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Look not complaining is the British way. There was a flight from London to Perth Australia in 1982, whilst the jumbo flew over Indonesia all four engines failed. The passengers could hear that the engines were not roaring. One passenger being interviewed on a documentary afterwards said, the flight attendants walked up & down the aisles & asked the passengers if they were okay. One lady said yes, as she did not want to make a fuss. The pilot meanwhile was looking at the sea thinking about landing the plane. After a few minutes the plane engines returned to full capacity, the jumbo turned round to land in Jakarta Indonesia & the engines stopped again, it landed safely but volcanic ash had entered the engines. Everyone on board was fine. But no one complained. That is the British way.
When I lived in Greece saying Oxi as no did not feel natural it felt odd but weeks later (I lived there for 13 years) i was saying it & it was fine. Tipota means nothing, & in English you would say your welcome if you have done a favor for someone but in Greek you would say, when they say thank you, you say Tipota. I thought that odd. But again started saying it. When in Rome you do as the Romans do. It is easier.
The reason we are not a tipping culture is mostly because our waiting staff do not rely on tips - generally have a 'reasonable' wage - but I do tip if our waiter/waitress has done a good job
I’m with you there! From experience, I only tipped great service in American restaurants - they may expect it automatically but owners should pay better wages
I work in hospitality. When you consider the weekly unpaid overtime, it isn't a reasonable wage, it often isn't even minimum wage. But that's not the customers fault, it's the owners/industry
Don't worry about your accent. My mum never lost her Jamaican accent. Regional folk from around Britain are proud of their accents as are people from overseas.
When I went to Uni in Birmingham (England) (I'm from Wales) a few of us new students were having a chat. We got onto the subject of accents, and how it was fun it was that there were so many accents in our classroom. A posh student balked at this, and said "actually, I dont have an accent", we all looked at him, it was like a momment from the Wicker Man. One week later, he'd left the course. I feel that was a pivotal moment in his decision....
The strange thing about 24hr/military time here in the UK is that we read and write it but never verbalise it. If asked the time and on the clock it reads 18:00 we say it's six o'clock and not 18 hundred hours.
We take shoes off because we don't want to track mud in the house, saves on cleaning, and also, we don't need to tip (although we still do when we get excellent service and feel its deserved) because we pay our staff an actual wage they could live off rather than pass it off to the customer to pay their wage.
@@patriciabeharry7473 used to be carpet heaven in uk , but since we started laying laminate flooring everywhere we don’t tend to be to bothered nowadays , I find a lot of this woman’s observations are slightly off actually probably because she’s living in London which has been out of step with the rest of the uk for years now
Nobody comes in my house without taking their shoes off. I have cream coloured carpet through out my house, except for the bathroom and kitchen of course.
@@patriciabeharry7473 I have more than once , grew up with take your shoes of at the door. Sometime's even when visiting a friend, I am 64 . It still remains common practice, I never wear shoes at home ever nothing to do with mud it's for my own comfort
I've actually had that, when my wife and I had a meal several years ago I ordered fried scampi and got steak because both meals arrived at the same time I wasn't willing to wait while my wife ate so I kept the wrong meal and thoughtfully enjoyed it. We were offered a free dessert as an apology and I refused because the meal I was given cost more than the one I had paid for so I didn't feel it was fair.
With Brit small talk, the medium definitely is the message. We don't really care about the topic, we're just trying to show you we care about you in the least emotionally vulnerable, least privacy invading way possible.
yes....talking about the weather is a form of bonding. However, I have a neighbour who, whether it's raining or you're being blown over by strong winds, always avers a positive side to it. I know him well enough to let his comments pass by, but if he were a stranger, I'd be full of bile and hate him.
Spot on. I don't really care anymore, but when I just came into UK (I am from Russia) I found it really cold and careless, I'd rather them not talk to me at all than 'fake talk' to me. I now accept it as one of the meaningless things people do. But at first I found it so annoying, it was like people were just exercising their lips, like if they didn't do it, their mouth would stop working or something. (Maybe I am just weird.)
We had a series of European au pairs and they never got the hang of the weather. They would go out for the day in a tee shirt in spring because it was hot sun and we’d say ‘you must take a raincoat! They thought we were mad. One hour later they’d be wet and freezing.
I am Scottish, so if the meal is not correct - as in a mixed grill when I ordered a vegetarian meal (which happened) - I send it back. If the chips (French fries) are too dry, or the pasta overcooked, I tell them. However, I always praise them for something really well done.
Likewise, but pretty much only when the mistake's A Problem rather than tolerable. So, for example, probably wouldn't if the steak is medium-rare rather than rare, absolutely would - and have done - if my husband's dietary restrictions prevent him from eating the meal in a way that can't be fixed by us at the table (he can't eat tomato, for example. If they put a tomato on his breakfast, we can just shift it over to my plate. If it's beans... That's not something that we can really fix?)
I only complain in restaurants if the problem is intolerable. The last time was years ago and it was when my tea came with UHT milk and when I politely asked for some fresh milk it was refused claiming they didn’t have any. But I pointed out they do and they use it in the coffee machine. Still the server did not back down until I pointed out that I had not paid for the £30 worth of food I had ordered yet (got the tea at the bar when ordering the food) then a jug of milk was supplied. We used to go to this restaurants about once a month and had never had a problem or received UHT milk. Did not go back for 5 years after that when we did a jug of milk came with the tea without asking and it was now order from the table 😀
My local pub had a questionnaire about the food. I felt it my duty to tell them that the gravy was too salty for my taste, but preceded it with lots of praise for the good bits. All the locals talked a lot about the food amongst themselves, and we all agreed about the gravy, but it seemed that not many had actually mentioned it!
As I live in the driest part of the UK we have no rain for weeks while the rest of the country is inundated with rain, have watched across the Thames estuary four miles away Kent having deep snow while i was on a hilltop in the sun on green grass.
Beans on toast when made right is great, crusty toasted bread buttered , Heinz beans, a pinch of salt and pepper, optional grated cheese, ham, what's not to like.
Thanks again for a really interesting video. As for the 24 hour clock. For 22:00 - you’d just say “twenty two hundred” or “twenty two hundred hours”. For something like 22:15 - you can say “twenty two fifteen” or “twenty two fifteen hundred hours” etc
most british moms teach kids about beans on toast as a safety tip. when your kid comes home drunk (and peckish) you do not want them trying to cook chips biggest cause of house fire was falling asleep with the chip pan on
Love your channel! I’m from NJ, but visit friends in England whenever possible, even lived and worked in Canterbury for 2 years. I use 12 and 24 hr times interchangeably and can talk about the weather with the best. As far as shoes off - I didn’t grow up that way, but COVID changed that. My son started shoes off when he became a dad. One more thing - 👍beans on toast!
The shoes off thing is probably due to historically everyone had carpets and with our weather being as soggy as it is usually meant dirty wet and/or dirty shoes so naturally you'd take them off before walking mud into the carpet.
I'm over 60 years old and in all my time visiting people in England, I've only come across two houses where you were asked to leave your shoes in the hall. (One of those was a family where they had transparent plastic wrappers on their three piece suite, so...)
24 hr time is easy. Don't think take away. instead think "what do I add to to 12 to get 17 :40. Answer:: 5:40. 40 minutes past 5 pm or twenty to 6 pm .
Is it safe to assume that you've also converted to DD/MM/YY date format? I can't imagine having lived here for 10 years and still be using months first. Also, shoes off in the house. It's your home and you don't want to bring any sort of crap from the outside
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Possibly the worst thing about complaining about the food in a restaurant, is when someone else decides to complain on your behalf. You don't want to cause a fuss so you are eating the thing which is not quite right, but when the waiter asks is everything OK, they jump in and start pointing at your food and saying it is not. You want the ground to open up and swallow you but it doesn't, so you have to sit there like a five year old while two adults argue about your dinner.
