11 American Habits I Lost after Moving to the UK
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- čas přidán 6. 06. 2024
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I'm English, and live in London, and I smile and acknowledge people I pass in the street all the time. Most folks will happily smile back, some seem genuinely cheered by it while a few look baffled. I think it's a great thing to do. Smile at someone, you may never meet again, just passing in life's journey, you want nothing more from them than wish them a happy moment.
I do this most of the time, the time I don’t is during the morning commute until I’m out of the tube. It’s just too overwhelming in the crowds.
@@individualmemberAs a runner , most of us acknowledge and smile at other runners , which is nice . I’m a Londoner however moved to the south coast now tbh I try and have a laugh with people in the pub , in the shop
Yep also Londoner, people do smile and nod to each other all the time. It's just not to everyone. If there's only you walking along and only one other person is passing you, then it's pretty normal to nod or say Hi.
I am from the Proper North and live in North North of the UK and a wee nod in passing to the people you see most days or journeys is acceptable and allowed - also acceptable is to natter away and have a good bleather with complete strangers about anything and everything including intimate personal things at the bus stop.
@@pixiemerlin6735 you mean more than just the weather?!! 😁I live in a very tall building, so we are often in the lift with neighbours for a while - you've got to make conversation, to avoid awkward silences 😊
I'm British. We always order dessert after we have had the main course. That way you can decide if you actually need a dessert or not. Just seems logical !
My grandmother always said life is short. Eat your dessert first. If you eat the meal first you might be too full for your dessert! I think she was only half kidding.
not always..... some order all 3 courses sometimes, just depends
When I was at school in England, aged 8-13, if we asked for dessert we'd get an apple or a pear, or perhaps some cheese. So we learned to ask for pudding. 😋
Most people i know when out eating will order the starter & main meal. Then when eaten will decide if they need a pudding depending if their full up from the meal. I also know a few people that omit the starter & have the mains & a pudding as not everyone has a sweet tooth as they say.
@@carollewis3912
My aunt also mentioned the same idea of ordering dessert as the first course, just in case she was too full at the end of the meal.
I agree with what other people have been saying. I order a starter and a main course (or sometimes just the main course). After I'd finished I would then decide if I wanted a dessert and have it there. The waiting staff would usually ask if you wanted a dessert as they cleared away. It would never even occur to me to go somewhere else just for a dessert.
In Yorkshire we talk to all strangers, all the time. We always greet strangers and have conversations when queuing.
Even a simple smile or nod is enough. Us northerners acknowledge each other.
well yes how else would you tell them that youre from yorkshire every five minutes. It is gods own country after all. 🤣
which god?@@scottythedawg
@@barriehull7076the perfection that is Yorkshire is proof that there is only one God, because it is clearly not designed by a committee
@@barriehull7076 jahovis
My brother once had a conversation with a Ghanaian nurse, he worked with. When she told him she was going home as she couldn’t cope with the British summers, he was astounded, but she explained that British summers are much more humid than at home, where the heat is much dryer and so easier to deal with.
My step-father dislikes the heat, but he told me that it was much easier to deal with when he was working in Kenya and other hot countries because the heat was drier than in the UK.
I'm British born and bred grew up in London, smiling and saying hello is a British thing and I have done it all my life
Americans living in UK seem to think saying hello as you pass a stranger is not done in UK. Living in Glasgow I can definitely say most folks give a nod or say hello as we pass on the street.
People used to but not so much these days.
With regards to ordering dessert, Peter Kay explained it perfectly.
Everyone's stuffed. No-one could possibly eat any more. Then the waitress comes and says 'anyone for dessert?' And everyone looks at everyone else. No-one wants to be the only person to order one. So one person will say 'are you having dessert? I'll order if you do'. Almost giving permission to the other person to order. Suddenly, you've managed to create room in your over-full stomach for a piece of cheesecake or sticky toffee pudding.
🤣😅😂
Then later you regret doing that 😆 😂😂
Yes. This. But I think it's also because people are looking to continue the evening.
And a wafer thin mint. czcams.com/video/uRpt4a6H99c/video.html
This is 100% 👍 true! I love Peter Kay, he's a comedy genius.
I think that the saying hello to strangers is a personal thing. I always say hello to people I pass in the street (I livve in Kent, but I was born up North) and some people reply and some don't. I used to say to friends at work that Northern people are your best friend after a day and Southerners are your best friend after a few months.
