I'm English, and live in London, and I smile and acknowledge people I pass in the street all the time. Most folks will happily smile back, some seem genuinely cheered by it while a few look baffled. I think it's a great thing to do. Smile at someone, you may never meet again, just passing in life's journey, you want nothing more from them than wish them a happy moment.
@@individualmemberAs a runner , most of us acknowledge and smile at other runners , which is nice . I’m a Londoner however moved to the south coast now tbh I try and have a laugh with people in the pub , in the shop
Yep also Londoner, people do smile and nod to each other all the time. It's just not to everyone. If there's only you walking along and only one other person is passing you, then it's pretty normal to nod or say Hi.
I am from the Proper North and live in North North of the UK and a wee nod in passing to the people you see most days or journeys is acceptable and allowed - also acceptable is to natter away and have a good bleather with complete strangers about anything and everything including intimate personal things at the bus stop.
@@pixiemerlin6735 you mean more than just the weather?!! 😁I live in a very tall building, so we are often in the lift with neighbours for a while - you've got to make conversation, to avoid awkward silences 😊
I'm British. We always order dessert after we have had the main course. That way you can decide if you actually need a dessert or not. Just seems logical !
My grandmother always said life is short. Eat your dessert first. If you eat the meal first you might be too full for your dessert! I think she was only half kidding.
When I was at school in England, aged 8-13, if we asked for dessert we'd get an apple or a pear, or perhaps some cheese. So we learned to ask for pudding. 😋
Most people i know when out eating will order the starter & main meal. Then when eaten will decide if they need a pudding depending if their full up from the meal. I also know a few people that omit the starter & have the mains & a pudding as not everyone has a sweet tooth as they say.
I agree with what other people have been saying. I order a starter and a main course (or sometimes just the main course). After I'd finished I would then decide if I wanted a dessert and have it there. The waiting staff would usually ask if you wanted a dessert as they cleared away. It would never even occur to me to go somewhere else just for a dessert.
With regards to ordering dessert, Peter Kay explained it perfectly. Everyone's stuffed. No-one could possibly eat any more. Then the waitress comes and says 'anyone for dessert?' And everyone looks at everyone else. No-one wants to be the only person to order one. So one person will say 'are you having dessert? I'll order if you do'. Almost giving permission to the other person to order. Suddenly, you've managed to create room in your over-full stomach for a piece of cheesecake or sticky toffee pudding.
The reason that UK restaurant staff press "no" for "are you leaving a tip" on the POS terminal before handing it to you to pay the bill is that if you pay it electronically on the bill it's seldom paid directly back to the waitress/waiter. It's either kept by the restaurant or split evenly between all of the waitresses/waiters. The staff would much prefer you to tip in cash. By doing that the individuals who've been serving you can keep all of the money to themselves.
In general I agree with this. BUT kitchen staff are the ones who prepare your meal. The waiter/ waitress brings you the meal, deals with the small stuff (I'm not belittling front end staff). One way for the guest to deal with this is to tip electronically for the staff behind the scene and leave a couple of bucks on the table.
As someone who's managed multiple pubs/restaurants in the UK I can say with confidence that if you're at a chain ie a lounge, cozy club, peach pubs or green king etc all the card tips go to staff. It might be the case at independent pubs and restaurants but even then generally it goes to staff, and usually includes back of house staff and excludes management
I think that the saying hello to strangers is a personal thing. I always say hello to people I pass in the street (I livve in Kent, but I was born up North) and some people reply and some don't. I used to say to friends at work that Northern people are your best friend after a day and Southerners are your best friend after a few months.
I agree. Before I went to the UK, a French girl told me that British are really friendly. As an American I wasn't so sure of that, but maybe so, compared to the French. When I did go to the UK, I started in Ashford, Kent and everybody was very friendly. People smiled and said hello. A stranger gave me change to use a pay phone. A young woman offered to let me use her cell phone, when I was counting change at the pay phone. She came up to me and said, "I see you're struggling with the money. Would you like to use my mobile?" After the call she hopped into an Aston Martin convertible with another woman and rode away.
I live in Scotland and I remember years ago, an American tourist was hit by a car when she accidently looked left instead of right when crossing the road. When a local female told her she was calling for an ambulance, the American got really scared and tried to get us to call her a Taxi instead. When we asked her why she told us she could not afford the cost of the Ambulance. It was only when the ambulance arrived and the medic explained to her that the NHS do not charge anyone for calling an ambulance, she finally agreed to have her injuries treated and be taken to the hospital to be checked over. She told us that where she lived in the US (can’t remember the State but I do remember her accent sounded like Reese Witherspoon in the film Sweet Home Alabama), it would have cost her anything from $3.5k to $4k just for the ambulance medic to treat her injuries and to be taken to the hospital.
Many towns in the u.s. rely on private ambulance and medics contracted through the city or volunteer fire departments who have paramedic training and insurance does not cover the cost
Ill take things that never happened for 500 alex!!.....they could afford that trip tp scotland but was worried about the ambulance?? Nobody is impressed by your crappy NHS
@@TheSteve2305 A holiday in Scotland is going to be far cheaper than a visit to a hospital, unless you are flying first class and staying in the most expensive room in the most expensive hotel you can find.
No-one in my family or in my circle of friends, or anyone I have known at work, ever orders/ordered a dessert with their main course. Often people order starters and the main meal together. Itis very rare to go somewhere else for a dessert - this is part of the culture of sitting after a meal for a longer time than in the US.
@@lorrainevart8827it's just not practical. I can walk passed 1000 people on 10 min walk in London I will walk passed 8 people in the same time in small town noone is saying hi 1000 times on short walk
Americans living in UK seem to think saying hello as you pass a stranger is not done in UK. Living in Glasgow I can definitely say most folks give a nod or say hello as we pass on the street.
@user-nc2kz2mn5v it's risky talking to strangers in London 😅 Plus there are so many people, it gets tiresome saying hi to every person you pass in the street 🤷♀️ You have to be selective 😉
@AlbSec7480 on an empty street in the small town yes, on packed street in London you can walk passed 100 people a minute noone is sating hello 100 times a minute
I think the way the British Health services think is "Prevention, is better than the Cure" in other words it is better to find out early whether you have Cancer in the early stages which can be cured if caught early enough, Rather than waiting until it is too far gone that they can't do anything for you.
@@capitalb5889you almost have to take the morning off work just to try and get a doctors appointment these days, but the Conservative party seem determined to gradually erode our NHS so we're forced to have an American style health service. They forget that when us brits get pissed off, it will be carnage, see the poll tax riots of 1990 down in London as an example of when a government forced an unpopular policy on us.
When I moved to work in the US, one thing well-travelled American acquaintances often mentioned was this ice in cold drinks thing. Actually, not loading the glass with ice is normal across Europe. My US colleagues would say, "Even when I asked for ice in London/Paris/Stockholm, they'd only put in one piece the size of a contact lens." 😅
I don't mind having ice in drinks, but I consider it a waste because you sacrifice around a third of your drink. Nobody wants to pay for a drink and then only get two thirds of what you paid for. In America, where refills are usually free, that doesn't matter as you can just get another drink for free (unless you're taking your drink away, in which case you have lost money because you can't get a free refill to compensate for the 'missing' drink.)
There are 2 reasons for putting loads of ice in drinks- you need to sell less drink because it is all water and, more importantly, taste buds do not work well if they are too cold so if a drink is really cold you can get away with inferior ingredients and pump it full of cheap sugar.
Yeah this ice cube thing irritated me in the US, especially when you’re really thirsty and want a big quick drink rather than a load of ice to waste. When I lived in Singapore a lot of the food courts did the same thing. But there you don’t get free refills and many have a sign saying that if you request less ice there’s a higher price!
It’s almost 40 years ago… 20 years old and pregnant stationed in the UK. Asked to take my food home (pregnant issues) and they had no idea of the situation so they wrapped up my food plate and all for me. LOVED living there …..
My friend visited me in the UK from Chicago a couple of years ago, and we headed to London. She was amazed at how friendly people were, and was shocked at how often strangers asked each other for help (directions, time etc); saying she would never feel comfortable enough to do that back home.
Saying hello to strangers seems to be a geographical thing. The nearer you are to London, the less likely you are to do it in my experience. I usually glance atpeople approaching me, and if we make eye contact I smile and muttr'morning' or whatever. If we find we're playing that "I'm not looking at you!" game then I avert my eyes and carrry on.
I'm fifty miles east of London deep in the countryside and we do speak to strangers and always greet when walking through the village or on a country walk. We don't see people often, whereas in London, obviously you do. People are everywhere.
@@judithhope8970 I lived literally on the edge of Greater London for some years, and strangers were ignored generally. I moved about 10 miles further out, and on my first day at the shops people struck up genuine conversations with me. It was a bit of a culture shock, but lovely!