In the UK we are more likely to have carpets and rugs, it keeps houses warmer, we also have the unpredictable weather (rain) and do more walking it's more difficult to clean carpets especially light coloured ones so we take our shoes off and wear slippers to keep feet warm.
The 24 hour clock ones always surprises me. There’s probably so many mistakes being made in the US, especially with travel times, mistaking 7am for 7pm. You can’t mess up between 0700 and 1900.
And yet despite the clear superiority, even in the UK you regularly find crusty dinosaurs who claim not to be able to understand a simple bus or rail timetable - I swear if the Television Channels were publicised in the 24 hour clock they'd realise within a day at most what time Corry or Eastenders were on...
Having used USA timetables they are so easy to mis-read. The 24 hour clock makes them so much easier and much less prone to errors. Having written that, I do mentally change it AM/PM.
Doesn’t surprise me mate, they still use fluid once’s and gallons. What surprises me is we can’t let go of some imperial measures like mpg when we use litres and yards in sport etc. There’s been at least 2 plane crashes because of conversion to worldwide standard litres and American gallons. This has now been changed to litres all over the aviation world to reduce the risk of a plane running out of fuel
The shoes on shoes off in the house varies between households. I always wear mine in the my house for the most part. You usually follow your friends rules when in their houses.
Taking your shoes off in other people's houses only became a "thing" in the last 15 years or so. As a guy in his 60s it would never have occurred to me when younger to take my shoes off when entering someone else's house.
I'm a Brit in my 60's and NEVER been into a UK house where it is expected that I would doff my shoes. When visiting my German friends in their German homes - that is another matter. I have carpets everywhere and sometimes see the consequences of allowing unrestricted access for shoes - but someone has to support the carpet cleaner industry!
I'm 53 and I've only seen this in Japan. I'm suspecting that this is folk in the south east not knowing how to use vacuum cleaners or mops, or how to respect the visitors to their houses.
@@jonathanfinan722 I'm in my mid 50's and was always brought up to remove my shoes at the door mat. I was once asked, as I entered someone's house, "are your family Scottish? That's a very Scottish thing to do"; but I don't know whether that's true. As it happens my Mum's Mum was from a Scottish family, and we all know that 'Mum makes the rules'; so perhaps it IS true.
Of course we talk about the weather, there's a lot to talk about! The British Isles sits under a weather front with Atlantic weather battling European continental weather fronts, added to which we have the Jet Stream and the Gulf Stream affecting the mix.
I once say George Takei on this subject. He never understood why people talked about the weather until he stayed in Edinburgh and discovered you can run the full gamut of all the seasons in a morning.
as someone from uk who lived in Florida for 8 years. One thing i had to get used was when i did my last 2 years at school was using the word full stop instead of period got allot of weird looks haha. The funny thing is a got in trouble for asking for a rubber when i was in school in Florida instead of saying eraser haha.
When I go indoors into my own house I take my shoes off in the hall and put my slippers on. When we have visitors I say to them that they can keep their shoes on if they want and some do and some take them off - but they do not usually have slippers with them. Obviously if the shoes were blatantly muddy I would ask them to take them off and I would put some paper down in the utility room and put the musddy shoes on the paper.
The restaurant thing depends on who I am with. Informal, with friends - I will complain. Formal, or perhaps a special occasion, I might keep quiet. It’s an empathy thing - I don’t want to upset my fellow diners at my expense if it can be helped. Plus - there’s a politeness in the UK that if you send a meal back some of you friends will wait until you can start, again while their meals go cold, despite your insistence that they begin.
Very interesting! Yes, that makes a lot of sense about it being about politeness to your fellow diners too. I feel like in the States we don't even go through the niceties of waiting for our friends to get their meals half the time, haha! If someone says go ahead and eat, we're going right ahead! :D
So a couple of weeks ago I was walking around the Epsom Downs with a woman of my acquaintance and after a few miles, we climbed onto the terrace of an expensive 'pub' and were able to acquire unbooked seats - outside of course. My friend ordered a glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but after delivery complained to me that it tasted like cheap Chilean house plonk. The French waitress then passing, was summoned and the birth status of the wine was discussed, the waitress insisting she had delivered it herself from the antipodean sourced bottle. HOWEVER a few minutes later she reappeared with another glass on a tray. She described how she had opened a new bottle and offered the replacement glass. My friend tasted and confirmed that it was like another more heavenly world. She like me is a Brit, but unlike me is not a wimp and knows what her wine should taste like. The waitress impressed me very much. That is the way to win customer loyalty. The original bottle may have been opened a few days, there being cheaper wines available, for unfussy drinkers. We were not charged any more, though at £7 the glass probably cost almost as much as a full bottle.
I'm laughing so hard at British words. I totally use British words every chance I can get. I end my emails with Cheers, and now if I ramble on, I say I'm waffling. LOL I belong there! ;)
I have actually worked as a waitresses in a setting where the tips were more than the wages here in the UK. But it was slightly different because it was a Warner Hotel, where guests stayed for a whole weekend or week so you ended up serving the same people for their whole stay and once they were finished and gone, you are not expecting anyone else. The guests are so friendly and just lovely! You get to know each other a bit so you always end up getting a good tip on their last day. The best part though was when the tip came in a thank you card! People here are so grateful and they are not afraid to show it! And the tips you got were yours to keep. I've also worked in a hotel in Greece where they were shared, so I had a table of Germans once, who knew that, and on their last day, they waited for me outside till I finished for the day, and they gave me €20 and said:"for YOU only, not share!" I was touched and very impressed and grateful!
'Twenty two hundred' in civvy street, 'Twenty two hundred hours' if you're military. In fact, Brits are used to the 24 hour clock on devices, timetables etc, but we almost always use the 12 hour clock in speech. I expect you've noticed.
On the shoes off in the house thing, I think it is more to do with the formality of the occasion or the familiarity of the visitor. If was going round a friends house or to visit a family member I would take off my shoes but if I were going to someone’s house I know less well like for a dinner party, I would keep my shoes on unless specifically asked to remove them
Shoes in the house might be a carpets thing. In our house we have hard floors downstairs and carpets upstairs in the bedrooms, so visitors might keep their shoes on downstairs, but you'd sort of expect them to take their shoes off before walking upstairs. That's my guess anyway.
Regards meals out your right but I do complain when I need to. I’m a vegetarian and on numerous times had my meals ruined by having meat added to my meals. The topic on the weather, you should take a look at all the words / phrase we have in the UK for the rain.
A bit late to the party, but your channel just came up in my feed, recently. I'm Canadian, but from the Maritimes... and I guess we still have a lot of leftover influence from the Scots and English. Baked beans on toast... mmmmmm... wonderful comfort food on a cold winters day. (and anytime you need a quick meal) When making it from a tin, we have two options, either pork and molasses sauce, or tomato sauce. I've never seen beans in a BBQ sauce. Canada's bus, rail, and plane services have long used a 24 hour clock. I learned the 24 hour time, when I was studying German. Most people here though just use AM/PM 12 hour time. PS: when learning 24H time, just ignore the first number, (if the time is over 13:00) and only subtract 2 from the remaining number. (eg 19:30h, ignore the 1, take 2 from 9, and you have 7pm). You know it is pm because the time was larger than 12.😁 I also use a lot of British phrases. Grandparents were from Scotland, English relatives sent us UK books at Christmas, and CBC used to show quite a few British shows. (Corrie and Eastenders are still shown here). Bonnet, boot, windscreen, pardon, cheers, mate/or buddy (maritime phrase). Not so much the food words, but I would know what someone was asking for. End of a conversation I might say 'Right O', and I will usually say Fire Reels, instead of Fire Truck. (grandparents influence).😊 It helps where I work (Home Depot), because a Brit was in, and asked if we had any Perspex. I said 'yes, halfway down aisle 28'. A younger staff member asked us what is that, and myself and another 'old' guy, both replied, 'it's Plexiglass', at the same time.😂 Don't hold back on using British phrases while you are there. We usually joke that we speak three dialects, Canadian English, British English, and American English.😉 And yes... there is a fair bit of difference, between the three.😊 Cheers!