I agree. Before I went to the UK, a French girl told me that British are really friendly. As an American I wasn't so sure of that, but maybe so, compared to the French. When I did go to the UK, I started in Ashford, Kent and everybody was very friendly. People smiled and said hello. A stranger gave me change to use a pay phone. A young woman offered to let me use her cell phone, when I was counting change at the pay phone. She came up to me and said, "I see you're struggling with the money. Would you like to use my mobile?" After the call she hopped into an Aston Martin convertible with another woman and rode away.
We Northerners say hello to everyone...terrifies londoners....
in town i wont say hello to people, on a country walk I would.
😅@@ddguitars1969
🤥@@scottythedawg
One American habit you _haven't_ lost is referring to the main meal as the entrée - in Europe, the 'entrance' is the starter. 🙂
The 'Enterence' is where you come in 😂 Sorry couldn't resist, God dawn autocorrect.
It is entrée, or hors d'oeuvre in France 💁🏻♀.
@@katrinabryce What?
Or using "gotten".
Same in Australia as in Europe
No-one in my family or in my circle of friends, or anyone I have known at work, ever orders/ordered a dessert with their main course. Often people order starters and the main meal together. Itis very rare to go somewhere else for a dessert - this is part of the culture of sitting after a meal for a longer time than in the US.
The reason that UK restaurant staff press "no" for "are you leaving a tip" on the POS terminal before handing it to you to pay the bill is that if you pay it electronically on the bill it's seldom paid directly back to the waitress/waiter. It's either kept by the restaurant or split evenly between all of the waitresses/waiters.
The staff would much prefer you to tip in cash. By doing that the individuals who've been serving you can keep all of the money to themselves.
In general I agree with this. BUT kitchen staff are the ones who prepare your meal. The waiter/ waitress brings you the meal, deals with the small stuff (I'm not belittling front end staff). One way for the guest to deal with this is to tip electronically for the staff behind the scene and leave a couple of bucks on the table.
As someone who's managed multiple pubs/restaurants in the UK I can say with confidence that if you're at a chain ie a lounge, cozy club, peach pubs or green king etc all the card tips go to staff. It might be the case at independent pubs and restaurants but even then generally it goes to staff, and usually includes back of house staff and excludes management
Not a great plan, IMO - I don't think I'm alone in just not carrying cash any more, so no card option, no tip I'm afraid.
If you pay by cash they can avoid paying tax on it
@@donaldboyer8182 Tips constitute earnings, so are taxable.
When I moved to work in the US, one thing well-travelled American acquaintances often mentioned was this ice in cold drinks thing. Actually, not loading the glass with ice is normal across Europe. My US colleagues would say, "Even when I asked for ice in London/Paris/Stockholm, they'd only put in one piece the size of a contact lens." 😅
I don't mind having ice in drinks, but I consider it a waste because you sacrifice around a third of your drink. Nobody wants to pay for a drink and then only get two thirds of what you paid for.
In America, where refills are usually free, that doesn't matter as you can just get another drink for free (unless you're taking your drink away, in which case you have lost money because you can't get a free refill to compensate for the 'missing' drink.)
There are 2 reasons for putting loads of ice in drinks- you need to sell less drink because it is all water and, more importantly, taste buds do not work well if they are too cold so if a drink is really cold you can get away with inferior ingredients and pump it full of cheap sugar.
Brit checking in on the dessert point. When we (as in my family) eat out we order the starter and main and then, if we feel like it, go for a dessert as a separate order. We don't finish and go elsewhere for dessert - that never happens. Most common though is the decision as to whether we do two or three courses. Starter and main or main and dessert. It's rare that we do all three!
I very often have a starter, as I expect a main to take time to cook. Then if I still feel hungry I'll have a desert. Unless going to an upmarket restaurant for a special occasion. Then I will make sure to have room for three courses.
I think as you live in London saying Hi to a stranger is a no. In many places in the UK, it's accepted. Keep smiling 😊
Same of all big cities in the world.small towns everywhere more friendly
I think the way the British Health services think is "Prevention, is better than the Cure" in other words it is better to find out early whether you have Cancer in the early stages which can be cured if caught early enough, Rather than waiting until it is too far gone that they can't do anything for you.
