😂

[@TripAstute]

Yeah, when someone mentioned "spotted dick" to me, I thought they were joking at first! 😂

[@dragonbugz6715]

i beieve its renamed now tho because it was inapropiate xD

[@nickywatkins2061]

@@dragonbugz6715 You might be right, but as a Brit that's the only name I know for it. Plus, I can think of worse 😂

[@irielion3748]

Spotted dick anyone?

[@featherbrain7147]

@@TripAstute It's been called that forever!

[@suzyt9911]

I have visited NYC several times and have always found everyone to be very friendly and helpful.The thing I find very different to the UK is breakfasts, but each to their own.

[@TripAstute]

Thanks for sharing. Glad you've had a great experience in the US. Americans are generally very friendly ... almost to a fault! 😄

[@BaddaBigBoom]

Lovely positive presentation, thumbs up. AFAIC Americans are always welcome here. I have been to the US many times and found life there different on many levels, the first thing I noticed is how much more rigorously the law is adhered to. I got the impression that over there you WILL get arrested if you're naughty compared to UK where it's often the case that you get off with warnings. Also, freedom of movement when out walking I found to be a bit fraught especially knowing that if you were to inadvertently step on someone's private property, you might find yourself looking at the barrel of a gun! Also, I was surprised how much the church is part of every community I visited, then again, most of my visits have been within the "bible belt". I was surprised (despite being tipped off beforehand) how many people commented (positively) on my British "accent". I felt a responsibility to uphold the notion that we're all supposed to be sophisticated and polite. re plugs, wow! in comparison to our ones, I found that in most cases I worried that whatever I had plugged in was going to fall out of the wall! The roads are generally much quieter, then again there are generally fewer cars per square mile in the US than there are in UK. Negotiating roads, even with traffic coming from the opposite direction I found to be much more of a calm experience than here in the UK and parking ...so much easier. Walking: people over there don't really seem do it except at their destination. My host lives in a suburban part of Alabama and I naturally want to walk to the local store (Walmart) which is about a mile away. For the first part of the walk, the sidewalks are pretty good, though I've seen some really bad ones. BUT on my final approach to the Walmart, I felt as if I shouldn't be walking there, the sidewalk ended and I had to walk in the road, I worried that I looked suspicious :-O Generally though, I felt very warmly welcomed everywhere I went. I love the deep south, it has its own unique warmth and hospitality and one of the most amazing accents in the English speaking world.

[@TripAstute]

Great observations! Visiting Alabama must have been interesting too. I was there about 20 years ago for military training, and I remember thinking how different it felt to Los Angeles. Though you're right about the South -- they do have wonderful hospitality and warmth. 😊

[@delahunty1000]

It's a 24 hour clock, not specifically for or originally from the military. The military use it but that doesn't make it military time as the Americans say

[@TripAstute]

That's correct. It's commonly referred to as military time in the US because we rarely see the 24-hour time format used outside of the military and law enforcement (though it is actually used in other industries and occupations). We also have a lot of veterans in the US (including myself), so I'm guessing that's how it's become associated with the military. 😊

[@TheUwaisPatel]

Yh for us military time is just without the colon eg 0800 or 2200

[@greyjackal]

Technically, during summertime it IS military time. GMT aka UTC is adopted by militaries around the world as Zulu .

[@delahunty1000]

Graham Butler from my previous comment it technically ISN'T military time, it's a 24 hour clock. If a civilian uses a 24 hour clock layout it isn't called military time, it didn't originate from the military, militaries adopted the layout for clarities sake. When GMT and Zulu match up one o'clock in the afternoon is still 13:00 GMT not 13:00 Zulu to civilians.

[@nglyo]

When he said military time, I thought he meant the way of pronouncing. Like 8am would be oh eight hundred. or 8pm would be twenty hundred. General public may use 20:00 for timing but we'd still say 8pm or 8 evening.

[@janetchannon3292]

My dear chap - what a pleasant surprise. A critique of the UK, minus any of the usual derogatory comments. God bless America, plus hugs & kisses to your Limey wife ; of course!

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! Glad my admiration for the UK came through in the video. 😊

[@pyeltd.5457]

Why do you talk like that.

[@TheTeufelhunden68]

@Jeff Webb SJWs have to bring up politics in a topic that has NOTHING to do with politics. Oh, by the way. Four more years! Thank OAC for us.