I'm an expat Brit now living in Turkey and here it is normal not to wear outdoor shoes inside a home. If you go visiting you take your shoes of outside before entering. It is OK to wear slippers or open toed sandals if you bring them with you, or the host provides them!
Although we use the 24 hour clock it is only visual. When we talk to someone and mention the time we would not say “21.00 hrs”, which is military speak, or “21 o’clock” (never heard of this) but we would say “9pm” or even “9 at night/in the evening”. If it is obvious what time of the day you mean then 9 o’clock would be used.
Shoes off - is I suspect related to the frequent wet weather and the prevalence historically of houses to be fully carpeted. Also, you don't want to walk mud/animal droppings through the house. We use both the 12 hour and 24 hour clock interchangeably - I would suggest we are more likely to say 2pm or 2 in the afternoon than 14 hundred hours - although official appointments etc will more likely be in "military time".
The thing that surprised me about eating out in America was the box for leftovers. I was just going to leave a lot of food behind in a steak house because it was a massive meal and my friends said "ask for a box to take it home". As an English couple we could not believe it. This was Tampa BTW.😊
Age 54 and really confused about the shoe thing .It must be a younger generation thing. I was never told to take my shoes off in the house growing up. Although in the last few years I have started to do that when asked, or I will ask some of my posher relatives or friends if I should when I visit. Notice I said my posher friends. But in general everyone i know keeps them on unless asked to do it.
Working in hospitality in the UK I can say that tipping is expected actually but it is not required or essential but some recognition of good service is always welcome. Tips are generally pooled in the UK and shared between serving staff and chefs depending on the number of hours worked.
I'm from Australia and my coworker is from China. We work in the UK and somehow we talk about the weather all the time. I wonder if Girl Gone London drinks 6 cups of tea a day.
i've got to be honest - the way we do time is a bit weird. the clock on the pc says 17:28 and i'm immediately thinking "half five". probably a bit confusing.
As an older English person I would like you to know the following: Until around 30 years ago nobody said "cheers" or, upon greeting someone "Are you Alright". I have never said those things in my life. I think it is silly. The 24 hr clock has only become in common use for about the same time. Around 30 years. That can be confusing although I am getting used to it now. The weather has always been a frequent topic of conversation because this island of ours has very changeable weather. Having said those things I cannot understand why American households do not have kettles. I think that is weird. I know we use them for tea a lot but there are many other uses for quick boiling water. Every household in Britain has one.
I had never come across the whole thing of not wearing shoes inside until I moved to Japan, where it is basically compulsory. I have adopted it since returning, but I don't think it is the norm widely in the UK.
Hey Kalyn I am English and have lived the the US for the last 10 years so it funny seeing things from you’re view point. I find the shoes thing is the other way around with more people here taking them off. Will say though you are spot on with the Beans on toast, but don’t forget the Marmite
I went to a small gig by an American singer/songwriter called Jenny Owen Youngs, who'd been suffering a horrible cold whilst on tour, and was totally sold on beans on toast as comfort food to help get her through that. Presumably with HP sauce. In Germany, apparantly, "shoes off" is the rule. Often they have ""hausschuhe"" for visitors.
In addition to talking about the weather, it's very common to ask someone who has travelled how the journey was. This often develops into a conversation about roadworks, traffic jams or which is the best route to take to get from X to Y.
As regards tipping - here in the UK it is quite common to see a 15% service charge on your check. We only tip if there is no service charge (and if they deserve it).
As a Brit with an American husband, the beans on toast comment made me laugh. He has come to enjoy this dish (lol) despite most Americans finding beans on toast disgusting.
hahaha , they will be back ,,,, beautiful breakfast ....beans on toast with a couple rashers of bacon and a couple of eggs cooked to your desire ,,,,,or just beans on toast ,,,yum yum
I remember going out for a meal with my family and my mum was given the wrong order. When the waiter came over and asked if everything was OK, she said yes. I had to speak up and mention that her order was wrong, and they apologised and got the correct order. I've never understood our aversion to making a complaint to wait staff. There are definitely things that are too petty, and certainly a wrong way to do it, but so long as your polite and aware in my experence most people don't mind.
And you’re paying for it so why is it acceptable when it’s bad or wrong, you return things from a store so I never understand people’s reticence when food or service is appalling. If I’m paying for it shouldn’t it be what I ordered and edible and not make me sick?
Watching the English by Kate Fox is an excellent book, not just for non-Brits, but for Brits as well as it is a mirror to ourselves. I am a Brit but have lived overseas for nearly 30 years. My wife, who is not a Brit,. read the book and her reaction was 'Yep, that's you'. I had never noticed
I'm loving your channel, and I've noticed growing up in a small market town that has a American Air base, I have a very mixed vocab. Drives my mum and dad up the wall lol
I never thought about it till you mentioned it but we write and read in "military time" but we still verbalise it in 12 hour time eg: if we look at 21:30 we'd instantly just say its half 9 if someone asked
Weather !!!!! Here in Scotland (near Edinburgh), if you don't like the weather, hang around for 20 minutes...... Unpredictable is an understatement! We only seem to get 3 seasons up here, early winter, late winter and waiting for winter
Some UK restaurants add a "service charge" to the bill. Which is supposed to cover the tip. So Americans who don't know and still tip, will be very welcome. They also know that British customers are very unlikely to complain and ask for the service charge removed, no matter how bad the service has been,
With the 24h clock; take 2 off the last number after 12, so 13.00 - 3-2=1 = 1pm. 17.00 - 7-2=5 = 5pm.... and on (20.00 - 0 means 10 so 10-2=8pm, 21.00 is 11-2 etc)
Shoes off but , You can take them off indoors usually leave them by the door , And it's just usually people like to keep their carpet clean and usually have just done the house work before people come round. But some people don't mind. Depends on the house hold i think.
Regarding the “beans on toast” thing, might I offer a suggestion that a cardiologist would frown at? With the large tin of BB goodness in the saucepan, try adding a couple of ounces of slightly salted butter, continue to simmer/stir and mash a few beans in the saucepan (it thickens the sauce) before tipping the lot on thick sliced (buttered, obviously) toasted bread. Your cardiologist might not approve about such a change but feel free to enjoy it occasionally.
I usually look at the feet of the person who answers the door. If they're wearing their outdoor shoes, I just leave them on, but give them a really good wipe on the door mat to be sure they're as clean as possible. Unless I knew that I'd stepped in mud of course, then I'd take them off regardless.
@@jonathanwetherell3609 Alumium changed its name to aluminum in 1812, then the British changed it again to aluminium to come in line with the sound of other elements, the Americans kept the older name, the Brits use the new
No I'm quite assertive if something's wrong in a restaurant. I am never rude but I'll get something sorted out if it's wrong. I'll even go after staff to correct something if it takes too long.
That was really great. What about gobsmacked and half ten? I’m a Canadian and also a British citizen so when I visit it’s about a quick shifting of gears . Many thanks.
@@Vickys1988-d7z I'm not sure how many times I can say it. I've witnessed it first hand when working in a kitchen. I've seen a chef put food down his pants and then onto a plate because he felt the customer was complaining for the sale of it to get a free meal. Lots of things aren't allowed but definitely do happen.