That's why they do the colonoscopy in the U.S. and the mammogram among other tests.
The UK is actually relatively poor at doing health checks than other developed countries.
@@capitalb5889you almost have to take the morning off work just to try and get a doctors appointment these days, but the Conservative party seem determined to gradually erode our NHS so we're forced to have an American style health service. They forget that when us brits get pissed off, it will be carnage, see the poll tax riots of 1990 down in London as an example of when a government forced an unpopular policy on us.
I live in the south west and always say hello if you past someone on a quiet street
I live in the south of England and I always say hello or good morning to random strangers. I guess if we don’t catch each other’s eyes I don’t, but generally speaking I would.
Me too. My walk from home to town is on an urban footpath used for three schools and shoppers and dog walkers. It's normal to say "morning" or "hello" to people, especially if you see them regularly, and to pet any dogs you know.
@@missharry5727I do sometimes but it depends on location around here in the East Midlands. If I’m on a footpath I usually would, but obviously not with a group in conversation or younger people with phones and earbuds etc and if I was in a busier area of town.
It is London that gives the whole of the south east a bad rep...we arent London. I dont tend to find the north friendlier as a southerner though sometimes not very often but sometimes a southern accent can get a bad reaction.
I do as well, I don't know but it may be that I grew up in Sheffield, but I have lived in Kent for 35 years and have always smiled and said hello to strangers.
Not doing so may be more a London thing as opposed to a South East thing, I do not know 😊😊😊
My mum always said if a tramp spoke to you to be polite and respond, S E resident.
I live in Scotland and I remember years ago, an American tourist was hit by a car when she accidently looked left instead of right when crossing the road. When a local female told her she was calling for an ambulance, the American got really scared and tried to get us to call her a Taxi instead. When we asked her why she told us she could not afford the cost of the Ambulance. It was only when the ambulance arrived and the medic explained to her that the NHS do not charge anyone for calling an ambulance, she finally agreed to have her injuries treated and be taken to the hospital to be checked over. She told us that where she lived in the US (can’t remember the State but I do remember her accent sounded like Reese Witherspoon in the film Sweet Home Alabama), it would have cost her anything from $3.5k to $4k just for the ambulance medic to treat her injuries and to be taken to the hospital.
Many towns in the u.s. rely on private ambulance and medics contracted through the city or volunteer fire departments who have paramedic training and insurance does not cover the cost
Ill take things that never happened for 500 alex!!.....they could afford that trip tp scotland but was worried about the ambulance?? Nobody is impressed by your crappy NHS
@@TheSteve2305 A holiday in Scotland is going to be far cheaper than a visit to a hospital, unless you are flying first class and staying in the most expensive room in the most expensive hotel you can find.
@@katrinabryce whatever.....i bet left nut this clowns story didnt happen
@@TheSteve2305tell me you've never been here without telling me. Typical seppo energy, 🙄
My friend visited me in the UK from Chicago a couple of years ago, and we headed to London. She was amazed at how friendly people were, and was shocked at how often strangers asked each other for help (directions, time etc); saying she would never feel comfortable enough to do that back home.
Morrisons are planning to remove 'Use By' dates from a lot of products to reduce waste. They recommend using the sniff test. 'Best Before' is also just a guide, I've still got half of a 5 kilo bag of pasta that was best before Aug 2021, it's fine.
"Best before" was never the same as "use by". A "use by" is an indication that there's no longer a reasonable guarantee that the product is safe to consume after that date; "best before" just means it might not be as good as it was before.
Pasta packed right can last for years. Same with rice and oats.
@@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t kind of my point...
Some supermarkets (Sainsburys, for one) have stopped putting "use by" dates on fresh produce, but instead, use a cunning code, such as 1803, instead of 18 Mar, because nobody is going to be able to work that out.
What I think is to put the manufacture or production date. I want to know how old it is. Use by or best before is misleading.
Smiling at strangers doesn't seem to me to be unusual; grinning and saying "Hi!" like they're a long lost friend certainly is.
Saying hello to strangers seems to be a geographical thing. The nearer you are to London, the less likely you are to do it in my experience. I usually glance atpeople approaching me, and if we make eye contact I smile and muttr'morning' or whatever. If we find we're playing that "I'm not looking at you!" game then I avert my eyes and carrry on.
