You Know You're British When...
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- čas přidán 18. 05. 2024
- How can you tell that you're British? As a foreigner living in the UK, I've come up with my own checklist of British culture quirks that are a good sign you are British - do you pass the test?? Let me know in the comments!
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Hey! I'm Alanna - a twenty-something documenting my life as a Canadian living in England.
I share the ups and downs of an expat living abroad and what it's really like living in the UK. It's not always easy, but there's been so many wonderful experiences, too. I post a CZcams video every Tuesday & Friday plus an additional video every Saturday on my Patreon account. I also livestream every Wednesday and Sunday at 5:30pm GMT/BST on Twitch.
Alanna x
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You wanna feel a bit more comfortable with "you alright"?
Just translate it in your mind: it's our probably closest equivalent to the Mid-West/West Coast "hey." (Sorry I don't know what the Canadian equivalent is.) Not the casual "hey" that is open to deflection when someone doesn't want to respond, but the "hey" you give a friend when you expect them to start with "hey" but then continue with a conversation opening gambit. That's "(are) you alright?" when said by an Englishman 😁
And you can sound even more fluent when you remember that "you alright?" is obviously an abbreviation of "_are_ you alright?" and most times if you listen closely you can detect there's actually a schwa at the start almost like a glottal stop that is the remnant of the person saying _are_ -- "[ɘ]You alright?" -- master that and you'll feel like you've been here for that extra 10 years!
@@Dranok1 in Notts we shorten it even further to “alright?” or “eyup”.
Great list.
You could just shorten “you alright?’ to ‘alright’ (without a question mark…more like a statement question sort of thing.
Question: when thanking the bus driver, what phrase do you hear used (in Kent)? In wales it’s most definitely: “thanks drive”. [driver shortened to ‘drive’…]
Love your videos. Genuinely. A breath of fresh air and someone who genuinely likes our ways. I recommend the book “Watching the English” by Kate Fox. There are tons of regional variations to ‘the English” across the UK, but this book is hilarious as it’s written by a sociologist. Would love to hear what you think of it. Maybe you’ve already read it.
If you don’t like tea, then you’re either not British or you are not to be trusted…..
you must be extremely young that you don't know that an _x_ means a kiss and an _o_ means a hug...
@@lukearts2954 at least she won’t commit the faux pas of putting LOL on a funeral card like some of us older peeps have done! 😋
A very British phrase that I once overheard was, "...I was so angry I nearly said something". 😏
Haaa that's so true🤣
Oh yes. 😄
😂
This really feels so true
You have to understand this is a bigger deal than it sounds. You can be angry and say nothing; just be angry. But to "nearly" say something: you get all the adrenaline of a confrontation, just without actually having the confrontation. It really is a whole nother level and just one step down from "coming to blows" 😂
If i hold the door open for someone ( stranger) and they don't say thank you,, i say you're welcome loudly.
Same if someone doesn't wave a thank you when you've let their car through (it's not as if they hear it! 😂)
We all do that.......
"You're welcome" is American, not an English response.
@peterblake4837 I dont think thats right.
I always say “Thank you would have been nice , but it’s optional”
I’m a paramedic in England and the number of people who ask me if I “want a cuppa” when their loved one is semi-conscious and drooling on the floor never ceases to amaze me! 😂
😂😂😂😂 well I love to while we think about what we gonna do with this dying family of yours 😂!!
I’ve been offered tea whilst doing CPR on a patient. We did remind her that we were ‘a bit busy’.
Haha quality 😂
When my wife was due to give birth at home I offered the midwife a cuppa when she arrived. Just seemed natural. 😄
@@richardlawrence6619 It is absolutely natural and good manners. We appreciate it, but there’s a time and a place. Maybe relatives don’t want to accept the situations that won’t have a good outcome. When there’s going to be a good outcome, ie new life, we can drink tea with the best of them!
I was in an American DFAC on a NATO exercise as part of a small British Army continent. I will never forget the day I was still getting my food, all my colleges had already found a seat, and someone in the DFAC dropped a tray.
Complete silence as nearly 500 people turned to look, except for one table in the corner where maybe ten British voices in unison went "WHEEEEEY!"
That’s too funny lol the local pub is usually where I here it 😂😂
I can just imagine the looks they got 😂
The cheering or clapping when someone drops a glass isn't really designed to embarrass the other person or be mean. It's more a shared moment of ironic joviality that acknowledges that we've all been there, and know the feeling.
What about the "sack the juggler" call? Lol
@@whizzo94 That is exactly what I came here to say!
It's called "sardonic" & is slightly connected to the German expression "Schadenfreude"
Yes, it's intended to prevent the person from being embarrassed. Sympathetic applause, so to speak. Same if someone spills some tea or drops a glass in one's home, quickly, 'Oh, I do that all the time.' Quickly defuse the situation.
@@whizzo94 Never heard that one....are you sure ?
You forgot to mention the knee slap followed by "right then" to indicate it's time to leave somewhere 😂
Oh yeah that old chestnut ?
@@habu179 they're all old chestnuts bright spark
@@michw3755 I was being sarcastic dummy the knee thing doesn't exist, (unless you do it ?)
I do that..... it started off with me taking the piss out of someone else that did it all the time, and then I realised that I was doing it all the time. Right, then! I'll get me coat.....
I thought that was just my dad's quirk 😊
When an absolute disaster happens , like your daughter takes her driving test and hits the Driving Test Centre wall at the end and everyone is upset you say "That went well then!"