As someone born and brought up in England I don't think I've ever said "cheers" for thank you. I think it might be more prevalent in some areas than others. I also think that the shoes thing varies - some people definitely insist on shoes off, but I know plenty of people that don't. I feel like the main reason we do it is because a) the climate is often wet and b) most houses are carpeted inside so it's easy to tred wet dirt into the carpet when walking in, which is a nightmare to clean.
Bread is for sandwiches. If you can not pick something up and eat it that way it does not belong on toast. Whether it is beans on toast or whether it is biscuits with that white gravy poured on top (or sh*t on a shingle too).
So eating like a grown up then. The first time I saw an American eat I just couldn't believe it. How is that in anyway sensible? It just seems like a small child eating their food after it's been cut up for them.
@Rita Roork Well clearly not as the only reason you use them and not your hands like the native Americans did is because Europeans brought cutlery with them and none of them cut their food up and then switched hands with the fork to eat it. It's utterly bizarre and no civalised people eat that way. Civalised people also spelt civalised with an s and not a z, the language is ENGLISH so I'm right, as I am with knives and forks. We were using them the correct way before any Europeans stumbled upon North America and had their descendent screwed it up :P
Regarding not telling staff that something is wrong with our meal. We all assume that if we say something is wrong its going to come back with some bodily fluid incorporated if its something petty, catering is hard enough without someone being picky about how something was cooked, unless its steak or something is overcooked/under done we wouldn't say anything
Left over chicken or beef curry heated up and poured on several slices of buttered toast . And this is for breakfast . Plus the obligatory cup of tea . Enjoy
Part of the key thing with not saying anything to the server is to then bitterly complain about it when they're no longer around you and nothing can be done - so well done!
i think I got into the habit of signing off with "cheers" because it's two syllables shorter than "cheerio" - makes more sense when speaking than writing!
About your first bit;If you complain about your food and get a replacement, you can never be sure what the cook does to/in it in the kitchen.I would rather leave than criticise the staff about the food that they serve.But you are right about the british on this point.I was a cook and never spit or jerked off into dishes(honestly) but i know that it occurs so if you are unhappy with you meal don,t send it back,just leave,it,s safer.
With over 20 years in the hospitality trade I can testify to this.....Never be rude to,or piss off your waiter unless you want something awful to happen to your food when it returns from the kitchen...Politeness costs nothing after all😊
@@mubbles1066 I am appalled at what you say in also 20yrs of hospitality work I have never worked anywhere that would do anything bad with your food regardless of how rude you are. Why would do that. Waiting or kitchen staff spitting or anything else in your food is an urban myth it just doesn't happen in my experience.
Taking shoes off probably to do with someone having carpet. I take my shoes off at home for this reason as shoes are dirty from outside, I do the same when I visit my dads or my sisters as they have carpet but I don't at my mums as she doesn't have carpet down
Let me see if I can explain the main differences between rugby league and union. League is mainly a northern England game, union a Southern game. Hi union was played by the gentry on a amateur basis. League players were paid to play from the start. Union 5 points for a try, league 4 points. A conversation attempt that follows a try gives you 3 points in union but 2 in league. Union 15 men a side, league 13. When tackled in union you must rekeasey the ball, league is like NFL where you get 6 goes with any play before a turnover.
Our family always say if there is something wrong with our meals and do tip if we have good service and or good food.. We talk about the weather because we can have all for 4 seasons in one day and not always in any order.
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Look not complaining is the British way. There was a flight from London to Perth Australia in 1982, whilst the jumbo flew over Indonesia all four engines failed. The passengers could hear that the engines were not roaring. One passenger being interviewed on a documentary afterwards said, the flight attendants walked up & down the aisles & asked the passengers if they were okay. One lady said yes, as she did not want to make a fuss. The pilot meanwhile was looking at the sea thinking about landing the plane. After a few minutes the plane engines returned to full capacity, the jumbo turned round to land in Jakarta Indonesia & the engines stopped again, it landed safely but volcanic ash had entered the engines. Everyone on board was fine. But no one complained. That is the British way.
That particular lady on the plane wrote a book "When all 4 engines failed".
When I lived in Greece saying Oxi as no did not feel natural it felt odd but weeks later (I lived there for 13 years) i was saying it & it was fine. Tipota means nothing, & in English you would say your welcome if you have done a favor for someone but in Greek you would say, when they say thank you, you say Tipota. I thought that odd. But again started saying it. When in Rome you do as the Romans do. It is easier.
What about colour, favour, behaviour, maneouvre, entre, theatre,???
The reason we are not a tipping culture is mostly because our waiting staff do not rely on tips - generally have a 'reasonable' wage - but I do tip if our waiter/waitress has done a good job
I’m with you there!
From experience, I only tipped great service in American restaurants - they may expect it automatically but owners should pay better wages
We only give a tip it we've had really great service.
I work in hospitality. When you consider the weekly unpaid overtime, it isn't a reasonable wage, it often isn't even minimum wage. But that's not the customers fault, it's the owners/industry
@@readingfcdec Unpaid overtime? That sucks - When I was waitressing overtime was time and a half and bank holidays was double-time
I tip every single time.
Praise the lord for beans on toast. It's saved more council estate kids lives than unisef
😂😂😂
Especially when you find little sausages in there and feel rich!
Testify!
Amen to that and Harry Heinz
I used to eat that when I was poor. Now I'm doing a bit better I add a couple of rashers of back bacon. Living the dream.
Don't worry about your accent.
My mum never lost her Jamaican accent.
Regional folk from around Britain are proud of their accents as are people from overseas.
When I went to Uni in Birmingham (England) (I'm from Wales) a few of us new students were having a chat. We got onto the subject of accents, and how it was fun it was that there were so many accents in our classroom. A posh student balked at this, and said "actually, I dont have an accent", we all looked at him, it was like a momment from the Wicker Man. One week later, he'd left the course. I feel that was a pivotal moment in his decision....
Exactly makes no difference really could still be really nice polite and blinding people.
@@ChrisThomas-lt8jd where I’m from in Boston, Mass. we think we don’t have an accent until you hear your voice back on tape. Lol
The strange thing about 24hr/military time here in the UK is that we read and write it but never verbalise it. If asked the time and on the clock it reads 18:00 we say it's six o'clock and not 18 hundred hours.
True
We take shoes off because we don't want to track mud in the house, saves on cleaning, and also, we don't need to tip (although we still do when we get excellent service and feel its deserved) because we pay our staff an actual wage they could live off rather than pass it off to the customer to pay their wage.
Where do you walk to get mud on your shoes? I've never got any mud on my shoes.
@@patriciabeharry7473 used to be carpet heaven in uk , but since we started laying laminate flooring everywhere we don’t tend to be to bothered nowadays , I find a lot of this woman’s observations are slightly off actually probably because she’s living in London which has been out of step with the rest of the uk for years now
Nobody comes in my house without taking their shoes off. I have cream coloured carpet through out my house, except for the bathroom and kitchen of course.
Danger of walking in dog poo or gum into the carpet.
@@patriciabeharry7473 I have more than once , grew up with take your shoes of at the door. Sometime's even when visiting a friend, I am 64 . It still remains common practice, I never wear shoes at home ever nothing to do with mud it's for my own comfort
I've actually had that, when my wife and I had a meal several years ago I ordered fried scampi and got steak because both meals arrived at the same time I wasn't willing to wait while my wife ate so I kept the wrong meal and thoughtfully enjoyed it. We were offered a free dessert as an apology and I refused because the meal I was given cost more than the one I had paid for so I didn't feel it was fair.