Wasn't a thing in London, was in Bristol, definitely is in the countryside
This is an issue with any large city. London, paris, Chicago. new york, etc. eg. A keep your eyes down and carry on.
I'm fifty miles east of London deep in the countryside and we do speak to strangers and always greet when walking through the village or on a country walk. We don't see people often, whereas in London, obviously you do. People are everywhere.
@@judithhope8970 I lived literally on the edge of Greater London for some years, and strangers were ignored generally. I moved about 10 miles further out, and on my first day at the shops people struck up genuine conversations with me. It was a bit of a culture shock, but lovely!
I was a student in the US quite a few years ago in Pennsylvania & Wisconsin then after getting married in Missouri. Friendliness did differ from one area to another. Pa. People were pretty friendly Wi. They wre a bit more reserved but Mo really over the top friendly. Absolute worst place apart from NYC was Chicago. NYC on the few occasions I made the misfortune to visit they wre ever ruder than Chicago! UK is similar. I grew up in the Isle of Wight and apart from some of the grockles that have landed up there the pace of life is slower and and people do smile and chat to strangers. Same here in Cornwall where we now live.
Okay, the “occasion” thing re eating out. This bugs me. Since living in the US for the past 6 years I’ve noticed a big difference.
Whether it is going out for dinner or having family over for Sunday lunch, the Americans will eat and then go. That’s it. Same for Christmas - come, quick chat, eat the meal, then go.
In the U.K. the meal is merely the centrepiece around which the rest of the day is based. It is expected that guests coming for Sunday lunch would stay all afternoon. It is about the company and not the food.
Americans do everything at pace. There doesn’t feel like the same culture of hanging around after. Going to a restaurant is to eat food and then leave. For Brits, it’s about spending time together over/around good food and drink.
Oh my goodness, I can’t imagine having spent hours preparing a meal for guests for them to leave almost immediately after eating! 😳
I’d be taking that very personally as rejection of the food or me!! 🤣🤣🤣
It’s almost 40 years ago…
20 years old and pregnant stationed in the UK. Asked to take my food home (pregnant issues) and they had no idea of the situation so they wrapped up my food plate and all for me. LOVED living there …..
I have to say though that the UK has changed enormously since then. Whether for the better or not is a pretty big subject.
I'm British and I always smile and say hi to strangers, I will say more people will smile when the sun is shining.
Just discovered your chanel and subscribed immediately. Love your free-flowing, direct but insightful dialogues. 👌
The heat in the uk seems so much more unbearable (and the cold), because there is so much moisture in the air, due to it being a small island. If it is 38c in spain, it is much more pleasant and bearable than 30c in Britain, which gets really stuffy.
And too noisy to have the windows open.
I take it you've never been to Palm Springs. 🥵
I hate to quibble and be a pedant, but Britain is actually quite a large island.
I always have to ask for my drink WITHOUT ice, I hate ice as it melts and dilutes your drink.
London heat is something else. I swear 30°C (86°F) in London, felt more unbearable than 35 (95) in Houston, TX.
I agree! I live in the UK and cannot tolerate any temperature over 26C here, but we’ve visited Florida in November a few times and the temperature often hits 30C and is completely comfortable. I’m sure it’s completely different in high humidity season though. 😊
It's a mixture of humidity and the urban effects
I generally don't tip and never feel pressured to tip. If the service is above standard then I will tip. The main problem with tipping is that it is not just the waiters/waitresses who deserve the tip, the chefs do as well. In the European cities I have visited, tipping is not expected.
You should tip, and it IS expected in Paris, Madrid etc. Many London restaurants understand that tips need sharing with chefs and plongeurs and so have yhe intelligence to organise that for themselves. I know because I ask.
For me - as a Londoner - homemade soup is a staple and so simple to do (rarely takes more than 15 mins) - and is a really good way of emptying the fridge of older, wilting vegetables and other ingredients. All you need is a pan, a blitz stick and optionally some stock (or stock-cube) and/or cream & spices. Always tastes so much better than any canned soup. Definitely do not need to be a chef to do! I rarely make the same soup twice
The thing about use by/ sell by dates is that you can trust your senses. Does it look and smell ok? If the answer is yes then it's fine.