I was a student in the US quite a few years ago in Pennsylvania & Wisconsin then after getting married in Missouri. Friendliness did differ from one area to another. Pa. People were pretty friendly Wi. They wre a bit more reserved but Mo really over the top friendly. Absolute worst place apart from NYC was Chicago. NYC on the few occasions I made the misfortune to visit they wre ever ruder than Chicago! UK is similar. I grew up in the Isle of Wight and apart from some of the grockles that have landed up there the pace of life is slower and and people do smile and chat to strangers. Same here in Cornwall where we now live.
Please keep smiling and saying hello. It started happening more during covid and I’ve kept it going. It’s infectious and I think it makes us better individuals. It used to happen when I was a child. Go to it girl.
I live in the south of England and I always say hello or good morning to random strangers. I guess if we don’t catch each other’s eyes I don’t, but generally speaking I would.
Me too. My walk from home to town is on an urban footpath used for three schools and shoppers and dog walkers. It's normal to say "morning" or "hello" to people, especially if you see them regularly, and to pet any dogs you know.
@@missharry5727I do sometimes but it depends on location around here in the East Midlands. If I’m on a footpath I usually would, but obviously not with a group in conversation or younger people with phones and earbuds etc and if I was in a busier area of town.
It is London that gives the whole of the south east a bad rep...we arent London. I dont tend to find the north friendlier as a southerner though sometimes not very often but sometimes a southern accent can get a bad reaction.
I do as well, I don't know but it may be that I grew up in Sheffield, but I have lived in Kent for 35 years and have always smiled and said hello to strangers. Not doing so may be more a London thing as opposed to a South East thing, I do not know 😊😊😊
Okay, the “occasion” thing re eating out. This bugs me. Since living in the US for the past 6 years I’ve noticed a big difference. Whether it is going out for dinner or having family over for Sunday lunch, the Americans will eat and then go. That’s it. Same for Christmas - come, quick chat, eat the meal, then go. In the U.K. the meal is merely the centrepiece around which the rest of the day is based. It is expected that guests coming for Sunday lunch would stay all afternoon. It is about the company and not the food. Americans do everything at pace. There doesn’t feel like the same culture of hanging around after. Going to a restaurant is to eat food and then leave. For Brits, it’s about spending time together over/around good food and drink.
Oh my goodness, I can’t imagine having spent hours preparing a meal for guests for them to leave almost immediately after eating! 😳 I’d be taking that very personally as rejection of the food or me!! 🤣🤣🤣
For me - as a Londoner - homemade soup is a staple and so simple to do (rarely takes more than 15 mins) - and is a really good way of emptying the fridge of older, wilting vegetables and other ingredients. All you need is a pan, a blitz stick and optionally some stock (or stock-cube) and/or cream & spices. Always tastes so much better than any canned soup. Definitely do not need to be a chef to do! I rarely make the same soup twice
I'm getting an education from all of this. I knew that there were differences in Amercian and British culture, but I never knew it ran so deep. Fascinating stuff.
Brit checking in on the dessert point. When we (as in my family) eat out we order the starter and main and then, if we feel like it, go for a dessert as a separate order. We don't finish and go elsewhere for dessert - that never happens. Most common though is the decision as to whether we do two or three courses. Starter and main or main and dessert. It's rare that we do all three!
I very often have a starter, as I expect a main to take time to cook. Then if I still feel hungry I'll have a desert. Unless going to an upmarket restaurant for a special occasion. Then I will make sure to have room for three courses.
If you're a man, like me, you probably don't smile at about 50% of people, ie. women, in case it gets you into trouble. And smiling at another man is a bit weird, so therefore you don't smile at many people. It might be different for women.
I generally don't tip and never feel pressured to tip. If the service is above standard then I will tip. The main problem with tipping is that it is not just the waiters/waitresses who deserve the tip, the chefs do as well. In the European cities I have visited, tipping is not expected.
You should tip, and it IS expected in Paris, Madrid etc. Many London restaurants understand that tips need sharing with chefs and plongeurs and so have yhe intelligence to organise that for themselves. I know because I ask.
You definitely still say "the hospital" instead of just hospital. 😊 Its the same as going to school, or to church, the word "the " isnt necessary here. ❤
I agree! I live in the UK and cannot tolerate any temperature over 26C here, but we’ve visited Florida in November a few times and the temperature often hits 30C and is completely comfortable. I’m sure it’s completely different in high humidity season though. 😊
@@jackieoconnor4926 Florida in the summer is absolutely ghastly! I'm from North Carolina and the humidity is bad enough here. In FL it's like NC on steroids. I honestly don't understand why people want to live there. You couldn't pay me enough to live there, lol.
I live in Scotland and we tend to smile or talk to strangers a lot. Especially if out on the hills, walking. Going to England is different. I walk with a friend in the Pennines sometimes and if you speak to someone, they tend to recoil a bit and look at you as if you have three eyes. We don't suffer the same high temperatures up here.... much more comfortable. The thought of going to London fills me with dread.
You will find both 'Best Before' and 'Use By' dates in the UK. They are not the same. A product with a 'best before' means exactly that. You can consume it beyond that date, but it won't be at its best. A 'Use By' date is used on products that will go off, and should generally be adhered to.
The heat in the uk seems so much more unbearable (and the cold), because there is so much moisture in the air, due to it being a small island. If it is 38c in spain, it is much more pleasant and bearable than 30c in Britain, which gets really stuffy.
Use by date is important - it relates to potential harmful bacteria growing after that date! Best before is purely that, when the product is at its best.
Yes. I ate a tin of tuna last night found in the back of my cupboard with a BBE date of 2019. It was absolutely delicious. I obviously used common sense when checking for smell and outgassing when opening the tin and it was fine. I would never eat anything with a USE BY date from that long ago. I've only ever saw McD's products survive that time without going mouldy. However I often eat them within a week of the use by just because I know the bottom of my fridge is colder than the supermarkets and I keep that stuff there. Of course it gets the sight and smell test too. Occasionally I do chuck stuff out which annoys me.
I'm always amazed by the cake mixes for even the simplest cake. All you need is butter, sugar, eggs and flour (plus raising agent if you only have plain flour) for a very basic sponge. I was making that in primary school.
I can't imagine living in a city where folk don't smile and say hello to each other. Up here in Yorkshire it's really friendly in general. You can start up a conversation with anyone.
Thank you for recognising the regional difference on speaking to strangers. I’m a Yorkshireman & we will say morning, afternoon or ayup when passing a stranger. This got me strange looks when I moved South (30 yrs ago). I still do it, desperately trying to get Southerners to react. It makes me happy.
Morrisons are planning to remove 'Use By' dates from a lot of products to reduce waste. They recommend using the sniff test. 'Best Before' is also just a guide, I've still got half of a 5 kilo bag of pasta that was best before Aug 2021, it's fine.
"Best before" was never the same as "use by". A "use by" is an indication that there's no longer a reasonable guarantee that the product is safe to consume after that date; "best before" just means it might not be as good as it was before.
Some supermarkets (Sainsburys, for one) have stopped putting "use by" dates on fresh produce, but instead, use a cunning code, such as 1803, instead of 18 Mar, because nobody is going to be able to work that out.
I have a morning walk when I work from home. I nod to the regulars. After a few weeks you exchange hellos, but with some I've ended up having some lovely conversations. I live near Manchester City centre, even here you don't expect it.
Annoying Aussie here again. We always say Hello as we pass people on a walk. Since Covid, restaurants are trying to get people back and quite a few offer set price 2 course meals. So some of the group can order entrees (starters) and mains while the others can order mains and dessert and you can share the entrees and desserts and have a taste but not too much food. We always linger over a meal as it's a social occasion, not just food.
I'm in the UK and don't keep eggs in the fridge. I usually buy mine from a local free range egg farm, My gran taught me it's easy enough to test an egg if you're not sure how old it is, ( fill a jug with cold tap water and gently 'float' the egg, if it sinks towards the bottom it's good, if it floats to the top get rid).
Australian here who grew up in England with a British parent. As per desserts I think that pudding after is common and taught in school from school lunches. I make all my soups from scratch as they taste better due to the availability of cheap and nutritious ingredients
Since paying by card etc in UK has become very common, most people do not give tips any more.... we prefer to give any tips to people who actually served you, not to the restaurant owner.
Since I realised that staff don’t automatically get the tip when paying by card, I try to have enough tip cash on me when going out for a meal. It’s shocking how many restaurants don’t give the whole amount to their staff.. 😢
I left the UK 27 years ago & many many phrases I no longer use. I recently read "crud" & I thought Wow I haven't used that word in years, my sons didn't even know what that meant. So i started using it.