That's ultra British and rather lovely. I think I would have done the same.
With Brit small talk, the medium definitely is the message. We don't really care about the topic, we're just trying to show you we care about you in the least emotionally vulnerable, least privacy invading way possible.
yes....talking about the weather is a form of bonding. However, I have a neighbour who, whether it's raining or you're being blown over by strong winds, always avers a positive side to it. I know him well enough to let his comments pass by, but if he were a stranger, I'd be full of bile and hate him.
Spot on. I don't really care anymore, but when I just came into UK (I am from Russia) I found it really cold and careless, I'd rather them not talk to me at all than 'fake talk' to me. I now accept it as one of the meaningless things people do. But at first I found it so annoying, it was like people were just exercising their lips, like if they didn't do it, their mouth would stop working or something. (Maybe I am just weird.)
We have the best weather in the world, where else can you get all 4 seasons in 1 day!.
I had 4 in a hour yesterday.
Haha so true!
We had a series of European au pairs and they never got the hang of the weather. They would go out for the day in a tee shirt in spring because it was hot sun and we’d say ‘you must take a raincoat! They thought we were mad. One hour later they’d be wet and freezing.
I was in east USA once - 26° one day; 8cm of snow the next. Weather is weird the world over
Walking my dog this April, went out in sunshine, returned in near blizzard conditions, not to worry, it was April, I was dressed for the worst!
Corrupted you? Corrupted you? Lol! We've HEALED you. :))
😂 😂 😂
Amen 🙏
Ooooh I like this lol 👍🏻
Weather: Have you had the 4 seasons in a day yet? Sun, rain, snow, wind, the lot. Usually all in an afternoon.
Happy fortnight.
Baked beans, grated cheese and a baked potato. Lovely!
Yum, bloody yum!
You can't go wrong with that.
And coleslaw
@@jillhobson6128 yeeeeees coleslaw 😃 with loads of black pepper. Soooooo good with B-Beans. Yum 😋
I was with you until the coleslaw
I am Scottish, so if the meal is not correct - as in a mixed grill when I ordered a vegetarian meal (which happened) - I send it back. If the chips (French fries) are too dry, or the pasta overcooked, I tell them. However, I always praise them for something really well done.
Aye....I do the same 🏴
I never have any qualms about complaining in a restaurant, but being British, I would have to preface the complaint with "I'm very sorry, but...."
Likewise, but pretty much only when the mistake's A Problem rather than tolerable. So, for example, probably wouldn't if the steak is medium-rare rather than rare, absolutely would - and have done - if my husband's dietary restrictions prevent him from eating the meal in a way that can't be fixed by us at the table (he can't eat tomato, for example. If they put a tomato on his breakfast, we can just shift it over to my plate. If it's beans... That's not something that we can really fix?)
I only complain in restaurants if the problem is intolerable. The last time was years ago and it was when my tea came with UHT milk and when I politely asked for some fresh milk it was refused claiming they didn’t have any. But I pointed out they do and they use it in the coffee machine. Still the server did not back down until I pointed out that I had not paid for the £30 worth of food I had ordered yet (got the tea at the bar when ordering the food) then a jug of milk was supplied.
We used to go to this restaurants about once a month and had never had a problem or received UHT milk. Did not go back for 5 years after that when we did a jug of milk came with the tea without asking and it was now order from the table 😀
As long as you don't preface the complaint with "I'm not complaining.... But"
😂😂😂
There's a few British people who will complain about shoddy service / bad food, meanwhile the rest of us inwardly cringe but with a secret admiration
My local pub had a questionnaire about the food. I felt it my duty to tell them that the gravy was too salty for my taste, but preceded it with lots of praise for the good bits. All the locals talked a lot about the food amongst themselves, and we all agreed about the gravy, but it seemed that not many had actually mentioned it!
As I live in the driest part of the UK we have no rain for weeks while the rest of the country is inundated with rain, have watched across the Thames estuary four miles away Kent having deep snow while i was on a hilltop in the sun on green grass.
Beans on toast when made right is great, crusty toasted bread buttered , Heinz beans, a pinch of salt and pepper, optional grated cheese, ham, what's not to like.
Branston beans for me now. Heinz has gone down downhill in my opinion.
The weather is always a good opening for a conversation with a stranger as it is something everyone has in common or has an opinion on.
I never understood it.
Thanks again for a really interesting video. As for the 24 hour clock. For 22:00 - you’d just say “twenty two hundred” or “twenty two hundred hours”. For something like 22:15 - you can say “twenty two fifteen” or “twenty two fifteen hundred hours” etc
most british moms teach kids about beans on toast as a safety tip.
when your kid comes home drunk (and peckish) you do not want them trying to cook chips
biggest cause of house fire was falling asleep with the chip pan on
Love your channel! I’m from NJ, but visit friends in England whenever possible, even lived and worked in Canterbury for 2 years. I use 12 and 24 hr times interchangeably and can talk about the weather with the best. As far as shoes off - I didn’t grow up that way, but COVID changed that. My son started shoes off when he became a dad. One more thing - 👍beans on toast!
The shoes off thing is probably due to historically everyone had carpets and with our weather being as soggy as it is usually meant dirty wet and/or dirty shoes so naturally you'd take them off before walking mud into the carpet.
Thinking random strangers are laughing at you is very British! You’re truly one of us now 🥰
So true!!!
.....maybe explains why we're not very good at stand up.....
I'm over 60 years old and in all my time visiting people in England, I've only come across two houses where you were asked to leave your shoes in the hall. (One of those was a family where they had transparent plastic wrappers on their three piece suite, so...)
@@BertSmithLondon at least it will be the LAST white carpet she buys. :)
Beens on toast is good anytime of the day breakfast, lunch or dinner
24 hr time is easy. Don't think take away. instead think "what do I add to to 12 to get 17 :40. Answer:: 5:40. 40 minutes past 5 pm or twenty to 6 pm .
Is it safe to assume that you've also converted to DD/MM/YY date format? I can't imagine having lived here for 10 years and still be using months first.
Also, shoes off in the house. It's your home and you don't want to bring any sort of crap from the outside
Interested in hearing more of my story and getting the inside scoop on what life is like in the UK for an American? Check out this article here! girlgonelondon.com/how-to-move-to-the-uk-from-america-2/
Saying sorry for everything is very British.🤦♀️
I'm British, we may say sorry alot but we can also be very arrogant and dismissive at the same time, of course this doesn't apply to everyone.
Now I know why Americans don't like the idea of our beans on toast
Possibly the worst thing about complaining about the food in a restaurant, is when someone else decides to complain on your behalf. You don't want to cause a fuss so you are eating the thing which is not quite right, but when the waiter asks is everything OK, they jump in and start pointing at your food and saying it is not. You want the ground to open up and swallow you but it doesn't, so you have to sit there like a five year old while two adults argue about your dinner.
Ah, yes!!!!!! This has happened to me before and it went exactly as you described.
As an American, I don’t see what’s so bad about telling the waiter they forgot something or that something is not right.
@@gsotoaz As a Brit I don't see whats wrong with this either.
In the UK we are more likely to have carpets and rugs, it keeps houses warmer, we also have the unpredictable weather (rain) and do more walking it's more difficult to clean carpets especially light coloured ones so we take our shoes off and wear slippers to keep feet warm.
I have a telephone call with my team across the UK every day. The first two minutes is what's the weather where you are.
Love that. Peak British!
@@jillhobson6128 when I lived in the UK for 9 years I found the weather was always a good ice breaker.
The 24 hour clock ones always surprises me. There’s probably so many mistakes being made in the US, especially with travel times, mistaking 7am for 7pm. You can’t mess up between 0700 and 1900.