[@Mitchery]

@@TheTeufelhunden68 Donald Joke Trump only cares about money.

[@damian-795]

A great video , thank you from England :-). We went to Boston 2009 for 5 weeks , hired cars and travelled around and loved it. I as a man loved the steak, the coffee that was everywhere in hotels and often free.People were great and I also noticed that Americans have impeccable road manners which I really liked, most have a very chilled attitude to driving. We dont have hardly any stop signs here in the UK ,we have give way instead which got me pulled over in a hired Dodge Charger in Lincoln. I passed through one at abut 3 mph on a clear road ,the officer was fine and when he heard my accent he let me go :-) x

[@TripAstute]

Glad you had a great time in the US! I loved your observations too. Hope you get a chance to visit again soon. 😊

[@neilhayes4166]

Nice video - I love those little quirky differences between country’s. When I first went to Boston ages 17 I saw a big sign saying “Sub base”. I thought it strange a military base would be advertised so clearly, but then I realised this sub base was much tastier and hit pastrami on rye with mustard was much tastier!

[@TripAstute]

😂👍

[@rubyfuller466]

It took me a good while to figure out what military time was - we just call it the 24hr clock and it’s used on pretty much all digital clocks. Very interesting video thanks

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! It's commonly referred to as military time in the US because we rarely see the 24-hour time format used outside of the military and law enforcement (though it is actually used in other industries and occupations). Also, 24-hour time seems to be the default format for electronics and appliances outside of the US. But in the US, everything comes loaded in the 12-hour format, so a lot of folks never get exposed to the 24-hour clock. 😊

[@eyebrowphil6620]

I cant imagine not having a 24hr clock on my phone, what if u got up at 1 in the morning and thought u were late for work

[@0tto777]

Not long ago I heard an American girl scream: ‘This country is so stressful!’ At a coffee machine in the U.K. lol. Thank you for not being like that haha, we see too many of those Americans.

[@TripAstute]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I see a lot of those Americans while traveling too. 😊

[@RhondaKL]

I’m an American who has lived in England for 25 years,and I hate those types! I’m always tempted to tell them they’re making Americans look worse than they already are! Lol

[@KarlHamilton]

That's quite a funny image haha :)

[@Udontkno7]

Honestly, Americans say that our own country is stressful, or that they plain hate it over here on the daily, so I'd cut her some slack. Like over the tiny inconvenience you can here your everyday American yell; "God I hate this country! I'm fucking moving to Canada!" But never move to Canada, it's how we work lmao.

[@arthurjarrett1604]

Huh? Good comment mate. I would've made a "cut her some slack" comment if you hadn't and I'm a Brit!

[@mikebogatyrev3058]

Great Video! I felt the same when I visited my family in America: the country is so different and some accents I found challenging to understand. I absolutely loved the trip, the people and nature there.

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! Glad you had a wonderful time when visiting the US. 😊

[@ilegendaryi1740]

I’m British and I enjoyed this video

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! We appreciate the feedback. 😊

[@christianbeccy]

The weirdest UK to USA comparison is Biscuits and Gravy. To us in the UK the idea of combining what we know as a biscuit (digestive, rich tea, hobnob etc) with what we know as gravy (generally a brown, beef-based 'sauce' used on roast dinners) is a disgusting concept. 🤣😆

[@TripAstute]

Yes! Our concept of gravy is completely different! 😆

[@Trag1cVision]

Hmmmm, a disgusting concept you say? I say we try it with our version of the words. What's the worst that can happen? Apart from bowel movements...:P

[@DieFlabbergast]

It's not that: your "biscuits" are a completely different thing from our "biscuits," which are what you would call cookies.

[@DieFlabbergast]

It's a disgusting concept because no-one would do that, and the Americans don't. A "biscuit" in America is a completely different thing (a savoury type of short-bread) from a "biscuit" in Britain (a sweet confectionery).

[@christianbeccy]

DieFlabbergast - I think you've missed the point.

[@annabelgoodby772]

It’s crazy to me as a brit that you guys would travel like 3/4 hours to go to a concert. It’d be rare that I would travel more than an hour from where I live!

[@TripAstute]

So true. We are definitely more accustomed to driving long distances for events. My British friends always say the same thing! 😄

[@cornishpastylass]

I regularly have to travel at least 2 hours to a gig or show. It's difficult finding good events this side of the Tamar as it seems SW Cornwall is just too remote to bother travelling to.