I assume you know that outside of North America the "entrée" is the starter - the hors d'oeuvre or appetizer - not the main course of the meal.
You will find both 'Best Before' and 'Use By' dates in the UK. They are not the same. A product with a 'best before' means exactly that. You can consume it beyond that date, but it won't be at its best. A 'Use By' date is used on products that will go off, and should generally be adhered to.
You definitely still say "the hospital" instead of just hospital. 😊 Its the same as going to school, or to church, the word "the " isnt necessary here. ❤
You only use 'the' if you are being specific. "He's in hospital" (he's a patient). "He's at the hospital" (to visit, work or for an appointment).
As a Brit myself and everyone I knows says "the hospital"
It just sounds wrong to say "Nan's in hospital"
UK resident here and I have and still used "the hospital" all the time@@Barfield-cg7iq
Use by date is important - it relates to potential harmful bacteria growing after that date!
Best before is purely that, when the product is at its best.
Yes. I ate a tin of tuna last night found in the back of my cupboard with a BBE date of 2019. It was absolutely delicious. I obviously used common sense when checking for smell and outgassing when opening the tin and it was fine.
I would never eat anything with a USE BY date from that long ago. I've only ever saw McD's products survive that time without going mouldy.
However I often eat them within a week of the use by just because I know the bottom of my fridge is colder than the supermarkets and I keep that stuff there. Of course it gets the sight and smell test too. Occasionally I do chuck stuff out which annoys me.
I have a morning walk when I work from home. I nod to the regulars. After a few weeks you exchange hellos, but with some I've ended up having some lovely conversations. I live near Manchester City centre, even here you don't expect it.
Please smile & say hello again, from a UK person
Now you are truly one of us! ❤😊
I live in the north and when I walk along the street I usually say hello to the people I meet and sometimes if I’m walking with the dog I’ll stop for a short chat. If the street is quite busy I probably wouldn’t walk along talking to everyone.
I live in the "south east" (North Essex around Colchester kinda area to be precise(ish)) and I'll say hello to people on the street too, but I'm more rural village type place (about 5-6000 residents) and same, if I'm in a busy street I wouldn't be saying hello to a person every 5 seconds!
I'd say it's not really a north/south thing in the UK, more a population density thing and as a very huge generalisation the south east is more population dense than a lot of other places in the UK
@@ChuckFickens1972 You’re probably right. A walk in a busy city would be different.
When I was researching my family history, which involved the slums of London around what is now New Oxford Street, I came across a book on the area, dated around 1830 and it mentioned garbage several times. Clearly this is one of those words which existed here, but has faded away, but not in the States, a point worth remembering.
I left the UK 27 years ago & many many phrases I no longer use. I recently read "crud" & I thought Wow I haven't used that word in years, my sons didn't even know what that meant. So i started using it.
Please keep smiling and saying hello. It started happening more during covid and I’ve kept it going. It’s infectious and I think it makes us better individuals. It used to happen when I was a child. Go to it girl.
Good video. Very informative ❤
I'm always amazed by the cake mixes for even the simplest cake. All you need is butter, sugar, eggs and flour (plus raising agent if you only have plain flour) for a very basic sponge. I was making that in primary school.
Being from North of England - I smile and greet strangers - where paths cross and appropriate
I know exactly what you're talking about! I am originally from North Carolina but have been living here in London for the past 25 years. I have experienced all the things you've mentioned but you have been much more 'diplomatic' regarding your response and/or reasons for any changes. I'm sure there are many more differences we share and have either come to like or loath while residing here. It's not something I would even dream of writing in a public forum as it's not something easily understood unless you've lived it and it could possibly be interpreted in a way not flattering or as I'd actually intend it to be. I no longer expect to see the sun. That was a big one and the hardest adjustment I found I had to make. Good luck to you and I've now subscribed to your channel so who knows, if I see you on the streets I might recognise you and I'll be sure to smile and say 'Hey, How are you? and Have a nice day' when we part ways! Something else I no longer do either. Take care, Linda
Australian here who grew up in England with a British parent. As per desserts I think that pudding after is common and taught in school from school lunches. I make all my soups from scratch as they taste better due to the availability of cheap and nutritious ingredients
There's free refills in the UK for tea and coffee at Weatherspoons, Toby Carvery, Premier Inn breakfasts, Pizzahut if you get the all you can eat deal. But yeah not normally in a cafe. There's a small chain of American diners here in the West Midlands called OK Diners that does free refils.