And yet despite the clear superiority, even in the UK you regularly find crusty dinosaurs who claim not to be able to understand a simple bus or rail timetable - I swear if the Television Channels were publicised in the 24 hour clock they'd realise within a day at most what time Corry or Eastenders were on...
This is very true! Makes it much more specific, doesn't it!
Having used USA timetables they are so easy to mis-read. The 24 hour clock makes them so much easier and much less prone to errors. Having written that, I do mentally change it AM/PM.
Doesn’t surprise me mate, they still use fluid once’s and gallons. What surprises me is we can’t let go of some imperial measures like mpg when we use litres and yards in sport etc. There’s been at least 2 plane crashes because of conversion to worldwide standard litres and American gallons. This has now been changed to litres all over the aviation world to reduce the risk of a plane running out of fuel
@@cogidubnus1953 Or the dinosaurs who claim not to understand temperatures in Celsius despite weather forecasts having used them for 40 years or more.
The shoes on shoes off in the house varies between households. I always wear mine in the my house for the most part. You usually follow your friends rules when in their houses.
Taking your shoes off in other people's houses only became a "thing" in the last 15 years or so. As a guy in his 60s it would never have occurred to me when younger to take my shoes off when entering someone else's house.
I'm in my 40's and Ive always done it since a kid. Every friend i know it is shoes off at the door.
We were always taught to do it, and my parents now are as old as you. Personally I like it.
I'm a Brit in my 60's and NEVER been into a UK house where it is expected that I would doff my shoes. When visiting my German friends in their German homes - that is another matter. I have carpets everywhere and sometimes see the consequences of allowing unrestricted access for shoes - but someone has to support the carpet cleaner industry!
I'm 53 and I've only seen this in Japan. I'm suspecting that this is folk in the south east not knowing how to use vacuum cleaners or mops, or how to respect the visitors to their houses.
@@jonathanfinan722 I'm in my mid 50's and was always brought up to remove my shoes at the door mat. I was once asked, as I entered someone's house, "are your family Scottish? That's a very Scottish thing to do"; but I don't know whether that's true. As it happens my Mum's Mum was from a Scottish family, and we all know that 'Mum makes the rules'; so perhaps it IS true.
Of course we talk about the weather, there's a lot to talk about!
The British Isles sits under a weather front with Atlantic weather battling European continental weather fronts, added to which we have the Jet Stream and the Gulf Stream affecting the mix.
I once say George Takei on this subject. He never understood why people talked about the weather until he stayed in Edinburgh and discovered you can run the full gamut of all the seasons in a morning.
as someone from uk who lived in Florida for 8 years. One thing i had to get used was when i did my last 2 years at school was using the word full stop instead of period got allot of weird looks haha. The funny thing is a got in trouble for asking for a rubber when i was in school in Florida instead of saying eraser haha.
When I go indoors into my own house I take my shoes off in the hall and put my slippers on. When we have visitors I say to them that they can keep their shoes on if they want and some do and some take them off - but they do not usually have slippers with them. Obviously if the shoes were blatantly muddy I would ask them to take them off and I would put some paper down in the utility room and put the musddy shoes on the paper.
I feel like this is the general British attitude for us.
@@kawaiilotusIf your slippers are that comfortable why not just wear them when you go out?
The restaurant thing depends on who I am with. Informal, with friends - I will complain. Formal, or perhaps a special occasion, I might keep quiet. It’s an empathy thing - I don’t want to upset my fellow diners at my expense if it can be helped. Plus - there’s a politeness in the UK that if you send a meal back some of you friends will wait until you can start, again while their meals go cold, despite your insistence that they begin.
Very interesting! Yes, that makes a lot of sense about it being about politeness to your fellow diners too. I feel like in the States we don't even go through the niceties of waiting for our friends to get their meals half the time, haha! If someone says go ahead and eat, we're going right ahead! :D
So a couple of weeks ago I was walking around the Epsom Downs with a woman of my acquaintance and after a few miles, we climbed onto the terrace of an expensive 'pub' and were able to acquire unbooked seats - outside of course. My friend ordered a glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but after delivery complained to me that it tasted like cheap Chilean house plonk. The French waitress then passing, was summoned and the birth status of the wine was discussed, the waitress insisting she had delivered it herself from the antipodean sourced bottle. HOWEVER a few minutes later she reappeared with another glass on a tray. She described how she had opened a new bottle and offered the replacement glass. My friend tasted and confirmed that it was like another more heavenly world. She like me is a Brit, but unlike me is not a wimp and knows what her wine should taste like. The waitress impressed me very much. That is the way to win customer loyalty. The original bottle may have been opened a few days, there being cheaper wines available, for unfussy drinkers. We were not charged any more, though at £7 the glass probably cost almost as much as a full bottle.
I wouldn't trust what would happen in kitchen if I complained.
I'm laughing so hard at British words. I totally use British words every chance I can get. I end my emails with Cheers, and now if I ramble on, I say I'm waffling. LOL
I belong there! ;)
are u american?
BRAVO @ItsMeJen, there are some 'corkers' (means brilliant) out there too.. Cheers for the chuckle, you made me smile..
Best wishes from Wales.
I have actually worked as a waitresses in a setting where the tips were more than the wages here in the UK. But it was slightly different because it was a Warner Hotel, where guests stayed for a whole weekend or week so you ended up serving the same people for their whole stay and once they were finished and gone, you are not expecting anyone else. The guests are so friendly and just lovely! You get to know each other a bit so you always end up getting a good tip on their last day. The best part though was when the tip came in a thank you card! People here are so grateful and they are not afraid to show it! And the tips you got were yours to keep. I've also worked in a hotel in Greece where they were shared, so I had a table of Germans once, who knew that, and on their last day, they waited for me outside till I finished for the day, and they gave me €20 and said:"for YOU only, not share!" I was touched and very impressed and grateful!
'Twenty two hundred' in civvy street, 'Twenty two hundred hours' if you're military. In fact, Brits are used to the 24 hour clock on devices, timetables etc, but we almost always use the 12 hour clock in speech. I expect you've noticed.
Where I live in Derbyshire we would not ask a visitor to remove their shoes.
On the shoes off in the house thing, I think it is more to do with the formality of the occasion or the familiarity of the visitor. If was going round a friends house or to visit a family member I would take off my shoes but if I were going to someone’s house I know less well like for a dinner party, I would keep my shoes on unless specifically asked to remove them
Shoes in the house might be a carpets thing. In our house we have hard floors downstairs and carpets upstairs in the bedrooms, so visitors might keep their shoes on downstairs, but you'd sort of expect them to take their shoes off before walking upstairs. That's my guess anyway.
Regards meals out your right but I do complain when I need to. I’m a vegetarian and on numerous times had my meals ruined by having meat added to my meals.
The topic on the weather, you should take a look at all the words / phrase we have in the UK for the rain.
Ugh. The amount of times I’ve had meat on a veggie meal *pukes*
Omg I love saying cheers lol I think it's my favorite British term
Great video 💕🌻
Beans on toast.
In the beans- mild curry powder,sliced onions,cheese on top,yum💙💎🕊️
A bit late to the party, but your channel just came up in my feed, recently.
I'm Canadian, but from the Maritimes... and I guess we still have a lot of leftover influence from the Scots and English.
Baked beans on toast... mmmmmm... wonderful comfort food on a cold winters day. (and anytime you need a quick meal) When making it from a tin, we have two options, either pork and molasses sauce, or tomato sauce. I've never seen beans in a BBQ sauce.