[@MrAronymous]

Plenty of Brits come to Amsterdam for concerts and make a trip out of it.

[@marcigower7198]

Annabel Goodby Much of that is because your petrol is so expensive so it’s just not a thing to hop over anywhere let alone a concert. The US is so big that we have little choice to travel if we want to see anyone, so we are kind of just used to doing it. My mother lives away from me and I just get in the car and go see her, but when we are in the UK, we plan out entire trips just to travel the same distance to visit family in Wales from Birmingham. Makes me laugh.

[@joancarlopimentel3263]

Annabel Goodby if you think that’s bad I have drove from Sacramento California to Las Vegas Nevada which was a 10 hour drive and believe it or not there is people who drive from a state to another state which can take days to get there and they only stop for food ,to go to the bathroom and to sleep at night then early in the morning it’s time to keep on going

[@maryharvey724]

UK transportation offers very frequent travel options. Here in my USA region our one train comes once a week! So most people drive their own cars. Love UK rail station staff; so kind and helpful.

[@TripAstute]

I agree. I love that the train network is so vast and complete. Makes exploring the area so much easier. 😊

[@gazinessex2]

"Tuna and corn." You mean tuna and sweetcorn!!

[@TripAstute]

Yeah, we generally refer to it as "corn" in the US, but I guess it's completely different in the UK.

[@gillchatfield3231]

Not as bizarre as 'peanut butter and jelly'!

[@eifionjones559]

@@TripAstute when I was a kid my farming grandparents fed maize (corn) to the animals , regarding it unfit for humans

[@connich8996]

Your not alone with the accents mate, I'm from the north of England I have a pretty hard time ordering food and drinks down south as no-one knows what I'm saying 😂

[@TripAstute]

😂

[@CharlotteWeb100]

We're Northerners too and once when we were in Brighton I think it was, my husband went to the bar, cheerily said "Hi mate can I have pint of Smooth and a erm...pint of Stella?" and on my life the rest of the blokes drinking actually - literally slid their drinks along the bar and away all "Oh shit me...Northerners" Day after I shared a lift with two young families and got in "Hi!!" which got a similar reaction to Catherine Tate's Aga Saga woman. Then I asked a guy in Morrison's were the eggs lived and he gave me this most bemused look and repeated back slowly with the best cockney accent "Where the eggs... LIVE? Aww I do luv a Norvern gowl!!" He was the only person we that wasn't scared of us. The guys in the bar recoiling with their drinks when they heard my husband speak though. Couldn't stop laughing.

[@connich8996]

@@CharlotteWeb100 😂😂 they have no idea, I had a similar one in Peterborough I have family down there so went out for a drink, said to my cousin what you having and he said Peroni so went to the bar said 2 Peroni's please clear as day and she came back with 2 bottles of water 😂

[@CharlotteWeb100]

Peterborough that reminds me!! We do Burghley horse trials every year cos I'm guilty of being a horsey sort but there are horsey people and horsey people but shit me do you see the difference. See posh totty lot decked out in designer gear, immaculate hair and makeup, hanging around near the BBC cameras in the hope they'll be seen and they'll have a pissy-arsed glass of warm Pimms with a half dead strawberry dipped in sugar and wedged on the side £15 bollocking quid for dead strawberries and sugar but they stand there "Good lord we're rich" Then we'll park ourselves on the grass, produce 2 bottles of Pimms, lemonade from spar, full massive lot of fresh strawberries and plastic tumblers showing everyone "Look - see this lot? £15 job lot and we have enough strawberries left over for throwing at people. Sit yourself down if you want some don't go buying that shit look at those strawberries they're crying FFS!!" Hadn't realised we were sat by the microphones by one of the big fences and I'm sure it'll have heard me saying "grrr... dropped me strawberry look it's gone right down my... strawberry on my tits now"

[@agoogleuser4443]

connor, I love the northern English accents, esp Yorkshire. They are so fun to listen to. Ey up! Scottish accents are great too.

[@matthewwilson3256]

First person to not do English Stereotypes, thank you so much! Lmao.

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! Glad my admiration for the UK came through in the video. 😊

[@mritchie85]

I remember that American baked beans were very sweet compared to baked beans served in the UK. Also crisps are chips, chips are fries, jelly is jello, jam is jelly, a pavement is a sidewalk, a lift is an elevator, a torch is a flashlight, also I was amused when I found out that Americans use the word "Fanny pack" for what we call a " Bum bag", "Fanny" being a word used in the UK for female genitalia and not the buttocks or butt.