The whole original point of tipping was to reward good service and the UK retains that idea. If you feel your server did an excellent job, worthy of tipping, then you slip them an extra fiver or whatever. But, in America, this has been exploited by businesses to underpay workers and then have the customer make up the difference with a mandatory tip. So that's not rewarding good service at all, it's just subsidising the business to underpay their workers. It really should be illegal, as it is in most European countries including the UK, to ever pay someone less than minimum wage. The bill should be the bill, and all workers are properly paid from that, and then tips are an additional optional reward on top, when you want to give an extra "thank you" for excellent service. By the way, you are expected to tip taxi drivers in the UK. But this is because these people typically work for themselves - no wage, in the original "gig economy" - so tips are expected there (though still technically optional, as the taxi's meter ought to be correctly covering costs with a little profit margin already) because taxis have never been a salaried job, so you're giving them a little extra security. Indeed, now that the "gig economy" has become more of a thing over salaried work, perhaps we all should consider tipping more often to make up the difference like that, to make people have some more security in their work. When Brits don't tip in America, this is partly because we simply forget. But also I resent helping employers underpay - like if it didn't harm the worker, I'd want to not tip as a protest against this greedy dehumanising bullshit. But they have you over the barrel and you do have to tip, as you know that the employer won't make up the difference and the workers would suffer. Essentially, it's a form of blackmail that rewards them for being arseholes. America needs to change its laws that, like most countries, minimum wage really is the minimum wage. That it's not legal to ever pay less than it, for any reason whatsoever. And tips remain an optional extra payment, if you want to say "thank you" for a bang up job on top (and, really, workers should be able to just pocket the tip immediately, as it's for them and nothing whatsoever to do with the business at all).
I'm Scottish. We always say 'hello' to strangers as we pass! When I go to the South East of England and say 'hello' to strangers they look at me as if I am mad. I Come to Scotland - you will be warmly welcomed.
I know exactly what you're talking about! I am originally from North Carolina but have been living here in London for the past 25 years. I have experienced all the things you've mentioned but you have been much more 'diplomatic' regarding your response and/or reasons for any changes. I'm sure there are many more differences we share and have either come to like or loath while residing here. It's not something I would even dream of writing in a public forum as it's not something easily understood unless you've lived it and it could possibly be interpreted in a way not flattering or as I'd actually intend it to be. I no longer expect to see the sun. That was a big one and the hardest adjustment I found I had to make. Good luck to you and I've now subscribed to your channel so who knows, if I see you on the streets I might recognise you and I'll be sure to smile and say 'Hey, How are you? and Have a nice day' when we part ways! Something else I no longer do either. Take care, Linda
Hey Linda. I'm a fellow North Carolinian ( born in the Triad area and living about 25 miles east of Raleigh now). As much as I hate the summer here, I think I'd enjoy living in a cooler place like the UK. As with you, the downside would be all the cloudy/rainy days. Not sure I could handle that. We had a grad student at work from South Africa. He took a job near London after getting his degree. Later he visited and said he'd moved back to S. Africa because he couldn't take the weather there anymore because it was making him depressed. Being southern girls it's probably more natural for us to smile at and speak to strangers. I'm sure you've heard about the devastation in western NC from hurricane Helene. I talked to a guy from N. Wilkesboro who said the death toll on the news is way lower than what's actually happening. He said it was so much worse than we could imagine. Let's hope they find all the missing people soon.
Australian here; it is always 'rubbish bin' to me. Saying 'garbage can' and 'trash' just sounds like the US is trying to be different. As for ice in drinks, my first visit to the US was in winter and all drinks were served as half drink and half ice. When I boarded the Qantas plane to come home I asked NO ice in my drink. The steward thought for a second and laughed out loud.
When I was researching my family history, which involved the slums of London around what is now New Oxford Street, I came across a book on the area, dated around 1830 and it mentioned garbage several times. Clearly this is one of those words which existed here, but has faded away, but not in the States, a point worth remembering.
@@BobHUKI use trash and garbage interchangeably myself. I never thought of them as 2 different things, just 2 words for the same thing. I don't separate things in the can, so that's probably it. 🤷🏻♀️
Anywhere in Europe (and elsewhere) eating out is an event and spending 2-3 hours in a restaurant is typical. I was surprised by the way I felt rushed in the US, and found the whole eating out experience quite unpleasant.
Went to an American restaurant with extended family at lunchtime and didn't want a meal, although everyone else was eating. I ordered coffee only for myself and all of us were then asked to leave even despite the rest of the party having ordered a full meal! (This was a fast food type place). To be fair I had even worse treatment in Strasbourg at lunchtime when ordering a coffee for two; they absolutely hate people taking up space if not ordering a full meal at lunchtime.
In New York we are very friendly. People outside of America don't realize this but it's pretty much all the states against New York . We have these misconceptions of New York by outsiders all the time .
I've been to NYC twice. I must say I never got treated rudely by anyone. I think the stereotype is unfair (or maybe they just liked my southern accent)??? 😅
No, no. Always say good morning, I love it when that happens to end I always do it. Maybe not in Oxford Street but in your own locale, walking the dog. Or "lovely day" (always popular in the UK along with "ooh this rain"!).
If eggs have been washed(which occurs virtually everywhere in the U.S., they absolutely have to go in the fridge. Unwashed eggs can be left in a cool place on the counter.
i have issue with number 3 because i do not think the tendency shown by people living in the SE to completely ignore strangers is a good thing,. Unfortunately, i adopted that tendency myself since i moved here and now am trying to get out of that habit because I don't think it is natural . My wife is completely happy talking to strangers at bus stops, shops or as she walks down the street. I think it's a matter of self-confidence and not fearing rejection. Most people I am sure, appreciate being acknowledged so I guess it is a matter of getting in the habit of doing it. Just keep smiling is my suggestion
So interesting. I'm American and rarely use instant anything. Instant mashed potatoes are disgusting. I know there are instant foods readily available, but I'm not sure they're relied upon as much as some might think. In my experience, they're used strictly for convenience when in a hurry. The comment about ice made me giggle. I like cold water but it doesn't have to have ice in it. Just chilled in the fridge is fine. Thank you for sharing with us. I learn a little bit more about UK life every time I watch your videos.
I would say smiling and saying hello to strangers depends on if you live in a bigger town or city vs a village or small town. I live in a small village just outside of a medium sized town. In my village I always smile and acknowledge older people as I pass them but I would never do it in the town or anywhere else I travel to. It just depends on whether it is the expected behaviour in the area. If it's not expected, people may judge you or be intimidated by it
I grew up in South Africa and came to the UK 23 years ago and now I too can no longer cope with the heat anymore either, but for me it is more about the humidity. I still smile at people when I walk past and will also say hello too. That is something I will always do because people are surprised when you do it, and I like that because it always seems to cheer them up a bit of they smile and greet me back too. Don't forget that waiters and waitresses get paid a regular wage, unlike America, so tipping here is an option and not a necessity.
I live in South West and I say Hello to the people all the time. We have random lady that walks out her dog or another mum running to school with her kiddos. Older people that you see early in the morning will say Good morning to me, not sure if it's Bristol thing but it's nice. My son laughs that i have so many random people I say Hello to😂
I live in Cornwall, we smile/greet everyone when we're out and about. Whenever I go to London I find it disconcerting they way everybody avoids eye contact in the street, as if it's a hostile act to do so.
I lived and worked in the U.S. for 9 years in the late 80s/early 90s, I came back to the UK in 2000. I have lost all my American words, except for "elevator" (instead of "lift"), which just seems to have stuck, and I can't unstick it! Friends/Family think I could help it, and sometimes I catch myself, but most of the time the word "elevator" just leaves my mouth!
I always believe that there is no such thing as a free refill (or a free lunch), somewhere along the line you pay for them, no business gives away its profits. They are usually paid for by something (or some things) on the menu being more expensive so you and everyone else are paying for those refills even if you don't use them.
As an American I can say that medical bills can break the most financially secure person. The insurance and pharmaceutical companies rake in the profits.
I'm English and live in north east England. I always smile and speak to passing folk. Especially when out walking my dogs. As for dessert I'll order starter and main course. Then decide if i want dessert after I've finished eating. Also can't cope with the heat.
Some comments: I am a Canadian, who has lived in Norway since 1980. That said, my daughter has lived in California since 2013. I always thought Americans preferred the word trash to garbage. We have separate søppelbøtter for paper, organic, general, cans & glass, not to mention bags for plastic. At the municipal recycling centre there is even greater opportunities to recycle specific products. In my childhood, I was able to cope with dry heat. Humid heat was - and still is - more problematic. For the past 35 years I have lived in a rural area, so when I come into the village, with its huge population of about 2 000 people, I always acknowledge everyone with a nod, wave, hello or something. Restaurants? Yes, I usually visit one about once a year, for a traditional Norwegian Christmas dinner. We drink tempered = warmish water, out of preference. We do not tip in Norway. Never. Here, one pays the specified price.In Norway we have health care, not billionaire care. We buy eggs (and milk) from two local farmers. We keep both product categories in the fridge. Best by date. If I know something edible has an expired date, I avoid looking at that date, but instead concentrate on eating it. We eat dessert at home at our dinner meal (14:00) every day. We eat three meals a day. No snacks in between. Restaurants? See above. Instant. Yes, we have instant coffee, for emergencies. Can't think of anything else. Our food is made from scratch.
The SE of England, London in particular, is as unfriendly as my village and the general NW/Greater Manchester area is sooo very friendly that, when out on a weekend morning walk, I nod and say hello to about 9/10ths of the people I bump into. Then, after the 3rd or 4th time of passing by, we stop and chat and get to know each other. As for eggs, it's mainly down to the fact that the US, Ireland, and other counties bleach wash them, thus thinning the shells. No idea why, I've been eating 'em all my life and I'm still here at this grand old age of 60.