Canada's bus, rail, and plane services have long used a 24 hour clock. I learned the 24 hour time, when I was studying German. Most people here though just use AM/PM 12 hour time. PS: when learning 24H time, just ignore the first number, (if the time is over 13:00) and only subtract 2 from the remaining number. (eg 19:30h, ignore the 1, take 2 from 9, and you have 7pm). You know it is pm because the time was larger than 12.😁
I also use a lot of British phrases. Grandparents were from Scotland, English relatives sent us UK books at Christmas, and CBC used to show quite a few British shows. (Corrie and Eastenders are still shown here). Bonnet, boot, windscreen, pardon, cheers, mate/or buddy (maritime phrase). Not so much the food words, but I would know what someone was asking for. End of a conversation I might say 'Right O', and I will usually say Fire Reels, instead of Fire Truck. (grandparents influence).😊 It helps where I work (Home Depot), because a Brit was in, and asked if we had any Perspex. I said 'yes, halfway down aisle 28'. A younger staff member asked us what is that, and myself and another 'old' guy, both replied, 'it's Plexiglass', at the same time.😂
Don't hold back on using British phrases while you are there. We usually joke that we speak three dialects, Canadian English, British English, and American English.😉 And yes... there is a fair bit of difference, between the three.😊 Cheers!
I'm an expat Brit now living in Turkey and here it is normal not to wear outdoor shoes inside a home. If you go visiting you take your shoes of outside before entering. It is OK to wear slippers or open toed sandals if you bring them with you, or the host provides them!
Spot on, it’s called small talk, and a good ice breaker :)
Although we use the 24 hour clock it is only visual. When we talk to someone and mention the time we would not say “21.00 hrs”, which is military speak, or “21 o’clock” (never heard of this) but we would say “9pm” or even “9 at night/in the evening”. If it is obvious what time of the day you mean then 9 o’clock would be used.
Shoes off - is I suspect related to the frequent wet weather and the prevalence historically of houses to be fully carpeted. Also, you don't want to walk mud/animal droppings through the house. We use both the 12 hour and 24 hour clock interchangeably - I would suggest we are more likely to say 2pm or 2 in the afternoon than 14 hundred hours - although official appointments etc will more likely be in "military time".
Generally say ‘o’ ⏰ clock regardless. 11 o clock, 1.30, half past two, 3 o clock …………
The thing that surprised me about eating out in America was the box for leftovers. I was just going to leave a lot of food behind in a steak house because it was a massive meal and my friends said "ask for a box to take it home". As an English couple we could not believe it. This was Tampa BTW.😊
Age 54 and really confused about the shoe thing .It must be a younger generation thing. I was never told to take my shoes off in the house growing up. Although in the last few years I have started to do that when asked, or I will ask some of my posher relatives or friends if I should when I visit. Notice I said my posher friends. But in general everyone i know keeps them on unless asked to do it.
Cheers was a very famous programme set in Boston, where I used to live and work.
Working in hospitality in the UK I can say that tipping is expected actually but it is not required or essential but some recognition of good service is always welcome. Tips are generally pooled in the UK and shared between serving staff and chefs depending on the number of hours worked.
I'm from Australia and my coworker is from China. We work in the UK and somehow we talk about the weather all the time. I wonder if Girl Gone London drinks 6 cups of tea a day.
i've got to be honest - the way we do time is a bit weird. the clock on the pc says 17:28 and i'm immediately thinking "half five". probably a bit confusing.
Even more confusing is that to a German, "half five" means 4:30 (or 16:30).
I'm 62 now and have never forgotten what a teacher told me in geography class "Britain doesn't have a climate, we just get weather"
As an older English person I would like you to know the following:
Until around 30 years ago nobody said "cheers" or, upon greeting someone "Are you Alright". I have never said those things in my life. I think it is silly. The 24 hr clock has only become in common use for about the same time. Around 30 years. That can be confusing although I am getting used to it now. The weather has always been a frequent topic of conversation because this island of ours has very changeable weather.
Having said those things I cannot understand why American households do not have kettles. I think that is weird. I know we use them for tea a lot but there are many other uses for quick boiling water. Every household in Britain has one.
@mary carver Something else that we bowed down to europe!! Thank goodness that has gone.
I think it depends on what part of UK you are from. As an elder of the tribe from NW England "cheers" and "alright" have always been in common usage.
@@growlers90 ignore him, he just upper middle or upper class.
What a load of bollocks!
I'm an older English man, have always used the 24 hr clock and said cheers. As has everyone I have known.
I had never come across the whole thing of not wearing shoes inside until I moved to Japan, where it is basically compulsory.
I have adopted it since returning, but I don't think it is the norm widely in the UK.
My family have for generations. Maybe it's a Northern thing?
Never wear shoes inside, always slippers. So much crap outside on the pavement that I just don’t want inside my house. Ugh!
@@MaryShelleysNib totally agree. There's a reason carpets end up filthy in houses where people wear shoes
What? Standard thing down south even in council houses
@mary carver its not some new thing though, im middle aged and its something thats been done in my area/family for generations
Hey Kalyn
I am English and have lived the the US for the last 10 years so it funny seeing things from you’re view point.
I find the shoes thing is the other way around with more people here taking them off. Will say though you are spot on with the Beans on toast, but don’t forget the Marmite
I went to a small gig by an American singer/songwriter called Jenny Owen Youngs, who'd been suffering a horrible cold whilst on tour, and was totally sold on beans on toast as comfort food to help get her through that. Presumably with HP sauce.
In Germany, apparantly, "shoes off" is the rule. Often they have ""hausschuhe"" for visitors.
In addition to talking about the weather, it's very common to ask someone who has travelled how the journey was. This often develops into a conversation about roadworks, traffic jams or which is the best route to take to get from X to Y.
As regards tipping - here in the UK it is quite common to see a 15% service charge on your check. We only tip if there is no service charge (and if they deserve it).
As a Brit with an American husband, the beans on toast comment made me laugh. He has come to enjoy this dish (lol) despite most Americans finding beans on toast disgusting.
hahaha , they will be back ,,,, beautiful breakfast ....beans on toast with a couple rashers of bacon and a couple of eggs cooked to your desire ,,,,,or just beans on toast ,,,yum yum
I remember going out for a meal with my family and my mum was given the wrong order. When the waiter came over and asked if everything was OK, she said yes. I had to speak up and mention that her order was wrong, and they apologised and got the correct order. I've never understood our aversion to making a complaint to wait staff. There are definitely things that are too petty, and certainly a wrong way to do it, but so long as your polite and aware in my experence most people don't mind.
And you’re paying for it so why is it acceptable when it’s bad or wrong, you return things from a store so I never understand people’s reticence when food or service is appalling. If I’m paying for it shouldn’t it be what I ordered and edible and not make me sick?
I hate the thought of inconveniencing people so I just eat it 😂. Brit level 100!
Watching the English by Kate Fox is an excellent book, not just for non-Brits, but for Brits as well as it is a mirror to ourselves. I am a Brit but have lived overseas for nearly 30 years. My wife, who is not a Brit,. read the book and her reaction was 'Yep, that's you'. I had never noticed
We tend to have carpet over hard floors, carpet is hard to clean so we remove outside shoes.
I'm loving your channel, and I've noticed growing up in a small market town that has a American Air base, I have a very mixed vocab. Drives my mum and dad up the wall lol
Shoes on for hard flooring, shoes off before going into a carpeted room!
I never thought about it till you mentioned it but we write and read in "military time" but we still verbalise it in 12 hour time eg: if we look at 21:30 we'd instantly just say its half 9 if someone asked
Weather !!!!! Here in Scotland (near Edinburgh), if you don't like the weather, hang around for 20 minutes...... Unpredictable is an understatement! We only seem to get 3 seasons up here, early winter, late winter and waiting for winter
The wages for serving staff in the US are so poor that they need tips to make a decent wage.