Did this happen at Hither green?
Or when something really unfortunate happens you say 'fair enough'
Ah British sarcasm at its finest!!!!
"mustn't grumble" is the best response to being asked "how are you doing?"
I’ve never said that 😂 I say, “I’m fine thanks”
"Fair to middling", or "Crap to average" is my usual reply.
this should ideally be said with a thick yorkshire accent
I suspect even if i was on the verge of Death i would reply, i'm alright how are you.
"Doing so great, inside I'm doing cartwheels" 😅
The list is spot on but you missed the one about pedestrians on a pavement doing the extra fast walk to overtake a slow walker so you are not awkwardly side by side for more than a second. You can return to your normal walking speed once you are about 6 feet in front of them 🙂
I did the fast overtaking walk today haha...so funny😆
Always!!
Ah yes. And the traditional left-right dance when you encounter someone coming the other way.
@@harrybarrow6222 oh yes it's easier to jump into the road with the traffic than to have that awkwardness 😂
So true😂😂😂
queue jumping! I was visiting London from Canada. As a 67 year old, I was awaiting knee replacements and I was using crutches. I really wanted to have my photo taken at King's Cross Platform 9 3/4, the Harry Potter thing. But there was a long queue and I knew that I could not stand in line that long. But there was seating for the station nearby. I went to the person handling the queue, explained the situation, explained that I would certainly honour the queue but if I could sit whilst waiting, and have a person technically in front of me let me know when it was my turn, that would be great. Well, instead, everyone in the Queue told me to get to the front and go first. It actually brought me to tears!! And I got a great photo out of it!
Effing queue jumper!
Yes, that's areal thing that happens here. When I was on crutches because of a broken leg, trying to buy a beer in a bar, the crowd would always let me through to the front. Invariably someone would ask why I was on crutches, and when I explained why (due to a car crash) the person asking would almost always buy me a beer as well as letting me in front. This is how I met one of my rock-music heroes at a festival (I won't say who it was). He bought me a beer because I was on crutches at the bar!
It would be incomprehensible to do otherwise. I know this as for a short while I used a walking stick. When at an art gallery, people parted like the Red Sea when I shuffled up to look at something. I was very touched. X
That’s normal
@@WolfricLupus I'll remember that. Where did you buy them?
In the West Country, when someone waves you through while driving and you wave back "thanks" they will often wave back again "that's OK". There needs to be a lot of give and take on our narrow country lanes.
So true. I always give a wave back to acknowledge their "thanks".
The most horrifying thing ever is when you're following someone through a series of doors. They hold the first one open, you say "Cheers". They hold the second one open, you say "Ta". Then the third door comes up, and what do you say? It's usually best, at that point, to pretend you forgot something and turn round and go back.
lol 😂
Or say something jokey like : "yes I am stalking you" but you have to smile as you say it or it seems creepy.😅
I'll sometimes say something cheeky like, "Three out of three, you're on a roll!"
"It's not ideal" usually means it's the most horrendous moment of that person's life 😂
Oh God yes , my best mate had his leg amputated after a bike crash. Described it as less than ideal , but oh well nevermind.
That's totally true, I had to go for brain radiotherapy for a tumour, the surgeon asked how I have been, I summed it up with... just feeling a bit wobbly 🤣🤣🤣
@@shellyk7049 True Brit , well done.😂
Hope your treatment was successful.
Yep! Not ideal means the world is falling apart 😂
"had better days" means post apocalypse basically
My sister’s husband passed away suddenly a week ago and I heard her eldest daughter say... ‘I’ve had better weeks’.
These are spot on.
Not just British humour which is dark and ironic. General coping mechanism works the same way.
British people are kinda naturals at levity
British understatement certainly exists. House is on fire, just lost your job, the dogs got fleas and your missus is shagging the postie, but you 'can't grumble'.
@@CB-dl1vgVery long practise makes perfect.
@@CB-dl1vg Understatement is our super power.
It is customary to offer tea or coffee to a visitor, whether it be a contractor or a friend. Thanking the bus driver is a MUST.
My Gran used to catch a bus to work in the evening in the 1960’s they would pick her up & drop her off out side the house when it was dark….evening shift in colliery canteen, she would make the driver a cup of tea both ways as it was cold & wet in winter & often a slice of cake on home journey.
As a Californian living in the UK - Brits say "sorry" instead of "excuse me" while navigating through crowds. Brits are usually very accommodating when you have to merge into traffic. British kids are drilled in saying "yes, please" when you offer them something. My most, most, most favorite thing about Brits: they are self-deprecating, kind-hearted, jovial, and just all-around more pleasant human beings. At the end of the video, you said the most British thing of all: "byeeeeeee". They all do it. LOVE IT!
PS: the weather: I switched my weather app from fahrenheit to celsius just so I could commiserate about the weather (which I love).
I don't know. Coming from London, when I visited New York I was amazed at just how friendly everyone was. Londoners have what I would call a grudging politeness to those who follow the rules but are otherwise studiously disinterested in everything about everyone: that's where the British "mustn't complain" comes from, we know you don't care. Americans and Canadians are so friendly by comparison, they make us feel uncomfortable.