I'm glad to hear you're eating better in the UK! I miss the UK not having Dunkin Donuts anymore, we did about 20 years back and they disappeared and a few other candies but overall the food is better for you here and it's nice to hear you making things instead of instant junk. Love the channel!
I recently found some popcorn kernels in the back of the cupboard and made some popcorn.... imagine my surprise that they were 8 years out of date lol tasted fine.
As an American who has lived int he UK for 20 years, I agree with most of your habit changes except I still say garbage and I still smile at strangers. I'm from Bama. It's rude to walk by people and not acknowledge them.
I’m a Brit living in America I feel you 😂. Things i miss is drinking tap water. Not having to file taxes. Definitely miss the NHS 100%. I also miss walking around the supermarket looking for stuff that’s about to reach its shelf life so it gets reduced in price.
In more isolated country areas - especially if hill walking in Scotland - you would almost certainly acknowledge someone you passed on the road or track. 'Fine day!', 'Driech day!', 'Aye, great weather!', etc. It's a function of population density. Acclimatisation: we tend not to have air conditioning in homes. I can remember not having it in the office. Temperatures are exacerbated by our high humidity.
American living in Ecuador eggs are kept on the counter. Milk only goes in the fridge once it is opened . Not a huge tipping culture. You are right as Americans we have to many options for instant or premade food I was looking for applesauce it doesn't exist here so i made it from scratch super easy
When I lived in England as an American military kid (rural England, not near an American military base), some friends at school would very gently and friendly tease me about some of my American vocabulary and the biggest one was always “garbage can”- I switched over quickly to “rubbish bin” but would defend garbage can when my friends were being silly. Now that I’m in America, I use both terms. One big British habit that has stuck is no ice in water. It’s only in the past year or so that I don’t insist on “no ice” in drinks- and we left England over 15 years ago (although I did do a study abroad in England in grad school, so I did go back).
I think there are a few reasons we Americans don't often do desserts in restaurants: 1. They're expensive. In some cases, they can cost almost as much as main courses. 2. In America, dessert in a restaurant has become more of a special reward or bought for a special occasion (such as a birthday or anniversary, etc...) 3. Due to our faster-paced lifestyles, we tend to eat, maybe chit-chat for a few while waiting on the bill, and then we get out of there. 4. I've never been abroad but I've heard American portion sizes are significantly larger than other countries. So, it could be we're more "full" at the end of a meal compared to a UK person eating a smaller portion in their restaurants.
Definitely portion sizes. In the UK, but even more so France and Italy, it is expected that you will have a minimum of 2 courses in a restaurant, often 3 and sometimes a cheeseboard as well, and drinks before and after. If the portions of any are too large you miss out on trying more food.
Not sure but I believe that because Americans prefer their eggs white and clean the bleaching process increases the porosity of the shell so they are not protected from pathogens in the same way and therefore must be kept in the fridge.
@@jimporter Their eggs are white because they mostly use chickens that lay white eggs. The egg colour is not bleached. They're washed to clean them, and that means that the protective layer that prevents bacteria from entering the egg is removed - but that barrier is invisible. They also don't vaccinate chickens for salmonella, which is why most young Americans have never seen an egg cup. Dippy egg is just not safe there.
@@mortisratYes, and there's a lot of debate in the poultry industry itself on the wash or not wash eggs thing. Getting them wet actually can draw the bacteria in through the shell. This is a hot topic with breeder hens whose eggs are being hatched. I feel like lots of folks here in the US don't realize if you collect eggs and don't initially refrigerate them, then it's ok to leave them out. We often have to transport table eggs long distances here so it's safer to refrigerate them in those circumstances.
I've been to a few places in my life and my personal observation / guess is that smiling and saying hello to strangers is to do with population density. The less dense the population in an area, the more people smile at each other; the higher the density, the more people retreat into their own personal space - otherwise you get exhausted from the sheer number of personal interactions.
Your No. 3 - no longer smiling at people - is interesting. I live in a rural village in Sussex, and whilst nobody would greet a stranger in the surrounding towns, it is still fairly common in the village. And if out walking in the surrounding countryside it is virtually universal, and it would be thought of as quite rude to ignore somebody you pass in a field or on a path. But it does happen, and these are either people from towns who don’t have the habit, or young people, for ‘whatever’ reason...
In the UK we have “Best before” and “Use by” dates. It is ok to eat stuff after the “Best by” date; you can tell by the taste when bread or cake gets stale. Stale bread is ok for making toast. 😀 (But do bin it if it goes green. 😆) I treat the “Use by” dates with more caution. If the food is from a major chain, like Waitrose or Sainsburys, it should be fine a day or two after the “Use by” date. They are cautious and they store food properly in refrigerators. However, it depends on what the food is. Be more careful with fish and chicken.
Regarding the heat. I'm originally from Eastern Europe and for the past 9 years I'm also living in the south east of the US and often we're having pretty much same weather in summer as in Florida. At some point I visited my family in Europe during summer time. I thought that I was accustomed to the heat but it appeared that in Europe it was way more difficult to withstand it. The houses and the entire infrastructure aren't designed for the hot climate, therefore, we felt miserable there because of the heat. Coming back home to US was a huge relief despite the fact that the temperatures were actually higher in the south of the US.
I am a Californian and I would maybe slightly disagree on the dessert in America at restaurants. If I KNOW that I like the specific desserts available at a restaurant, I will order a smaller entree and no appetizers if I want to order the tiramisu or the flan or the fresh fruit pie, etc. And with all the hikes in prices over the past couple of years, I do not go out as often and make a point to enjoy the experience as it doesn’t happen that often….. Also, if you have not been, try visiting York and the Yorkshire Dales. I love the York Minster! And up north, Skye and the Orkneys! Enjoy !!!
It's pretty normal in Britain that if you're walking in the countryside absolutely anywhere in Britain (including around London) people will say hello to each other.
I'm English, and live in London, and I smile and acknowledge people I pass in the street all the time. Most folks will happily smile back, some seem genuinely cheered by it while a few look baffled. I think it's a great thing to do. Smile at someone, you may never meet again, just passing in life's journey, you want nothing more from them than wish them a happy moment.
I do this most of the time, the time I don’t is during the morning commute until I’m out of the tube. It’s just too overwhelming in the crowds.
@@individualmemberAs a runner , most of us acknowledge and smile at other runners , which is nice . I’m a Londoner however moved to the south coast now tbh I try and have a laugh with people in the pub , in the shop
Yep also Londoner, people do smile and nod to each other all the time. It's just not to everyone. If there's only you walking along and only one other person is passing you, then it's pretty normal to nod or say Hi.
I am from the Proper North and live in North North of the UK and a wee nod in passing to the people you see most days or journeys is acceptable and allowed - also acceptable is to natter away and have a good bleather with complete strangers about anything and everything including intimate personal things at the bus stop.
@@pixiemerlin6735 you mean more than just the weather?!! 😁I live in a very tall building, so we are often in the lift with neighbours for a while - you've got to make conversation, to avoid awkward silences 😊
I'm British. We always order dessert after we have had the main course. That way you can decide if you actually need a dessert or not. Just seems logical !
My grandmother always said life is short. Eat your dessert first. If you eat the meal first you might be too full for your dessert! I think she was only half kidding.
not always..... some order all 3 courses sometimes, just depends
When I was at school in England, aged 8-13, if we asked for dessert we'd get an apple or a pear, or perhaps some cheese. So we learned to ask for pudding. 😋
Most people i know when out eating will order the starter & main meal. Then when eaten will decide if they need a pudding depending if their full up from the meal. I also know a few people that omit the starter & have the mains & a pudding as not everyone has a sweet tooth as they say.
@@carollewis3912
My aunt also mentioned the same idea of ordering dessert as the first course, just in case she was too full at the end of the meal.
In Yorkshire we talk to all strangers, all the time. We always greet strangers and have conversations when queuing.
Even a simple smile or nod is enough. Us northerners acknowledge each other.
well yes how else would you tell them that youre from yorkshire every five minutes. It is gods own country after all. 🤣
which god?@@scottythedawg
@@barriehull7076the perfection that is Yorkshire is proof that there is only one God, because it is clearly not designed by a committee
@@barriehull7076 jahovis
I agree with what other people have been saying. I order a starter and a main course (or sometimes just the main course). After I'd finished I would then decide if I wanted a dessert and have it there. The waiting staff would usually ask if you wanted a dessert as they cleared away. It would never even occur to me to go somewhere else just for a dessert.
With regards to ordering dessert, Peter Kay explained it perfectly.
Everyone's stuffed. No-one could possibly eat any more. Then the waitress comes and says 'anyone for dessert?' And everyone looks at everyone else. No-one wants to be the only person to order one. So one person will say 'are you having dessert? I'll order if you do'. Almost giving permission to the other person to order. Suddenly, you've managed to create room in your over-full stomach for a piece of cheesecake or sticky toffee pudding.