[@noahstutterin]

If you are in the US but from the UK, and want something to get rid of pencil marks on paper, you had better use the word "eraser", not the common UK word. Otherwise you might get something entirely different.

[@andrewthornhill7042]

Everything edible in America is sweet compared to anywhere else in the world. Nothing but sugar and corn syrup.

[@Little-Sparrow]

As a Brit myself, I thought it was a polite but fair review, not ass-kissy or patronising in the slightest. It's always interesting to observe differences in ways, and hopefully we'll be visiting the U.S next summer/autumn. Can't wait! 🤗

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! Glad my admiration for the UK came through in the video. Hope you have a great trip to the US! 😊

[@vintagebrew1057]

I don't agree with some replies here that American people don't like British people. I've met many Yankies through my job as a visitors assistant and found the majority were warm, friendly, polite and had a lot more historical knowledge than most of the our British visitors. They are willing to share knowledge with you and loved all our funny slang words like someone being "a bit Dodgy" and they were quick to give praise where praise is due and the youngsters were upbeat and enjoying themselves unlike some of the sullen European teens who drifted through the place. Overall I got a good impression of you chaps! Remember we have a stronger bond with you because we were allies during the wars. And in future we may need each other again to defeat the great evil of extremism in the world. When you suffer, we suffer and vice versa. Sending you all a big wave from the UK.

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! I completely agree -- I honestly think that we tend to love British people, and are fascinated by our unique cultural differences. Our countries have shared a long bond, and there's no denying that so much of American culture and identity is based on our British heritage. 😊

[@geoffstewart6580]

You obviously haven't come across the American tourist who asked why they built Windsor Castle under the Heathrow Airport flight path.:)

[@keithmahoney4390]

@@geoffstewart6580 I know don't you love it that a part of their charm 😊 a very nice American lady said to me when I was in New York we are off to England next week and we have thinking of booking some excursions could you tell me how much it costs to have tea with the queen ???😂😂 she was totally baffled when I started laughing

[@MeadowDay]

Thanks Karen, I’m from UK but have lived in US for over 25 years. I have never heard a negative Comment about the UK, on the contrary , Americans are warm, friendly and very fascinated About British History, culture ect. Downtown Abbey was adored and the questions I was asked were hilarious. It seems a pretty recent thing that there is this bitterness “thing” going on between us, maybe it’s the younger generation Or Euro influence...but the UK and the US has always had a strong bond in my opinion and experience ..hope it continues to always be true.

[@vintagebrew1057]

@@MeadowDay Thank you for your nice words. I was just getting a bit fed up with Brit/Yankie bashing! I take people as they come and have met many lovely people from around the Globe. One of the chief questions I was asked was about Downton which was fine. Its nice to know that such a good show brings enjoyment to people and encourages them to look into history. After watching the wonderful Ken Burn's documentaries it has inspired me to study aspects of American History myself. It was nice to get answers to some of my questions from visiting guests too.

[@sskany184]

So, i feel like 90% of people will find this super boring but the reason our plugs are bigger is because they are designed to be ridiculously safe. It is almost impossible to electrocute yourself from a British plug or socket. Theres all sorts of clever stuff about there design but if anyone is actually as boring/interested as me Tom Scott made a great video explaining them.

[@TripAstute]

Well, I guess I'm boring too because I watched the Tom Scott video and thought it was amazing! The more I learn about the UK plugs, the more I appreciate them. They were truly designed with safety in mind. 👍

[@lucy9180]

as an english person i enjoyed this video as it was interesting to hear what you found cool about our country!

[@TripAstute]

Thank you for the feedback! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. 😊

[@shelloo9]

The great things about the uk, it’s rich in history everywhere you go, even in my small town it’s full of it, York and Edinburgh are my fave place to visits 👌

[@TripAstute]

I absolutely agree. As an American, we don't have nearly the sense of history at every corner. There is something very special of walking on streets that have existed and evolved over centuries of history. 😊

[@shelloo9]

Trip Astute it was only last year builders found a small village under ground from the Tudor times, they found treasure and skeletons, they found tunnels too, because over the road is a church built in the 16th century, they used too smuggle criminals through to hide out, so they were not executed, also not far is a motte which had a small castle to keep out enemies, I love reading up about our history it’s so fascinating x

[@Driver2616]

Creeper King : in a few years time when you visit Edinburgh you’ll be back in the EU!