😂👍
As an Irish person in UK 100% agree
There was a British guy of Pakistani heritage who took a trip to Pakistan to visit relatives. He was out shopping one day and as he entered a shop someone walked into him accidentally. He proceeded to choose what he wanted to buy and went to the counter to pay. The shopkeeper immediately asked him where in the UK he lived, but the guy insisted that he was a local. The shopkeeper said, "no you're British, I know because when that man walked into you, you apologised".
As a Brit I've never heard a more spot on list made by a non-brit! Excellent work! x
Agreed, quite a rarity.
Agreed🎉
Nah still needs more research to be clearer.
Very accurate; only big one you missed is when a person who is bumped into or walks into something apologises 😂
I've heard Canadians do that too so maybe thats why she left it out lol
We sure do!! 😂
What might be particularly British about it is when we bump into an inanimate object, like a piece or furniture or something, and we still apologise to it out of instinct...
I have apologised to many trees, telegraph poles, before looking at what I had actually bumped, in my life after bumping into them. LOL.
Aussies do too.
Taking your own teabags to the breakfast room when staying in a foreign hotel.
Oh I do that! 😂
@mikesomerset6338 - For some strange reason, foreign hotels only stock "Lipton's Breakfast Tea" - it's like a weasle's early morning specimen! Earl Grey is pretty disgusting too. I like Yorkshire Tea.
@@cathyrussell7157 Yorkshire or Yorkshire gold are the only way to go 👍
Got to have Yorkshire tea 😊
I take teabags and a mini kettle!! I was horrified in Italy to be charged 10 euros for a pot of warmish water in a teapot and a teabag on the side!!
When returning to your desk or work station after lunch break; 'Oh well.... No rest for the wicked'. Occasionally rejoined with; 'Not even the very wicked'.
That cheer on dropping glasses actually takes some of the embarrassment out of it somehow lol
Yes and take a bow too
@@shadoman7682 Sack the juggler!
Indeed, we are laughing with the person who dropped the glasses, not at them.
As a Brit living in the UK, you missed one on the bus (also trains, where it's more relevant, as people can walk around) - if you're sitting alone with an empty seat beside you, someone gets on and wants to sit next to you, they'll point at the seat and ask you "Is anyone sitting here?", and they'll not sit down until you assure them that there is not.
One time on a bus when someone asked, "Is anyone sitting there?" I decided to reply, "Why? Can you see someone I can't?" My British sense of humour. 😆
It's a way of detecting the 'loony on the bus' cos you may be about to sit on their invisible friend so always better to ask.
I once replied 'Yeah, my pet flea.' Didn't stop the b'stard sitting on it and squashing it!
@@JT1358 😆
@@JT1358 Lol. The apocryphal "loony on the bus". I almost regretted that I drive now. But only almost.
I’m so British I once ate a fish pie in a restaurant, because that’s what they gave me, I had ordered cauliflower cheese! This list is so spot on
Even funnier if you were also a vegetarian 😊
@@spirituallysafe i've seen that happen with spring rolls instead of vegetable rolls.....it was my brother i don't know what he was thinking as it made him sick.
Well, one mustn't cause a fuss, right?
Tickled me this
That's the best laugh I've had all day. Thanks, Emma. "...because that's what they gave me." lol
A cup of tea doesn't hurt anything, and can always make your day brighter.
As for the ones who don't like tea, well, they are Philistines.
I was in the British Army 1979-84 been on op's came in soaked to the skin, covered in mud and God knows what, and after a debriefing to hear these words, " all right lads, clean your weapons, then cookhouse for a Brew and Egg Banjo's" ( Mug of tea and Egg Sarnies } At 02.30 In the morning was heaven. ( if you were there then you know exactly what i am saying )
You always say "thank you" when someone keeps a door open for you, or opens a door for you.
Always offer a seat to a woman on a bus or on a train.
Say "Thanks Driver " when getting off the bus.
I was raised to always thank the driver, so once I got on a bus I hadn't often gotten on and his display was wrong, so I checked which way he was going. He (obviously unaware of his mistake) did a face and made a comment about "customers as thick as you".
When at my stop, I still said thank you... very sarcastically.
@@indigoziona Thanks for the reply, manners cost nothing and go a long way, that's what my Grannie used to say to me when i was a little boy.
@@truckertom3323manners maketh man was the saying I was raised by
"You judge people by the colour of their.... tea". Phew, I was worried there for a moment!
😅
@@AdventuresAndNaps agree with you about tea, got to be Yorkshire every time, a bit of milk and no sugar almost has a fruity taste to me.
My teas the colour of mahogany and have been known to leave the tea bag in the cup ….lovely 😂
TBH, I think the cheering when you drop a glass is actually better than an embarrassing silence. You know everyone knows now and you can move on.
A few years ago, my dad who was 85 at the time was cutting down a tree in their garden. He started to get chest pains, so instead of calling an ambulance, my mum took him inside and made him a cup of tea! Luckily it turned out he had just pulled a muscle when the went to A&E 3 days later!
Bless them, they know not to burden the NHS 😁😁💝💝💝
Expat Brit here - some of what u describe happens in other. Esp Anglo-phone countries, but one thing I love about returning to London was how when there r two ATMs/cashpoints and we firm ONE single queue automatically for equality of outcome and fairness. Never seen that in 20 years of living in Asia. It’s kinda makes me proud of my fellow Brits knowing that is ingrained in us
A friend of mine in Malaysia was interested in the idea of Brits "talking about the weather"... it seemed crazy to her. The weather in Malaysia is very easy to predict and the difference between the two seasons is mainly HEAVY rainfall. The temperature is always high.