Some UK restaurants add a "service charge" to the bill. Which is supposed to cover the tip. So Americans who don't know and still tip, will be very welcome. They also know that British customers are very unlikely to complain and ask for the service charge removed, no matter how bad the service has been,
With speaking about the 24 hour clock, people tend to say ‘twenty-two hundred’ for 10pm or sixteen forty-five for 16:45 x
With the 24h clock; take 2 off the last number after 12, so 13.00 - 3-2=1 = 1pm. 17.00 - 7-2=5 = 5pm.... and on (20.00 - 0 means 10 so 10-2=8pm, 21.00 is 11-2 etc)
Shoes off but , You can take them off indoors usually leave them by the door , And it's just usually people like to keep their carpet clean and usually have just done the house work before people come round. But some people don't mind. Depends on the house hold i think.
Regarding the “beans on toast” thing, might I offer a suggestion that a cardiologist would frown at? With the large tin of BB goodness in the saucepan, try adding a couple of ounces of slightly salted butter, continue to simmer/stir and mash a few beans in the saucepan (it thickens the sauce) before tipping the lot on thick sliced (buttered, obviously) toasted bread. Your cardiologist might not approve about such a change but feel free to enjoy it occasionally.
A dash of lee and perrins and some cheddar and red leicester and a great wack of pepper on top of this and it's proper lush.
With Heinz tomato sauce from a glass bottle of course.
@@kawaiilotus that’s definitely on the menu, but have you ever tried HP Brown Sauce? Well worth it.
I usually look at the feet of the person who answers the door. If they're wearing their outdoor shoes, I just leave them on, but give them a really good wipe on the door mat to be sure they're as clean as possible. Unless I knew that I'd stepped in mud of course, then I'd take them off regardless.
There's one Britishism that you haven't adopted, saying "Maths" instead of "Math".
It's short for Mathematics (with an S), not Mathematic.
Correct!
It’s not a British thing it’s a world thing.It’s only Americans who say math.
@@davidjohnston7512 In the same way that they drop an "i" from just one element. Aluminium!
Same as they say inning not innings as they think our pronunciation is plural beacause it end in s. Do they say sheeps?
@@jonathanwetherell3609 Alumium changed its name to aluminum in 1812, then the British changed it again to aluminium to come in line with the sound of other elements, the Americans kept the older name, the Brits use the new
Oh, man... those beans looked dark. Try adding a knob of butter (or your preferred spread) to them before pouring them onto your toast. Game changer!
No I'm quite assertive if something's wrong in a restaurant. I am never rude but I'll get something sorted out if it's wrong. I'll even go after staff to correct something if it takes too long.
That was really great. What about gobsmacked and half ten? I’m a Canadian and also a British citizen so when I visit it’s about a quick shifting of gears . Many thanks.
Point number one - nobody want's a chef's spit in their meal. I used to work in a kitchen and a chef is someone you really don't want to piss off.
that does not happen that's just a myth, and it's illegal
@@gsotoaz As mentioned in my comment. I used to work in a kitchen and have seen in with my own eyes more times than I can count.
Yes that doesn't happen. Chefs are not allowed to mess with people's food since they might have allergies ect
@@Vickys1988-d7z I'm not sure how many times I can say it. I've witnessed it first hand when working in a kitchen. I've seen a chef put food down his pants and then onto a plate because he felt the customer was complaining for the sale of it to get a free meal. Lots of things aren't allowed but definitely do happen.
@@sirporkibroughwell then they should definitely never work in a kitchen again
As someone born and brought up in England I don't think I've ever said "cheers" for thank you. I think it might be more prevalent in some areas than others. I also think that the shoes thing varies - some people definitely insist on shoes off, but I know plenty of people that don't. I feel like the main reason we do it is because a) the climate is often wet and b) most houses are carpeted inside so it's easy to tred wet dirt into the carpet when walking in, which is a nightmare to clean.
Add chilli flakes to the beans, cook (I like them thick and mushy) throw in grated cheese at the end.
Bread is for sandwiches. If you can not pick something up and eat it that way it does not belong on toast. Whether it is beans on toast or whether it is biscuits with that white gravy poured on top (or sh*t on a shingle too).
The one thing I felt sure you'd mention is adopting the British habit of eating a meal with a knife and fork in each hand, not just the fork.
So eating like a grown up then.
The first time I saw an American eat I just couldn't believe it. How is that in anyway sensible? It just seems like a small child eating their food after it's been cut up for them.
Also, using the knife and fork in the opposite hands.
@Rita Roork Well clearly not as the only reason you use them and not your hands like the native Americans did is because Europeans brought cutlery with them and none of them cut their food up and then switched hands with the fork to eat it. It's utterly bizarre and no civalised people eat that way. Civalised people also spelt civalised with an s and not a z, the language is ENGLISH so I'm right, as I am with knives and forks. We were using them the correct way before any Europeans stumbled upon North America and had their descendent screwed it up :P
@@corleth2868 Hate to do this to you... but civilised people also spell the word with three "i"s
@@carefulwatcher3073 I spell civilised with 3 "i"s.
Shoes off is very new, when I grew up in Scotland it was unheard of.
Regarding not telling staff that something is wrong with our meal. We all assume that if we say something is wrong its going to come back with some bodily fluid incorporated if its something petty, catering is hard enough without someone being picky about how something was cooked, unless its steak or something is overcooked/under done we wouldn't say anything
Left over chicken or beef curry heated up and poured on several slices of buttered toast . And this is for breakfast . Plus the obligatory cup of tea . Enjoy
Part of the key thing with not saying anything to the server is to then bitterly complain about it when they're no longer around you and nothing can be done - so well done!
the trick is to buy PJs where the top part looks like a conventional top (printed tee etc)
i think I got into the habit of signing off with "cheers" because it's two syllables shorter than "cheerio" - makes more sense when speaking than writing!
About your first bit;If you complain about your food and get a replacement, you can never be sure what the cook does to/in it in the kitchen.I would rather leave than criticise the staff about the food that they serve.But you are right about the british on this point.I was a cook and never spit or jerked off into dishes(honestly) but i know that it occurs so if you are unhappy with you meal don,t send it back,just leave,it,s safer.
I’m always afraid to send food back in case it gets spat in. It’s a real fear lol
With over 20 years in the hospitality trade I can testify to this.....Never be rude to,or piss off your waiter unless you want something awful to happen to your food when it returns from the kitchen...Politeness costs nothing after all😊
@@mubbles1066 I am appalled at what you say in also 20yrs of hospitality work I have never worked anywhere that would do anything bad with your food regardless of how rude you are. Why would do that. Waiting or kitchen staff spitting or anything else in your food is an urban myth it just doesn't happen in my experience.
@@MrFinbarz come to New York. That’s always a possibility if you complain too much or send food back.
Taking shoes off probably to do with someone having carpet. I take my shoes off at home for this reason as shoes are dirty from outside, I do the same when I visit my dads or my sisters as they have carpet but I don't at my mums as she doesn't have carpet down
Let me see if I can explain the main differences between rugby league and union.
League is mainly a northern England game, union a Southern game. Hi union was played by the gentry on a amateur basis. League players were paid to play from the start.
Union 5 points for a try, league 4 points. A conversation attempt that follows a try gives you 3 points in union but 2 in league.
Union 15 men a side, league 13.
When tackled in union you must rekeasey the ball, league is like NFL where you get 6 goes with any play before a turnover.
Hi we take shoes off because we don't want the dirt from outside getting in your carpets or on your clean floors , hope this helps
Our family always say if there is something wrong with our meals and do tip if we have good service and or good food.. We talk about the weather because we can have all for 4 seasons in one day and not always in any order.