🤣😅😂
Then later you regret doing that 😆 😂😂
Yes. This. But I think it's also because people are looking to continue the evening.
And a wafer thin mint. ruclips.net/video/uRpt4a6H99c/видео.html
This is 100% 👍 true! I love Peter Kay, he's a comedy genius.
One American habit you _haven't_ lost is referring to the main meal as the entrée - in Europe, the 'entrance' is the starter. 🙂
The 'Enterence' is where you come in 😂 Sorry couldn't resist, God dawn autocorrect.
It is entrée, or hors d'oeuvre in France 💁🏻♀.
@@katrinabryce What?
Or using "gotten".
Same in Australia as in Europe
The reason that UK restaurant staff press "no" for "are you leaving a tip" on the POS terminal before handing it to you to pay the bill is that if you pay it electronically on the bill it's seldom paid directly back to the waitress/waiter. It's either kept by the restaurant or split evenly between all of the waitresses/waiters.
The staff would much prefer you to tip in cash. By doing that the individuals who've been serving you can keep all of the money to themselves.
In general I agree with this. BUT kitchen staff are the ones who prepare your meal. The waiter/ waitress brings you the meal, deals with the small stuff (I'm not belittling front end staff). One way for the guest to deal with this is to tip electronically for the staff behind the scene and leave a couple of bucks on the table.
As someone who's managed multiple pubs/restaurants in the UK I can say with confidence that if you're at a chain ie a lounge, cozy club, peach pubs or green king etc all the card tips go to staff. It might be the case at independent pubs and restaurants but even then generally it goes to staff, and usually includes back of house staff and excludes management
Not a great plan, IMO - I don't think I'm alone in just not carrying cash any more, so no card option, no tip I'm afraid.
If you pay by cash they can avoid paying tax on it
@@donaldboyer8182 Tips constitute earnings, so are taxable.
I think that the saying hello to strangers is a personal thing. I always say hello to people I pass in the street (I livve in Kent, but I was born up North) and some people reply and some don't. I used to say to friends at work that Northern people are your best friend after a day and Southerners are your best friend after a few months.
I agree. Before I went to the UK, a French girl told me that British are really friendly. As an American I wasn't so sure of that, but maybe so, compared to the French. When I did go to the UK, I started in Ashford, Kent and everybody was very friendly. People smiled and said hello. A stranger gave me change to use a pay phone. A young woman offered to let me use her cell phone, when I was counting change at the pay phone. She came up to me and said, "I see you're struggling with the money. Would you like to use my mobile?" After the call she hopped into an Aston Martin convertible with another woman and rode away.
We Northerners say hello to everyone...terrifies londoners....
in town i wont say hello to people, on a country walk I would.
😅@@ddguitars1969
🤥@@scottythedawg
I live in Scotland and I remember years ago, an American tourist was hit by a car when she accidently looked left instead of right when crossing the road. When a local female told her she was calling for an ambulance, the American got really scared and tried to get us to call her a Taxi instead. When we asked her why she told us she could not afford the cost of the Ambulance. It was only when the ambulance arrived and the medic explained to her that the NHS do not charge anyone for calling an ambulance, she finally agreed to have her injuries treated and be taken to the hospital to be checked over. She told us that where she lived in the US (can’t remember the State but I do remember her accent sounded like Reese Witherspoon in the film Sweet Home Alabama), it would have cost her anything from $3.5k to $4k just for the ambulance medic to treat her injuries and to be taken to the hospital.
Many towns in the u.s. rely on private ambulance and medics contracted through the city or volunteer fire departments who have paramedic training and insurance does not cover the cost
Ill take things that never happened for 500 alex!!.....they could afford that trip tp scotland but was worried about the ambulance?? Nobody is impressed by your crappy NHS
@@TheSteve2305 A holiday in Scotland is going to be far cheaper than a visit to a hospital, unless you are flying first class and staying in the most expensive room in the most expensive hotel you can find.
@@katrinabryce whatever.....i bet left nut this clowns story didnt happen
@@TheSteve2305tell me you've never been here without telling me. Typical seppo energy, 🙄
No-one in my family or in my circle of friends, or anyone I have known at work, ever orders/ordered a dessert with their main course. Often people order starters and the main meal together. Itis very rare to go somewhere else for a dessert - this is part of the culture of sitting after a meal for a longer time than in the US.
I think as you live in London saying Hi to a stranger is a no. In many places in the UK, it's accepted. Keep smiling 😊
Same of all big cities in the world.small towns everywhere more friendly
@@lorrainevart8827it's just not practical. I can walk passed 1000 people on 10 min walk in London I will walk passed 8 people in the same time in small town noone is saying hi 1000 times on short walk
Well maybe it's time for Londoners to change their attitude on this. Don't just accept something because everyone else does it.
I'm British born and bred grew up in London, smiling and saying hello is a British thing and I have done it all my life
Americans living in UK seem to think saying hello as you pass a stranger is not done in UK. Living in Glasgow I can definitely say most folks give a nod or say hello as we pass on the street.
People used to but not so much these days.
@user-nc2kz2mn5v it's risky talking to strangers in London 😅
Plus there are so many people, it gets tiresome saying hi to every person you pass in the street 🤷♀️
You have to be selective 😉
@AlbSec7480 on an empty street in the small town yes, on packed street in London you can walk passed 100 people a minute noone is sating hello 100 times a minute
I think the way the British Health services think is "Prevention, is better than the Cure" in other words it is better to find out early whether you have Cancer in the early stages which can be cured if caught early enough, Rather than waiting until it is too far gone that they can't do anything for you.
That's why they do the colonoscopy in the U.S. and the mammogram among other tests.
The UK is actually relatively poor at doing health checks than other developed countries.
@@capitalb5889you almost have to take the morning off work just to try and get a doctors appointment these days, but the Conservative party seem determined to gradually erode our NHS so we're forced to have an American style health service. They forget that when us brits get pissed off, it will be carnage, see the poll tax riots of 1990 down in London as an example of when a government forced an unpopular policy on us.
When I moved to work in the US, one thing well-travelled American acquaintances often mentioned was this ice in cold drinks thing. Actually, not loading the glass with ice is normal across Europe. My US colleagues would say, "Even when I asked for ice in London/Paris/Stockholm, they'd only put in one piece the size of a contact lens." 😅
I don't mind having ice in drinks, but I consider it a waste because you sacrifice around a third of your drink. Nobody wants to pay for a drink and then only get two thirds of what you paid for.
In America, where refills are usually free, that doesn't matter as you can just get another drink for free (unless you're taking your drink away, in which case you have lost money because you can't get a free refill to compensate for the 'missing' drink.)
There are 2 reasons for putting loads of ice in drinks- you need to sell less drink because it is all water and, more importantly, taste buds do not work well if they are too cold so if a drink is really cold you can get away with inferior ingredients and pump it full of cheap sugar.
Yeah this ice cube thing irritated me in the US, especially when you’re really thirsty and want a big quick drink rather than a load of ice to waste.
When I lived in Singapore a lot of the food courts did the same thing. But there you don’t get free refills and many have a sign saying that if you request less ice there’s a higher price!
It’s almost 40 years ago…
20 years old and pregnant stationed in the UK. Asked to take my food home (pregnant issues) and they had no idea of the situation so they wrapped up my food plate and all for me. LOVED living there …..
I have to say though that the UK has changed enormously since then. Whether for the better or not is a pretty big subject.
My friend visited me in the UK from Chicago a couple of years ago, and we headed to London. She was amazed at how friendly people were, and was shocked at how often strangers asked each other for help (directions, time etc); saying she would never feel comfortable enough to do that back home.
Saying hello to strangers seems to be a geographical thing. The nearer you are to London, the less likely you are to do it in my experience. I usually glance atpeople approaching me, and if we make eye contact I smile and muttr'morning' or whatever. If we find we're playing that "I'm not looking at you!" game then I avert my eyes and carrry on.
Wasn't a thing in London, was in Bristol, definitely is in the countryside
This is an issue with any large city. London, paris, Chicago. new york, etc. eg. A keep your eyes down and carry on.
I'm fifty miles east of London deep in the countryside and we do speak to strangers and always greet when walking through the village or on a country walk. We don't see people often, whereas in London, obviously you do. People are everywhere.
@@judithhope8970 I lived literally on the edge of Greater London for some years, and strangers were ignored generally. I moved about 10 miles further out, and on my first day at the shops people struck up genuine conversations with me. It was a bit of a culture shock, but lovely!
I was a student in the US quite a few years ago in Pennsylvania & Wisconsin then after getting married in Missouri. Friendliness did differ from one area to another. Pa. People were pretty friendly Wi. They wre a bit more reserved but Mo really over the top friendly. Absolute worst place apart from NYC was Chicago. NYC on the few occasions I made the misfortune to visit they wre ever ruder than Chicago! UK is similar. I grew up in the Isle of Wight and apart from some of the grockles that have landed up there the pace of life is slower and and people do smile and chat to strangers. Same here in Cornwall where we now live.