But then she visited the UK and after a couple of weeks came to understand. She discovered that the weather here can change radically in half a day, then back again, with daytime temperature differences of ten or more degrees over just a couple of days. Weather in the UK is a story.
Met a lady from California who moved to Britain because she loved the weather which changed every day... She was SO bored of day-in-day-out sunshine!
Talking about the weather is also used as an ice breaker to test the water and start a conversation, or to indicate that you are up for a conversation.
@@sarahcarrette2193 It’s a good way to signal your moodas well. If you just say “it’s a bit bright” or “a bit cold”, then there’s nothing more to say and the conversation gets dropped. But if you start to talk about how the weather has personally affected your day, like “I got absolutely drenched on the way to work” etc, then you are up for a slightly extended conversation in which they go “oh yes yes it’s ridiculous isn’t it” and some mutual head nodding.
I love weather..We can have all the seasons in one day up here in Scotland.. I'd hate sunshine everyday.. weather is the best
When I lived in West Dorset (hilly) you could stand at one end of the High Street and see the rain coming towards you.
I was on the bus a few months ago. Some guy was talking on speaker with his phone. Some old guy got up grabbed his phone and threw it out of the window. Nobody ever spoke about it ever again.
😂😀😂😀😂😀😂😍
Would have literally laughed out loud. Very loudly. Might have applauded. Did the person not say something about their phone? Sure in the southwest there would have been a row.
Well done that guy!
Great list! There's a third option to the "confronters/don't want to bother" divide. Nowadays a lot of people say everything's lovely, and then complain on TripAdvisor or similar. Really annoying - if something's wrong they should speak up and give people a chance to put it right
Spot on! The waves or even two fingers together whilst holding the wheel; it still irks me after 25 years in Spain when drivers don’t give you a wave.
As someone not born in Spain but who grew up in Spain and then went on to living in the UK for 15yrs, you are right. Spaniards can be rude! 😅😁
I was in a queue for tickets at a low-level football match once and someone unknowingly jumped the queue. A man said "Oi, mate, we were here first !" The absent-minded queue-jumper said "Oh, I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know." The reply was "Oh, that's OK, you can go ahead !" Thank you for being positive about us, Alanna !
That trait has definitely rubbed off on the Australian culture too-we don't think very highly of queue-jumpers. But yeah, it's almost more a disgruntlement with those who knowingly jump a queue, than it is the actual act of queue jumping.
Sounds like a film from the 40's ??
I remember when I accidentally dropped a glass in a Berlin bar I was actually gutted there wasn’t a chorus of “WAAAAAAYYYY!!!” It made me pine for my British local 😭 This was an absolutely brilliant list, Alanna. Cheers!
😂 Thank you so much!!
😀♥️😀,or undo the salt shaker? If someone had the audacity to drop their plate?😀😀😀😀😀😀
Sack the juggler woohoo
Bang on the money!…😂🎉…nice hair by the way…🎉
Supermarket checkout staff will chat to you here in the UK. In Oslo when I went, they never would
Brit here. I concur on the Rich Tea point. Rich Tea are not biscuits, they are in formed out of compressed product of the reaction between dissatisfaction and disappointment.
🇬🇧 don't forget the , quote , " see you later " , even if you don't know them and you're not going to see them later or ever again. Haha
Yep that's me.
The reaction to someone jumping a queue can be much more interesting at times. I was visiting my son in west London just before Covid. We were in a line to get into the National Gallery. Some berk just barged in front of Felix, who is very dark and 2.05m tall. He said, loudly, "Good thing you brought me up well Dad, rather than this nob in front of me, who was obviously dragged up by a Neanderthal". Those behind me laughed loudly, as the interloper slunk away, head down.
When people barge in front of me, my usual line is "are you in a hurry"?
I once heard someone tap a queue jumper on the shoulder and say ' Mate, do you like fish?' The jumper looked bemused until the guy said 'There's a plaice at the back of the queue for you' The guy just shrugged and carried on. I laughed at the fact it made the jumper look ridiculous.
Giving height in metric is very un British.
Being London, I'm sirprised that a knife or tin of tomato soup did not appear
When someone barges passed and doesn’t say “excuse me” my husband ALWAYS says in a passive aggressive manner “oh I’m sorry, am I in your way?” 😬😂
Excellent compilation! I'm from US living in Cambridge over 20 yrs now. I related to everything you said - except maybe the "I can't complain" bit - I heard that a lot in the States. But it's true, the British tend to not complain.
My favourite bit about UK culture is the polite driving (flashing of lights + wave) - it's like a dance, and when adhered to creates such good feelings. :). Cheers!
Just be on a delayed train or playing musical platforms when trains are cancelled delayed etc. Then you'll hear British people complain a lot. Mostly to other commuters but it gets to the point (often) where there'll be at least a couple of peeps complaining to train staff.
And saying “Yeah, you’re welcome!” loudly from the safety of your car when you let someone through and they have the audacity to not wave thanks! 😂 Love the video, subscribed for the Yorkshire Tea/Rich Tea reference!
I do that in the street or when I hold a door for someone and they just waltz through. I'm a skinny 70 year old, have done this all my adult life and only once had a challenge.