[@shelloo9]

Driver2616 I have family there hoping to move there soon x

[@Driver2616]

Creeper King : 👍

[@yetiman9841]

As a brit I wish this video was longer... love hearing about what other cultures find surprising and different. Good job dude!

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! We appreciate the feedback. 😊

[@FrancisXLord]

We earth our electrical items as a rule, just in case anyone was wondering why there is an extra pin on a UK plug. Unless an electrical item is particularly well insulated,, they're usually earthed for safety. In fact I grew up thinking of the rest of the world as kind of dangerous for not doing that.

[@bulman07]

And there's a fuse inside each plug so it doesn't knock the entire house out if there's an issue

[@FrancisXLord]

Oh yeah. Forgot to mention all that I guess because I kind of take it for granted, as a Brit.

[@jeffslade1892]

Our mains is close to 250VAC and up to 13A, there's a lot of power there (which is why we can use electric kettles). The plug is bulky to separate the connectors and to contain a fuse (as are those in Australia). Also any appliance where you can touch any metal part *must* be earthed. In addition to the fuse in the plug there will be a fuse or breaker on the entire circuit in the fuse box.

[@FFVoyager]

There is a pretty good video on it here kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3bJgWSFgLCtlbM

[@fafski1199]

You also cant insert anything into the live/neutral pin holes of a socket, they are blocked off mechanically, until the earth pin is inserted. Also, the cable comes out from the bottom of the plug, instead of the front. That prevents any wires from being pulled out of the connections, inside the plug, if the cable gets tugged or caught. This also reduces the chance of any split water/fluids from entering the plug and reduces the chance of anyone tripping over the cable. UK electrical plugs/sockets, are a very well thought out design and are the safest in the world.

[@kabirhussain3932]

Ok by the way I'm actually from the UK I like how u like the UK so much!

[@TripAstute]

Yeah, I absolutely love visiting the UK. 😊

[@Scotford_Maconochie]

I'm Canadian. I lived in the UK for 9 years. It was hugely complicated to get used to everything in the first 6 months to a year. I found getting used to accent difficult but after a while I was pretty good at it. Having spent most of that time in the London area I learned a lot about different cultures and customs, name of things etc... now I'm back in Canada and getting used to everything back again has proven challenging like driving on the right (yes, i made a few mistakes which could have been catastrophic!), also it has become second nature to fold my car mirrors, even in Canada!

[@TripAstute]

Ha! I bet the adjustment must be hard. I feel like it would be hard to adjust to driving on the opposite side of the road. Though I'm sure it would be easier for you if you ever happen to do it again! 😊

[@sophieday5497]

The reason are plug are bigger is because they have not only a earth part they makes it less likely for you to get electrocuted but that there is also what is called a fuse that if the device have a problem like gets to hot or something isn't right that the fuse goes off and stops the device from being on making the device safer as the UK is health and safety mad just to let you know 😊

[@TripAstute]

So true. I watched the Tom Scott video on the UK plugs and was really impressed with the safety features built into the plug. Makes me appreciate them more! 👍

[@noelevans8239]

sophie day fleopqqe

[@CastilloDelDiablo]

You'll notice the shielding on the live and neutral pins so even if you put your fingers around the plug when withdrawing it you will not get a shock. The length of them is critical, as, as soon as you can see the metal of the pins it has withdrawn far enough for them to have disconnected from the inner contacts.

[@TheDGr1001]

The UK plugs are really safe as has been described by many comments here. Just moving the plug thing to the French plug and socket system, these are really really rubbish, wiring a French plug can take over 15 minutes, especially making a safe connection to the earth pin, my opinion about these is they are rubbish manufacture and difficult to connect to a socket.

[@TheDGr1001]

@Jim Knight You got it in one Jim.