I had a tin of sardines a few weeks ago, use by November 2017. They were lovely.
Smiling and saying hello to strangers is far more common outside of London and the local neighbouring areas. Sad but true.
I don't use Eggs regularly just for scrambled or omelettes. So I make bricks up in the small aluminium trays you get from the take away and freeze them to use as required.
I don’t say hello in the city but do in a small village or to people I pass on a country walk. During the pandemic we passed by on the other side of the road but waved and smiled or shouted hello!! The frosty responders are usually those wearing ear buds or headphones, the ones missing the birds singing and other countryside delightful background noises.
Good video GGL!! The tipping is interesting as if the tip is left on the table that BY LAW is the waiters....If part of the bill or card payment then very often the tips will be kept by the restaurant 😢😢😢😢😢....So by pressing "no tip" on the card readers the waiters are ensuring any tip will go to them!!!!
Good for you. Interesting stuff
I'm glad to hear you're eating better in the UK! I miss the UK not having Dunkin Donuts anymore, we did about 20 years back and they disappeared and a few other candies but overall the food is better for you here and it's nice to hear you making things instead of instant junk. Love the channel!
The UK has two options regarding food, sell by date, and use by date. Sell by date only applies to the seller and the food is still safe to eat after the date on the packaging, the other is use by date' meaning the food is likely to be unfit for consumption beyond the date given. Just a heads up. 👍
Fun and interesting, thank you.
I can't imagine living in a city where folk don't smile and say hello to each other. Up here in Yorkshire it's really friendly in general. You can start up a conversation with anyone.
Have an outgoing child under 8 (or just babysit one) other Londoners will talk to you even on commuter trains.
I recently found some popcorn kernels in the back of the cupboard and made some popcorn.... imagine my surprise that they were 8 years out of date lol tasted fine.
I would say smiling and saying hello to strangers depends on if you live in a bigger town or city vs a village or small town. I live in a small village just outside of a medium sized town. In my village I always smile and acknowledge older people as I pass them but I would never do it in the town or anywhere else I travel to. It just depends on whether it is the expected behaviour in the area. If it's not expected, people may judge you or be intimidated by it
I live in the Midlands (Derby). We say hello and talk to strangers here, at the bus stop, in the pub or park, or at the supermarket checkout.
I lived and worked in the U.S. for 9 years in the late 80s/early 90s, I came back to the UK in 2000. I have lost all my American words, except for "elevator" (instead of "lift"), which just seems to have stuck, and I can't unstick it! Friends/Family think I could help it, and sometimes I catch myself, but most of the time the word "elevator" just leaves my mouth!
Interesting stuff. I would enjoy hearing your take on behaviour of politicians in the states compared to the UK.
New subscription love it 😊
As regards to tipping, I rarely tip. I really only tip if the service has been particularly good, or just to round the amount up to the nearest couple of pounds.
The egg thing is because in supermarkets the eggs aren't allowed to be washed which means the farm has to be in a good clean condition
Not sure but I believe that because Americans prefer their eggs white and clean the bleaching process increases the porosity of the shell so they are not protected from pathogens in the same way and therefore must be kept in the fridge.
@@jimporter Their eggs are white because they mostly use chickens that lay white eggs. The egg colour is not bleached. They're washed to clean them, and that means that the protective layer that prevents bacteria from entering the egg is removed - but that barrier is invisible. They also don't vaccinate chickens for salmonella, which is why most young Americans have never seen an egg cup. Dippy egg is just not safe there.
I do keep my eggs in the fridge. 1. It's a more convenient place to put them, and 2. I don't know how long it's going to take to use them, so I put them there, just in case.
In the UK we have “Best before” and “Use by” dates.
It is ok to eat stuff after the “Best by” date; you can tell by the taste when bread or cake gets stale. Stale bread is ok for making toast. 😀
(But do bin it if it goes green. 😆)
I treat the “Use by” dates with more caution.
If the food is from a major chain, like Waitrose or Sainsburys, it should be fine a day or two after the “Use by” date.
They are cautious and they store food properly in refrigerators.
However, it depends on what the food is. Be more careful with fish and chicken.