I was at a beer festival yesterday, in a queue for the pasties. Because we were queuing past an entrance to the hall, I'd left a space for people to get in and out of the hall but one gentleman walked in, saw the part of the queue towards the stand and just joined the back of that. I mentioned just about loudly enough to the chap behind me that the queue was quite slow. The queue interloper looked back, realised what he had done and was genuinely mortified as he apologised profusely and shuffled to the genuine queue end (only about 6 people back).
Been there,,, done that!!! Lol
Anglican Bibles really need to start including that 11th Commandment: Thou shalt not violate the sanctity of the queue.
Good tactic
I live in North East Brazil, and though things have improved over the years I'm always on the lookout for queue jumpers. I like to leave a gap in the queue for people and trolleys to pass, as I would in the UK, but if I don't watchout someone might nip in in front of me. Coming from Britain, the disorder in queues was probably the hardest cultural difference to get used to.
The wave thing you mentioned , yep totally agree , if you’ve taken the moral high ground to stop and allow that other driver coming the other way to go first and that bond that you thought you both had is rubbished by that driver NOT waving it acknowledging your sacrifice then it instantly turns to ashes in your mouth and you realise that person has mentally flipped you the bird as they disappear into the distance and you’ve been taken for a fool then the next mile and a half is one giant swearathon in your car at that persons cheek and arrogance . 😅. 👍🏴
@That clone trooper in the back on the high ground makes sense dont it , your making decisions every second in a car which could have life threatening consequences for you and others , you’ve gotta trust the other guy and responding with a wave is a small price to pay for navigating safely that particular issue on that day 👍🏴
Spot on. Love the example of the bus where you don't sit next to someone unless you have to. Absolutely true 100%
In the north (dying out now but still around) the usual answer to 'how you doing' is something along the lines of 'I'm average'.
So you might get:
Fair to Middling
Oh, you know
Batting on
Mustn't grumble
Still breathing
etc.
Wot about the carrier bag stash in every british home . In the cubby hole or cupboard in kichen 😂
Can confirm, I am a British person who doesn't drink tea and yet there are two types of tea bags in my cupboard, specifically for guests.
Yorkershire and twinnings right?
Yorkshire and Tetleys. 😀😀
Yorkshire and Earl Grey
I’m going with caf and decaf
@@nickmoore5105 You're right. One relative is a decaffer, necessitating the second box.
I was born and bred in the UK and have never in my life (64 years) used "You alright" as a greeting. I also have a bunch of illnesses, including liver cancer, but the answer to "How are you?" Is always "not bad at all."
I think it's a regional thing that's become more common nationally amongst gen x who moved around more than their parents. It's a very lazy greeting that rolls off the tongue and, depending where you are (like notts), has been made even lazier by cutting it down to 'ye-reet' or 'ya rite' (depending on if you are north or south notts).
Ya rite, you're right. South Notts here
A prominent sociologist once did an experiment at one of the major London Railway stations where she deliberately bumped into random people who were stood on the concourse, happily minding their own business, in order to see how many of them would apologise to her. Over 50% of her victims did. That is pure ",British"
And that was London where prob 50% of the people she bumped weren't actually British.
A prominent sociologist or sociopath?
I always say sorry even when somebody bumps into me!
@@robertnewell5057 There's a difference?
Kate Fox, in "Watching the English"! IIRC, she bumped into people of other nationalities too in order to compare.
I literally backed into someone in a pub and she immediately apologised as if it was silly of her not to have noticed I wasn't looking where I was going 😅
Yep, that's the British alright. I did once confront a queue-jumper by saying loudly 'there's a queue'. The miscreant joined the queue. I love being British.
I've only just started watching your videos. It's easy to feel quite down about the state of things here in the UK at the moment. It's doing me a lot of good to see you talking so enthusiastically and excitedly about living here, your videos help me to thank my blessings. It takes someone from elsewhere to hold up a mirror sometimes. A British person couldn't make these videos and you're doing a great job.
Thank you
You are bang on my dear! Top notch observations. So funny to hear our quirks from a foreigner. We were laughing our heads off. 😂 One thing I would add about the queuing aspect is that if we have a lot of things in our basket at a check out, we will typically notice if someone behind us has only one or two items and we will say something like “Go ahead “ and the correct response is always a thank you if you are allowed to jump the queue.
I'm often the person with just a basket, behind the person with a trolley-full, but, eccentric that I am, I usually decline the offer to go ahead of them. People look very confused as a consequence. On the other hand, it's nice to be asked. When people don't, I tut and headshake with the best of 'em.
As a Brit I can't argue with any of your points. I was once in the Caribbean at a beach bar and the server brought me a drink over and I said cheers. From the table next to me all I heard was "wow, its true, I thought it was only a myth". This was the response of an American who overheard me saying cheers which resulted in quite a long chat with them. As to tea I say this through gritted teeth as a Lancastrian...Yorkshire Tea is the best.
Since when have they grown tea in Yorkshire?….If you want decent tea, brew Ceylon in a teapot! Tea bag tea is substandard. And I mean that literally.
Yep I love Yorkshire tea
I was once leaving a plane in America and without thinking said "cheers" to the flight attendant who ran after me to say she hadn't heard that in ages!
I think Canadians and Australians think _'You alright'_ means: _'are you feeling alright - do you need some help - are you lost - can I take you somewhere?'_ when really it's more like an open ended statement: _'everything's well with you and me'_ If a Brit was concerned for a person's wellbeing they would ask _'are you alright?'_
That could be it. Aussies tend to say “how you doing or how you going?”.
Or-right?