Please keep smiling and saying hello. It started happening more during covid and I’ve kept it going. It’s infectious and I think it makes us better individuals. It used to happen when I was a child. Go to it girl.
I'm British and I always smile and say hi to strangers, I will say more people will smile when the sun is shining.
I live in the south of England and I always say hello or good morning to random strangers. I guess if we don’t catch each other’s eyes I don’t, but generally speaking I would.
Me too. My walk from home to town is on an urban footpath used for three schools and shoppers and dog walkers. It's normal to say "morning" or "hello" to people, especially if you see them regularly, and to pet any dogs you know.
@@missharry5727I do sometimes but it depends on location around here in the East Midlands. If I’m on a footpath I usually would, but obviously not with a group in conversation or younger people with phones and earbuds etc and if I was in a busier area of town.
It is London that gives the whole of the south east a bad rep...we arent London. I dont tend to find the north friendlier as a southerner though sometimes not very often but sometimes a southern accent can get a bad reaction.
I do as well, I don't know but it may be that I grew up in Sheffield, but I have lived in Kent for 35 years and have always smiled and said hello to strangers.
Not doing so may be more a London thing as opposed to a South East thing, I do not know 😊😊😊
My mum always said if a tramp spoke to you to be polite and respond, S E resident.
Okay, the “occasion” thing re eating out. This bugs me. Since living in the US for the past 6 years I’ve noticed a big difference.
Whether it is going out for dinner or having family over for Sunday lunch, the Americans will eat and then go. That’s it. Same for Christmas - come, quick chat, eat the meal, then go.
In the U.K. the meal is merely the centrepiece around which the rest of the day is based. It is expected that guests coming for Sunday lunch would stay all afternoon. It is about the company and not the food.
Americans do everything at pace. There doesn’t feel like the same culture of hanging around after. Going to a restaurant is to eat food and then leave. For Brits, it’s about spending time together over/around good food and drink.
Oh my goodness, I can’t imagine having spent hours preparing a meal for guests for them to leave almost immediately after eating! 😳
I’d be taking that very personally as rejection of the food or me!! 🤣🤣🤣
For me - as a Londoner - homemade soup is a staple and so simple to do (rarely takes more than 15 mins) - and is a really good way of emptying the fridge of older, wilting vegetables and other ingredients. All you need is a pan, a blitz stick and optionally some stock (or stock-cube) and/or cream & spices. Always tastes so much better than any canned soup. Definitely do not need to be a chef to do! I rarely make the same soup twice
I'm getting an education from all of this. I knew that there were differences in Amercian and British culture, but I never knew it ran so deep. Fascinating stuff.
Brit checking in on the dessert point. When we (as in my family) eat out we order the starter and main and then, if we feel like it, go for a dessert as a separate order. We don't finish and go elsewhere for dessert - that never happens. Most common though is the decision as to whether we do two or three courses. Starter and main or main and dessert. It's rare that we do all three!
I very often have a starter, as I expect a main to take time to cook. Then if I still feel hungry I'll have a desert. Unless going to an upmarket restaurant for a special occasion. Then I will make sure to have room for three courses.
Up north we smile to strangers especially if you’re walking a dog.
Smiling at strangers doesn't seem to me to be unusual; grinning and saying "Hi!" like they're a long lost friend certainly is.
If you're a man, like me, you probably don't smile at about 50% of people, ie. women, in case it gets you into trouble. And smiling at another man is a bit weird, so therefore you don't smile at many people. It might be different for women.
Being from North of England - I smile and greet strangers - where paths cross and appropriate
I generally don't tip and never feel pressured to tip. If the service is above standard then I will tip. The main problem with tipping is that it is not just the waiters/waitresses who deserve the tip, the chefs do as well. In the European cities I have visited, tipping is not expected.
You should tip, and it IS expected in Paris, Madrid etc. Many London restaurants understand that tips need sharing with chefs and plongeurs and so have yhe intelligence to organise that for themselves. I know because I ask.
Please smile & say hello again, from a UK person
I live in the south west and always say hello if you past someone on a quiet street
You definitely still say "the hospital" instead of just hospital. 😊 Its the same as going to school, or to church, the word "the " isnt necessary here. ❤
You only use 'the' if you are being specific. "He's in hospital" (he's a patient). "He's at the hospital" (to visit, work or for an appointment).
As a Brit myself and everyone I knows says "the hospital"
It just sounds wrong to say "Nan's in hospital"
UK resident here and I have and still used "the hospital" all the time@@Barfield-cg7iq
"The" hospital implies that there's just one. I'm American and this still is a sticking point for me! 😂
London heat is something else. I swear 30°C (86°F) in London, felt more unbearable than 35 (95) in Houston, TX.
I agree! I live in the UK and cannot tolerate any temperature over 26C here, but we’ve visited Florida in November a few times and the temperature often hits 30C and is completely comfortable. I’m sure it’s completely different in high humidity season though. 😊
It's a mixture of humidity and the urban effects
@@jackieoconnor4926 Florida in the summer is absolutely ghastly! I'm from North Carolina and the humidity is bad enough here. In FL it's like NC on steroids. I honestly don't understand why people want to live there. You couldn't pay me enough to live there, lol.
I live in Scotland and we tend to smile or talk to strangers a lot. Especially if out on the hills, walking.
Going to England is different. I walk with a friend in the Pennines sometimes and if you speak to someone, they tend to recoil a bit and look at you as if you have three eyes.
We don't suffer the same high temperatures up here.... much more comfortable.
The thought of going to London fills me with dread.
You will find both 'Best Before' and 'Use By' dates in the UK. They are not the same. A product with a 'best before' means exactly that. You can consume it beyond that date, but it won't be at its best. A 'Use By' date is used on products that will go off, and should generally be adhered to.
The heat in the uk seems so much more unbearable (and the cold), because there is so much moisture in the air, due to it being a small island. If it is 38c in spain, it is much more pleasant and bearable than 30c in Britain, which gets really stuffy.
And too noisy to have the windows open.
I take it you've never been to Palm Springs. 🥵
I hate to quibble and be a pedant, but Britain is actually quite a large island.
Use by date is important - it relates to potential harmful bacteria growing after that date!
Best before is purely that, when the product is at its best.
Yes. I ate a tin of tuna last night found in the back of my cupboard with a BBE date of 2019. It was absolutely delicious. I obviously used common sense when checking for smell and outgassing when opening the tin and it was fine.
I would never eat anything with a USE BY date from that long ago. I've only ever saw McD's products survive that time without going mouldy.
However I often eat them within a week of the use by just because I know the bottom of my fridge is colder than the supermarkets and I keep that stuff there. Of course it gets the sight and smell test too. Occasionally I do chuck stuff out which annoys me.
I'm always amazed by the cake mixes for even the simplest cake. All you need is butter, sugar, eggs and flour (plus raising agent if you only have plain flour) for a very basic sponge. I was making that in primary school.
I can't imagine living in a city where folk don't smile and say hello to each other. Up here in Yorkshire it's really friendly in general. You can start up a conversation with anyone.
Have an outgoing child under 8 (or just babysit one) other Londoners will talk to you even on commuter trains.
Thank you for recognising the regional difference on speaking to strangers. I’m a Yorkshireman & we will say morning, afternoon or ayup when passing a stranger. This got me strange looks when I moved South (30 yrs ago). I still do it, desperately trying to get Southerners to react. It makes me happy.
Morrisons are planning to remove 'Use By' dates from a lot of products to reduce waste. They recommend using the sniff test. 'Best Before' is also just a guide, I've still got half of a 5 kilo bag of pasta that was best before Aug 2021, it's fine.
"Best before" was never the same as "use by". A "use by" is an indication that there's no longer a reasonable guarantee that the product is safe to consume after that date; "best before" just means it might not be as good as it was before.
Pasta packed right can last for years. Same with rice and oats.
@@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t kind of my point...
Some supermarkets (Sainsburys, for one) have stopped putting "use by" dates on fresh produce, but instead, use a cunning code, such as 1803, instead of 18 Mar, because nobody is going to be able to work that out.
What I think is to put the manufacture or production date. I want to know how old it is. Use by or best before is misleading.
I have a morning walk when I work from home. I nod to the regulars. After a few weeks you exchange hellos, but with some I've ended up having some lovely conversations. I live near Manchester City centre, even here you don't expect it.
Annoying Aussie here again. We always say Hello as we pass people on a walk. Since Covid, restaurants are trying to get people back and quite a few offer set price 2 course meals. So some of the group can order entrees (starters) and mains while the others can order mains and dessert and you can share the entrees and desserts and have a taste but not too much food. We always linger over a meal as it's a social occasion, not just food.
I'm in the UK and don't keep eggs in the fridge. I usually buy mine from a local free range egg farm, My gran taught me it's easy enough to test an egg if you're not sure how old it is, ( fill a jug with cold tap water and gently 'float' the egg, if it sinks towards the bottom it's good, if it floats to the top get rid).