If you do choose to tip, its at the end for the entire purchase. US its EVERY individual purchase. Found that out in NYC.
Since paying by card etc in UK has become very common, most people do not give tips any more.... we prefer to give any tips to people who actually served you, not to the restaurant owner.
Since I realised that staff don’t automatically get the tip when paying by card, I try to have enough tip cash on me when going out for a meal. It’s shocking how many restaurants don’t give the whole amount to their staff.. 😢
So interesting. I'm American and rarely use instant anything. Instant mashed potatoes are disgusting. I know there are instant foods readily available, but I'm not sure they're relied upon as much as some might think. In my experience, they're used strictly for convenience when in a hurry. The comment about ice made me giggle. I like cold water but it doesn't have to have ice in it. Just chilled in the fridge is fine. Thank you for sharing with us. I learn a little bit more about UK life every time I watch your videos.
For Mash Get Smash adverts were brilliant even if the product was disgusting.
I'm Scottish. We always say 'hello' to strangers as we pass! When I go to the South East of England and say 'hello' to strangers they look at me as if I am mad. I Come to Scotland - you will be warmly welcomed.
I'm in the UK and don't keep eggs in the fridge. I usually buy mine from a local free range egg farm, My gran taught me it's easy enough to test an egg if you're not sure how old it is, ( fill a jug with cold tap water and gently 'float' the egg, if it sinks towards the bottom it's good, if it floats to the top get rid).
Here in Australia if the food says Best Before and the date it’s still edible after the date for example peanut butter
I'm English and live in north east England. I always smile and speak to passing folk. Especially when out walking my dogs. As for dessert I'll order starter and main course. Then decide if i want dessert after I've finished eating. Also can't cope with the heat.
Good stuff ❤
Very interesting, thanks
The SE of England, London in particular, is as unfriendly as my village and the general NW/Greater Manchester area is sooo very friendly that, when out on a weekend morning walk, I nod and say hello to about 9/10ths of the people I bump into. Then, after the 3rd or 4th time of passing by, we stop and chat and get to know each other.
As for eggs, it's mainly down to the fact that the US, Ireland, and other counties bleach wash them, thus thinning the shells. No idea why, I've been eating 'em all my life and I'm still here at this grand old age of 60.
On the 'don't smile to strangers much' - as a British person - I find this to be more of a city (particularly London) thing. Also smiled and said hello when I lived in villages (which is most of my life) but the two cities I've lived in (now London) this would be exhausting! Do people living New York smile and say to hello to every passing stranger?
The dates on packaged good are usually an indication of best before rather than unsafe after the date. I know many Americans who are paranoid about getting rid of canned food the day after the best by date.
I use a lot more ice in my drinks during the hotter months of the year. It helps to deal with the 40 c temps.
In the us, the word bin already has a separate meaning not usually related to refuse, although I have heard someAmericans use the term trash bin?
Yes, it's "Best Before" not a "deadly poisonous after" date
A trash bin in the USA is generally the larger trash receptacle that that trash bags from households are deposited into for pickup by garbage trucks
I know this may sound counter intuitive, but it is good to drink hot drinks when the weather is hot, mainly because it helps your body regulate its temperature better. Next time it's not very it. That said I wouldn't say this means you can't drink cold drinks with or without ice in them. I love a nice cold beer on a warm summer's day as well, but I only found out about drinking warm drinks and amazingly enough it works.
I spent a good amount of time going to school or working in NYC and I never said hello regularly until I moved to Minnesota.
I've been to a few places in my life and my personal observation / guess is that smiling and saying hello to strangers is to do with population density. The less dense the population in an area, the more people smile at each other; the higher the density, the more people retreat into their own personal space - otherwise you get exhausted from the sheer number of personal interactions.
I have always tipped 10% in restaurants over here. However, the tip is left partially hidden under the edge, or on , the plate that the bill came on.
It's pretty normal in Britain that if you're walking in the countryside absolutely anywhere in Britain (including around London) people will say hello to each other.