@@kikibelle8265 It can sound that way, but I think it's _'all right'_ and the 'or' sound is derivative. It is traditionally followed with _'mate'_ which suggests like a lot of English language it has a maritime origin.
So, perhaps from the original: _'all right and shipshape mate'_ meaning everything is as it should be with that part of the ship.
Today an English person (usually a man) saying: _'alright mate' just really means 'all is as it should be' it never means: _'do you need help?'_
@@kcc-karenschroniccorner9432 Yes, I have Australian grandchildren and have visited often. So, I try hard not to say _'alright mate'_ but it's not easy and I get the disapproving looks from the locals.
"I can't complain, well I can but no one would listen". 😊
I quite enjoy these uploads
British man in my 50s here. I never "tut" at queue jumpers, I say out loud quite blatantly and pointedly, "You do know there's a queue here right??". Everyone looks first at me, then at the perp. Usually they are immediately shamed into going to the back, or if they fancy themselves and say "yes thanks" or similar, then I respond with "then gtf to the back, we're all waiting ahead of you". Everyone else in the queue then joins me, and the person serving at the checkout (or whatever) will refuse to serve them until the proper turn.
A woman stopped a man in one of the palaces as he was leaving, he was one of the Queen’s equerries. He paused and politely exchanged a few words with her and then said “ do excuse me, I have just heard that my house is on fire.” True Brit.
I even asked delivery guys if they wanted a drink (a cold one) when we had really warm weather during summer - I always say thanks to bus drivers - and drivers who stop at crossings to let me go lol
When I get delivery and canvassers, particularly on hot days, I always offer a cold drink or to refill their water bottles. They get so little time between calls that it just seems like the right thing to do. Also, I live on a large housing estate so with door-to-door callers I tell them I am not interested in whatever they are pushing BUT I offer them a water bottle refill and a toilet break. You'd be surprised how many of them take you up on this AND how grateful they are.
I've done the same and was pleasantly surprised when they've accepted. Back in the States if you offered someone a drink that wasn't a friend or part of your family they'd look at you like you'd grown 3 heads and/or as if they think you might poison them.
Iv offered delivery men cups of tea and pieces of toast if its an early delivery 😂
Hey Alanna. You know you're British when you watch Alanna's "You Know You're British" video and you agree with every single point.
Excellent and very enjoyable video. Hope you are well now we're heading into big coat weather.
Almost every point lol, very amusing video, we're great aren't we
'We're going from jacket to big coat weather' is one I recall.
As a native brit, I find this hilarious that people of other nations find this amusing. I totally get what you are saying about the lanes in Kent. Same as Yorkshire, Cumbria, Scotland, hell anywhere rural in the UK. You deffo need to know the width of your vehicle, like it was your own hips.
It's weird how you get a sense of this, almost to the inch. It's also been shown in psychological research that obese people underestimate the space needed for their car and seriously underweight people overestimate it.
@@robertnewell5057 I read somewhere that a woman can get 36" hips into a 34" dress, but can't get a 4 foot car through a 6 foot gap! 🙂
My sister went on holiday to Turkey and smiled and nodded at a group of Russians who would always walk past her every morning without speaking.
She stood in the path one morning and said
'good morning', they simply walked round her.
She was surprised how she missed people smiling and nodding at passing people.
I had this in Morocco recently. I smiled at women as they walked past but no one was smiling back. I felt very British, and a tiny bit sad!
If you lived in Russia you'd be miserable, too.
@@stevemawer848 Do svidaniya to you too!
She should have said "Chto s vami, zhalkiye gopniki?"
@@mikeball6182 the smile is universal language.
“Suppose to rain later I heard, yeah change is in the air, see how early it gets dark now? Big coat weather soon anyways gotta go, have a good one” gets me out of most awkward social interactions 😂 thanks for the video!
😂 exactly!!
Living as I do in the environs of Manchester UK, I tend to rely on "Turned out shite again"
Your description of avoiding sitting next to a stranger on public transport bought back memories of Ben Elton's classic comedy monologue of getting on a train, 'double seat, double seat, got to get a double seat'
wow ! i can so hear that in my head !
This is one that always puzzles me. In many ways I'm the archetypal Brit, but I've never avoided sitting next to a complete stranger on public transport, and it's led to some of the most pleasurable conversations I've ever had. My wife and I recently got on a crowded train but had to sit in separate seats. On seeing this, a group of business people insisted on shifting their laptops around and changing seats so we could sit together. The rest of the journey was spent talking to them.
To be fair, waving to say thanks in a car takes practically 0 effort, so if you can't even be bothered to do that when someone waits for you to go, it's pretty fair to call that rude!
Yeah pretty good, I think you captured a lot of our traits. So much so that I kept thinking "that just seems natural, you mean they don't do that in other countries......?"
No,we didn't 😀
Ha ha I thought the same
Yep!!
I was born in England but mainly raised in Canada. I came back to England as an adult. One thing I noticed was English people apologise a lot. For example if someone was standing in a supermarket looking at the shelves and someone who was looking at their mobile phone nearly walked into them both people would apologise. This might not be true everywhere and for everybody but it seems to be true for most people where I've lived. Even though Canadians are supposedly polite I didn't do this at first if I was the innocent person. I would just grumble under my breath but now I tend to do it.
I apologised to a cash machine once. 🤦♀️
Cut a queue? That's a tutting.
Don't thank the bus driver? That's a tutting.