Australian here who grew up in England with a British parent. As per desserts I think that pudding after is common and taught in school from school lunches. I make all my soups from scratch as they taste better due to the availability of cheap and nutritious ingredients
Since paying by card etc in UK has become very common, most people do not give tips any more.... we prefer to give any tips to people who actually served you, not to the restaurant owner.
Since I realised that staff don’t automatically get the tip when paying by card, I try to have enough tip cash on me when going out for a meal. It’s shocking how many restaurants don’t give the whole amount to their staff.. 😢
I left the UK 27 years ago & many many phrases I no longer use. I recently read "crud" & I thought Wow I haven't used that word in years, my sons didn't even know what that meant. So i started using it.
When I was in my teens, in the 60s, whenever I passed an oncoming person, we would always greet each other, with Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening.
The whole original point of tipping was to reward good service and the UK retains that idea.
If you feel your server did an excellent job, worthy of tipping, then you slip them an extra fiver or whatever.
But, in America, this has been exploited by businesses to underpay workers and then have the customer make up the difference with a mandatory tip.
So that's not rewarding good service at all, it's just subsidising the business to underpay their workers. It really should be illegal, as it is in most European countries including the UK, to ever pay someone less than minimum wage. The bill should be the bill, and all workers are properly paid from that, and then tips are an additional optional reward on top, when you want to give an extra "thank you" for excellent service.
By the way, you are expected to tip taxi drivers in the UK. But this is because these people typically work for themselves - no wage, in the original "gig economy" - so tips are expected there (though still technically optional, as the taxi's meter ought to be correctly covering costs with a little profit margin already) because taxis have never been a salaried job, so you're giving them a little extra security. Indeed, now that the "gig economy" has become more of a thing over salaried work, perhaps we all should consider tipping more often to make up the difference like that, to make people have some more security in their work.
When Brits don't tip in America, this is partly because we simply forget. But also I resent helping employers underpay - like if it didn't harm the worker, I'd want to not tip as a protest against this greedy dehumanising bullshit. But they have you over the barrel and you do have to tip, as you know that the employer won't make up the difference and the workers would suffer. Essentially, it's a form of blackmail that rewards them for being arseholes.
America needs to change its laws that, like most countries, minimum wage really is the minimum wage. That it's not legal to ever pay less than it, for any reason whatsoever. And tips remain an optional extra payment, if you want to say "thank you" for a bang up job on top (and, really, workers should be able to just pocket the tip immediately, as it's for them and nothing whatsoever to do with the business at all).
I'm Scottish. We always say 'hello' to strangers as we pass! When I go to the South East of England and say 'hello' to strangers they look at me as if I am mad. I Come to Scotland - you will be warmly welcomed.
I know exactly what you're talking about! I am originally from North Carolina but have been living here in London for the past 25 years. I have experienced all the things you've mentioned but you have been much more 'diplomatic' regarding your response and/or reasons for any changes. I'm sure there are many more differences we share and have either come to like or loath while residing here. It's not something I would even dream of writing in a public forum as it's not something easily understood unless you've lived it and it could possibly be interpreted in a way not flattering or as I'd actually intend it to be. I no longer expect to see the sun. That was a big one and the hardest adjustment I found I had to make. Good luck to you and I've now subscribed to your channel so who knows, if I see you on the streets I might recognise you and I'll be sure to smile and say 'Hey, How are you? and Have a nice day' when we part ways! Something else I no longer do either. Take care, Linda
Hey Linda. I'm a fellow North Carolinian ( born in the Triad area and living about 25 miles east of Raleigh now). As much as I hate the summer here, I think I'd enjoy living in a cooler place like the UK. As with you, the downside would be all the cloudy/rainy days. Not sure I could handle that. We had a grad student at work from South Africa. He took a job near London after getting his degree. Later he visited and said he'd moved back to S. Africa because he couldn't take the weather there anymore because it was making him depressed. Being southern girls it's probably more natural for us to smile at and speak to strangers. I'm sure you've heard about the devastation in western NC from hurricane Helene. I talked to a guy from N. Wilkesboro who said the death toll on the news is way lower than what's actually happening. He said it was so much worse than we could imagine. Let's hope they find all the missing people soon.
I'm a man of Kent and I love saying hello to everyone! 99% of folks love it really. :)
Australian here; it is always 'rubbish bin' to me. Saying 'garbage can' and 'trash' just sounds like the US is trying to be different. As for ice in drinks, my first visit to the US was in winter and all drinks were served as half drink and half ice. When I boarded the Qantas plane to come home I asked NO ice in my drink. The steward thought for a second and laughed out loud.
Move to the North. We smile and say hello xx
When I was researching my family history, which involved the slums of London around what is now New Oxford Street, I came across a book on the area, dated around 1830 and it mentioned garbage several times. Clearly this is one of those words which existed here, but has faded away, but not in the States, a point worth remembering.
Interesting to note that in the States garbage normally refers to food waste, whereas trash refers to all other rubbish.
@@BobHUKI use trash and garbage interchangeably myself. I never thought of them as 2 different things, just 2 words for the same thing. I don't separate things in the can, so that's probably it. 🤷🏻♀️
Anywhere in Europe (and elsewhere) eating out is an event and spending 2-3 hours in a restaurant is typical. I was surprised by the way I felt rushed in the US, and found the whole eating out experience quite unpleasant.
Went to an American restaurant with extended family at lunchtime and didn't want a meal, although everyone else was eating. I ordered coffee only for myself and all of us were then asked to leave even despite the rest of the party having ordered a full meal! (This was a fast food type place). To be fair I had even worse treatment in Strasbourg at lunchtime when ordering a coffee for two; they absolutely hate people taking up space if not ordering a full meal at lunchtime.
In New York we are very friendly. People outside of America don't realize this but it's pretty much all the states against New York . We have these misconceptions of New York by outsiders all the time .
I've been to NYC twice. I must say I never got treated rudely by anyone. I think the stereotype is unfair (or maybe they just liked my southern accent)??? 😅
No, no. Always say good morning, I love it when that happens to end I always do it. Maybe not in Oxford Street but in your own locale, walking the dog. Or "lovely day" (always popular in the UK along with "ooh this rain"!).
I always have to ask for my drink WITHOUT ice, I hate ice as it melts and dilutes your drink.
If eggs have been washed(which occurs virtually everywhere in the U.S., they absolutely have to go in the fridge. Unwashed eggs can be left in a cool place on the counter.
i have issue with number 3 because i do not think the tendency shown by people living in the SE to completely ignore strangers is a good thing,. Unfortunately, i adopted that tendency myself since i moved here and now am trying to get out of that habit because I don't think it is natural . My wife is completely happy talking to strangers at bus stops, shops or as she walks down the street. I think it's a matter of self-confidence and not fearing rejection. Most people I am sure, appreciate being acknowledged so I guess it is a matter of getting in the habit of doing it. Just keep smiling is my suggestion
i have had tins of food out of date for 3 years and im still here and im 60 years old now love your videos keep up the good work
So interesting. I'm American and rarely use instant anything. Instant mashed potatoes are disgusting. I know there are instant foods readily available, but I'm not sure they're relied upon as much as some might think. In my experience, they're used strictly for convenience when in a hurry. The comment about ice made me giggle. I like cold water but it doesn't have to have ice in it. Just chilled in the fridge is fine. Thank you for sharing with us. I learn a little bit more about UK life every time I watch your videos.
For Mash Get Smash adverts were brilliant even if the product was disgusting.
I would say smiling and saying hello to strangers depends on if you live in a bigger town or city vs a village or small town. I live in a small village just outside of a medium sized town. In my village I always smile and acknowledge older people as I pass them but I would never do it in the town or anywhere else I travel to. It just depends on whether it is the expected behaviour in the area. If it's not expected, people may judge you or be intimidated by it
I spent a week in Florida . I don’t know how people manage the heat . I couldn’t live there.
I grew up in South Africa and came to the UK 23 years ago and now I too can no longer cope with the heat anymore either, but for me it is more about the humidity. I still smile at people when I walk past and will also say hello too. That is something I will always do because people are surprised when you do it, and I like that because it always seems to cheer them up a bit of they smile and greet me back too. Don't forget that waiters and waitresses get paid a regular wage, unlike America, so tipping here is an option and not a necessity.
Just discovered your chanel and subscribed immediately. Love your free-flowing, direct but insightful dialogues. 👌
I live in South West and I say Hello to the people all the time. We have random lady that walks out her dog or another mum running to school with her kiddos. Older people that you see early in the morning will say Good morning to me, not sure if it's Bristol thing but it's nice. My son laughs that i have so many random people I say Hello to😂
I live in Cornwall, we smile/greet everyone when we're out and about. Whenever I go to London I find it disconcerting they way everybody avoids eye contact in the street, as if it's a hostile act to do so.
I lived and worked in the U.S. for 9 years in the late 80s/early 90s, I came back to the UK in 2000. I have lost all my American words, except for "elevator" (instead of "lift"), which just seems to have stuck, and I can't unstick it! Friends/Family think I could help it, and sometimes I catch myself, but most of the time the word "elevator" just leaves my mouth!