Great video! I'm a Brit who lived in the US for a while so am very aware of the differences!! :) Have you got your head around the Lunch/dinner/tea/supper confusion yet... LOL .. Southerners here say lunch, Northerners say dinner at lunch time and tea in the evening!! but then Southerners say Lunch then dinner for the evening, but then some parts of "The South" including my Mum and Dad from Gloucester say tea, then some say supper, but then supper can be after you've had your tea or dinner, and then afternoon tea can be thrown into the mix to confuse things even more!! LOL as in a cup of tea (Usually) and a cake or alike!! ...And THEN .... it could be late afternoon and a visitor visits someone's house and the host asks "Would you like some tea" and the visitor has to discern if they mean a cup of tea or food... but one has to be familiar with the context and judge the nature of the visitation! Confusing isn't it LOL ... 😀
That is so true 😂
When I heard the dessert thing, the first thing that came to mind is 'the portions are probably smaller, and you will actually have room for dessert'. Most of the time at an American restaurant the portions are bigger so you will be quite full after an appetizer and main dish (or they used to). I have noticed restaurant portions getting smaller lately, but that is more due to shrinkflation.
@@marydavis5234 When I go out, I do share, often between three people. So 1/3 of an app plus the main dish, I am usually quite full. Half the time I am waddling out, and without dessert. Depends on the cuisine of course, but where I live, semi-casual Italian is the most common.
Dessert is definitely a "maybe/sometimes" thing in the US. When dining abroad, I've observed it to be more of a "usually/often" experience like you describe.
Limited experience but:
UK: can't remember ever going anywhere separate for dessert but sometimes we go out for ice cream.
Rhode Island: Family there often go out for a dessert somewhere
Colorado: Never seen it with family there
New York: Went out for frozen custard with a cousin once
Las Vegas: do dessert cocktails count?
I remember a banner headline in one of the London papers from when I was a kid long ago and visiting London in a pre-Beatles-era summertime: "80 Degrees And No Relief In Sight". Coming originally from SoCal, we laughed ourselves silly.
Having spent summer from 23/7 to 30/8 in palm desert I'd rather that 40⁰ heat than UK 35⁰ heat anyday. It's just different.
I'm English and I say the word "garbage" quite a lot. Usually on a Saturday afternoon when watching my football team.
It’s very rare we order dessert when we eat out. We tend to go to cafe to have tea/coffee with cake. Almost like afternoon tea.
Go Bruins!! 😊 Another interesting video--thank you.
American living in Ecuador eggs are kept on the counter. Milk only goes in the fridge once it is opened . Not a huge tipping culture. You are right as Americans we have to many options for instant or premade food I was looking for applesauce it doesn't exist here so i made it from scratch super easy
I'm British Scottish and me and my family always tip either taxi driver or a server yes they get paid atleast minimum wage but the way we see it they still work hard, I worked with my city council and staying on my feet for 12 hours isn't an easy thing to do. We tip atleast a 5er even getting food delivery. It just depends on the person but I'd say people tip more often.
8:25 also supermarkets have to put these dates on. Take cheese: that’s gone off milk. It’s good for long past any date so long as it hasn’t gone mouldy… all the way through!😁
Mould is likely a long way thru if u see it on outside
It's odd seeing a two week date on cheese that has been maturing for eighteen months.
"Take cheese: that’s gone off milk."
"any date so long as it hasn’t gone mouldy"
Blue cheese, anyone?
When I was working in the Middle East, I remember buying tins of food which were seven years out of date, and coming to no harm.
cheese gone mouldy.....hmmmmmmmm
The humidity in UK is the real problem I think
Humidity in Florida is on a different scale, it's only a problem in the UK a few times a year.
@@Brookspirit Humidity can be high even when it's not that hot, we are a country whose climate is maritime, we're an island after all, so the air coming in will contain a lot of moisture year round. That said I completely agree, Florida, and where I once spent a summer in Atlanta, Georgia, the humidity is on a different scale, so yeh I'm not sure the original content you were responding to is valid. Even at a lower heat though it can still feel close and be very tiring, so it's not just the heat. I do think the bigger point made in the video though is that our houses just aren't built to keep the heat out, probably because we you say it only gets hot a few days, maybe weeks, a year and so it's not worth the expense.
Keep that smiling habit be positive always look at people’s eyes when you do nothing wrong with that god bless you and your family
Thing on dessert after a mein meal it's because a lift of us grew having tea then a small dessert like yoghurt or custard or ruce pudding if fruit or worse semolina and prunes... Urgh bug we all remember at primary school having that coconut sponge cake and custard. But you couldn't have dessert without finishing your plate