Don't wave thanks when I let you have right of way? You can bet that's a tutting!
I've only lived in England for 74 years (born here) and have never heard of "cutting" a queue - it's only "jumping".
Thanking the bus driver is one of the most genuine and beautiful things of the UK. Especially when routinely done in a huge city like London (I can’t imagine NY or any other big metropolis doing this). My German fiancé was very surprised when he saw me doing this when we visited London last year and he immediately adopted it!! 😊
As an irish person living in England, the 'you alright' greeting often makes me slightly paranoid wondering if I look ill or visibly worried. After nearly fifteen years settled here, I'm aware it's just the greeting everyone has gotten into the habit of, but that usually doesn't dent my anxiety.
My boss was Irish (VERY Irish) and that was her standard greeting. The way to get a reaction was to say no!
@@JT1358 Maybe it was something she picked up, I'm not aware of it being a common greeting phrase in Ireland, but perhaps it is in some places.
@Gaffthehorse Saying ‘Alright’ is a mark of respect to you as an acknowledgement of your existence. To not say ‘alright?’ (Or nod your head to the other person) would be a mark of disrespect. Simonline 😀👍
I hate that. In 2008 credit crunch l was in John Lewis looking round and people kept popping out at me asking if l was alright. In the end l asked if l looked very ill because l'd been asked a few times". I came to the conclusion the managers had told them to keep harassing customers to spend money!! 😤🤭
@Kate Åström No, not Irish-American. I was born and grew up in Derry, County Londonderry. This makes me Northern Irish. I've been living in England for more than a decade.
As a 66 yr old Brit, I think you have covered it well, it is as you describe. We do always think of other people and treat them as we would like to be treated. But don`t make us angry(maybe another video).
If all the authoritarian cr@p with regards to lockdowns and covid didn't get the country mad...then nothing ever will, thus your last statement is pointless and superfluous.
@@spanishpeaches2930 Easy Tiger, calm down.
@@headsup2433 Why should I ? It's true.
Yeah, If you push us too far... we might have to write an angry letter! (or email in the modern age!) :)
@@jjbandit2859 Or speak to a manager (and not in the Karen way).
As a Brit, I related to sooo many of these things. LOL. Although, I use a ❤ emoji instead of an x. Also, regarding tea drinking, you have to have a biscuit or few. And you have to dunk it in your tea. "A drink's too wet without one." (That was a slogan for Rich Tea biscuits back in the 70s.
You are spot on with your comments …. I just find it weird that other countries don’t have the same unwritten rules. You can tell that I haven’t travelled abroad very much. When I did go to the US I was amazed how often I was complemented on my accent 😀
I identify with most of these. I don’t tend to say “can’t complain” I say “Not too bad” meaning “Bad, but not TOO bad, considering the circumstances.”
I think there are still a lot of older Brits (like me) who don't use an x at the end of a message unless it's to very close friends or family. As it's becoming such an ingrained national habit, I'm increasingly aware of not doing it but can't bring myself to do so, hence I now use something else. 🙂
I have a dog so paws come in handy!🐾
It's embarrassing to realise you just put an x at the end of a work email... 😖
Not just me, then, Jacky! That's reassuring :)
I'm not sure what age is 'older' but I'm in my 50s and don't do the x thing.
@@Thurgosh_OG you're a youngster to me but clearly old enough! 🤭
I've noticed if you don't thank the driver on the buses around here the driver often retaliates by thanking you very loudly as you step off.
I worked one place where the cakes on birthdays thing was totally out of control. There were cakes virtually every single day and I hard to literally starve myself outside of work to stop turning into an elephant.
American from Wisconsin living in the UK for30 years and every observation had me laughing and nodding along. Brilliant. 😉
Did you know?….if someone is making you a cuppa and when they ask if you take sugar, your reply should be, ‘no thanks, I’m sweet enough!’ Now that’s a real Brit saying.
Or five please but don’t stir it I don’t like it too sweet !!
@@VWT5Alive and I thought I was the only one saying that !!!
Well, you seem to have got our number :-) I rather like the cheering when someone drops a glass (or prefferably a whole tray of glasses) When the unfortunate can carry it off with a bow I think it confirms our mutual assessment that no-one is perfect :-)
Very funny, and a lot of deep truths here! 😂 Remember it’s not (even remotely) ‘are you alright?’, it’s y’o’re’ - more schwa - when it’s a greeting 😉👍
Really enjoyed your summary - made me a little homesick even - might have a cuppa!
Spot on, I am a foreigner who lived in the UK for 20 years, in my country SA, we are very direct, being direct is seen as being honest and trustworthy, so even telling a friend if they are putting on weight is seen as a positive because you are being sincere and won't hide the truth, the Brits are the exact opposite though, they speak almost in a kind of code, you just have to know the actual meaning, and what is being said could at times be almost opposite, circumlocution, so you have to learn to interpret what they mean when they say certain phrases it is not obvious that it is actually a hidden criticism, like 'that is such an interesting choice of colour for a jacket' means I would rather die than be seen in something that hideous, or if they say we 'must meet up sometime' they 'I will check my calendar' is a polite way to decline a social engagement, but there is also a lot of what I now think of as filler phrases that means nothing at all, and they will periodically say these meaningless things while they are compiling their thoughts in their heads, like 'at the end of the day' or 'to be honest' there are many of those.
When a British person sees an American make tea they die inside, microwaving water is a very serious faux pas, as well as any deviation from the 'proper way' of doing things.