[@ozosman8562]

Stayed in Florida last year, TV adverts were 3/5 about medical treatments (which btw, didn't seem to be a good idea judging by the warnings). That's literally the biggest thing I noticed because it was absolutely ridiculous. "Asthma treatment, warnings: Side effects can cause Asthma to worsen, and/or death"

[@TripAstute]

Yes, I totally agree. It's completely ridiculous! We even poke fun at it in the US. You'll often see comedy skits where they rush through the "fine print" like they do during the pharmaceutical ads. 😆

[@hilarymorrison67]

as a brit when i go to florida the portions seem huge, i feel cooked alive when i step outside and i find restraunts weird with the tipping the name to name basis with the waiters. now im not making this long because ive not been for four years

[@TripAstute]

Florida is definitely an interesting place. Being from Los Angeles, I find the weather (especially the humidity) to be very difficult to handle! 😄

[@brendahaltom6612]

As an American I've always wanted to visit England! I love hearing everything I can about it! Thanks for your info about it!

[@TripAstute]

Thanks, Brenda! Glad you enjoyed the video. 😊

[@paigeleigh2554]

We would love for you to visit England. If so, have a wonderful time!

[@alexkaye6753]

This is the first time I've seen an American compliment Britain and not say "America is better" and mock Britain

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! Glad my admiration for the UK came through in the video. 😊

[@flamingpieherman9822]

I wish us Americans spoke as you guys do...love the Midlands accents and Scottish accents! Would move there if I could.

[@johnscurr2501]

For the first time in history there are more North American migrating here than Brits to there been that way for a while now apparently. There's a good reason for it too. Life is more pleasant here for the average working person. We just don't want to see it that way.

[@Emelenyt]

If you notice on our plugs the top pin is longer. When you plug it in, this long pin pushes something that opens up the bottom holes for the other pins. This means children can't put their fingers in there and get hurt. I hope I explained that okay, I'm not an electrician 😂

[@TripAstute]

It makes a lot of sense. The more I learn about the UK plugs, the more I appreciate them. They were truly designed with safety in mind. 👍

[@amojak]

it took some years before they put plastic sleeves on the top of the live/neutral pins so that kids or whatever could not push thin metal behind a plugged in plug and electrocute themselves. I did it myself as a kid, put a piece of metal meccano behind a plug, a big bang and flash ensued. fortunately i didn't fry myself. you cannot do that now.

[@DarrenPoulson]

Yeah, the design is extremely safe (unless you stand on a plug) and probably one of the safest in the world. The lack of earth pin on most devices in the states always worries me. :P

[@tracy3364]

What a lovely refreshing video glad you enjoyed our lovely quirks

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! Glad my admiration for the UK came through in the video. 😊

[@qwerrfinland3573]

Just a tip, we don't call it military time. Just 24 hour clock

[@TripAstute]

Yes, 24-hour time/clock is the proper terminology. 👍

[@ianjames1179]

In USA a person can only fancy another person, men fancy women, women fancy men (if your gay it's the other way round of course) In England you can fancy a hamburger, a pizza, a coffee. You can fancy anything.

[@TripAstute]

This is so true! For some reason, it sounds slightly inappropriate for us to hear someone say "I fancy an Indian." I know what they mean, but you're right, we only use fancy when talking about people. 😆

[@pjaj43]

"Two Countries divided by a common language!" Attributed to Winston Churchill.

[@tidefanyankee2428]

Churchill's mother was an American.

[@lindashelley3635]

Peter Jennings I always thought that was George Bernard Shaw? Either way, it’s still a very true statement!

[@parrais]

Weirdest thing to a Brit visiting the US… only adding VAT/sales tax at the time of payment, and not including it in the sticker price

[@TripAstute]

Yes, it must be really confusing, especially since it's inconsistent across states and counties. Some stores include it in the price, but most don't for some reason.

[@AppleAssassin]

Yeah that's absolutely ridiculous. I've seen the argument "oh well there's different sales taxes in different states" yeah? So what? There's different taxes around Europe as well but you don't see each individual country with the price and then the tax added at the end. It's just ridiculous. Unless your store changed different states every day I don't see the point.

[@danny123451]

They seriously do that? so its not even the right price on the shelf?

[@2011zurich]

danny123451: Correct. I think we would call it price misrepresentation.

[@ittdust]

It's because individual states have their own taxes rates and tax rates fluctuate so often it's too complex for businesses to add them into the shown prices for each state and remain up-to-date.

[@user-nc2kz2mn5v]

As a Brit living in the US, I am always amused to hear how you love the British accent, when in fact every few miles in the UK has a completely different accent. I enjoyed hearing your observations.