3:19 "are we both just feeling awkward" ... yes well done you are now a fully British person
Keep that smiling habit be positive always look at people’s eyes when you do nothing wrong with that god bless you and your family
I always believe that there is no such thing as a free refill (or a free lunch), somewhere along the line you pay for them, no business gives away its profits. They are usually paid for by something (or some things) on the menu being more expensive so you and everyone else are paying for those refills even if you don't use them.
I live in the Midlands (Derby). We say hello and talk to strangers here, at the bus stop, in the pub or park, or at the supermarket checkout.
I assume you know that outside of North America the "entrée" is the starter - the hors d'oeuvre or appetizer - not the main course of the meal.
If you are the first to instigate a “ hello” or “ good morning “
People will be friendly.
Just do it .
As an American I can say that medical bills can break the most financially secure person. The insurance and pharmaceutical companies rake in the profits.
I'm English and live in north east England. I always smile and speak to passing folk. Especially when out walking my dogs. As for dessert I'll order starter and main course. Then decide if i want dessert after I've finished eating. Also can't cope with the heat.
Some comments: I am a Canadian, who has lived in Norway since 1980. That said, my daughter has lived in California since 2013. I always thought Americans preferred the word trash to garbage. We have separate søppelbøtter for paper, organic, general, cans & glass, not to mention bags for plastic. At the municipal recycling centre there is even greater opportunities to recycle specific products. In my childhood, I was able to cope with dry heat. Humid heat was - and still is - more problematic. For the past 35 years I have lived in a rural area, so when I come into the village, with its huge population of about 2 000 people, I always acknowledge everyone with a nod, wave, hello or something. Restaurants? Yes, I usually visit one about once a year, for a traditional Norwegian Christmas dinner. We drink tempered = warmish water, out of preference. We do not tip in Norway. Never. Here, one pays the specified price.In Norway we have health care, not billionaire care. We buy eggs (and milk) from two local farmers. We keep both product categories in the fridge. Best by date. If I know something edible has an expired date, I avoid looking at that date, but instead concentrate on eating it. We eat dessert at home at our dinner meal (14:00) every day. We eat three meals a day. No snacks in between. Restaurants? See above. Instant. Yes, we have instant coffee, for emergencies. Can't think of anything else. Our food is made from scratch.
The SE of England, London in particular, is as unfriendly as my village and the general NW/Greater Manchester area is sooo very friendly that, when out on a weekend morning walk, I nod and say hello to about 9/10ths of the people I bump into. Then, after the 3rd or 4th time of passing by, we stop and chat and get to know each other.
As for eggs, it's mainly down to the fact that the US, Ireland, and other counties bleach wash them, thus thinning the shells. No idea why, I've been eating 'em all my life and I'm still here at this grand old age of 60.
I'm glad to hear you're eating better in the UK! I miss the UK not having Dunkin Donuts anymore, we did about 20 years back and they disappeared and a few other candies but overall the food is better for you here and it's nice to hear you making things instead of instant junk. Love the channel!
I recently found some popcorn kernels in the back of the cupboard and made some popcorn.... imagine my surprise that they were 8 years out of date lol tasted fine.
As an American who has lived int he UK for 20 years, I agree with most of your habit changes except I still say garbage and I still smile at strangers. I'm from Bama. It's rude to walk by people and not acknowledge them.
I’m a Brit living in America I feel you 😂. Things i miss is drinking tap water. Not having to file taxes. Definitely miss the NHS 100%. I also miss walking around the supermarket looking for stuff that’s about to reach its shelf life so it gets reduced in price.
In more isolated country areas - especially if hill walking in Scotland - you would almost certainly acknowledge someone you passed on the road or track. 'Fine day!', 'Driech day!', 'Aye, great weather!', etc. It's a function of population density.
Acclimatisation: we tend not to have air conditioning in homes. I can remember not having it in the office. Temperatures are exacerbated by our high humidity.
American living in Ecuador eggs are kept on the counter. Milk only goes in the fridge once it is opened . Not a huge tipping culture. You are right as Americans we have to many options for instant or premade food I was looking for applesauce it doesn't exist here so i made it from scratch super easy
When I lived in England as an American military kid (rural England, not near an American military base), some friends at school would very gently and friendly tease me about some of my American vocabulary and the biggest one was always “garbage can”- I switched over quickly to “rubbish bin” but would defend garbage can when my friends were being silly. Now that I’m in America, I use both terms. One big British habit that has stuck is no ice in water. It’s only in the past year or so that I don’t insist on “no ice” in drinks- and we left England over 15 years ago (although I did do a study abroad in England in grad school, so I did go back).
I think there are a few reasons we Americans don't often do desserts in restaurants:
1. They're expensive. In some cases, they can cost almost as much as main courses.
2. In America, dessert in a restaurant has become more of a special reward or bought for a special occasion (such as a birthday or anniversary, etc...)
3. Due to our faster-paced lifestyles, we tend to eat, maybe chit-chat for a few while waiting on the bill, and then we get out of there.
4. I've never been abroad but I've heard American portion sizes are significantly larger than other countries. So, it could be we're more "full" at the end of a meal compared to a UK person eating a smaller portion in their restaurants.
All great points!!
Definitely portion sizes. In the UK, but even more so France and Italy, it is expected that you will have a minimum of 2 courses in a restaurant, often 3 and sometimes a cheeseboard as well, and drinks before and after. If the portions of any are too large you miss out on trying more food.
Now you are truly one of us! ❤😊
The egg thing is because in supermarkets the eggs aren't allowed to be washed which means the farm has to be in a good clean condition
Not sure but I believe that because Americans prefer their eggs white and clean the bleaching process increases the porosity of the shell so they are not protected from pathogens in the same way and therefore must be kept in the fridge.
@@jimporter Their eggs are white because they mostly use chickens that lay white eggs. The egg colour is not bleached. They're washed to clean them, and that means that the protective layer that prevents bacteria from entering the egg is removed - but that barrier is invisible. They also don't vaccinate chickens for salmonella, which is why most young Americans have never seen an egg cup. Dippy egg is just not safe there.
@@mortisratYes, and there's a lot of debate in the poultry industry itself on the wash or not wash eggs thing. Getting them wet actually can draw the bacteria in through the shell. This is a hot topic with breeder hens whose eggs are being hatched. I feel like lots of folks here in the US don't realize if you collect eggs and don't initially refrigerate them, then it's ok to leave them out. We often have to transport table eggs long distances here so it's safer to refrigerate them in those circumstances.
I've been to a few places in my life and my personal observation / guess is that smiling and saying hello to strangers is to do with population density. The less dense the population in an area, the more people smile at each other; the higher the density, the more people retreat into their own personal space - otherwise you get exhausted from the sheer number of personal interactions.
In small towns you still say ‘hello’ or pass the time of day.
I had a tin of sardines a few weeks ago, use by November 2017. They were lovely.
I never take the expiration date on canned foods seriously. I mean in the Korean war they were using WW2 surplus canned food. 😂
If you move north in Britain people do smile and greet you.
Your No. 3 - no longer smiling at people - is interesting.
I live in a rural village in Sussex, and whilst nobody would greet a stranger in the surrounding towns, it is still fairly common in the village.
And if out walking in the surrounding countryside it is virtually universal, and it would be thought of as quite rude to ignore somebody you pass in a field or on a path. But it does happen, and these are either people from towns who don’t have the habit, or young people, for ‘whatever’ reason...
I'm irish we say hello regardless
In the UK we have “Best before” and “Use by” dates.
It is ok to eat stuff after the “Best by” date; you can tell by the taste when bread or cake gets stale. Stale bread is ok for making toast. 😀
(But do bin it if it goes green. 😆)
I treat the “Use by” dates with more caution.
If the food is from a major chain, like Waitrose or Sainsburys, it should be fine a day or two after the “Use by” date.
They are cautious and they store food properly in refrigerators.
However, it depends on what the food is. Be more careful with fish and chicken.
Regarding the heat. I'm originally from Eastern Europe and for the past 9 years I'm also living in the south east of the US and often we're having pretty much same weather in summer as in Florida. At some point I visited my family in Europe during summer time. I thought that I was accustomed to the heat but it appeared that in Europe it was way more difficult to withstand it. The houses and the entire infrastructure aren't designed for the hot climate, therefore, we felt miserable there because of the heat. Coming back home to US was a huge relief despite the fact that the temperatures were actually higher in the south of the US.
I am a Californian and I would maybe slightly disagree on the dessert in America at restaurants. If I KNOW that I like the specific desserts available at a restaurant, I will order a smaller entree and no appetizers if I want to order the tiramisu or the flan or the fresh fruit pie, etc. And with all the hikes in prices over the past couple of years, I do not go out as often and make a point to enjoy the experience as it doesn’t happen that often…..
Also, if you have not been, try visiting York and the Yorkshire Dales. I love the York Minster! And up north, Skye and the Orkneys!
Enjoy !!!
It's pretty normal in Britain that if you're walking in the countryside absolutely anywhere in Britain (including around London) people will say hello to each other.