Humility is very important so someone who is a bit brash or full of themselves will quickly find British people take them down a peg, someone like Trump is almost universally reviled on the isles, but even someone like a prime minister in the UK would almost apologise or downplay their achievement of being elected for instance.
You can pinpoint someones home town almost to the neighbourhood by their choice of word for sandwhich
There is an incredible range of terms of endearment used even with strangers, and sometimes cute as hell, like called 'Duck' in Derby or 'Luv' in Birmingham,
Neighbouring cities often have mutually unintelligible accents 'like Brommie and Black-country' (for foreigners Black country refer to mines)
Personal fav of mine when someone asks me; “you alright mate?”
Answer; “I’m living the dream mate”
British sarcasm at its best lol 😂
Cup of tea, little bit of milk, no sugar, you are ours now Alanna 🤣
"Sack the Juggler" when someone drops a glass.
You've got us weighed up, Alanna. Most of this is so true. Personally I don't use "x" on texts (my mate Colin would get worried!) but I might use 1 or 2 to female family members.
Queue jumping is a *serious* social sin. A severe "Tutting" to the back of the miscreant's head is much in order. We Brits don't really go in for direct confrontation.
Have a great week Alanna.
Well, you've got our number. Decades ago I went to Ontario and spent a few days canoeing in Algonquin Park. I was wearing shorts on the way back and my legs got seriously burned. I was taken into a large hotel by somebody - can't remember how that happened - and they kindly gave me a towel filled with ice to help with the pain. And then there were the bears.
A female friend of mine got badly sunburned walking in the Yorkshire Dales (I know it sounds unlikely) and went to the local A&E (also unlikely, but true), The Doc examining her said that her legs were very swollen, and she was mortified to have to tell him that was their usual size (she's slim from the waist up, but not down)!
In UK you have to get used to roads with a 60mph speed limit only wide enough for one vehicle, and they have grass growing in the middle....
According to my passport , I'm not British. According to Alanna's list , I am !!! Great video, thanks girl 😂👍
Pretty spot on tbh, i had a bloke come sit next to me on the bus the other day with 4 completely empty seats, i was absolutely fuming. I also do the wave when a car lets me cross the road on foot too.
In the same. I need my personal space 😂
Yo.!....You're a comedian, as a Brit I was smiling all the way, your grasp of British bus quirks cracked me up. One thing that really makes me anxious is when you only have the back window seat and there's "the dreaded seat that directly faces you" no one sits on this seat until the bus is packed because were all scared to sit facing each other, what if we accidently touch toe to roe, now that's a fate worse than death, and you "Do Not" look at them or acknowledge them in any way, just compose yourself and look out the window for an hour. ..Now that is scary.! x
You know you are British when you do a ridiculous walk over a pedestrian crossing in order to convey to the driver who has had to stop for you that you are trying to cross as quickly as possible. I do it myself 😄
You missed the fact that when you are out and about and no matter how cold it is in the middle of winter. It is always a good idea to have an ice-cream. Maybe this is a Northern thing though
I'll eat ice cream any time!! Lop
Definitely the most accurate depiction of Britishness that I've seen in a video 🙌
"Cheers, m'dears!"
Cornwall
An accurate description of British behaviour, well done.
There is more to complaining about the weather than just that it is too hot or too cold, there is also the rain. After a few days rain we complain that we cannot cut the grass or weed the flowerbeds because it is just too wet. After a spell of warm dry weather, we complain that the grass is drying up and turning brown and all the flowers are wilting and that we really need some rain.
You know you're British when you say "public transport" lol 🇬🇧🇨🇦💜
A woman in front of me in the queue for the a.t.m. asked me to check her balance.......so I pushed her over. 😀🇬🇧🇨🇦💜
Lol. Whoosh ....straight over most people's heads!
😆 British humour. Love it!
So funny 🤣🤣
All very true, you missed off apologising for NEARLY bumping into someone. I didn’t even think that was weird until an American pointed it out to me
“Why you saying sorry?”
“I nearly bumped into you!”
“Yeah, nearly, your apologising got something that didn’t happen man!” 😂😂
I'm British and born in the UK. I agree with these. We always offer a cuppa or cup of tea or coffee to guests or people providing a service fixing something. We don't drink coffee anymore. We have 2 types of coffee for guests and visitors and fruit tea which I don't really like. I like mint tea though as well as breakfast tea. I always thank the bus driver especially if no one else thanks them.
Brilliant!!! As a northwest English man who's lived in NZ for 22 years, you've just demonstrated a lot of what I didn't realise I missed. Thanks
About queueing, I am so aware of jumping the queue, that if I see two queues, one of which is shorter, I will join the longer one 'just to play it safe'
Me also. Either that or asking politely "Is this the end of the queue?"
Your assessment is excellent but two or three things to add. To get off the bus you just say "excuse me" to let the person sitting beside you that this is your stop. The cup of tea thing when something awful has happened is to let you do something routine and comforting to get you through - also sweet tea helps with shock! Lastly - Rich Tea biscuits are the best xx 😀
Yes, Rich Tea happen to be my favourite biscuit!
Absolutely spot on; pretty much guilty as charged….😄
In Liverpool people don't queue for buses, everyone just mills around. When the bus arrives, generally you let the prams / mobility issue people on. Much more civilised. Also, what's the point of queuing if more than one bus stops there.