[@hufflepuffguy4448]

I’m British, and when I went to California I was amazed at how different it was, literally EVERYWHERE we went out for food ,there was literally only like a few things that weren’t burgers or pizzas😂😂. Another thing was how many different ways people were dressed, i found this quite different because where I live (East Midlands, Leicestershire) people are dressed in the same style as everyone else apart from a few. So I find that good that people in USA are some what different from others!!

[@TripAstute]

Interesting observation! I'm probably just used to the way people are dressed in the US (especially California). The warmer weather probably helps too! 😄

[@hufflepuffguy4448]

🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂 Thanks Trip Astute for noticing me

[@40spinup]

Went to the US a few years now but what amazed me as a Brit was 1) Fuel cost. It cost me roughly $100 to fill up. 2) straight roads. We never see a straight that long! 3) food portion size and free refills! Wow. Talk about blowout! Wahoo. Awesome place though.

[@TripAstute]

Yes, very true! Great observations. 😊

[@weirdoandy]

At first when you said military time, I was confused but when you explained it to be the 24 hour clock system I instantaneously knew what you were on about. The Majority of the digital clocks in the UK will have this time system; but ask a brit for the time and they will give it to you in 12 hour time. Just a tip : fortnight - 2 weeks. I don't quite know why people don't use that term else where, but its useful to note. Glad to have you back in the UK when you feel like it. And pop down to dorset, lovely place.

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! Yeah, for some reason, we rarely see the 24-hour time/clock used in the US. My understanding is that it's the default format for electronics and appliances outside of the US. But in the US, everything comes loaded in the 12-hour format, so a lot of folks never get exposed to the 24-hour clock (unless they spent time in a job that requires it, like military, law enforcement, or aviation). And great tip on "fortnight" -- we definitely don't use that term, but I wish we did. It's quite useful and much less confusing than bi-weekly. 😊

[@Moocow2003]

I never really realised that we have so many 24 hour clocks. My phone says the time rn is 15:22 👌

[@emmaj4376]

this is interesting. i never thought of these ever being strange. they’re just day to day life for us brits! the one thing i found in america was that when i got him i expected everything to happen automatically, in the uk we turn on so many things whereas i felt like machines turned on for you in the us!

[@TripAstute]

Yeah, I know there are aspects of US life and culture that are absolutely insane, even for a lot of us Americans. 😄

[@callumgs]

Great video pal ....was nice to hear a few good things about us 😁

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! Glad my admiration for the UK came through in the video. 😊

[@miamackenzie9946]

Fun fact: the large sockets are designed to prevent shocks, not just when people stick their hands in, but when metal devices are broken!! It’s cool and everyone knows it 😎

[@TripAstute]

So true. I watched the Tom Scott video on the UK plugs and was really impressed with the safety features built into the plug. Makes me appreciate them more! 👍

[@georgiamcdermott5140]

On the contrary, as a Brit when I went to the states, the weirdest thing was how nice restaurant staff are, as in the UK tipping isn’t a massive thing, so they don’t care quite as much. Also, the tea in the states is rubbish! 😂

[@TripAstute]

Great observations! I've heard the tea complaint before from many visitors. Unless you go to a proper tea house, it can be hard to get a good cup of tea in the US. 😀

[@georgiamcdermott5140]

Trip Astute Apart from the tea it was a really nice and quite expensive restaurant in DC! 😂😂

[@ianjames1179]

Ed Westby Tea in the whole world is rubbish! In fact what I mean is, the whole world drinks tea different. We in England like it strong, most people don't. When I go abroad, I just drink coffee. I don't particularly like it, but it's better than weak as f... tea.

[@georgiamcdermott5140]

Ian James True, I didn’t even order the tea, I had orange, not wanting to risk it, but my mate ordered it and when he took a sip he told me to try it 😂

[@triptechable]

Agreed on the tea thing! Always brought my own tea bags when visiting the states but then found a love for coffee which is everywhere.

[@amyisabel03]

I live in the UK and I have to say it was really nice to have someone notice that we don't all speak the same and that our accents do vary so much

[@TripAstute]

Thanks! I was so amazed that a person's accent in the UK can oftentimes be traced to a specific town, rather than just a region. It's really interesting! 🤓

[@lisahinton9682]

My dad was American and my mum a Liverpudlian. Oh, the conversations (uhh, battles?) in our house growing up! Miss you, Mummy and Daddy. Rest peacefully.

[@TripAstute]

I can only imagine! That must have been fun to watch. 😄